[Commlist] CfP: @frica digital media conference

The Jack J. Valenti School of Communication at the University of Houston 
welcomes the submission of extended abstracts for the “@frica: digital 
media conference” to be held between February 27 and 28, 2020.

With the dual goal of increasing the geographic diversity of 
presentations and reducing the carbon footprint of international travel, 
the conference will feature virtual as well as in person presentations. 
Extended abstracts that meet the criteria described below will be 
accepted until November 22, 2019. Accepted authors will be notified by 
December 6, 2019.

All questions about submissions should be emailed to 
(valentiglobalsummit /at/ uh.edu) <mailto:(valentiglobalsummit /at/ uh.edu)>.

*********

@frica: digital media conference

University of Houston

Houston, TX, United States, February 27-28, 2020

Website: https://www.globalcommunicationsummit.org/

Abstract registration deadline: November 22, 2019

While the economic, political, cultural and social transformations 
brought about by the rise of digital technologies, particularly in the 
media and telecommunications sectors, are visible all over the world, it 
is in African countries that they are projected to have the biggest 
impact in coming years. Africa, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, has one 
of the fastest growing number of internet and mobile users in the world.

In many parts of the continent, access to information and communication 
technologies (ICTs) has been seen as an opportunity to “leapfrog”, a 
concept that the World Bank defines as making “a quick jump in economic 
development” by adopting technological innovation. This is exemplified 
by the success of African startups like Ushahidi, a crowdsourcing 
mapping tool created in Kenya, or Jumia, Nigeria’s number 1 online 
retailer; the recent opening of Google’s Africa AI center in Ghana; and 
the ever-growing presence of mobile payment and banking across the 
continent. Digital communication technologies have also been used 
strategically by citizens in the continent to engage in grassroots 
political movements that have toppled long-time rulers, led to 
(sometimes short-lived) regime changes, and brought about changes in 
legislation.

The fast growth of digitally enabled communications and services has 
also brought challenges for the continent. For example, well-before the 
notion of “fake news” became a buzzword in U.S. politics, many African 
nations, from South Africa to Gabon or Nigeria, were targets of 
large-scale misinformation campaigns over social media such as WhatsApp 
and Facebook. Additionally, young, highly-educated, and digitally-savvy 
graduates in many African countries have been employed by transnational 
tech companies such as Facebook for data processing in what some authors 
describe as digital sweatshops. The positive and negative impacts of 
this technological revolution are therefore important to consider.

Because African countries, their people, and their mediated interactions 
remain understudied in the fields of media and communication, especially 
in Western countries, the “@frica: digital media conference” invites 
extended abstracts (800-1,000 words) that examine the transformations 
and disruptions of digital media in African countries.

Specifically, but not exclusively, we invite contributions that explore 
any of the following questions:

  * What methodological challenges exist in studying digital media use
    (such as social media and/or mobile communications) in Africa?
  * What theoretical frameworks, constructs and paradigms are best
    suited to study transformations and disruptions of digital media in
    Africa?
  * How has social media been used by African political actors, social
    movements and grassroots activists and to what effect?
  * What are the roots, consequences and differences between countries
    of existing disparities in access to digital media in Africa?
  * How are digital technologies influencing, complementing, and/or
    superseding journalistic practices in Africa?
  * How does the sharing economy (e.g. Uber, Upwork…) transform and/or
    reinforce social norms, values, practices, structure and culture in
    Africa?
  * What are the prevailing regulatory frameworks that affect digital
    media use in Africa?
  * What socio-economic, cultural and economic factors shape the
    adoption, diffusion and appropriation of digital technologies in 
Africa?

The deadline to submit *extended abstracts is November 22, 2019*. 
Abstracts should be submitted through EasyChair: 
https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=admc20

The organizers will notify by email the authors of accepted extended 
abstracts by December 6, 2019. Authors will be expected to submit full 
papers by February 2, 2020.

The “@frica: digital media conference 
<https://globalcommunicationsummit.org/>” will accept a limited number 
of virtual presentations, in which authors who are unable to travel to 
Houston, will be able to present their work and get feedback from the 
audience. Authors who wish to be considered for one of the virtual 
presentation slots should indicate their preference when submitting 
their extended abstracts.

A selection of accepted papers will be included in a Special Issue of 
the /Journal of African Media Studies/ to be published in 2020. Only 
accepted papers that are presented at the conference will be considered 
for the Special Issue.

The conference will be held at the University of Houston on February 28. 
A pre-conference event, only open to accepted authors, will be held on 
February 27.

All questions about submissions should be emailed to 
(valentiglobalsummit /at/ uh.edu) 
<mailto:(valentiglobalsummit /at/ uh.edu)?subject=%5BDigital%20Africa%20CfP%5D>.


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