[ecrea] CfP OURMedia/IAMCR conference: Crisis and community/citizens/social media

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Dealing with Crisis: Community, Alternative, Citizens' and Social Media 
in Times of Change

An OURMedia event
in collaboration with the Community Communication Section of the 
International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR), 
the Global Communication and Social Change Division of the International 
Communication Association (ICA), the Community Radio Forum of Ireland 
(CRAOL), and Irish community media activists

Dublin, IRELAND
JUNE 24-25, 2013

'Crisis' has become the word most widely used to describe our shared 
global condition. Crisis highlights the urgency for change and for 
alternatives to established political, economic and media practices. For 
alternative, community, citizens' and social justice media makers, 
crisis brings together many of the themes usually considered – from 
inequality of all kinds to ecological destruction, the need for 
political transformation and reconciliation.

The dominant media and news services are facing their own crises, and 
especially their failure to change the corporate commercial model and 
adapt to technological change. Non-profit media provide useful 
alternative models; citizens' media have long demonstrated inclusive 
forms of user participation; and online activist projects have offered 
crucial solutions for crisis communication. But crises are also 
affecting grassroots media and communications organizations as their 
already precarious resource bases shrink further. And with social 
justice movements and citizens increasingly moving to commercial social 
networking platforms for their communication needs, the classic 
collective forms and relevance of alternative and community media are 
themselves challenged.

The various dimensions of crisis and change deserve closer investigation 
from the perspective of grassroots, participatory, civil society-based, 
community, alternative, radical and citizens' media. The 2013 
International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) 
conference provides an important opportunity. Under the theme "Crises, 
'Creative Destruction' and the Global Power and Communication Orders", 
it will run from June 25-29 at Dublin City University in Ireland. This 
OURMedia event will be held as a pre-conference to the IAMCR meeting, 
and will also connect with the International Communication Association 
(ICA) conference in London, UK, 17-21 June 2013.

Questions that will be discussed include the following:

• Reporting crisis: How do community, alternative and citizens' media 
engage with crisis messages? How do they spotlight the kinds of 
political, economic, ecological and social crises that affect the 
majority but continue to be marginalized by dominant media? How do they 
highlight the effects of the crisis?
• Building alternatives: Are alternative forms of media – including 
participatory, commons-based and non-commercial media – the answer to 
the media crisis? How are people using grassroots and citizens’ media to 
develop calls for social/ economic/political change, and share them 
locally and around the world?
• Dealing with social division: How are grassroots alternative and 
citizens’ media dealing with the increasing social divisions exacerbated 
by the global crises and the pursuit of austerity policies? What kinds 
of programming and innovative forms of media activism are helping to 
bridge gaps related to the treatment, for example, of immigrants and the 
poor, and of persistent racism and sexism?
• Practical crises of 'our media': How does the financial crisis affect 
community media? How can we develop models for sustainable citizens' 
communication? What are the most pressing political and policy problems 
and openings for change? Are activist groups and social movements 
increasingly using commercial online platforms instead of self-organised 
media?
• Conceptual crises of 'our media': With the rise of DIY social media 
and p2p communication, how do our traditional understandings of 
community and alternative media need to be revised? How do we examine 
the move from commons-based community media to corporate social media? 
Are collective self-organised forms of alternative media still relevant? 
How do we re-think concepts of citizens' participation, the commons, etc.?
• Towards new media models: What innovative approaches exist to connect 
the ideas and experiences of commons-based community media with new 
social media and emerging forms of digital (counter) culture? How can we 
create effective hybrid media types, cross-platform connections, and 
alternative forms of social networking?
Structure

This event will bring together academics and practitioners, scholars and 
activists, researchers and advocates. It will include academic paper 
presentations, skill-sharing workshops, strategy meetings, and public 
debates. Its components and activities will depend on the proposals that 
you submit!


Submissions

We call for a variety of proposals:

1. Academic paper presentation: Submit a 300-500 word abstract on one of 
the conference themes.
2. Panel discussions and workshops: Submit a statement of purpose 
(300-500 words), and a list of panel participants. We are particularly 
interested in innovative forms of sessions that allow for constructive 
collective debate among all participants.
3. Video screenings, technical showcases, webcasts, music and theatrical 
performances and public/street art: The event should include a wider 
range of practical presentations and activities. Please submit a 300-500 
word statement of purpose and a description of activities, as well as 
any infrastructure requirements (space, projectors, etc.).

Deadline for submissions: 28 February 2013.

Submit proposals to the following email address: (ourmedia /at/ iamcr.org)

This 2-day event will be held as a pre-conference to the annual IAMCR 
conference. Please consider also to submit paper proposals to the 
Community Communication Section of the IAMCR, where the discussion on 
these and other topics will continue.

Information on IAMCR

IAMCR: http://www.iamcr.org
Dublin Conference: http://iamcr2013dublin.com/
IAMCR Community Communication: 
http://www.iamcr.org/content/blogcategory/51/201/

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