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CALL FOR PAPERS/PRESENTATIONS:
“Mending the Gaps: Re-Thinking Media Theory and Practice"
10th May 2008
SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies, London
Centre for Media and Film Studies, Brunei Gallery, rooms B101, B102, B104.
An Interdisciplinary Symposium for Postgraduates and Early Career
Researchers
Academics and Non-Academics
[ http://www.mendingthegaps.blogspot.com/
]http://mendingthegaps.blogspot.com
Keynote speaker: Dr John Postill Senior Lecturer in Media, Sheffield
Hallam University
Film Screening: Tony Dowmunt, Lecturer in Communications, Goldsmiths
College, University of London
Call for Papers/Presentations:
Generating great enthusiasm and popularity amongst its delegates and
audience, the 2007 ‘Minding the Gap’ symposium held at the Reuters
Institute for the Study of Journalism has raised awareness of the need for
a greater conceptual unity of media theory and practice. The symposium
brought together media theorists-and-practitioners in a challenging
exploration of the many gaps that are constantly experienced between media
theory and practice. By doing so, it prompted a plethora of questions, on
the different ways in which these gaps can be ‘mended’.
‘Mending the Gaps: Re-thinking Media theory and Practice 2008’ proposes to
create a space and time to further develop these discussions with the
specific goal of finding ways to blend media theory and practice, and to
formulate new, more nuanced, approaches to the debate. In the academic and
media ‘world’, practice and theory can be thought and experienced in many
overlapping ways. Thus, developing academic thinking is a practice,
practical skills a form of knowledge, media practice research a way to
perform academic requirements, practitioners’ theoretical turn an
intellectual quest, and both production and consumption can be perceived
as a form of practice: all through reflection contribute to the praxis of
knowledge.
‘Mending the Gaps: Re-thinking Media theory and Practice 2008’ proposes to
assemble the insights, analysis and ideas of postgraduate students, early
career researchers and media practitioners, whose work brings media theory
and practice together. The event will focus on perspectives dealing
exclusively with factual, non- fictional media. Participants are asked to
take into consideration how theoretical ideas can be of use for media
practitioners and/or vice versa; how media practices aid theoretical
understandings. We welcome papers from a range of different disciplines in
the Social Sciences such as, but not only; Media Studies, Cultural
Studies, Journalism, Anthropology, Sociology and Political Economy. We
particularly encourage reflections on Ethnography, and presentations based
on video and audio material.
Abstracts of no more than 300 words or a short film synopsis should be
submitted by the 25th February, 2008 to [log in to unmask] . Video
and Audio files should be made accessible through Internet providers (i.e.
MySpace, MediaFire, Weblogs). A clear link to the material should be
included in email. Papers and synopsis should address, but are not limited
to the following themes:
THE USES OF PRACTICE FOR THEORY
- Media practice used as alternative methodology to feed into
theory; film, photography, audio media, web-based media into research
- Practical media as means of representing research as an
alternative to the written text
- Professional experience of being a media practitioner used to
inform theoretical work
- Ethnography in media research
THE USES OF THEORY FOR PRACTICE
- Theories of media production
- The uses of theory for practice: Journalists and other media
practitioners reflect on the use of theory in their practice
- Engaging in new and original ways in which teaching can be
re-thought by bringing theory and practice together.
- Professional experience of using theory for practical work in
the media.
CASE STORIES AND EXPERIENCES
- Case stories recounting the personal ethical, political and
practical challenges facing double-practitioners.
- Double practitioners who work in between the gap of theory and
practice; Presentations will be sought from individuals with substantial
practical experience whose cases offer broad and unusual insights.
- Reflections on academic practices
The Organising Committee
Veronica Barassi |Melissa Pignatelli | Line Thomsen
Goldsmiths College| SOAS, London| University of Aarhus
[ mailto:[log in to unmask] ][log in to unmask]
http://mendingthegaps.blogspot.com
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