[Previous message][Next message][Back to index]
[Commlist] Conference Call for papers: Media and cultural production platforms in the Middle East and North Africa
Mon Jul 15 14:58:02 GMT 2024
We are pleased to send you the call for papers for the "Platforms of
media and cultural productions in the Middle East and North Africa"
conference, to be held in Marrakech (Morocco) on April 9-10, 2025.
In a context where digital streaming platforms are redefining the
modalities of access to culture, information, and entertainment, it
becomes essential to dissect the multiple facets of this ongoing
platformization. It is equally necessary to inscribe the latter within
the broader framework of the circulation of these industries and
cultural productions.
Certainly, the multidimensional phenomenon of platformization is
attracting growing interest among researchers from various disciplines.
These platforms are transforming and shaping new practices in the
production and consumption of cultural industries (AHMED, 2019; AZZA
ABDEL-AZIM, 2020). Moreover, this platformization is challenging
existing supply models and eliciting varied reactions from those
involved in cultural production. As O. THUILLAS and L. WIART
demonstrate, there is a double positioning: for some, platformization
offers opportunities, while for others, it threatens “cultural
diversity” due to commercialization and monopolization. In fact, the
issues linked to the hegemony of international players and the
standardization of formats exacerbate the tensions between “cultural
globalization” and the promotion of local content (HANNERZ, 1996;
BOUQUILLION and ITHURBIDE, 2021; MATTELART 2008). Other questions
relating to the emergence of new temporalities in the creation,
production, and consumption of content are also emerging in the debates
(THOER, BOISVERT, NIEMEYER, 2022).
This conference follows on from two scientific initiatives focusing on
cultural industries in the MENA region. The first is the seminar
“Production and Circulation of Cultural Industries: The Case of the
Middle East and North Africa“[1] organized since 2015 by Dominique
Marchetti and Abdelfettah Benchenna. Its objective is to address the
lack of research in the humanities and social sciences on cultural
goods, which are considered trivial research objects in the region. The
planned meeting also proposes an analysis of these objects in light of
national specificities and circulation processes.
Secondly, this event is part of the research project “VOD and Streaming
Platforms in the MENA region“[2], which was awarded a label by the MSH
Paris-Nord in 2021-2023 and resulted in the organization of a symposium
in June 2023. On this occasion, researchers from different disciplines
(information and communication sciences, cultural studies, anthropology,
political science) discussed the existing offer, its conditions, its
production contexts, and audience practices.
Similar to the transformations introduced by satellite television in the
1990s and 2000s (QUIJANO et GUAAYBESS, 2009), the arrival of platforms
marks the emergence of new spaces for the circulation of media and
cultural productions. Consequently, they contribute, among other things,
to the introduction of new cultural consumption practices, influencing
the strategies, at the very least digital, of so-called traditional
media players, at national, regional, and international levels (AHMED,
2019 ; AZZA ABDEL-AZIM, 2020). Platformization also calls into question
existing socio-economic models and produces new, pluralistic ones,
depending on the content, the socio-economic characteristics of the
target countries, etc.
The conference therefore aims to deepen these reflections and enrich the
scientific debate on this issue in the MENA region. Its main objective
is to contribute to scientific research on this geographical area, while
offering a nuanced perspective on its complexity and diversity, but also
while taking into account its disparate heritage in terms of audiovisual
and cinematographic production. In this sense, it is crucial to examine
the specific socio-political-economic contexts (MERMIER 2009 ; MILLER,
2012) in which these platforms are evolving in a region often and
incorrectly perceived as homogeneous.
*One of the unique features of this scientific event is that it provides
a space for researchers and professionals working or having worked in
some of the region’s well-known platforms to meet and exchange ideas.
This dual perspective, between academics and professionals, is motivated
by the very specificities of the MENA region, where field surveys are
most often difficult to conduct for several reasons (discretion of
interlocutors, coveted market, sensitive political and geopolitical
contexts, etc.)*
By examining the emergence of digital platforms in the MENA region, this
conference aims to provide insights into a series of key questions. How
do digital platforms concretely figure within the existing media and
cultural landscapes of the MENA region? To what extent do these
platforms tailor their content, production methods, and dissemination
strategies to cater to the diverse audiences within the MENA region? How
effectively do these platforms address and incorporate the cultural,
social, and political particularities of the MENA region? How do these
platforms integrate into the broader ecosystem of cultural production
and circulation within the MENA region? What is the impact of this
platformization on established cultural producers? How are digital
platforms leading to a redefinition of strategies and market positioning
among cultural producers in the MENA region? What role, if any, do
existing public policies play in regulating this evolving media
landscape? How does the phenomenon of platformization affect the complex
interplay between internationalization, cultural hegemony, and the
availability and promotion of locally produced content? This conference
seeks to move beyond general observations and delve into the specific
dynamics at play within the MENA region, fostering a nuanced
understanding of this complex and rapidly evolving landscape.
The conference will focus specifically on audiovisual digital platforms,
namely video streaming platforms, both pure players and those operated
by major public or private audiovisual groups, as well as music
platforms. In other words, the conference aims to examine, among other
things, the motivations, offerings, and strategies for innovation,
service expansion, alliances, and general interest pursued by these players.
*Communication proposals may focus on, but are not limited to, one or
more of the following topics:*
*Axes and topics*
*Axis 1: International, Regional, and National Dynamics*
This first axis aims to study the streaming landscape in the region by
mapping existing or past platforms according to their country of origin.
Beyond a simple inventory, this mapping will identify the stratification
of this landscape between international, regional, and local platforms.
What does this stratification tell us, and how does it inform the
content offered by these platforms and influence audience practices?
Within this landscape, what is the place, existing or to be built, for
“small” audiovisual streaming players emerging in certain countries
(such as Aflamin in Morocco and Artify in Tunisia)? What content do they
offer, and what are their margins for maneuver in a sector dominated by
international giants and regional audiovisual industry leaders?
Particular attention will be paid to the unequal circulation of
productions between different countries within the region. This axis
will also examine the existing content offering in the region to
determine to what extent it modifies or maintains existing logics of
production, storytelling, and creativity.
*Proposed sub-themes:*
* Adaptation of content strategies by international platforms for the
MENA market.
* Cultural hegemony and counter-hegemony.
* Dynamics of production, consumption, and circulation of local vs.
regional and international content.
* Impact of regulations and cultural public policies on content
offerings in the MENA region.
*Axis 2: Audience Practices*
This topic aims to understand audience practices by focusing not only on
strategies for formal and informal access to streaming platforms but
also on the “new” practices of consuming their content. This axis
explores the gray area between legality and illegality, as well as the
moral and cultural perceptions associated with piracy in the Arab
world(s). The content protection strategies implemented by platforms, as
well as the obstacles they face, will also be studied.
*Sub-themes:*
* Professionalization in the sale of subscriptions to streaming servers.
* Viewing practices and binge-watching trends among audiences in the
region.
* Specific uses of platforms.
* Relationship of access providers and platform players to the
informal market.
* The professionalization of digital content protection within platforms.
*Axis 3: Content Strategies*
This third topic mobilizes several approaches and disciplines:
socio-economic analysis, storytelling, sociology and cultural studies,
etc. It addresses the specific content strategies adopted by streaming
platforms to reach audiences in the Middle East and North Africa, taking
into account regional cultural, social, and political dynamics. This
section examines how international and regional platforms adapt their
offerings to meet the diverse expectations of MENA audiences while
navigating regulatory and cultural complexities.
*Sub-themes:*
* Content acquisition and targeting policies.
* Localization strategies: from translation to dubbing to new
productions.
* Linguistic and artistic dimensions of content.
* Regional collaboration and content diversification: examining the
impact of partnerships and joint productions between international
streaming platforms and local producers.
*Axis 4: Relationships Between Different players in Cultural Production*
This axis explores the complex relationships between streaming
platforms, traditional content producers, and new digital entrants
within the MENA region’s cultural ecosystem. By highlighting the
synergies, tensions, and collaborations between these different players,
this section aims to understand how the arrival of streaming platforms
is changing the production, distribution, and consumption of cultural
content in the region. It will also focus on how these players are
adapting to technological and regulatory challenges and audience
expectations in a constantly evolving market.
*Sub-themes:*
* Synergies between streaming platforms and traditional production.
* Collaborations between streaming platforms and production companies.
* Interactions of “original” platform productions with the local
cultural industry.
* Regulations and public policies: The role of public authorities in
regulating the streaming market.
*This symposium is funded by the Labex ICCA and has received support
from LabSIC and from the IRN project “Platforms in the Global South”
(CNRS) .*
*The symposium will be held at the École Supérieure des Arts Visuels
(ESAV) in Marrakech, Morocco.*
*Organizing committee :*
*ADIB DOSS* Maria (Associate Professor at Sorbonne Paris Nord
University, LabSIC), *AZIZI* Asmaa (Associate Professor at Sorbonne
Paris Nord University, LabSIC), *BENCHENNA* Abdelfettah (Professor at
Sorbonne Paris Nord University, LabSIC), *MARCHETTI* Dominique (Research
Director at CNRS), *CARREE* Roland, Lecturer in Cinema Studies, ESAV)
*Scientific Committee :*
*BADR *Hanan, Full Professor of Communication Studies, Paris Lodron
University of Salzburg, Austria , *BEN NEFISSA *Sarah*, *Research
Director at the Institute for Research and Development(IRD), France,
*BOUQUILLION *Philippe, Professor of Information and Communication
Sciences director of LabSIC, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, France,
*HADJ MOUSSA *Ratiba, Professor of sociology of culture, York
University, Canada, *HALABI* Nour, Associate Professor and
Interdisciplinary Fellow, Aberdeen University, Scotland, *ITHURBIDE
*Christine, CNRS Researcher, Passages, France, *KHALIL *Joe, Professor
of Communication Studies, Northwestern University, Qatar, *MATTELART
*Tristan, Professor of Information and Communication Sciences, CARISM,
Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, France, *MERMIER *Franck, Research
Director at CNRS, IRIS, France, *MILLER *Catherine, Emeritus Research
Director at CNRS, IREMAM, France, *KOCH* Olivier, Associate Professor at
Sorbonne Paris Nord University, LabSIC, France, *SAKR *Naomi, Emeritus
Professor of Media, University of Westminster School of Media and
Communication, England, *SALAMANDRA* Christa, Professor of Anthropology
and “Middle Easter Studies”, City University of New York.
*Submission*
We encourage colleagues to submit papers or panels that focus on case
studies (of a specific platform or country) as well as those that favor
transversal or comparative studies. Theoretical but also empirical
contributions based on field studies are welcome. Similarly,
contributions that raise methodological biases, difficulties in
accessing fields. Young researchers and doctoral students are warmly
invited to submit papers.
Proposals (*3,000 to 4,000 characters*) must include a well-defined
research question and a description of the methodology. They must also
be accompanied by a bibliography and a short biographical note.
Proposals may be submitted in French or English. Please send your
proposals to : *(communication.menaplatforms /at/ gmail.com)
<mailto:(communication.menaplatforms /at/ gmail.com)>*
*Calendar *
*15 sept. 2024: Deadline for abstract submission.*
/Authors are invited to submit an abstract of their paper or panel
proposal, including objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes.
Accompanied by a short bio./
*15 oct. 2024: Notification of acceptance to authors*.
/Following evaluation by the scientific committee, selected authors will
be informed of the acceptance of their proposals*_._*/
*26 feb. 2025: Submission of papers (first version)*
/Authors whose proposals have been accepted must send a first complete
version of their work (35 000 characters) for review, which will be
examined by the scientific committee for publication revisions./
*Symposium dates: 9-10 April 2025*
*/The publication schedule, including the deadlines for submitting the
final versions of the papers incorporating any post-symposium revisions,
will be communicated to the participants./**/Following the symposium, a
publication of the selected papers is planned./*
*Registrations will be open from February 2025.*
/Bibliography/ :
Acar, Matthieu, Éléonore Paul et Gabrielle Pereira Coelho. « Penser la
plateformisation ». /Feuilletages/, 10, p. 28-29.
Ahmed, Azza. 2019. « Marathon TV Watching among Emiratis in the
Interactive Media Environment ». /Arab Media & Society/, 27,
Winter/Spring.
https://www.arabmediasociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1-10793713.pdf
<https://www.arabmediasociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1-10793713.pdf>
Allam, Rasha, et Sylvia Chan-Olmsted. 2020. « The development of video
streaming industry in Egypt: Examining its market environment and
business model ». /Journal of Media Business Studies/.
https://doi.org/10.1080/16522354.2020.1853436
<https://doi.org/10.1080/16522354.2020.1853436>. Consulted on 11/05/2024.
Azza Abdel-Azim, Mohamed Ahmed. 2020. « Impact of US Drama
Binge-Watching in the Emirates Third-Person Effect and Cultural
Self-Conceptual ». /Arab Media & Society/, 30.
https://www.arabmediasociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Impact-of-US-Drama-Binge-Watching-in-the-Emirates-Third-Person-Effect-and-Cultural-Self-Conceptual.pdf
<https://www.arabmediasociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Impact-of-US-Drama-Binge-Watching-in-the-Emirates-Third-Person-Effect-and-Cultural-Self-Conceptual.pdf>.
Consulted on 11/05/2024.
Bouquillon, Philippe, Christine Ithurbide et Tristan Mattelart (dir.).
2023. /Digital Platforms and the Global South – Reconfiguring Power
Relations in the Cultural Industries/. Routledge Editions.
Bouquillon, Philippe et Christine Ithurbide. 2021. « La globalisation
culturelle et les nouveaux enjeux d’hégémonie à l’heure des plateformes.
Le cas indien ». /Réseaux/, 226-227 : 71-98.
https://doi.org/10.3917/res.226.0071
<https://doi.org/10.3917/res.226.0071> . Consulted on 11/05/2024.
Cha, Jiyoung., et Sylvia M. Chan-Olmsted. 2012. « Substituability
between Online Video Platforms and Television ». /Journalism and Mass
Communication Quarterly/ 89 (2): 261–278.
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1077699012439035
<http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1077699012439035>
Chalaby, Jean K. 2023. /Television in the Streaming Era/. Cambridge
University Press.
Chalaby, Jean K. 2009. « Broadcasting in a Post-National Environment:
The Rise of Transnational TV Groups ». /Critical Studies in
Television/ 4(1): 39–64.
Dagnino, Gloria. 2018. « Regulation and Co-Regulation of Product
Placement for OTT SVODs: The Case of Netflix ». /International Journal
of Digital Television/ 9 (3): 203-218.
https://doi.org/10.1386/jdtv.9.3.203_1. Consulté le 11/05/2024
<https://doi.org/10.1386/jdtv.9.3.203_1.%20Consult%C3%A9%20le%2011/05/2024>.
El-Hibri, Hatim, and William L. Youmans. 2023. Producing the Middle
East: An Introduction. /Middle East Journal of Culture and
Communication/ 16(2): 111-114. Doi:
https://doi.org/10.1163/18739865-01602001. Consulté le 10/05/2024
<https://doi.org/10.1163/18739865-01602001.%20Consult%C3%A9%20le%2010/05/2024>.
Finn, Ed. 2017. /What Algorithms Want: Imagination in the Age of
Computin/g. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Flayelle, Maïté, Nadia Canale, Christian Vögele, Laurent Karila, Pierre
Maurage et Joël Billieux. 2019. « Assessing Binge Watching Behaviors:
Development and Validation of the “Watching TV Series Motives” and
“Binge-Watching Engagement and Symptoms” Questionnaires ». /Computers in
Human Behavior/ 90: 26-36.
Flew, Terry, Petros Iosifidis, et Jeanette Steemers (dir.). 2016.
/Global Media and National Policies: Return of the State/. Palgrave
Macmillan.
Frishkopf, Michael A. 2010. /Music and Media in the Arab World/. Cairo:
The American University in Cairo Press.
/Gillan, Jennifer 2015. Television Brandcasting: The Return of the
Content-Promotion Hybrid. New York, London: Routledge.///
Gimpel, Gregory. 2015. « The Future of Video Platforms: Key Questions
Shaping the TV and Video Industry ». /International Journal on Media
Management/ 17(1): 25–46. http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hijm20
<http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hijm20>. Consulté le 11/05/2024.
G-Stolz, Barbara. 2021. « National, Transnational, Transcultural Media:
The Culture Binge ». In Mareike Jenner (dir.),/ Binge-Watching and
Contemporary Television Studies/., Edinburgh: Edinburgh University
Press, 145-46.
/Gonzalez-Quijano, Yves, et Tourya Guaaybess, éditeurs. 2009. Les Arabes
Parlent aux Arabes. Arles : Actes Sud.///
Haddad, Fadi G., et Alexander Dhoest. 2021. « Netflix Speaks Arabic,
Arabs Speak Netflix: How SVOD is Transforming Arabic Series
Screenwriting ». /Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research/ 14(2): 261-280.
Hadj-Moussa Ratiba (dir.) 2019. /Terrains Difficiles, Sujets Sensibles :
Faire de la Recherche au Maghreb et sur le Moyen-Orient/. Vulaines sur
Seine : Éditions du Croquant.
Hallinan, Blake, et Ted Striphas. 2016. « Recommended for You: The
Netflix Prize and the Production of Algorithmic Culture ». /New Media &
Society/ 18(1) : 117-137.
Hannerz, Ulf. 1996. /Transnational connections/. London : Routledge.
Hjort, Mette. 2010. « On the Plurality of Cinematic Transnationalism ».
In Nataša Ďurovičová et Kathleen Newman (dir.)///World Cinemas,
Transnational Perspectives/, Abingdon : Routledge, 12–33.
Ithurbide, Christine. 2022. « Déploiement de Netflix en Inde:
Localisation d’une Plateforme Transnationale et Reconfigurations Locales
». /Annales de Géographie/ 743 : 23-43.
https://doi.org/10.3917/ag.743.0023
<https://doi.org/10.3917/ag.743.0023>. Consulted on 11/05/2024.
Joshi, Harsh. 2015. « Digital Media: Rise of On-Demand Content ».
Deloitte. Consulted on 7 décembre 2019.
https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/in/Documents/technology-media-
telecommunications/in-tmt-rise-of-on-demand-content.pdf
<https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/in/Documents/technology-media-%20telecommunications/in-tmt-rise-of-on-demand-content.pdf>.
Consulted on 11/05/2024.
Khalil, Joe F., et Mohamed Zayani. 2022. « Digitality and Debordered
Spaces in the Era of Streaming: A Global South Perspective ».
/Television & New Media/ 23(2): 167-183.
https://doi.org/10.1177/15274764211014584
<https://doi.org/10.1177/15274764211014584>. Consulted on 11/05/2024.
Khalil, Joe F. 2016. « The Business Push and Audience Pull in Arab
Entertainment Television ». /International Journal of
Communication/ 10 : 3632–3646.
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119269465.ch22
<https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119269465.ch22>*. *Consulted on 11/05/2024.
Levine, E. 2009. « National Television, Global Market: Canada’s
Degrassi: The Next Generation ». /Media, Culture & Society/ 31(4): 515–31.
Lobato, Ramon. 2019. /Netflix Nations: The Geography of Digital
Distribution/. New York: New York University Press.
Lobato, Ramon, et Alexa Scarlata. 2019. « Australian Content in SVOD
Catalogs: Availability and Discoverability ».
https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2019-10/apo-nid264821.pdf
<https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2019-10/apo-nid264821.pdf>
Lotz, Amanda D., Oliver Eklund, et Stuart Soroka. 2022. « Netflix,
Library Analysis, and Globalization: Rethinking Mass Media Flows ».
/Journal of Communication/ 72(4) : 511–521.
https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqac020. Consulté le 11/05/2024
<https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqac020.%20Consult%C3%A9%20le%2011/05/2024>.
Mermier Franck. 2009. « Médias et espace public panarabe : de quoi
parle-t-on ? ». In K. Mohsen-Finan (dir.), /Les médias en Méditerranée.
Nouveaux médias, monde arabe et relations internationales/. Arles :
Actes Sud, MMSH, Barzakh, 74-91.
Miller, Catherine. 2012. « Langues et médias dans le monde
arabe/arabophone. Entre idéologie et marché, convergences dans la
glocalisation ? ». In Abdenbi Lachkar (dir.), /Langues et médias en
Méditerranée/. Paris : L’Harmattan, 157-171.
https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00578851
<https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00578851>. Consulted on 03/06/2024.
Noam, Eli. 2019. « Online Video: Content Models, Emerging Market
Structure, and Regulatory Policy Solutions ». The 47th Research
Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy 2019.
http://ssrn.com/abstract=3427445 <http://ssrn.com/abstract=3427445>.
Consulted on 11/05/2024.
Northwestern University in Qatar. 2016. /Middle East Media Industries
Report/.
https://www.qatar.northwestern.edu/docs/publications/research/2016-middle-east-media-industries-report.pdf
<https://www.qatar.northwestern.edu/docs/publications/research/2016-middle-east-media-industries-report.pdf>.
Consulté le 11/05/2024.
Thuillas, Olivier et Louis Wiart. 2023. /Les Plateformes à la Conquête
des Industries Culturelles/. PUG.
Vitrinel, Ece. 2020. « Making Foreign Ready-Made Content Great Again:
VOD Platforms and English-Language Series in Turkey ». /Journal of
Popular Television/ 8 (3): 313–319. https://doi.org/10.1386/JPTV_00031_1
<https://doi.org/10.1386/JPTV_00031_1>. Consulted on 11/05/2024.
Voigt, Kai-Ingo, Oana Buliga et Kathrin Michl. 2016. « Entertainment on
Demand: The Case of Netflix ». In Voigt, Kai-Ingo, Oana Buliga et
Kathrin Michl/ (dir.), Business Model Pioneers: How Innovators
Successfully Implement New Business Models/. Cham: Springer, 127–142.
Wayne, Mike L. 2020. « Global Streaming Platforms and National
Pay-Television Markets: A Case Study of Netflix and Multi-Channel
Providers in Israel ». /The Communication Review/ 23(1): 29–45.
---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------
[Previous message][Next message][Back to index]
