EXTENDED DEADLINE: 15 FEBRUARY 2008!
The Law Section invites submissions for its open sessions at the IAMCR Congress (July 20-25, 2008) in Stockholm, Sweden, under the general theme of the congress "Media and Global Divides". The congress addresses relationships between media and contemporary global divides, be they historical or emergent phenomena. It will explore the pivotal yet under-researched roles of the media with regard to today's global inequalities.
Papers discussing theoretical or methodological perspectives and/or documenting specific case studies are welcome. Joint sessions with other relevant sections and working groups can be organised.
Proposed topics that will be considered include a wide variety of issues that relate to research in relation to processes of media regulation. This includes the following subjects:
- Access to Information: From Sweden Onwards. The subject theme will focus on the recent expansion of national legislations on access to information, given Sweden's pivotal role in the history of access to information. Important developments here take place at the Council of Europe which decided to postpone until April 2008 adoption of the draft European Convention on Access to Official Documents in order to give member states time for consideration of outstanding problems with the draft text.
- Watchdog for Watchtower: Media Ombudsman in Different world. The theme will be linked to the experience of the host country with its national institute of Press Ombudsman, as well as recent attempts to make legal foundations for self-(co-) regulation process among the journalists.
- Media Freedom vs Media Ownership: In search of New Media Law Attempts of developing countries to protect national media from global expansions: are they made in earnest? Regulation of "commercial speech" today: how advertising rules are regulated? The new EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive and advertising/product placement rules.
- Internet Regulation Today. Internet, Blogosphere and Public sphere: Implication for Content control and deliver in divided world. Copyright issues of Digital content in Democratic world/ divided society.
- The Media and Genocide: From Nuremberg to Arusha. Media and incitement to genocidal or religious hatred and violence become of paramount importance, as the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) appeal decision in the so-called "media trial" should definitely have been handed down by the time of the Conference.
Abstracts of no more than 500 words, bearing on the Conference Theme and addressing one or more of the above topics should be submitted to Andrei Richter (richter [AT] medialaw.ru) with copies to Wolfgang Kleinwachter (wolfgang.kleinwaechter [AT] medienkomm.uni-halle.de) and Mohammad Sahid Ullah (Ullah_sahid [AT] yahoo.co.uk) before 15 February 2008.
Abstracts should explicitly state the prospective nature of the paper, explain the methodology or approaches used and present the empirical material on which the paper is based. There are to be no biographical notes or references in the abstract.
Each abstract may be presented in only one Section of the IAMCR Conference. Offering duplicates of the same paper to different Sections of the Association is likely to result in elimination of the duplicate abstract.
Each abstract must include title, name(s), institutional address and email address of author(s). Applicants will be advised by 1st April 2008 of the outcome of their submissions. The full text of accepted papers will be required no later than 15th June 2008.
For further information on the 2008 Stockholm Congress see:
http://www.jmk.su.se/contents/sidor/english/info/scientific_conference.php
See also the web-site of the IAMCR Law Section.
Law Section Heads:
Andrei Richter (Russia)
Wolfgang Kleinwachter (Germany)
Law Section Deputy Head:
Mohammad Sahid Ullah (Bangladesh)