kolkatapost: 20th Annual Conference of AMIC:Hyderabad, India from 24-27 June 2011

Sunday, January 30, 2011

20th Annual Conference of AMIC:Hyderabad, India from 24-27 June 2011

The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC), Singapore is proud to announce its 20th Annual Conference, in conjunction with its 40th anniversary to be held at Taj Krishna hotel, Hyderabad, India from 24-27 June 2011. The conference invites abstracts, full papers, panel proposals and media presentations (including videos) for consideration. Pre-conference capacity building workshops will also be held on 23 June 2011 and proposals are invited for topics and themes for conducting such workshops.

The theme of the conference is 'Taking Stock of Media and Communication Studies: The Challenges and Opportunities of Globalisation, New Media and the Rise of Asia'.Against the background of the 40th anniversary of AMIC, it is proposed to take stock of media and communication studies keeping in mind the challenges and opportunities arising out of globalisation, new media and the rise of Asia. Hence, the conference seeks submissions that address the challenges and opportunities arising out of these new global developments for media practitioners and communication scholars especially in terms of De-westernising the past and Asian-ising the present in theory and practice.

The old scenario in media and communication reflected a colonial past and a North-South imbalance (dominated by the North) in terms of infrastructure, means of entertainment, ways of content production, understanding audiences and their behaviours, media campaign planning and theoretical knowledge generation that tended to universalise an Eurocentric approach. The attempt to correct such imbalances spawned the struggle for a NWICO, multicultural, post-modern, post-colonial and other pluralist ways of research that privileged the subaltern and the rest of the west. However such attempts to develop core philosophical principles, paradigms and theoretical assumptions are criticised for lacking a clear vision and raised questions of epistemology, ontology and methodology.

Today, with the rise of Asia on the global economic scene, there is an increase in Asian television channels, entertainment studios and non-western content catering to non-western audiences. Satellite television channels are increasing, newspaper circulations are rising and FM radio has also made a big comeback. At the same time, the proliferation of new communication technologies and their convergence and interactive features have meant a multiplicity of avenues for production, publication and expression in various media formats.

In the media industry – newspapers, radio, television, cinema, Internet alike- the dependence on the West has meant an adaptation and proliferation of predominantly English-based, western programme formats, news and entertainment content and ideas. What does this bode in terms of media skills and practices, knowledge and theory generation? Is it time to break the mould and build a new cast? In the background of such developments, it is time to take stock and re-look at the field to re-interpret old perspectives and generate new relevant perspectives. Hence, the call for abstracts, full papers and panel proposals related to this theme.

The AMIC conference is open to academics, media industry professionals, government agencies, policymakers, regulators, UN agencies, donors, research groups, civil society organisations, independent consultants and students.

This flagship conference is hosted in rotation by countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Recent conferences were held in Singapore (2010), New Delhi, India (2009), Manila, the Philippines (2008), Singapore (2007) and Penang, Malaysia (2006). The AMIC Annual Conference is a premier event on the Asian media calendar.It attracts eminent international speakers and participants from the media world. Delegates to the conference come not only from the Asia-Pacific region, but also from Africa, Europe and the Americas. It features high-profile keynote addresses, plenary sessions, and many parallel sessions. Networking events, cultural programmes, media visits and even tourism events are also held in conjunction with the annual conference.

AMIC invites panels, papers and media presentations in especially the following areas:

Media and Globalisation	Risk, Stigma and Health Communication
Advertising and Public Relations	Communication and Culture
Radio, Television and Entertainment Studies	Communication and Multi Media Campaigns
Political Economy of the media	Independent, National and Asian Cinema
Internet and New Media	Communication Theory and Methodology
Public Service Broadcasting and Community Radio	Media, Information and Communication Literacy
Media, Climate Change and Environment Studies	Newspaper, Radio, TV and Magazine Journalism
Communication Technology	Mass Communication, History and Society
Communication and Journalism Education	Media Management and Economics
Media and Development	Media and Democracy
Media and Ethics	Media and Good Governance
Media and Gender	Media and Youth
Media Law and Regulation	Alternative and Community Media
Media Industry Trends and Dynamics	Asian Perspectives on Communication
International Communication	Culture and Critical Studies
Film Studies	Documentary Production
Language Journalism	Multimedia Production
Diaspora studies	Communication Policy and Regulation

Papers and media presentations will be selected on a competitive basis and refereed.

Papers should follow the APA formatting guidelines. Kindly email the full papers (approximately 20 pages in length and double spaced) or an abstract (maximum two pages and double spaced) along with contact information and a 200-word bio to conf2011@amic.org.sg by the following deadlines. The panel proposals need to list the topic with a detailed description of the topic and presenters with titles and abstracts of their presentations. Results of the call for papers will be sent out by 30 March for abstracts and 15 April for full papers and panels.