[FoME] CfP: Conference "Social Media in a Changing Media Environment: Lessons from the Arab world"

Di Apr 15 17:47:17 CEST 2014

The Tunisian Press and Information Science Institute & 
The Arab-European Association of Communication and Media Researchers (IPSI /
AREACORE ) 

Call for papers for a scientific international conference on

Social Media in a Changing Media Environment: Lessons from the Arab world

Tunis, October 16-18, 2014

Please also refer to: http://www.areacore.org/conferences.html 

The beginning of 2011 was marked by the considerable contribution of the new
social media in mobilizing and rallying Arab streets, and in inducing
changes in the political, social, educational, media and other sectors.
While conventional media had long been mirrors reflecting the marginal role
played by recipient audiences as consumers not participants or active
players, new media was able to enforce new debating, exchange and
participation opportunities by offering people broader windows to look for
information and the right to contribute to communication operations, and by
making the virtual space an alternative to the conventional public space. 

The need-driven interaction between technology and the public enabled new
media to recognize that the communication democracy requires participation
of all individuals with no exclusion. Social networks, blogs, video-sharing
websites and satellite channels that have chosen to stream on the Internet
have enforced another type of social freedoms and one of individuals' and
groups' right for free communication. In particular in the Arab world,
social media has played a tremendous role in the political awakening marked
by the Arab spring. 

However, social media do raise a number of issues subject of heated debates
and controversies; issues are multidimensional and relate to
epistemological, technical, cultural and historical factors reflecting two
major trends: the first is skeptical due to the technology's ability to
muddle social life with no consideration to technical contexts, the
importance of social innovations and the communicative and cultural usages
of these technologies, while the second trend is optimistic considering that
new media have induced positive change in culture, economy, science,
politics, etc. This view considers the virtual world to be an extension of
real social life, and that identity can be constructed both socially and
virtually.

>From a political perspective, technology offers new tools for political life
although it does not constitute the only factor inducing political change.

Arab media discourse is still disturbed and anxious in dealing with the
impact of the new media on culture and innovation. On the one hand, this
discourse looks at Arab users as being active and engaged in "alternative
media" reflecting a new culture based on freedom, diversity, and creativity;
on the other hand, it considers them victims of new powers subjugating the
online space. 

In this context, some believe that the widespread use of technology in
media, education and other institutions does not necessarily reflect their
development or the emergence of efficient manpower. Similarly, the
development of new social, political and cultural trends does not mean they
are shared by all societies i.e. they are not universal. 

The misuse of new media has also resulted in a number of blunders reflecting
the real moral face of some media players in the twenty first century and
how ideologies are trying to manipulate new media in order to reinforce some
parties' domination over others; this has led some media institutions to
address the issue of social media manipulation attempts by developing
specific charters that constitute a part of the new digital media ethics
including broad or specific areas depending on their contents.

What is then the guarantee to ensure safe usage of new media? How can we
prevent against risks raised by the new media in the Arab World now
witnessing a number of political, social, cultural and information
transformations?

This conference will make an attempt to understand various approaches
dealing with the new media and to identify the role of online stakeholders
in dismantling the sets of values and developing them again. It thrives to
comprehend transformations induced by the use of new media in the political,
social, cultural, and economic spheres. It will also tackle the changes
affecting the work of media and communication professionals, and also their
influence on professional ethics and the need to respect individual privacy.
Presentations dealing with the aforementioned issues will be welcomed and
should be integrated into one of the following panels:

-        Topic 1: Social Media in the Arab World: Theoretical and Historical
Approaches

-        Topic 2: Social Media, Democratic Change and Political
Participation

-        Topic 3: Social transformations in the Arab World and the role of
the elite:

disaggregating and emerging elites

-        Topic 4: New media and communication practices: Violations against
ethics and

privacy of individuals

-        Topic 5: Professionals' experiences in the field of new media:
towards an Arab Code

of Digital Media Ethics

Schedule of the International Scientific Conference:

-        May 15, 2014: Deadline for the submission of scientific
contributions to the international conference (a 500 word abstract
describing the Topic, the Issue, and a preliminary bibliography)

The abstract must be sent by email as a word document and a PDF-Document to
the International Conference's Secretariat. All submissions will be
anonymously peer-reviewed according to the criteria of originality,
relevance, theoretical foundation, appropriateness of the methods used,
clarity of language, and reference to the conference theme.

-        June 15, 2014: Decision of the Scientific Committee about selected
abstracts

-        June 30, 2014: Participation confirmation from selected applicants

-        August 25, 2014: Final versions of the scientific presentations
sent to the Scientific Committee as a word document for publication on time.

-        October 16-18, 2014: International Scientific Conference on "Social
media in a

changing media environment: Lessons from the Arab world"

For selected Arab presenters a limited amount of funding will be available
through the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) covering travel and
accommodation.  Please indicate on the title page whether you apply for
funding.

Scientific Secretariat

Administration: Ms. Elhem Jouini

Press and Information Sciences Institute

Manouba University Campus - 2010 - Manouba, Tunisia

Phone numbers: (+216) 71 600 980 - (+216) 600 981 - (+216) 71 600 831

Fax number: (+216) 71 600 465

Email:  <mailto:tunisiaconference at gmail.com> tunisiaconference at gmail.com

Websites:  <http://www.ipsi.rnu.tn> www.ipsi.rnu.tn  &
<http://www.areacore.org> www.areacore.org

Conference Scientific Coordinator: Dr. Moez Ben Messaoud
<mailto:bms.moez at yahoo.fr> bms.moez at yahoo.fr

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