Friday, October 21, 2011

Call for Papers: ICA Pre-Conference

New Media and Citizenship in Asia:

Social Media, Politics, and Community-Building

International Communication Association 2012 Preconference

May 24, 2012

The role of new communication technologies, such as the internet, social media, and mobile phones in political and civic engagement has generated significant interest not only from scholars, but also from organizations, politicians, and ordinary citizens. While recent events in the Middle East help recognize the potential of new communication media as an agent contributing to macro-level political changes, these new communication tools are also actively utilized in more traditional political processes, such as electoral campaigns. Also important is people’s everyday use of new communication technologies, which research has uncovered as providing an opportunity to encounter public affairs news and discourse, enhance understanding of issues, and get involved in civic and political activities.


This preconference aims to showcase innovative scholarly work examining various subjects concerning the role of social media, mobile phones, and other new communication technologies in the formation of democratic citizenship-writ large—in Asia. The preconference seeks studies that address relevant topics in a particular Asian country, and welcomes comparative research on Asian countries or Asian and non-Asian countries. The preconference encourages researchers to explore diverse topics, and possible areas include (but are not limited to): use of social media, mobile phones, and other new communication technologies in elections; influence of new media on citizen choices, participation, and knowledge; political elites’ use of new media; use of social media by civic and grassroots groups; social media and civic engagement; new media and community; political talk and social media; patterns of new media use and political and civic consequences; trends in social media; cloud computing and collective action; changes in news consumption; computational social science.


Up to 15 papers will be selected through a peer-review process and divided into three or four interactive panels. Selected papers will be published in an edited volume or a special issue of a journal.


Travel Grants

Travel grants will be available to participants, particularly those who are from developing/transitional countries that appear in Tiers B and C on the ICA country tier chart (country of residence, not of origin). All graduate students who are first authors or presenters will be provided with a travel grant.



Submission Guidelines

Ø Abstracts of no more than 500 words are due on November 28, 2011.

Ø Submit your abstract to kwak@umich.edu as an MS Word attachment (please use your full name to label the file).

Ø The authors of accepted abstracts will be notified by 15 December, 2011.

Ø Final papers (5,000-8,000 words) are due by March 15, 2012.


Organizers

Nojin Kwak, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Director of the Nam Center for Korean Studies, University of Michigan, USA

Marko M. Skoric, Assistant Professor, Division of Communication Research, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Scott Campbell, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of Michigan, USA

Junho Choi, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Information, Yonsei University, South Korea


Supported by

Nam Center for Korean Studies, University of Michigan, USA

Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Political Communication Division, ICA

Monday, October 17, 2011

IJoC "The Arab Spring & the Role of ICTs"

The International Journal of Communication (IJoC) is pleased to announce the publication of a special feature section, "The Arab Spring & the Role of ICTs."

The world is witnessing the rise of millions of people in Arab countries against the autocratic regimes under which they had to struggle to live for so long. Tunisia and Egypt were the first nations to each force a president out of office, and Western media outlets were quick to attribute their overthrow to digital media, particularly to social media and Facebook. This special section, guest-edited by Johanne Kuebler and Ilhem Alagui, presents 16 articles that put this notion to the test and illuminate the discussion of the role of digital media in the ongoing changes in the Arab world.

These articles, submitted within a very short time frame, present initial thoughts by scholars on the current social transformations. They cover a broad array of issues, including studies of how the Internet drives political mobilization and affects journalism coverage, empirical data sets, and analyses of specific online practices. The relationships between online and offline political action are explored, and a number of relevant social examples of participatory and social media are examined, including the influence of video logs and the writing of collective memories through the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. The introduction, by Kuebler and Allagui, argues that the complexity of the current transformations is overlooked when the overthrow of Tunisia’s Ben Ali and of Egypt’s Mubarak is attributed to digital media. Instead, a thorough analysis of the revolution’s organization by networks—and particularly social networks—is essential to our understanding.

While further research and careful examination is needed, these articles offer a first attempt by scholars in the field to make sense of the recent uprisings.

Read this new Feature Section published September 2011 at http://ijoc.org, and thank you for your continuing interest in our work.

Manuel Castells

Larry Gross
Editors


Arlene Luck

Managing Editor

Call for papers. XVII International Conference of Communication

BUILDING TRUST THROUGH COMMUNICATION IN TIMES OF CRISIS
University of Navarra Navarra, Pamplona (Spain)
22nd-23rd March 2012

The University of Navarra (cosponsored by ICA, IAMCR and ECREA) is calling for a conference to provide a forum to discuss about the challenge that organizations have in restoring trust. Related issues, such as reputation, engagement, transparency or accountability will be also discussed. Authors should send full papers before *January 10th, 2012* to cicom@unav.es (max. 10.000 words, notes and references included. Please, check the style guideline ). English and Spanish will be the working languages of the Conference. The editorial committee will send decision notices by 31st January 2012.

For more information on the program, registration, and the call for research papers, visit the conference website http://www.unav.es/comunicacion/cicom/english-version-cicom/cicom.html

WAPOR 65th Annual Conference: Call for Papers

The New World of Public Opinion Research
June 14-16, 2012
Hong Kong

Organizer:
Public Opinion Programme, University of Hong Kong

Co-organizers:
Fudan Media and Public Opinion Research Center, Fudan University (Mainland China)
Election Study Center, National Chengchi University (Taiwan)

Supporting Organizations:
Center for Deliberative Democracy, Stanford University (USA)
ERS e-Research Lab (Macau)

The World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) will hold its 65th annual conference in June 14-16, 2012 in Hong Kong. The theme of this conference, “The New World of Public Opinion Research”, has a two-fold meaning. First, new technologies, new media and people’s new way of living have posted new challenges to opinion researchers and policy-makers around the world. Second, the world order also means new challenges to the development of opinion research and public engagements in developing regions around the world. As WAPOR adopts a new cycle of annual conferences, this is the first time in 65 years that WAPOR holds an annual conference outside Europe and North America. It is therefore a golden opportunity for opinion researchers around the world to discuss new problems and new methodologies at a new place in a new era. Building on WAPOR’s tradition of accommodating a wide range of topics in its annual conferences, and adding new themes for the new world in the new era, any paper on the following themes are welcome:

General Topics
§ Public Opinion Theory
§ Public Opinion on Social, Political, and Economic Issues
§ New Forms of Journalism and Citizen Opinion Expressions
§ New Media, Fragmented and Participating Audiences
§ Media Effects, Agenda Setting, Framing and Priming
§ Online Surveys
§ Mixed-mode Studies
§ Questionnaire Design
§ Sampling, Response Rates and Non-response
§ Cross-national Research
§ Panel Studies

Feature Panels (tentative)
§ Public Opinion in China (bilingual session organized by Fudan University)
§ E-democracy (bilingual session organized by National Chengchi University)
§ Deliberative Polling (organized by Stanford University)
§ Internet Polling in Chinese Societies (bilingual session organized by ERS e-Research Lab)
§ Exit Polling (organized by the University of Hong Kong)
§ Special Panel by AAPOR (American Association for Public Opinion Research)

Proposals
Two different types of proposals can be submitted:
1) Regular Research Papers: The proposals should include a general description of the research paper (research topic, specific research questions or hypotheses, methods and results, as applicable) as well as full contact information (mailing address, e-mail address and telephone number) for each (co-)author or participant on a separate sheet of paper. Maximum length: 750 words in English. The papers will be allocated to paper presentation sessions or a poster / interactive session, depending on the nature and content of the papers.

2) Panel Proposals: The proposals should include an overview of the panel (listing all papers, authors, titles and contact information of all presenters). In addition, it should list a short (100 words) summary of the different contributions, and specify the language of the presentations. There is a minimum of 4 and maximum of 5 papers for a panel. A written commitment of being present at the conference should be included from at least one author of each paper.

Maximum length of proposal:
1,000 words in English.

English will be the official language of conference, while presentations in Chinese will be accepted for designated bilingual sessions, where simultaneous interpretation will be provided. All papers and proposals
must be written in English following APA guidelines for manuscripts, and all proposals must be submitted to wapor2012@hkupop.hku.hk no later than January 1, 2012.

Deadlines:
§ Abstract submissions: January 1, 2012
§ Notification of conference decision: February 1, 2012
§ Paper submission: May 1, 2012
§ Final registration: June 1, 2012

Please check out the WAPOR website at http://wapor.unl.edu/. Enquiries can be directed to the Conference Secretary Winnie Lee at wapor2012@hkupop.hku.hk or the WAPOR Executive Coordinator Renae Reis at renae@wapor.org.

Political Communication Online

Political Communication, Vol. 28, No. 3, 01 Jul 2011 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online.

This new issue contains the following articles:

Introduction
The Emerging Media System in China: Implications for Regime Change
Wenfang Tang & Shanto Iyengar
Pages: 263-267
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.572446

Articles
Race to the Bottom: Media Marketization and Increasing Negativity Toward the United States in China
Daniela Stockmann
Pages: 268-290
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.572447

The Political Consequences of the Rise of the Internet: Political Beliefs and Practices of Chinese Netizens
Ya-Wen Lei
Pages: 291-322
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.572449

Political Communications in Democratic Taiwan: The Relationship Between Politicians and Journalists
Gary Rawnsley & Qian Gong
Pages: 323-340
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.572462

Predicting Political Discussion in a Censored Virtual Environment
Yi Mou, David Atkin & Hanlong Fu
Pages: 341-356
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.572466

Bifurcated Images of the U.S. in Urban China and the Impact of Media Environment
Tianjian Shi, Jie Lu & John Aldrich
Pages: 357-376
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.572479

From the World's Largest Propaganda Machine to a Multipurposed Global News Agency: Factors in and Implications of Xinhua's Transformation Since 1978
Junhao Hong
Pages: 377-393
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.572487

Book Reviews
The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Information Technology and Political Islam, by Philip N. HowardOxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2010. 304 pp. $24.95 paper.
Miriyam Aouragh
Pages: 394-397
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.588866

The Arab Public Sphere in Israel: Media Space and Cultural Resistance, by Amal JamalBloomington: Indiana University Press, 2009. 182 pp. $24.95 paper.
Rivka Ribak
Pages: 398-399
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.588868

The Propaganda of Peace: The Role of Media and Culture in the Northern Ireland Peace Process, by Greg McLaughlin and Stephen BakerChicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2010. 108 pp. $35.00 paper.
Gadi Wolfsfeld
Pages: 400-402
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.588870

The Eyes of the People: Democracy in an Age of Spectatorship, by Jeffrey Edward GreenOxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2010. 296 pp. $49.95 hardback
Hélène Landemore
Pages: 402-406
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.588871

When Politicians Attack! Party Cohesion in the Media, by Tim GroelingNew York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2010. 242 pp. $28.99 paper.
C. Danielle Vinson
Pages: 406-408
DOI: 10.1080/10584609.2011.588872

ICA Political Communication Graduate Student Preconference

University of Arizona, May 23-24, 2012
Call for Abstracts
Sponsoring Division: Political Communication

Aims: The preconference goals include providing guidance, feedback and professional socialization to political communication graduate students at the master's and doctoral levels, introducing graduate students to ICA and inviting them to take part in the academic discourse on political communication through ICA, and cultivating a network among young political communication scholars. To achieve these goals, the preconference will bring together a select group of graduate students working on political communication projects and provide them with the opportunity to present and discuss their projects in a constructive atmosphere. The preconference will also address common issues graduate students face, including working toward publication and building a c.v. The event will take place at the University of Arizona in Tucson, on May 23-24, 2012.

Submission guidelines:
Graduate students working on political communication projects are invited to submit abstracts of their research projects. Studies of communication dealing with government, political media, policy, political figures, citizens, campaigns, and advocacy groups are all within the purview of the division. Abstracts that address political communication problems at all levels of analysis using a variety of theories and methods are welcome.

Abstracts should be no longer than 750 words of text (plus figures and references) that include an introduction of the theoretical or conceptual foundations of the project, research questions, methods, preliminary findings (if available), conclusions, and research significance. Abstracts will undergo review; please be sure to remove any identifying information. Projects at all stages will be considered, including research currently in the stages of data collection or analysis. Evaluation criteria will include quality of argument, methodological rigor, and importance of project to theory building in political communication.

Please submit abstracts as an attachment in PDF or Word format to ICA.gradstudent.preconf@gmail.com. Indicate whether the project is a thesis or dissertation project, specify the stage of work (e.g., writing of the research proposal, complete and defended proposal, initial data collection, advanced data collection, data analysis, final writing/defending) and include author names, institutional affiliation, regular mailing address, fax number and email address in a separate document, or as part of the main message.

The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2011. Acceptance and rejection decisions will go out on February 15, 2012.

Preconference Committee: Kevin Coe (University of Arizona), Claes de Vreese (University of Amsterdam), Jill Edy (University of Oklahoma), Lance Holbert (Ohio State University), Kate Kenski (U of Arizona) and Yariv Tsfati (University of Haifa)

For more information please contact Yariv Tsfati, Division Chair, Department of Communication University of Haifa, 31905 ISRAEL, Fax ++972-4-8240120, Email ytsfati@com.haifa.ac.il