[ecrea] CfP - The Unlovable Press. Conversations with Michael Schudson

Call for Papers – Conference
The Unlovable Press. Conversations with Michael Schudson

June 16/17, 2014
Centre for Media and Journalism Studies, University of Groningen

Keynote speakers:
Prof. Michael Schudson (Columbia University)
Prof. Rodney Benson (New York University)
Prof. Martin Conboy (University of Sheffield)
Prof. Silvio Waisbord (George Washington University)

How should we study “a necessary institution we are not likely ever to 
love”?

Michael Schudson’s pioneering and ground breaking research on the 
historical and contemporary development of journalism has inspired many 
scholars around the globe and helped lay the foundations for the growing 
field of journalism studies. His work on the crossroads of journalism 
history, sociology and political communication carefully discusses and 
critically questions commonly accepted truths about “the unlovable 
press”. Why is journalism a central institution in democracy? How is 
citizenship ‘envisioned’ and what is journalism’s role in this regard? 
Why did the objectivity norm arise in journalism? In what ways do social 
and narrative conventions prefigure the representation of reality in the 
news? And through which practices is news as a cultural form constructed?

This conference invites scholars to critically engage with the work of 
Michael Schudson and these fundamental questions . We are looking for 
papers that either discuss his research or apply the themes and topics 
that are prominent in Schudson’s work to empirical case studies. We 
welcome studies that focus both on historical and contemporary issues.

Specifically, we invite contributions in the fields of journalism 
history, the sociology of news and political communication that consider:
- The rise of the objectivity norm, its functions and current 
reconfiguration
- The establishment and development of reporting practices
- The social and narrative conventions that structure journalism discourse
- Socio-cultural studies of the role of journalism in democracy and society
- Changes in political news production and the rise of monitorial 
citizenship
- National and comparative case studies that take up these themes
- Theoretical explorations of (concepts in) Michael Schudson’s work

This conference is hosted by the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies 
at the University of Groningen. It is organized in honour of Michael 
Schudson (Professor of Journalism at Columbia University, New York) who 
will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Groningen on 
June 13, 2014, as part of celebrations to commemorate  the occasion of 
the university’s 400 year anniversary. The organizers are planning to 
publish a selection of the papers in a volume and/or a special issue.

- Abstracts (maximum 500 words) are invited for consideration as 
contributions to this conference. Please add a short bio (max. 100 words.
- Panels proposals (max. 4 papers; 400 words panel description & 100 
word abstract of each paper) are also invited. Please add short bio’s 
for all participants (max. 100 words)
- Deadline for submission: March 1, 2014. Submissions will be reviewed 
on a rolling basis.
- Please send your abstract to: (journalismconferences /at/ rug.nl)
- Conference fee: € 50 for lunches and conference dinner.
- For more information, please contact the organizers: Marcel Broersma 
((m.j.broersma /at/ rug.nl)) or Chris Peters ((c.j.peters /at/ rug.nl)).


--
Marcel J. Broersma
Professor of Journalism Studies and Media
Head of Department / Director Centre for Media and Journalism Studies
Journalism Department, University of Groningen
P.O.Box 716, 9700 AS, Groningen, The Netherlands
T. 0031 50 3635955 / 5269
www.rug.nl/staff/m.j.broersma
www.rug.nl/let/onderwijs/master/journalistiek

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