The 2010 IAMCR Conference will be held in Braga (Portugal) from July 18-22. The overall conference theme is “Communication and Citizenship. Rethinking Crisis and Change”. Along with this topic, which is closely related to our interest as researchers, the History Section also proposes specific sessions for papers devoted to other topics.
This notice is to call for submissions for the History Section of the IAMCR Program.
Papers of historical perspectives, national studies and international comparisons are particularly sought around the following related themes:
- History of civic journalism and other forms of citizens’ participation
Although “civic journalism” and other similar phenomena of journalism and communication have become possible because of contemporary technologies, we can assume that there were also earlier attempts to make citizens’ voice heard in the public sphere. Communication history can provide new approaches to find out earlier phases of these modern trends. - Journalists’ work in ‘closed societies’
During the 19th and 20th centuries, many totalitarian and authoritarian regimes created penetrating censorship mechanisms for controlling and manipulating the public word and mind. In that context, journalistic work faced many difficulties. There were always those journalists and editors who identified with the authorities and others who tried to bypass the strict eye of the censors and create an alternative discourse that supported the hidden opposition to the regime. This was done in different ways: underground publications, non-political sections within the newspapers, writing between the lines etc. Papers exploring the role of journalists working in ‘closed societies’ (where centralized governments try to regulate and control every aspect of life) are welcomed.
- Media and Empire
Through theoretical and case study work in communication history, we invite papers focused on the analysis of the relationships between media development and empires in different periods and regions. Globalisation is not a completely new phenomenon and the extension of new communication technologies and other media contributed to foster former empires in their attempts to maintain their influence and power.
- History of Research on Journalism and Communication
The growing importance of journalism, and in a broader sense, of communication in modern societies gradually led scholars to consider it as an object of academic study and research. Given the diversity of traditions in this field, we invite papers that explore the development of journalism and communication history research in different countries: from isolated initiatives of scholars coming from other fields to the attempts to introduce the subject into university departments. International comparison is necessary to achieve an overview of the process and detect the influence between different traditions.
- Journalism Work in Times of Political and Social Change since World War II
In 2009, two decades have passed since the major political change in 1989; many socio-economic events have happened since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the bi-polar world of the Cold War. Media systems have changed in all post-Soviet countries, including the transformation of journalistic work, traditions and education. Transformations of media system after such a fundamental change have been described and analyzed not only in post-communist countries, but also in Germany, Norway, Spain, Portugal, and in other countries and continents. The focus of this research, however, has usually been on media and media systems, not on the work, traditions and education of journalism. The education of journalists has become increasingly important within the context of the globalizing job markets and foreign capital investments into national media industries.
Abstracts should be sent to the Section Chair only through the conference website, and should be between 300-500 words long. Each abstract must include title, name(s), affiliation, institutional address and email address of author(s).
The deadlines are as follows:
- Submission of abstracts: January 31, 2010 (papers will be assessed and provisionally accepted on the basis of the abstracts).
- Announcement of acceptances: March 15, 2010
- Full papers due: April 30, 2010
IAMCR accepts presentations in English, French and Spanish. However, it is requested that abstracts, if at all possible, be submitted in English.
Further information about IAMCR and this conference will be available at the conference website.
The organisers of this Section are keen to explore the possibility of a publication of selected papers in either an edited collection or a special edition of a journal.
Contact address for questions regarding the Section:
Carlos Barrera
History Section, Chair
IAMCR
Department of Public Communication
School of Communication
University of Navarra
31080 Pamplona (Spain)
Email: cbarrera [AT] unav.es