Media, Democracy and Governance: Emerging Paradigms In Digital Age

The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) is pleased to announce its 18th Annual International Conference, which will be held at the Le M�ridien Hotel, New Delhi, India from the 13-16 July 2009. AMIC will be organizing this conference in partnership with the Himgiri Nabh Viswavidyalaya (HNV). This conference is open to academics, media industry professionals, government agencies, policymakers, regulators, UN agencies, donors, research groups, civil society organizations, independent consultants and students.

The theme of the 18th annual conference is "Media, Democracy and Governance: Emerging Paradigms in a Digital Age" The media are central institutions of the public sphere and therefore play a critical role in enhancing democratization and good governance. While democracy has generally been spreading across the world, we have seen countries where democracy is challenged and where the failure of governance has led to widespread poverty, hunger and deprivation. The media can play a significant role in spreading awareness and empowering people while monitoring governments and corporations and holding them accountable. In recent years, the advent of the Internet and digital information and communication technologies have brought about a profound transformation in the way people communicate and share knowledge and information. These new technologies offer vast new opportunities for public participation and engagement and have the potential to expand the public sphere, deepen political participation and enhance good governance and democracy. However, the media and new digital technologies can also present new challenges and be exploited to extend control and surveillance thus policy makers need to put in place the necessary mechanisms that can mitigate the harmful use of the media by extremists and special interest groups. This conference will provide a critical space for both media professionals and academics to exchange knowledge and share their experiences on the role of the media in bringing about development and the new paradigms that are emerging in the digital age.

AMIC's key event is the flagship annual conference, hosted in rotation by countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Recent annual conferences have been held in Manila, Philippines (2008), Singapore (2007), Penang, Malaysia (2006), Beijing, PR China (2005) and Bangkok, Thailand (2004). The AMIC Annual Conference is a premier event on the Asian media calendar and attracts eminent international speakers and participants from the media industry and academia. Delegates to the conference come not only from the Asia-Pacific region, but also from Europe and the Americas as well. It features high-profile keynote addresses, plenary sessions, and several parallel sessions. Networking events, cultural programmes, media visits and even tourism events are also held in conjunction with the annual conference.


18th AMIC Annual Conference

Date & Venue:

13 - 16 July 2009
Le Meridien Hotel,
New Delhi,
INDIA

Themes & Topics

For the 18th AMIC annual conference, papers are invited on the following themes and topics:

* Media Democracy and Governance
* Media and Youth in Democracy
* Media, Conflict and Crises
* New Media and Digital Technology
* Media and Development
* Media Law and Regulation
* Media and Gender
* Media and Cultural Identity
* Media, Democracy and Human Rights
* Alternative and Community Media
* Media and Culture
* Asian Perspectives on Communication
* International Communication
* Broadcasting
* Media Industry Trends and Dynamics
* Media and Ethics

Paper Submission

All papers will be selected on a competitive basis and an expert panel will be appointed for screening all the submissions.

Kindly email the full papers (approximately 20 pages in length and double spaced) or a maximum 2 page, typed double spaced abstract along with contact information and a 500-word bio to conf2009@amic.org.sg by 31 March 2009 (This submission is closed). The deadline for the completed papers will be June 01, 2009. Results of the call for papers will be sent out starting from 1st May 2009.

For more information or any queries, please contact Ms. Sandhya Srinivasan.