[ecrea] Arab Spring Symposium call for papers

*Global Media Journal Australian Edition together with the Australian 
and New Zealand Communications Association present The Arab Spring: A 
Symposium on Social Media and the Politics of Reportage **
***
*/**A reminder that the deadline for papers for "The Arab Spring: A 
Symposium on Social Media and the Politics of Reportage" is COB April 
1st, 2012**/*
*//*
/**Researchers utilising global examples which cover the different uses 
of social media and the interaction between 'traditional' and 
'alternative' media practitioners during the protests/
/ are also encouraged to apply**/

*The Arab Spring: A Symposium on Social Media and the Politics of 
Reportage" *

*Friday June 8, 2012
Advanced Technologies Centre, Swinburne University
Melbourne Australia
Special issues editors Diana Bossio and Saba Bebawi*

*With special keynote addresses from Dr Adel Iskandar and Professor Alan 
Knight*

This symposium proposes to both theoretically and empirically consider 
the social, political and cultural ramifications of interactions between 
'mainstream' and 'alternative' reportage practices and their meaning in 
a digital media age, seeking to derive conceptualisations of social 
media and the politics of reportage.

Proposals for presentations are now invited to be submitted for 
inclusion in the one-day symposium program.  Interested participants 
should email a 200-word abstract for a 20-minute presentation during the 
seminar.

We are seeking abstracts from authors that present new analyses of the 
changes and tensions that have occurred in the relations between the 
different forms of reportage, especially with the rise in popularity of 
social media platforms in times of crisis. Specifically we are 
interested in papers that critically examine the supposed dichotomy 
between what is perceived as the authenticity, authority and credibility 
of traditional journalism and the efficiencies and audience-driven 
content of alternative media practice.

Research that explores the following themes would be welcomed:

   * The different uses of social media during the Arab Spring protests
   * The interaction between 'traditional' and 'alternative' media
     practitioners during the protests
   * Specific ethical issues in reportage that arose during the
     interaction between mainstream and alternative media practitioners
     during the protests
   * How has mainstream media practice positioned itself within a
     discourse that has suggested the Arab Spring protests as a 'social
     media revolution'?
   * How can the Arab Spring protests be used a point of reference or
     case study to discuss this interaction between 'traditional' and
     'alternative' media platforms?
   * How has the political and policy landscape transformed nationally
     and internationally in the past decade?

Participants will be invited to submit a paper for publication in the 
Issue 3, 2012 of the Global Media Journal Australian Edition.

* **Abstract deadline:  COB April 1, 2012*
Please email abstracts as word document attachments to Seminar 
organisers: Diana Bossio (dbossio /at/ swin.edu.au) 
<mailto:(dbossio /at/ swin.edu.au)> or Saba Bebawi (sbebawi /at/ swin.edu.au) 
<mailto:(sbebawi /at/ swin.edu.au)>

*About the Journal*
The Australian Edition is a member of the innovative and original Global 
Media Journal <http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/>: an online-only, 
open access, global resource for communication and media studies 
scholarship, with independent editions around the world. The Australian 
edition of Global Media Journal invites the submission of essays and 
research reports that focus on any aspects in the field of 
Communication, Media and Journalism. The Global Media Journal continues 
to expand worldwide, adding new editions, including African, Australian, 
and Persian editions.

More information is available at: http://www.commarts.uws.edu.au/gmjau

Submission Guidelines: http://www.commarts.uws.edu.au/gmjau/submissions.html

Dr Diana Bossio
Lecturer
Media and Communications
Swinburne University