MEDIA REGULATION IN THE ERA OF CONVERGENCE
JOINT SUMMER SCHOOL
Sponsored by:
National Centre for Radio & Television Studies, Communication University of China,
Communication and Media Research Institute, University of Westminster
School of Journalism and Communication, Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania
BEIJING AUGUST 2ND – 16TH 2009
What Is The School About?
Problems of media policy and regulation have never been so complex, or so interesting. The rapid pace of technological and economic change has thrown the established models of all the media industries into crisis. The consequences of the digitization of different kinds of media content, and the existence of a common distribution technology in the shape of the Internet, are that previously distinct forms of media now have much more in common. The proliferation of new devices mean that content that was once available only at distinct times and specific places is now much more pervasive. News, for example, is no longer only to be found in newspapers and in special slots on TV: today it is also available online, on mobile phones, on buses and in taxis.
This convergence around digital production and distribution has important consequences for media policy and regulation. Historically, different media developed distinct regulatory regimes. Telecommunications, which is central to the process of convergence, has a long tradition of regulation designed to ensure that access is universal and that different communicators are treated fairly. Broadcasting, on the other hand, has in most countries attracted regulation designed to ensure diversity, to encourage some kinds of content and restrict others, and so on. The cinema has in many countries been subject to quite strict regulation of content and systems of age-related restrictions on the kinds of audiences permitted for different films. Newspapers, on the other hand, have tended to be very lightly regulated except from the point of view of competition and monopoly. Despite the development of satellite transmission, the regulation of all these different media still has a strong national character, differing from country to country.
Social, economic and technical changes are eroding all of these boundaries. The same kinds of content are now available through a wide range of media. A film can be viewed in the cinema, on pay TV, on a DVD, on free-to-air TV, and online. The rules on the kinds of permissible content differ from platform to platform, and the ability to view the material over the internet greatly weakens to ability of governments to set exclusive rules within their own borders.
Governments, industry and international organisations are wrestling with these changes and trying to develop new ways of achieving those ends that they deem socially desirable or economically efficient. This summer school will focus on the scholarly study of those efforts to develop adequate frameworks for the convergent future.
Leading scholars from China, Europe and US will lecture on the different strategies in policy and regulation in their own areas of expertise. The school will cover a wide range of media and very different kinds of societies with distinct regulatory traditions. Bringing these perspectives together means that a unique picture of the contemporary world situation will be one of the major outcomes of the school.
How Will The School Be Organised?
The School will take place at the Beijing Campus of the Chinese University of Communication (CUC), which will provide accommodation, catering and classrooms for all the participants. The Campus is a modern one, located in the east of Beijing and well served by public transport.
There will be 10 days of lectures and seminars and ample time for informal meetings, leisure and tourism. Formal teaching will consist of lectures and discussions by leading experts from different countries. Students at the School will also be expected to present a paper on their own research specialization in one of a series of seminars devoted to work in progress.
The working language of the School will be English, and all lectures, reading, classes and discussions will take place in that medium.
The School will be accredited by CUC as a credit bearing course and the organisers will issue certificates making that clear to those participants who need them.
The organisers will, on request, provide the necessary letters and any other documentation require for the purposes of issuing visas to foreign visitors.
Who Can Attend The School?
The school is open to anyone with a genuine interest in policy and regulation for the contemporary and future media. Participants must be able to present a scholarly paper on their own original research, which should be on a topic relevant to the subject of the school. Apart from that requirement, there are no restrictions on age, status or nationality, but the organisers believe that the school will be particularly valuable to doctoral students and junior faculty.
How Much Will The School Cost?
There is no registration and tuition fee. Attendees should cover their own costs for air fares, accommodation and tourism. If you prefer to stay at CUC’s guest houses and/or join a group tour organized by the host institution, please provide detailed information about your travel plans and specify your needs in your application. If you decide to stay on the campus, the following table give you an idea of the likely costs:
Item
Cost（RMB）
Details
Remarks
Accommodation
1,650
110*15=1,650
110 RMB per day at CUC’s International Exchange Centre
Meals
450
30*15=450
30 RMB per day at CUC canteens
Tourism
300
Day tour to scenic sites of Beijing
Total
2,400
* Students may make their own choice of package from the listed items.
* The full rate for a standard room en suite is RMB 110 per day. Two people may share a room and divide the full rate.
* At the time of writing, €1= RMB 8.8 and $US=RMB6.8
How Can I Apply To Attend The School?
All correspondence, and all applications for the School, will be handled by the staff of CUC and communications should be directed to: [log in to unmask] The deadline for applications is May 1ST 2009. Your application should include an abstract of your research or a full academic paper, CV, detailed information about your needs for staying on campus (optional), and full contact information.
If you have any questions or requests, you can also contact us via telephone or fax at 86-10-65779313 or 86-10-65779244.
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