 |
 |
> ------------------------------------------------------- > > RIPE@2010 Conference > September 8-11, 2010 in London > > 2nd CALL FOR PAPER PROPOSALS > > PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA AFTER THE RECESSION > ========================================= > > The deadline for submitting a proposal for the RIPE@2010 conference in London > is fast approaching. This fifth bi-annual RIPE conference is hosted by the > Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) at the University of > Westminster together with the BBC and the Office of Communications (Ofcom). > Confirmed speakers so far include Robert G. Picard from the Media Management > and Transformation Centre at the Jönköping International Business School in > Sweden, Patricia Aufderheide and Jessica Clark from the American University in > Washington, DC, Des Freedman from Goldsmiths University of London, and > Tony Berman from Al Jazeera (English language services). > > The recession is feeding trends and conditions that have long been festering > but are now coming to a head for Public Service Broadcasting, and impacting > transition to Public Service Media. Although better times are coming, and > may already be appearing as Œgreen shoots¹, the consequences of changes in > media policy, corporate strategy and industrial arrangements being pursued > in response to the recession are likely to have longer-term implications. As > deficits mount along with rising unemployment and shrinking tax revenues, > governments seem to have less flexibility to support the public sector in > media. As advertising revenue declines sharply commercial firms are lobbying > more aggressively for a share of public funding to offset losses, > threatening to end their unprofitable areas of service provision, and > arguing more strenuously that PSM ought to be restricted to PSB. A public > stressed by economic hardship, unemployment and financial losses are worried > about mounting deficits may be less willing to pay for PSM. Thus, in the > recessionary context challenges that have been simmering for years are > coming to a boil. Media policy, corporate strategy and societal > infrastructure are all in play as a consequence. This conference will focus > on the implications in topical areas of particular importance: > > 1. Changing Conceptions and Practices in Journalism > ===================================================== > * Dynamics and conditions that challenge professional journalism > * Citizen journalism, networked journalism and Œjournalism as conversation¹ > * Notions that PSM should be less a producer and more a news curator or > aggregator > * Trends in blogging, crowd sourcing and wiki practices in information > production > * Unique attributes and barriers in PSB news provision > > 2. Changing Patterns of Media Use and Engagement > ================================================== > * What is changing and for whom and what is not changing? > * Consumer experiences and expectations of media > * What advertisers understand about audiences, behaviours and media > consumption that public broadcasters need to understand > * New models of audience emerging ways to understand what media users are, > and why and how this matters > > 3. Changing Strategies, Business Models and Sustainability > ============================================================ > * Challenges in implementing new strategies and the structural and > organisational consequences of altered strategic directions > * Comparing modes of funding for PSM and evidence of impact on content and > service > * Pros and cons of alternative arrangements for allocating public funding > * Understanding the economic foundations of PSB as a financial organisation, > especially economic analyses of these companies > * Viability of varied options for financing in different platforms and > genres > * Pay-for media online where is it working, how is it working, and why > > 4. PSM and pressures for Localism and Community Services > ========================================================== > * The continuing importance of geographic communities for democracy and > industry > * Identities beyond geographic communities and implications for democracies > and economies > * Changes in targeting strategies and characteristic modes of address > complex balance between cohesion and diversity > * Experiments and experiences in public media for local and regional > government > * Patterns of investment in content, of what kinds and for which groups, and > why > * The challenges and opportunities of community media specifically relevant > to PSM > > 5. Assessments of PSB / PSM Performance > ========================================= > * The extent to which criticisms of PSB /PSM companies withstand empirical > scrutiny > * Organisational and operational performance indicators and results > * Competition in public service media provision how it works and with what > results > * Analyses of new instrumentation for governing PSB (e.g. public value test, > service contracts, contestable funding, external governing boards, etc) > > 6. Media Policy and Discourse about PSM > ========================================= > > * Assessment of public discourses about PSB / PSM, especially comparative > research > * The case for and against the historic status quo > * The debate on state aid and evidence related to that > * PSM¹s proper place in the media market today > * Debate over who gets to be a public service provider > * Who deserves to receive public funding, why and on what basis? > * Can societies afford plurality in public service players and contents? > > SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS > ======================= > > On one page (in English): > > 1 Provide the working title of the paper > 2 Include your name, organisational affiliation with location, and > e-mail address > > On a second page (in English): > > 1 Working title of the paper > 2 An abstract addressing criteria 1-6 listed below > 3 The maximum length is 600 words > 4 Submissions due on or before January 11, 2010 > > All submissions will be peer reviewed as the basis for acceptance. Reviewers > will assess the proposals using the following criteria: > > 1. Relevance to conference theme and topics > 2. Conceptual/analytic quality (especially beyond purely descriptive) > 3. Articulated implications for the management of public service > companies, i.e. relevance to practice > 4. Comparative research is highly desired > 5. Empirical research is prioritised > 6. Generalisability of insights and findings is certainly a factor > > Sixty papers will be accepted for presentation at the conference. The > conference language is English. > > Decisions will be taken in February with notification on or about March 1, > 2010. > > Please send your abstract proposal as an e-mail attachment to: > > Jeanette Steemers [log in to unmask] > Gregory F. Lowe [log in to unmask] > > The conference registration fee is £250 for authors. The fee includes meals, > amenities and conference materials. For those attending but not presenting, > the registration fee is £350 and space is limited. The RIPE conference does > not have funds to supplement personal travel costs except for invited > keynote speakers. A select number of doctoral students can be included and > the fee in these cases will be £180. > > For more information about the RIPE initiative and the substance of the > previous four conferences, please visit our website: > http://www.uta.fi/jour/ripe/2008/index.html. The 2010 conference web site is > under construction. > ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------------------------------- MeCCSA Policy mailing list W: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/meccsa-policy.html Please visit this page to browse list's archives, or to join or leave the list.