[csaa-forum] CFP Bridging Gaps: Where is the Persona in Celebrity and Journalism?

[Dr Samita Nandy]

*Call for Papers*


*Bridging Gaps:*
*Where is the Persona in Celebrity and Journalism?*

* The Terrace Club*
* 25 W. 51st St. (Off Fifth Ave.) New York, NY*
* September 2-3, 2015 *


In tabloid journalism and in social media, gossip, rumors and scandals
about celebrities develop intimacy among fans. Such gossip and rumour
mongering serves a purpose in society: to build a common moral ground on
the backs of celebrity lives. However what about the celebrities themselves
whose emotional lives are consumed by us? The production, circulation and
reception of these celebrities then negate the democratic role of
journalism in providing value-free information and undermine artistic
talent and activism for which many celebrities became famous. Corporate
interests of governments and businesses have dominated the field of
journalism and the new industry, in particular.

A combination of media productions such as interviews, portraits, diary
entries, life-writing, and unedited footage can facilitate a relation
between celebrities as subjects of journalistic enquiry and modes of their
representation. The biographical and autobiographical elements in these
productions can express nuances and subtleties of creative drives that
construct public personas. Scholars can also act as journalists and
interview celebrities, adding research as informed opinions. As celebrity
studies scholar Olivier Driessens suggests, there are innovative ways in
which researchers can surpass cultural intermediaries, such as managers,
who control the celebrity's agenda, and fill methodological gaps in media
studies and practices.

We need to build academic, media and community partnerships to implement
creative strategies and informed opinions in content production. What
creative strategies do you implement to position your modes of inquiry in
celebrity culture? How can journalists benefit from researchers in
developing stories? Should academics become cultural critics to build an
engaged audience? Show new and powerful ways of storytelling that
journalists and researchers should consider in examining authentic personas
in fame.

The Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies (CMCS), in association with
sponsors WaterHill Publishing and Centre for Ecological, Social, and
Informatics Cognitive Research (ESI.CORE), invites academics, journalists,
publicists, social innovators and guests to attend, speak and collaborate
at the international conference *Bridging Gaps - Where is the Persona in
Celebrity and Journalism*? Join us in NYC where the conference will
uniquely combine vibrant roundtable and workshop panels in a collaborative
network! We invite original cross-disciplinary proposals for the
conference. Extended version of selected best papers will be published in
an edited book by WaterHill Publishing. Working papers and media
productions will be considered.

*Submission guidelines:*

   - 250-word abstract or workshop / roundtable proposal
   - Include a title, your name, e-mail address, and affiliation if
   applicable
   - Submit to conference Chairs Dr Jackie Raphael and Dr Samita Nandy at
   email address: *celeb.studies at gmail.com <celeb.studies at gmail.com>*
   - Deadline for abstract submission: *June 1, 2015*
   - Notification of acceptance: *June 8, 2015*
   - Deadline for full text: *August 24, 2015*
   - Conference presentation: *September 2-3, 2015*
   - Publication of edited book: *February 29, 2016*

The format of the conference aims at being open and inclusive through
roundtable and workshop panels with substantial discussion and networking
sessions. We welcome speculative ideas, exploratory practices, position
papers, manifestos, performances as well as traditional academic papers
from affiliated and independent researchers, journalists, social innovators
and related media professionals.

*Topics include but are not limited to:*

   - Persona
   - Celebrity
   - Scandals
   - Infamy
   - Biography
   - Genre
   - Journalism
   - News
   - Social Media
   - Publicity
   - Policies
   - Interviews
   - Audiences
   - Fandom
   - Fiction
   - Literature
   - Film
   - Video
   - Television
   - Fashion
   - Photography
   - Selfies
   - Portraiture
   - Art History
   - Performance
   - Life Writings
   - Diaspora
   - Theory and Methods
   - Research Agenda
   - Business Models
   - Ethics and Morality
   - Cognition and Memory
   - Media Literacy
   - Social Innovation
   - Education and Advocacy
   - Community Building
   - Business and Community Partnerships

Enjoy your stay and meetings at Club Quarters during the conference. We
invite applicants to visit www.clubquarters.com
<http://cmc-centre.com/conferences-2015/nycsept15/www.clubquarters.com> to
view the hotel. Discounted rates will be available for accepted delegates
after June 8, 2015.
*Conference URL*: http://cmc-centre.com/conferences-2015/nycsept15/.
<http://cmc-centre.com/conferences-2015/nycsept15/>
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