The Public Service Media Policies Working Group of the International Association for Media and Communication Research invites submissions for its open sessions at the 2016 IAMCR annual conference which will take place in Leicester from 27 to 31 July 2016. The theme of the conference is “Memory, Commemoration and Communication: Looking Back, Looking Forward.” The date coincides with the 50th anniversary celebrations of Leicester's Department of Media and Communication, which was founded in 1966 as the Centre for Mass Communication Research.
Conference theme: "Memory, Commemoration and Communication: Looking Back, Looking Forward"
See the conference key dates and deadlines: http://iamcr.org/leicester2016/keydates
See all Calls for Papers for IAMCR 2016: http://iamcr.org/leicester2016/cfp
Visit the conference website: http://iamcr.org/leicester2016
The Public Service Media Policies Working Group is open for panel proposals, workshop sessions and research paper proposals to address the issues related to the primary narratives around public service broadcasting (PSB) and public service media (PSM): i.e. putting aside interests of the State and commercial investors, promoting democratic practices, while being at the cutting edge, indispensable to anyone who wants to be informed, educated and entertained (Raboy, 2008).
These narratives, looking back as well as looking forward, from a given country context, in comparative or more generic terms, will be dealt with through the lens of the following six PSMP themes:
- Keeping the tradition of PSB alive: A national undertaking, while answering to diversity requirements in migrating societies.
- Coping with innovation (e.g. mobility, time-shifting, on-demand personalization and social sharing): failures and successes.
- Deciding on the directions to follow in line with the public policy set out for it (a management contract, a charter, …).
- Coping in organizational terms: how to build and structure, in times of reorganization and budget cuts, a public service organization which is fit for the management of current challenges and changes, and the accommodation of innovation.
- Methods for cross-national policy studies on PSB and PSM: benchmark studies, scenario studies, new metrics to assess PSB’s and PSM’s performance (beyond ideology).
- Country studies on choices made and directions taken when renewing the PSM remit: in and beyond Europe.
Individual papers and panels are possible. All proposals must be submitted through the online Open Conference System from 1 December 2015 – 15 February 2016. Early submission is strongly encouraged. There are to be no email submissions of abstracts addressed to any Section or Working Group Head.
We invite papers for a joint session of the Public Service Media Policies and Audience sections that offer a critical analysis of public service broadcasters in terms of audience involvement and public participation.
Reflecting broader media trends, public service broadcasters reach audiences via different technological platforms and involve members of the public in a variety of ways in production, delivery and consumption (Lowe, 2009). Accordingly, many media policy documents emphasize concepts like interaction, participation and co-creation. In these, policy makers and public broadcasters state, “viewers, listeners and users are increasingly moving towards a more active relationship with the media that they consume” (BBC, 2007).
However, research demonstrates that there are limits to the conflation of producer and audience, often mentioned in media theory and policy, especially in a public service media context (Bechmann & Lomborg, 2012). New media strategies can frustrate users, for instance when they do not receive feedback from producers and/or other users (Couldry et al., 2010). The motivations, thresholds and potential benefits of audience involvement in public service media are rarely taken into account in theory and policy (Lunt & Livingstone, 2012). Consequently, audience involvement is mainly technologically and not user driven, placing limits on audience participation in and with public broadcasters (Bardoel, 2007).
For this session we invite contributions that analyze how public broadcasters engage audiences and to critically reflect on public service media ideals such as participation and audience involvement.
It is expected that for the most part, only one (1) abstract will be submitted per person for consideration by the Conference. However, under no circumstances should there be more than two (2) abstracts bearing the name of the same applicant either individually or as part of any group of authors.
Important dates and deadlines to keep in mind:
- 1 December 2015 Open Computer System (OCS) available for abstract submission
- 15 February 2016 Deadline for submissions
- 1 April 2016 Notification of acceptances of abstracts
- 15 April 2016 Deadline to apply for travel grants and awards
- 28 April 2016 Deadline to confirm your participation
- 20 May 2016 Last day to register at discounted early-bird fee
- 30 June 2016 Deadline for full paper submission
- 7 July 2016 Final conference programme published on the website
- 27-31 July 2016 IAMCR 2016 Conference
Public Service Media Policies Working Group
Co-Chairs:
Leen d’Haenens
leen.dhaenens(at)soc.kuleuven.be
Jo Bardoel
j.l.h.bardoel(at)uva.nl
See the conference key dates and deadlines: http://iamcr.org/leicester2016/keydates
See all Calls for Papers for IAMCR 2016: http://iamcr.org/leicester2016/cfp
Visit the conference website: http://iamcr.org/leicester2016