Date: Thursday 12 April 2013

Location: Department of Media and Communication, University of Leicester

Contact person for expressions of interest: Dr Nelya Koteyko (nk158@leicester.ac.uk)

The new communicative landscape shaped by the Internet and mobile technologies has had profound implications for communication research on climate change and environment.

It has opened up new areas for studying public engagement with science within the context of contemporary audiences as active co-producers of media content. The emergence of tools that enable searching, aggregating, and analysing online data allows communication researchers to examine the dynamics of climate change-related debates with an unprecedented breadth and scale. At the same time, however, these developments have brought new challenges for the study of (1) content, context and influence of climate change representations and (2) the role of different stakeholders from science, politics, and the economy in these online debates. Multiple web-based channels and platforms often make it difficult to assess how and by whom the online content is accessed, used, and co-produced. Although there are software packages that can quickly process patterns across the universe of Big Data, the de-contextualised nature of results remains a key problem.

This event will bring together leading scholars in the fields of media studies, science communication, information science, and computer-mediated communication to critically explore these issues. The international workshop will focus on some of the key challenges in researching Internet-based communication on climate change and climate politics, and the ways in which different methodological perspectives can be further developed to examine the use of online and social media by various stakeholders.

We invite scholarly contributions on the following topics, other aspects of the overall theme are also welcome:

• Environmental activism online
• Methodological approaches for studying user-generated content on climate change and environment
• Citizen journalism and climate change
• Social media discourses and framing of scientific uncertainty, risk, and expertise
• The role of Internet use in public engagement with climate change

Confirmed speakers

• Professor Brigitte Nerlich, Institute for Science and Society (School of Sociology and Social Policy), University of Nottingham
• Dr Richard Holliman, Senior Lecturer in Science Communication, Department of Environment, Earth and Ecosystems, the Open University
• Dr Bernie Hogan, Research Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford

Format

The workshop will feature keynote talks, a panel discussion, as well as paper presentations (selected from abstract submissions) for participants to share their own frameworks, methods and research experiences.

Abstract submission

Submit a maximum 300 words abstract as a Word document file to Nelya Koteyko at nk158@le.ac.uk. The deadline for abstract submission is 15 January 2013. Please include a title, author(s) names, affiliations, contact address and e-mail.

Important Dates 

Registration opens 15 January 2013; Registration closes 1 March 2013.

Deadline for abstract submission: 15 January, 2013.

Notification of acceptance: 15 February 2013.

Workshop: 12 April 2013.

Fees

Participant fee: £20 for staff, £12 for post-graduate students (the fee includes buffet lunch and refreshments)

Further information 

Full call for papers and further information about the registration will be available at
the MECCSA Climate Change Network page http://www.meccsa.org.uk/networks/climate-change-network/ and http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/media/news-and-events

‘MECCSA 2013 – SPACES AND PLACES OF CULTURE’,

UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER

The MeCCSA Conference in 2013 will be hosted by the University of Ulster’s School of Media, Film and Journalism at the historic Magee Campus in Derry/Londonderry, (http://www.ulster.ac.uk/campus/magee/) from Wednesday 9^th January to Friday 11^th January, 2013.

Full programme now available on the conference website and in PDF format.

Taking advantage of the location of Derry/Londonderry as the 2013 UK City of Culture, (see www.cityofculture2013.com) the University of Ulster plans a programme built around themes relevant to the city itself: cultural geography – ‘space, place, walls, bridges’ – and the conflicted history represented there. Given Northern Ireland’s current screen successes – the popularity of Game of Thrones, shot here, and the 2012 Oscar for Terry George’s short film The Shore, there will be a focus on film and television studies, with screenings and contributions from film makers; delegates are encouraged to submit their own creative material for exhibition during the conference and film policy will be a conference theme. The programme also includes a special tribute lecture to the late Stuart Hood and his contribution to radical TV drama. (more…)

CALL FOR PAPERS

Deadline for Abstracts: 15 June 2012

The Media, Communications and Cultural Studies Association Postgraduate Network (MeCCSA-PGN) invites submission of abstracts for its annual postgraduate conference to be held on 17^th-18^th September 2012 at Loughborough University, UK. MeCCSA is the subject association for the field of media, communication and cultural studies in UK Higher Education. The field includes film and TV production, journalism, radio, photography, creative writing, publishing, interactive media and the web. It includes higher education for media practice as well as for media studies. This interdisciplinary conference, sponsored by the ADM-HEA (Art Design and Media Subject Centre) and supported by the Loughborough University Graduate School, gives an opportunity to Masters and PhD students, as well as early stage postdoctoral researchers, to share their work on any topic related to the areas mentioned above. Submissions from within other disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences that engage with media, communication or cultural practices are also welcome.

Presentations can be in the form of papers, posters, performances, films or multimedia. Panel proposals are also welcome with up to four presentations. Abstracts of about 250 words (for 15 minute presentations) should be sent no later than 15 June 2012 to Meccsapgn2012@lboro.ac.uk.

Submission

Please include with your abstract:

• Your name, contact details, institutional affiliation and year of study;
• Title and topic of research, including method(s) used;
• Up to five key words (these will help reviewers classify your proposal);
• Technical requirements for the presentation;
• An indication of whether you’d be interested in submitting the presentation for inclusion in the MeCCSA-PGN journal, Networking Knowledge.

For Panels

We especially encourage the submission of thematic panels with up to four presentations. To propose a panel there must at least be a minimum of two confirmed participants; once a panel is accepted the organizers may help the panel proposers in recruiting further participants. For panels, we require a short description and rationale (250 words), in addition to abstracts for each of the presentations (250 words each).

For Practice Research

We welcome presentations involving practice-based research. For proposals involving practice research, please include a URL to a web-based preview of the material in your abstract. In case that is not possible, please send across some images/AV material through email or a preview CD/DVD to,

Pawas Bisht,

Department of Social Sciences,

Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK

Keynote Lectures, Workshops and Social Events

In addition to panel presentations, the conference will include keynotes from prominent scholars in the field, as well as academic workshops. We are happy to announce that Prof. Liesbet van Zoonen and Prof. David Buckingham have provisionally confirmed their participation in the event as keynote speakers. Details of these presentations, other plenary sessions and the workshops are being confirmed.

The conference will feature several social events including a conference dinner.

Details of these events as well as other information regarding registration, accommodation and travel will be made available on the conference website closer to the date of the event.

Further Information

Keep watching the websites of the MeCCSA-PGN and the Loughborough University conference for updates.

For periodic updates, follow us on our twitter account @LBOROMeCCSAPGN.

For any clarifications or questions, please contact the conference committee at Meccsapgn2012@lboro.ac.uk.

We look forward to receiving your proposals.

The MeCCSA CCES, in conjunction with Liverpool University’s ‘Living With Environmental Change’ research theme steering group, will be delivering a symposium on March 30th 2012, with the title ‘Reaching the Public on Climate Change: Up-to-and-Beyond UN IPPC 2013-14’. The outline is as follows:

Climate change as an issue has been somewhat eclipsed by economic turbulence and economic crisis in Europe. Maintaining its profile in the national dialogue is a significant challenge for a wide range of organisations and institutions. This symposium draws on speakers from a range of these. The speakers will present their take on the challenge of keeping the public, stakeholders and organisations engaged with and informed about climate change, or the problems of confronting the issue in a legislative or social arena. But in addition, scholars in this area will speak on their area of specialisation, as it relates to the issue of public engagement – in the domains of media coverage of the issue, and attitude formation and change in this area. The aim is that the symposium will be an exchange of ideas, experiences and expertise.

So far, the speakers approached or who have already agreed to speak include:

Professor Neil Carter, University of York, Climate Policy specialist
Jennifer Pride, Welsh Government, Head – Climate Change. Communications and Engagement
Juliet Staples, Liverpool City Council, Climate Change Manager
Todd Holden, Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and former Director of the Enworks environment business support programme
Richard Black, BBC Environment correspondent
Dr Neil Gavin, Media and Climate Change
Dr Lorraine Whitmarsh, Cardiff University, Climate attitude specialist

Programme and contact information

10.30-
Registration

11.00-11.05
Welcome: Dr Neil Gavin (University of Liverpool, LWEC, and CCES Convenor)

11.05-12.15
Todd Holden (Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and former Director of the Enworks environment business support programme) ‘Climate change and the business community’
Dr Pete North (University of Liverpool) ‘Building a low carbon economy’

12.15-1.00 Lunch

1.00-2.30
Jennifer Pride, Welsh Government (Head, Climate Change, Communications & Engagement) ‘Climate change in government’
Dr Monica Contestabile (Senior Editor, Nature Climate Change) ‘The social science dimension of climate change’
Sarah Dewar (Third Sector & Environmental Sustainability Lead, Liverpool PCT) ‘Climate and the NHS’

2.30-2.45 Coffee

3.00-4.30
Dr Neil Gavin (University of Liverpool) ‘The Media and Climate Change’
Richard Black (BBC Environment correspondent) ‘Reporting climate change’
Dr Lorraine Whitmarsh (Cardiff University) ‘Climate attitudes & attitude change’

4.40-5.30 Round table: ‘Where Now for Climate Change?’

5.30- Reception

All expressions of interest in attending should be communicated to Vicki Wood:
(vicki.wood@liv.ac.uk Tel: 0151-794-2666)

Venue location: Foresight Centre
http://www.liv.ac.uk/maps/ [‘Campus map (printable PDF)’]
Building 359 – Grid ref.C10

A celebration of the ‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities’ with invited speakers and public discussion.

A collaboration between the MeCCSA Disability Studies Network and the Disability Equality Research Network

Speakers

• Professor Nick Watson
  ‘Bad news for disabled people: Changes in the way newspaper report disability
• Allan Sutherland
  Title TBC
• Deborah Williams
  The Good, The bad and The Disabled!
• Nicola Martin
  Disability Identity: Disability Pride

This event is based around a new study of how media are reporting and misrepresenting disability in the context of government spending cuts. Bringing together a recognition of ‘International day of persons with disabilities’ with an exploration of the major shifts in the portrayal of disabled people, leading voices on the topics of disability, media and identity have been invited to examine the impact recent media coverage is having on public attitudes and on disabled people themselves.

Refreshments will be provided. Discussion and networking will be welcomed.

Please see directions above. Nearest tube is Kings Cross/St Pancras.

This is a free event. However places are limited so you are encouraged to reserve a place by emailing Alison Wilde at alison.wilde@bangor.ac.uk