IAMCR - International Association for Media and Communication Research

The general theme for IAMCR’s 2010 conference is 'Communication and  Citizenship: Rethinking Crisis and Change'. The Community  Communication Section is calling for papers that investigate the  relationship between community or alternative media, empowerment, social policy and citizenship.

Community media projects have traditionally sought to provide access  to under-represented groups. Recent research has highlighted that  these practices contest and redefine conventional notions of  ‘citizenship’.

• What does ‘participation’ mean in the context of community and  alternative media and how does it differ from other forms of media  participation (such as social networking)?
• How can the values, methods and structures of community-based and  alternative media production help to create a more open an egalitarian  online media environment? How can their experiences inform debates on  Internet regulation and digital broadcasting?
• What theories and methods are appropriate for investigating the  relationship between community or alternative media and citizenship?

Contributions which address the above questions are strongly  encouraged. In addition, we seek as always in?depth and  cutting?edge work on issues of media access, participation and  evaluation of outcomes; theoretically grounded case studies of media  projects undertaken by marginalized and under?represented groups; the  development and support of public and community?based media institutions and infrastructures; the production and distribution of  community and alternative media, their audiences and contents; and
methodological, theoretical and historical contributions to the field.

Besides individual papers we call for panel proposals for specific  themes. Highly encouraged are also proposals for innovative session formats, round table discussions and workshops. In addition, we are  looking for coordinators for screenings and field-trips.

About the Community Communication Section

IAMCR’s Community Communication section is a major international  forum for community and alternative media studies. This is the place  for research on media practices that differ significantly from  government and market?dominated paradigms. Community and alternative  media originate, circulate and resonate from the sphere of civil  society, yet may interact with both state and market.

Community media  serve specific cultural or geographic communities. The field includes  do?it?yourself media, media for social change, and a wide range of  non?government and non?commercial practices using all kinds of  communication technologies, and emphasizes ‘alternative research  methods’.

Guidelines for Participants

• Individual or co-authored papers: Applicants must submit a 500 word  abstract that describes the topic of their paper and its significance,  the theoretical framework, and research methods.

• Panel proposals: The panel coordinator must submit a well?defined  statement of purpose, a complete list of panel participants, and full  abstracts for each presentation.

• Other formats (workshops, screenings, field trips, etc.): The  coordinator must submit a well?defined statement of purpose and a  detailed description of activities, as well as any infrastructure  requirements (space, projectors, etc.).

All submissions should include a paper title, as well as authors'  names, institutional affiliations and full contact information  (mailing address, email address, and telephone numbers).  Please  indicate if you would be willing to chair a session.

Submissions in the authors’ native language (French and Spanish) must  also include an English translation. Submissions should not be submitted to more than one IAMCR  division.

Please send abstracts via the IAMCR 2010 conference website.

For further information or assistance, please contact the Community  Communication Section Chair, Per Jauert, on pjauert[at]imv.au.dk

Submitting to the Right Section

Please consider carefully which IAMCR section is most appropriate for  your paper. We cannot guarantee acceptance if your paper has been sent  to the wrong section in the first instance (as places are extremely  limited). Please contact the Community Communication Section committee  well before the deadline if you are unsure.

- Researchers examining community media for development purposes  should apply to the Participatory Communication Research section.

- Researchers studying ethnic community media within a Diaspora   framework should apply to the Diaspora and Media working group.

Visit www.iamcr.org for more information about IAMCR sections and  working groups.

Deadlines:

• The deadline for the submission of abstracts is January 31, 2010. The submissions or papers will be assessed and provisionally accepted  on the basis of a peer review process.
• Announcement of acceptances: March 15, 2010.
• Deadline for submitting full papers: April 30, 2010.