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

[Jackie Raphael]

Hi,

I my name is Dr. Jackie Raphael and I am a lecturer at Curtin University, as well as a board member of CMCS. Along with my colleague, Dr. Samita Nandy, we have organised a conference in New York. Could you please post the CFP below to your members list? Any promotion for our conference is greatly appreciated.



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
    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 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/.  



Regards,
Dr. Jackie Raphael

Lecturer | First Year Coordinator | MADA Admissions Coordinator
Department of Design, School of Design & Art (SoDA)

Curtin University
Tel | +61 8 9266 2278
Email | J.Raphael at curtin.edu.au
Web | https://drjackieraphael.wordpress.com


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