[ecrea] cfp - Science Journalism in a Digital Age

>Call for Papers: â¬ÜScience Journalism in a Digital Ageâ¬"
>
>Special Issue of Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism
>
>Guest Editor: Stuart Allan, Bournemouth University, UK
>
>In taking science journalism as its focus, this 
>special issue of Journalism will seek to 
>contribute to current debates about the ways in 
>which this important genre of reporting is being 
>transformed by the changes ushered in by digital media.
>
>Today it is readily apparent that precisely what 
>counts as â¬Üscience newsâ¬" is undergoing 
>dramatic redefinition as the convergence of 
>â¬Üoldâ¬" and â¬Ünewâ¬" media continues apace. 
>The challenges facing the science journalist 
>have always been formidable, of course, but the 
>internet and associated digital technologies are 
>bringing to bear new pressures and constraints ­ 
>as well as creating  fresh opportunities for 
>innovation ­ deserving of our close attenntion. 
>While the very future of science journalism is 
>being called into question by some, others point 
>to alternative approaches to science reporting that are flourishing online.
>
>In exploring these concerns, this special 
>issueâ¬"s agenda is informed by a sense of 
>urgency. At a time when many news organizations 
>are under intense financial pressure to trim or 
>reduce expenditure on specialist, investigative 
>reporting, it is all too often the case that 
>science news is regarded as expendable. In the 
>eyes of some, it is a luxury increasingly 
>difficult to justify when other types of news 
>will be more popular with audiences (and thus 
>advertisers). CNNâ¬"s decision to cut its entire 
>science, technology and environment news staff, 
>for example, provoked widespread alarm when it 
>was announced in 2008. Few commentators failed 
>to note the irony that science issues ­ such as 
>climate change,  stem cell research, evolution 
>and bio-terrorism ­ were proving suufficiently 
>controversial to attract intense news coverage at the time.
>
>Accordingly, a guiding theme of the special 
>issue is that current assessments of the news 
>mediaâ¬"s public responsibilities in a democracy 
>can be enriched by inquiries into the changing 
>nature of science journalism. Possible topics to be examined may include:
>
>"       The political economy of science journalism
>"       Journalistsâ¬" uses of digital technologies in science  reporting
>"       Rethinking the news values of science coverage
>"       Scientists as news sources and the politics of expertise
>"       The framing of controversy in science stories
>"       The impact of blogging on science news
>"       Audience perceptions of science news on the web
>"       Science journalism and social networking
>Prospective authors should submit an abstract of 
>approximately 250 words by email to Stuart Allan 
>((sallan /at/ bournemouth.ac.uk)). A selection of 
>authors will be invited to submit a full paper 
>according to the journalâ¬"s Notes for 
>Contributors. Acceptance of the abstract does 
>not guarantee publication, given that all papers 
>will be subjected to peer review.
>
>Timeline
>
>Deadline for abstracts: 1 October, 2010; 
>deadline for submission of articles: 31 
>December, 2010. Final revised papers due: March, 
>2011.  Publication:  Volume 12, No. 7
>
>Stuart Allanâ¬"s science-related publications 
>include Environmental Risks and the Media 
>(co-edited, 2000), Media, Risk and Science 
>(2002), and Nanotechnology, Risk and 
>Communication (co-authored, 2009). Recent 
>co-written journal articles have appeared in New 
>Genetics and Society (2005), Science 
>Communication (2005), Health, Risk & Society 
>(2007), Public Understanding of Science (2009), 
>and Journal of Risk Research (2010).
>
>Professor Stuart Allan
>The Media School
>Bournemouth University
>Talbot Campus
>Poole, Dorset
>BH12 5BB
>UK
>
>(sallan /at/ bournemouth.ac.uk)
>

----------------
ECREA-Mailing list
----------------
This mailing list is a free service from ECREA.
---
To unsubscribe, please visit http://www.ecrea.eu/mailinglist
---
ECREA - European Communication Research and Education Association
Postal address:
ECREA
Université Libre de Bruxelles
c/o Dept. of Information and Communication Sciences
CP123, avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, b-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
Email: (info /at/ ecrea.eu)
URL: http://www.ecrea.eu
----------------