[ecrea] Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies (CMCS) 2015 CFP - Ryerson University, Canada

Bridging Gaps: Higher Education, Media and Society

Call for Papers:

In higher education, media studies bring critical awareness of 
representations and reproductions of popular personas, artefacts, 
processes, and practices in social, economic, and political contexts. 
>From the perspective of cultural studies, critical discourse analysis 
of media productions enables scholars to go beyond observing aesthetic 
aspects and to understand social underpinnings of cultural productions. 
In a similar fashion, journalism can use investigation to educate and 
inform the public on the limits and potentials of social systems. 
Journalistic publications can then become credible sources for academic 
research and effective solutions to critical issues in society. However, 
in both cases, there is striking lack of research knowledge, critical 
commentaries, and pragmatic effects in the public sphere. Statistics 
show that only three percent of the academic population reads journals 
that carry in-depth knowledge and analysis from industrial media. 
Furthermore, there is a general crisis in academia with an emphasis on 
efficiency, commercial support, and market orientation. As well, while 
graduate enrolment has quadrupled in the last decade, most aspiring PhD 
graduates struggle to find tenure or tenure-track jobs. Universities are 
increasingly hiring sessional teachers, thus limiting research and the 
dissemination of much needed critical perspectives by a new generation 
of scholars and practitioners. Finally, tabloid journalism uses 
narrative devices of gossip, rumour and scandals commodifying 
meritocratic fame while many news media have abandoned facts and 
intelligent analysis in favour of spectacular outrage and incivility, 
both situations acting as testaments to the lack of informed opinions. 
Researchers in both academic and non-academic career paths possess 
useful knowledge and authority on many important social issues but may 
lack accessibility and visibility due to their more theoretical and 
intellectual views that are generally confined to academic gatherings 
and journals. However, their expertise could greatly benefit journalism 
and development of progressive media, and provide impetus for social 
transformation. The inclusion of scholarly commentaries and advocacy in 
media is imperative to the development of a knowledge-based economy and 
social innovation based on critical thinking and ethical action.

The Centre for Media and Celebrity (CMCS), in association with the 
Centre for Ecological, Social, and Informatics Cognitive Research 
(ESI.CORE), invites cross-disciplinary panel, paper and workshop 
proposals for the international conference Bridging Gaps – Higher 
Education, Media and Society. Accepted papers will be published as an 
open access edited book. Extended version of selected best papers will 
be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Submission guidelines:

    * 250-word abstract or panel / workshop proposal
    * Include a title, your name, e-mail address, and affiliation if 
applicable
    * Submit to conference Chair Dr. Louis Massey at (submit /at/ esicore.org)
    * Deadline for submission: November 30, 2014
    * Notification of acceptance: January 15, 2015

The conference aims at being open and inclusive. We welcomes speculative 
ideas, exploratory practices, position papers, manifestos as well as 
traditional academic papers from both affiliated and independent 
researchers, graduate students, media and related industries 
practitioners, activists, and artists. Topics include but are not 
limited to:

    * Theoretical and methodological approaches
    * Use of media content and practices
    * Historical perspectives and case studies
    * Relationship between researchers and journalists
    * Archiving scholarly sources in media
    * Influencing public opinion and policy making
    * Public relations and op-eds
    * Ethical issues in public relations
    * Social issues in media content
    * Critical thinking in journalism
    * Inequality in media and education
    * Interviewing media professionals
    * Media personas and popular icons as educators
    * Politics of personas and selfies / self portraitures
    * Fashion and body language
    * New directions in celebrity activism
    * Art in education and advocacy
    * Performance and biographies in storytelling
    * Independent media
    * Media literacy programs
    * Ethical action in media and education
    * Alternative knowledge production sites and methods
    * Academics as cultural critics
    * Media skills and employment in higher education

The conference will be held on May 27-28, 2015 at Ryerson University in 
Toronto, Canada.

Conference fee is $300, which includes:

    * The registration fee
    * Tea / coffee breaks each day
    * Access to a professional workshop
    *
      Electronic copy of an edited book containing all papers presented 
at the conference
    * Publication of extended papers in a peer-reviewed journal for 
selected best papers

Visit our website for details: http://cmc-centre.com/conference2015/.

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