*Bridging Gaps: Higher Education, Media and Society*

*Call for Papers:*

In higher education, media studies bring critical awareness of
representations and reproductions of popular personas, artefacts,
processes, and practices in social, economic, and political contexts. From
the perspective of cultural studies, critical discourse analysis of media
productions enables scholars to go beyond observing aesthetic aspects and
to understand social underpinnings of cultural productions. In a similar
fashion, journalism can use investigation to educate and inform the public
on the limits and potentials of social systems. Journalistic publications
can then become credible sources for academic research and effective
solutions to critical issues in society. However, in both cases, there is
striking lack of research knowledge, critical commentaries, and pragmatic
effects in the public sphere. Statistics show that only three percent of
the academic population reads journals that carry in-depth knowledge and
analysis from industrial media. Furthermore, there is a general crisis in
academia with an emphasis on efficiency, commercial support, and market
orientation. As well, while graduate enrolment has quadrupled in the last
decade, most aspiring PhD graduates struggle to find tenure or tenure-track
jobs. Universities are increasingly hiring sessional teachers, thus
limiting research and the dissemination of much needed critical
perspectives by a new generation of scholars and practitioners. Finally,
tabloid journalism uses narrative devices of gossip, rumour and scandals
commodifying meritocratic fame while many news media have abandoned facts
and intelligent analysis in favour of spectacular outrage and incivility,
both situations acting as testaments to the lack of informed opinions.
Researchers in both academic and non-academic career paths possess useful
knowledge and authority on many important social issues but may lack
accessibility and visibility due to their more theoretical and intellectual
views that are generally confined to academic gatherings and journals.
However, their expertise could greatly benefit journalism and development
of progressive media, and provide impetus for social transformation. The
inclusion of scholarly commentaries and advocacy in media is imperative to
the development of a knowledge-based economy and social innovation based on
critical thinking and ethical action.

The Centre for Media and Celebrity (CMCS), in association with the Centre
for Ecological, Social, and Informatics Cognitive Research (ESI.CORE),
invites cross-disciplinary panel, paper and workshop proposals for the
international conference *Bridging Gaps - Higher Education, Media and
Society*. Accepted papers will be published as an open access edited book.
Extended version of selected best papers will be published in a
peer-reviewed journal.

Submission guidelines:

   - 250-word abstract or panel / workshop proposal
   - Include a title, your name, e-mail address, and affiliation if
   applicable
   - Submit to conference Chair Dr. Louis Massey at [log in to unmask]
   - Deadline for submission: November 30, 2014
   - Notification of acceptance: January 15, 2015

The conference aims at being open and inclusive. We welcomes speculative
ideas, exploratory practices, position papers, manifestos as well as
traditional academic papers from both affiliated and independent
researchers, graduate students, media and related industries practitioners,
activists, and artists. Topics include but are not limited to:

   - Theoretical and methodological approaches
   - Use of media content and practices
   - Historical perspectives and case studies
   - Relationship between researchers and journalists
   - Archiving scholarly sources in media
   - Influencing public opinion and policy making
   - Public relations and op-eds
   - Ethical issues in public relations
   - Social issues in media content
   - Critical thinking in journalism
   - Inequality in media and education
   - Interviewing media professionals
   - Media personas and popular icons as educators
   - Politics of personas and selfies / self portraitures
   - Fashion and body language
   - New directions in celebrity activism
   - Art in education and advocacy
   - Performance and biographies in storytelling
   - Independent media
   - Media literacy programs
   - Ethical action in media and education
   - Alternative knowledge production sites and methods
   - Academics as cultural critics
   - Media skills and employment in higher education

The conference will be held on May 27-28, 2015 at Ryerson University in
Toronto, Canada.

Conference fee is $300, which includes:

   - The registration fee
   - Tea / coffee breaks each day
   - Access to a professional workshop
   - Electronic copy of an edited book containing all papers presented at
   the conference
   - Publication of extended papers in a peer-reviewed journal for selected
   best papers

Visit our website for details: http://cmc-centre.com/conference2015/
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