Local Media

Dealing with the Local: Media,
Proximity and Community

Pre-Conference to ECREA´s sixth European Communication Conference, ECC 2016, Prague, 8 November 2016

PROGRAMME

Event organized by the Department of Media Studies and Journalism, Masaryk University, Brno.

There are media whose main value is simply the close relationship their proximity provides for and with their audiences. Local and community media are often praised for giving voice to the voiceless, namely invisible local community members. Although being largely ignored by communication researchers, these small-scale media are undoubtedly an irreplaceable part of all media systems and fulfil important functions in society (e.g. the construction of community). Compared to other types of media, they have certain distinctive features, which always made them – as existing research shows – remarkably viable and vulnerable. Despite recent studies on local journalism, community media, audience participation in public communication and the relationship between local media and local politics, much research remains to be done with regard to the fundamental questions regarding media and closeness. These include: What are the contemporary local and community media functions in society? / How has the contemporary media development transformed local and community media, and more broadly media closeness? / How, if at all, has the priorities of audiences regarding local and community media changed? These and similar questions are among the main concerns of the Media and closeness ECREA pre-conference. To stimulate further international academic discussion in this area, we expect to publish the best papers as part of a special issue or edited book.

CONFERENCE TOPICS

Local media and local journalism specifics
New trends in local journalism
Local media organizations´ development
Local and community journalists
Local audiences
Community and media
Local politics, local economy and media
New media and locality

ABSTRACTS

Empirically-based abstracts outlining the topic, as well as the theoretical and methodological approach, should not exceed 500 words and should include short contact details (name, affiliation, email). The abstracts will be subject to a peer review process and should be submitted to the following email address:
Lenka Waschkova Cisarova
cisarova@fss.muni.cz

DEADLINES

Deadline for submission of abstracts:
30 April 2016
Notification of acceptance:
31 May 2016
Registration:
1 September 2016
31 July 2016 for early bird fee
Pre-conference:
8 November 2016

CONTACT

Lenka Waschkova Cisarova
Department of Media Studies and Journalism
Masaryk University
Brno, Czech Republic
cisarova@fss.muni.cz

CONFERENCE DEADLINES AND FEES

	Early bird (till 31 July 2016)	Standard (from 1 August 2016)
ECREA members	50 euro	60 euro
Students	55 euro	65 euro
Other	60 euro	70 euro

VENUE

GANIMED, spol. s r.o.
Prostory Autoklubu ČR
Opletalova 29
110 00 Praha 1
Tel.: 222 243 011
www.ganimed.cz