As one of ECREA’s pre-conferences and in cooperation with ECREA’s Diaspora, Migration and the Media section next fall's event will address the broad topic of media and migration. It will focus on topics such as the role of the media in the so-called “refugee/migrant crisis”, media depictions of refugees, asylum seekers, immigrant and migrant communities, and the media’s influence on belonging and identity – especially in the context of transnationalism, multiculturalism/diversity, and a globalized world. We are seeking papers that will contribute to a critical examination of this topic and result in fruitful discussion panels at the event. We invite abstracts on any of the following topics.*
- The narratives used by mainstream media to cover the so-called “refugee/migrant crisis”.
- The depiction of refugees, asylum seekers and migration in the media.
- The ways that new/social media are changing our perception of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.
- Comparisons between the approaches of public and private media.
- The role of the media in culturally diverse democracies.
- Journalists as observers or actors when covering the crisis.
- The role of immigrant/diaspora/minority media.
- iscourses of racism and anti-racism in European media
*Please note, this is not an exhaustive list of topics, and we will review any abstracts related to the media and migration/immigration/multiculturalism and related topics.
Please submit your 500-word abstracts and a short bio by 31 May, 2016. The abstracts will be subjected to a peer review process and should be submitted to: kusakova@keynote.cz
Prague Media Point is an annual international conference, dedicated to discussing the changing media landscape in a professional, political, economic, and social context. These events gather leading academics, journalists, media executives, and experts from around the world to exchange experiences, establish new contacts, and debate challenges facing both traditional and new media. In November 2016
Prague Media Point will be an ECREA pre-conference. It is organized by Transitions, a nonprofit organization established to strengthen the professionalism, independence, and impact of the news media in the post-communist countries of Europe and the former Soviet Union, and KEYNOTE, an organization specializing in organizing conferences and events that lead to cutting-edge international encounters, bring new ideas to life, and facilitate a unique networking experience.
The organizers have also reserved a number of spaces for non-presenting conference attendees.
Please see for information about registration and fees or contact Kateřina Kusáková at: kusakova@keynote.cz. You can also follow the conference on Facebook and Twitter at #PragueMediaPoint.
The Steering Committee includes the following members:
Tony Curzon Price, openDemocracy, Editor-in-Chief
Jeremy Druker, Transitions, Executive Director; Press Start, CEO
Sai Felicia Krishna-Hensel, CISS/ISA, President Emeritus
Alenka Jelen Sanchez, University of Stirling; ECREA Executive Board Member
Jakub Klepal, Forum 2000 Foundation, Executive Director
Jiří Pehe, New York University in Prague, Director
Václav Štětka, Charles University in Prague, Senior Fellow Researcher
Gavan Titley, National University of Ireland, ECREA Diaspora, Migration and the Media, Chair
Eva van de Rakt, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague, Director
Christopher Walker, National Endowment for Democracy’s International Forum for Democratic Studies, Executive Director
The conference is supported by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague, the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), the London School of Economics, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Prague, the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism at Charles University, and the Comparative Interdisciplinary Studies Section (CISS) of the International Studies Association (ISA).