Oregon Update #2

This combined “Oregon Update” and IAMCR newsletter was sent on 26 March 2018 to IAMCR members and people with papers accepted for presentation at the 2018 conference.

In this issue

Accepted abstracts online

More than 1,450 papers and panels have been accepted for presentation at IAMCR 2018. To help you prepare for the conference, we have prepared a series of books with all the abstracts accepted for presentation. At https://oregon2018.iamcr.org/abstract-books you can download the abstracts presented to any section or working group, or a single zip file with all of the abstracts.

Register by 7 May / Join or renew now

Did you know that the fee discount for IAMCR members is more than the cost of joining? Did you know that fees will increase by US$80 on 8 May? Did you know that if 3 or more people from your university are going to the conference it might be more economical to have your institution join IAMCR? (Institutional members can name up to 20 individual members for no additional fee).

Earlybird fees are in effect until 7 May but don’t wait until the last minute to join IAMCR or renew your membership and to register at https://iamcr.org/register2018.

Confirm your participation by 3 April

If you have a paper accepted for presentation, please confirm that you will attend the conference and present your paper by 3 April. Confirmations must be sent to the heads of your section or working group (the same ones who sent you an email telling you your proposal was accepted). If you don’t confirm, your paper may be dropped from the programme. If you are still uncertain if you will go, contact the section or working group heads and let him know.

Plenary: Reimagining Sustainability

One of the plenaries at IAMCR 2018 will deal with the conference’s theme: Reimagining Sustainability: Communication and Media Research in a Changing World. Three panelists will explore the role of communication and media in both promoting and impeding sustainability. They will also discuss the role of various actors, including governments, industry, advocacy organizations, community groups, and the environmental justice movement at the global, national, and local level. Of particular interest will be the practices that move beyond merely sustaining, towards thriving societies and cultures. More information on the panelists (Robert Hackett, Simon Fraser University, Canada; Jack Linchuan Qiu, Chinese University of Hong Kong; and Hlami Ngwenya, University of the Free State, South Africa) will be published soon at the conference website as well as news about an original keynote presentation by Marcin Jakubowski, founder of the Global Village Construction Set.

Remembering Denis McQuail: An Enduring Legacy

Denis McQuail was a truly foundational figure in our field. His intellectual leadership across a range of institutions and organisations helped to establish media and communications as an essential field of both scholarly inquiry and policy debate. As a writer his panoramic grasp of relevant research and argument and his unrivalled ability to summarise and clarify key debates, ensued that his text, Mass Communication Theory, rapidly became the go-to source for generations of students wanting a comprehensive and open-minded introduction to core questions. As a teacher, mentor and colleague he was unstintingly generous with his time, support and encouragement. And with those lucky enough to spend time in his company socially he was endlessly welcoming, witty and convivial. Denis passed away last June. During a special session at IAMCR 2018, Remembering Denis McQuail: An Enduring Legacy, we will formally acknowledge and celebrate his scholarly work, his notable character, and his enduring contribution to establishing media and communications research as in indispensable contribution to understanding contemporary life and change. Speakers:

  • Helena Sousa, University of Minho, "Denis McQuail: Defining the field of media and communications research"
  • Janet Wasko, University of Oregon, "Across the Pond: Denis McQuail in North America"
  • Kaarle Nordenstreng, University of Tampere, "News and journalism: still central in the middle of all theorizing"
  • Graham Murdock, Loughborough University, "Media and Contemporary Life: Questions of Ethics and Responsibility"
  • Johannes Bardoel, ASCoR/University of Amsterdam, Radboud University Nijmegen, "Denis McQuail in Amsterdam and the Atlantic turn in Communication Science"

Ecomedia Arts Festival – an IAMCR side-event

The Ecomedia Arts Festival promises to be one of the more interesting side-events during IAMCR 2018, featuring a wide range of artists who reconceptualize media from environmental, ecological, and systems approaches. Utilizing legacy and emerging technologies, techniques and platforms; Ecomedia will stretch the imagination to envision sustainability and the emergence of thrivability. The festival committee invites proposals for works that address ECOMEDIA through the mediums of text, painting, sculpture, cinema and multimedia, projection mapping, designed environments, site-specific works, scholarly talks, panels, and installations on a wide variety of issues. Themes/topics related to environmental, economic, and social justice are especially encouraged. Deadline for proposals 25 April. More information on the conference wesbite.

Travel grants

Eighteen travel grants have been offered to 13 women and 5 men who are IAMCR members from 13 different lower income countries.Sixteen of the grants were funded with a percentage of IAMCR membership fees. Two additional grants are the result of generous donations by IAMCR members who have asked that their names not be announced. Both of these grants were earmarked for members from South Asia. One was given in memory of Professor Dipak De, a longtime member and supporter of IAMCR who passed away earlier this year, and the other was given in honour of Beate Josephi, a former treasurer and active member of the association. The names of the award winners will be published once they have confirmed acceptance.

Where to stay in Eugene

We have made arrangements with University of Oregon for accommodations that offer an ideal location on campus at very reasonable rates, or you can choose to stay at a variety of nearby hotels. Visit the accommodation section of the website to book University Housing or for information on local hotels that are offering special discounts for IAMCR participants. Of course, participants can also use other reservation systems, such as booking.com, or see what airbnb.com has to offer. Whatever you choose, we urge you to arrange your accommodations as soon as possible. Eugene is a popular tourist destination and many hotels will be fully-booked long before the conference.

United States visas and invitations

If you need a visa to travel to the United States, remember to start the process early. For information on visa requirements, consult the official US visa site at: https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en.html. You can use the online Visa Wizard to quickly check whether or not you need a visa.
The local organising committee can provide you with an official invitation letter confirming your acceptance to participate in the conference. See the frequently asked questions about visas and invitations. And send all the required information to invitation2018@iamcr.org.
If you need an invitation to support an application for funding or to obtain permission from your institution, the email you already received from the heads of your section or working group that invited you to present your paper at IAMCR 2018 will serve in most cases.

Become an IAMCR ambassador

IAMCR is looking to expanding its Ambassador initiative. IAMCR Ambassadors are tasked with creatively promoting the mandate, distinctiveness and membership of IAMCR as an international association of media and communication scholars in the country and/or region where she/he is located. They are expected to explore opportunities to expand IAMCR's footprint in their country or region through publicity, events, and other strategies that will build the association's membership and reputation. For more information, see the article Become an IAMCR ambassador and contact Graham Murdock, IAMCR vice-president and coordinator of the Ambassador initiative.

Media and communication at UN Status of Women

The Global Alliance for Media and Gender (GAMAG) has announced that proposals related to media and ICT have been included in the "Agreed Conclusions" of the 62nd UN Commission on the Status of Women, held at UN Headquarters in New York, March 12-23. IAMCR has been a key member of GAMAG since its creation in 2013 and IAMCR Vice President, Aimée Vega Montiel, currently serves as GAMAG’s Interim Chair. IAMCR’s Task Force for GAMAG was actively involved at CSW, assisting with the preparation of position papers and other activities which influenced the debates. Read more: https://iamcr.org/news/csw62

IAMCR Beyond 2020

IAMCR is opening a call for proposals for the hosting and organisation of IAMCR conferences from 2021 on. Expressions of interest should be submitted by June 15, 2018 and should include: (1) a description of the general vision of the event (including the location, timing, and organisational capacity); (2) information regarding how the proposal will meet IAMCR's requirements, and; (3) a tentative list of costs.
IAMCR conferences are major opportunities to show the know-how and promote the activities of the organising institution(s) and to foster energy and creativity around a large international project. Please send expressions of interest or requests for more information to Janet Wasko, president of IAMCR, at jwasko@uoregon.edu. Conference organising guidelines are available upon request.

Digital Disinformation Challenges for Researchers

IAMCR’s Clearinghouse for Public Statements prepared a statement on contemporary challenges for media and communication research posed by digital disinformation. Prepared in the prelude to a UNESCO colloquium on the information ecosystem and the integrity of elections, the Clearinghouse identified 3 challenges for researchers: 1) Positioning our contributions as citizens in the fight against information distortion, fundamentalism and obscurantism; 2) Contesting the treatment of scholarly research as mere “opinion”; and 3) Confirming the role of researchers as legitimate contributors to public debate. Read the full statement

Learn more about the work of IAMCR’s Clearinghouse for Public Statements

 

Read the first update that was sent on 26 February, 2018.