CALLS FOR PAPERS/ABSTRACTS

Chinese Journal of (CJoC)

Launching in 2008, Chinese Journal of Communication (CJoC) is a new venture of scholarly publication aimed at elevating Chinese communication studies along theoretical, empirical, and methodological dimensions. The new refereed journal will be an important international platform for students and scholars in Chinese communication studies to exchange ideas and research results. Interdisciplinary in scope, it will examine subjects in all Chinese societies in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Singapore, and the global Chinese diaspora. The CJoC welcomes research articles using social scientific or humanistic approaches on such topics as mass communication, journalism studies, telecommunications, rhetoric, cultural studies, media effects, new communication technologies, organizational communication, interpersonal communication, advertising and PR, political communication, communications law and policy, and so on. Articles employing historical and comparative analysis focused on traditional Chinese culture as well as contemporary processes such as globalization, deregulation, and democratization are also welcome.

Published by Routledge, CJoC is institutionally based at the Communication Research Centre, the School of Journalism and Communication, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. For more information and submission instructions, please visit http://www.informaworld.com/cjoc.

Journal of Children and Media is an interdisciplinary and multimethod peer-reviewed publication that provides a space for discusion by scholars and professionals from around the world and across theoretical and empirical traditions who are engaged in the study of media in the lives of children. Submissions: Submissions should be delivered as an email attachment to Dafna Lemish, Editor at: lemish@post.tau.ac.il. Manuscripts must conform to the American Psychological Association (APA) style with a maximum length of 8,000 words, including notes and references. The manuscript should be accompanied by an abstract of up to 150 words, biographical information for each author of up to 75 words each, and up to 10 keywords. For further information please visit: http://www.informaworld.com/jocam.

International Journal of Strategic Communication is issuing a call for papers for its fourth and subsequent issues. The journal provides a forum for multidisciplinary and multi-paradigmatic research about the role of communication, broadly defined, in achieving the goals of a wide range of communicative entities for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations, social movements, political parties or politicians, governments, government agencies, personalities. For communication to be strategic is has to be purposeful and planned. The aim of the journal is to bring diverse approaches together with the purpose of developing an international, coherent and holistic approach to the field. Scholars in a broad range of communication specialities addressing strategic communication by organizations are invited submit articles. Articles are blind-reviewed by three members of the editorial board, which consists of 34 scholars from 15 countries representing a broad array of theoretical and methodological perspectives.Submissions are electronic via the journal's website at ijosc@lamar.colostate.edu. Manuscripts should be no longer than 30 word-processed pages and adhere to the APA Publications Manual. For more information, contact editors Derina Holtzhausen, University of South Florida, dholtzha@cas.usf.edu or Kirk Hallahan, Colorado State University, kirk.hallahan@colostate.edu.

Feminist Media Studies. Authors in North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean: submit to Lisa McLaughlin, Editor; e-mail: mclauglm@muohio.edu. Authors in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australasia: submit to Cynthia Carter, Editor; e-mail: cartercl@cardiff.ac.uk.

Education Review of Business Communication. Mss. info: http://www.senatehall.com/business_communication/index.html.

Journal of Communication Studies, National Council of Development Communication. Soliciting research papers, abstracts. E-mail: Shveta Sharma, communication@jcs@yahoo.com.

Hampton Book Series: Communication, Globalization, and Cultural Identity. Jan Servaes, Hampton Book Series Editor, c/o School of Journalism and Communication, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia. Phone: +61 (7) 3365 6115 or 3088. Fax: +61 (7) 3365 1377. Email: j.servaes@uq.edu.au.

Manuscripts. Subject Matters: A Journal of Communications and the Self. E-mail: subjectmatters@londonmet.ac.uk.

Submissions. Journal of Middle East Women's Studies (JMEWS). Info: Marcia C. Inhorn, Director of the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, U of Michigan, and Mary N. Layoun, Chair of Comparative Literature, U of Wisconsin, Editors. Web: http://iupjournals.org/jmews/.

Communication Review. The Communication Review solicits papers in the interdisciplinary field of media studies. We are interested in papers discussing any aspect of media: media history, globalization of media, media institutions, media analysis, media criticism, media policy, media economics. We also invite essays about the nature of media studies as an emergent, interdisciplinary field. Please direct papers to Andrea L. Press and Bruce A. Williams, Editors, Media Studies Program, University of Virginia. Email: alp5n@virginia.edu, baw5n@b.mail.virginia.edu. For more information about the journal and submission guidelines, please see the journal's website at http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/10714421.asp.

Call for Manuscripts - The Journal of Native Aging & Health publishes articels that address Native aging, health, and related issues. All theoretical and methodological approaches are welcome. Original research and studies should apply existing theory and research to Native Americans, Alaskan, Hawaiian, Islanders and First Nations Peoples, or should illuminate how knowledge informs and reforms exiting theories and research on Native populations, aging, and health. No material identifying the author(s) should appear in the body of the paper. The paper must not have appeared in any other published form. Each submission should include a separate cover page with the name of the author(s); present academic title or other current position; academic department and university (if appropriate); and complete address, telephone number, and e-mail address (if available). The submission also must include a single-paragraph abstract of no more than 120 words on a separate page. Manuscripts, abstracts, references, figures, and tables must conform to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001, Fifth Edition) guidelines. Contributors are encouraged to be familiar with the Manual's guidelines for avoiding bias in language used to express ideas int he manuscript. By submitting to JNAH, authors warrant that they will not submit their manuscript to any other publication without first withdrawing the manuscript from consideration by JNAH, that the work is original, and that appropriate credit has been given to other contributors in the project. Reports of the original research and papers may not exceed 25 pages (including references, tables, figures, and appendixes). Copies of submissions will not be returned to the author(s). Send four paper copies of complete papers to Pamela J. Kalbfleish, Editor, Journal of Native Aging & Health, School of Communication, University of North Dakota, 202A O'Kelly Hall, Grand Forks, ND 58202. Along with your paper copies, include a disk with your submission in Word document format or attach an electronic copy of your manuscript to an e-mail sent to the editorial office. Questions may be directed to the editorial office via e-mail at yearbook@und.nodak.edu, telephone 701-777-2673, or fax 701-777-3955. Ordering Information: To order a copy of the Journal, contact: Dr. Pamela J. Kalbfleisch, Editor, Journal of Native Aging & Health, School of Communication, University of North Dakota, Box 7169, 202A O'Kelly Hall, Grand Forks, ND 58202. $25.00 a copy / $40.00 year subscription.

Journal of Marketing and Communication Management. The Managing Editors, JMCM, Department of Marketing and Communication Management, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa. Info: http://www.jmcm.co.za. E-mail: Professor C H van Heerden, nheerden@hakuna.up.ac.za, or Professor Anske Grobler, anske@postino.up.ac.za.

Submissions. Participations: Journal of Audience and Reception. Info: http://www.participations.org/.

Essays. Bad Subjects: Iraq War Culture Review Essays. Email: Joe Lockard, Joe.Lockard@asu.edu. Info: http://bad.eserver.org.

Proposals. Alternatives Within the Mainstream II: Queer Theatre in Britain. Info: Dimple Godiwala-McGowan, Senior Lecturer, York St. John College (U of Leeds). E-mail: DimpleGodiwala@aol.com.

Deadline extended. Papers. Journal of Middle East Media (JMEM), Center for International Media Education (CIME) at Georgia State U and the Arab-U.S. Association for Communication Educators (AUSACE). Mohammed el-Naway, Senior Editor, Department of Communication, One Park Place South, 10th Floor, Georgia State U, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA. E-mail: jouman@langate.gsu.edu.

New Journal - Communication for Development and Social Change. A new journal, Communication for Development and Social Change, is seeking papers that will present empirical research, theory, and practice-oriented approaches on subjects relevant to development communication and social change. Authors may submit inquiries and manuscripts electronically to Jan Servaes, Department of Journalism and Communication, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, at j.sarvaes@uq.edu.au.

Call for Papers: Special Issue of the AJC. New Perspectives on Development Communication: Emerging Technologies, Shifting Paradigms. Guest Editor: Prof. Mark R. Levy
Manuscripts are solicited that bring new theoretical approaches to the study of emerging communication technologies for development. Submissions should be rooted in the Asian experience, should have clear implications for development communication, and should investigate the following or closely related research questions: how is access to and use of mobile ICTs, especially the mobile internet, stratified in developing Asian countries; are the newest mobile communication technologies facilitating social and economic change; are individuals in developing nations using social software to collaboratively create information, knowledge, or culture in online social networks; how do political or cultural factors influence the growth of online communities, collaboration, social support, and the creation of social capital.
For consideration, submit manuscripts by email in Microsoft Word format no later than December 31, 2007 to: Professor Mark R. Levy, Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, mlevy@msu.edu, +(517) 355-8372. Manuscripts will be double-blind reviewed. More information about the journal and manuscript preparation guidelines can be found at www.informaworld.com/rajc.

Call for Papers: Special Issue of the Asian Journal of Communication. "New Perspectives on Development Communication: Emerging Technologies, Shifting Paradigms." Guest Editor: Prof. Mark R. Levy. The issue will examine two interrelated trends — one technological and a one scholarly.  The technological trend is best exemplified by the rapid diffusion of mobile phones in the developing world. But it’s more than mobile phones, for  the growing availability of the full range of information and communication technologies (ICTs), including the mobile internet, holds out the possibility that closing the development gap will be enabled in part by a growing participation  in local, regional or even global online networks. The community of development practitioners now devotes considerable energy to applications of ICTs for development (ICT4D). But we do not know nearly enough about what human communication needs mobile ICTs can meet or how innovative uses of mobile ICTs can concretely contribute to achieving individual and community development goals.

Meanwhile, academic scholarship has made important conceptual and theoretical advances in understanding information societies. These advances have been empirically tested almost exclusively in wealthy, developed nations. But theoretical insights regarding the changing modalities of communication, particularly online innovations, could also be studied in the context of ICTs for development, thus moving development communication away from its long-running and increasingly sterile debate between paradigms of diffusion and of participation.

Manuscripts are solicited that bring new theoretical approaches to the study of emerging communication technologies for development.  Submissions should be rooted in the Asian experience, should have clear implications for development communication, and should investigate the following or closely related research questions: how is access to and use of mobile ICTs, especially the mobile internet, stratified in developing Asian countries; are the newest mobile communication technologies facilitating social and economic change; are individuals in developing nations using social software to collaboratively create information, knowledge, or culture in online social networks; how do political or cultural factors influence the growth of online communities, collaboration, social support, and the creation of social capital.

For consideration, submit manuscripts by email in Microsoft Word format no later than December 31, 2007 to: Professor Mark R. Levy, Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, mlevy@msu.edu, +(517) 355-8372.  Manuscripts will be double-blind reviewed. More information about the journal and manuscript preparation guidelines can be found at www.informaworld.com/rajc.

Journal of Film and Video. Call for Manuscripts. Special Double Issue on Animated Sitcoms. The Journal of Film and Video invites the submission of manuscripts for a special double issue of the journal to be published in Volume 61 (Summer 2009/Fall 2009). Guest Editors for the issue, Mary M. Dalton and Laura R. Linder, seek essays from a variety of critical perspectives examining animated sitcoms. Topics may include studies of particular animated series, the role of cable networks in advancing the form, common themes across programs, audiences and reception, and marketing and product tie-ins. Submissions are due February 15, 2008. A final decision on submissions will be made by May 15, 2008 with revisions due August 1, 2008. Manuscripts of 12-35 typewritten pages intended for review for this issue should be sent in triplicate to Stephen Tropiano, Editor, Journal of Film and Video, Ithaca College Los Angeles Program, 3800 Barham Blvd. Suite 305, Los Angeles, California 90068; UFVAjournal@aol.com. Manuscripts and reviews should be prepared following the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing by Joseph Gibaldi (Fifth Edition, 1999). Submit one original and two hard copies of the manuscript for consideration. It is important that the name(s) of the author(s) not appear anywhere on the two copies of the manuscript submitted to Stephen Tropiano to ensure blind review by the guest editors of this issue. Notes and list of works cited are to appear on pages at the conclusion of the article. The Journal is committed to a policy of nonsexist language; authors are urged to keep this in mind. The editors reserve the right to alter phrasing and punctuation in articles accepted for publication.

"Virtual Sport as New Media": Special Issue of Sociology of Sport Journal. Guest Editor: David J. Leonard. This special issue attempts to bridge the gap between old media and new, reflecting on the ways in which new media cultures infect and affect fans, teams, sporting cultures. Possible topics include but are not limited to: sports video games; sporting blogs; the Internet and global sports culture; white masculinity and virtual sports culture; fantasy sports; sports discussion groups; ESPN.com and virtual sports media; virtual sport as minstrelsy; the intersections of race, nation, sexuality, gender, and class with sports and new media; race, gender, and fantasy sports leagues; analysis of the cultural affects of Youtube, Myspace, or Google video on sporting cultures; sports talk radio and podcasting/the Internet (particularly as they relate to race and gender); virtual sports culture and Diaspora: Sports as imagined community; links between racism, sexism, and other institutions of domination and virtual sporting cultures; and, virtual sports culture as racial/ gendered performance. Essays should be roughly 6,000 words, excluding endnotes and reference list. Questions should be sent to Dr. David J. Leonard, djl@wsu.edu. All submissions are due by March 1, 2008 and should be submitted on line to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/hk_ssj.

March 1, 2008. Call for Manuscripts: Journal of Global Mass Communication. The Journal of Global Mass Communication is issuing a special call for manuscripts that investigate and discuss all aspects of international news flow. Only original manuscripts not under review elsewhere should be submitted. All submissions will be blind-reviewed by experts in relevant fields. The submission guidelines are:

Author Identification • Author identification should not appear anywhere on the main text pages or in the main text file (if possible, remove identifying information from “Properties” under “File” in the document file).

Abstract • An abstract of no more than 100 words should be included as a separate electronic file, and the abstract should indicate all author identification and contact information, institutional affiliation, and funding sources. Authors should provide four or fewer key words or terms on the abstract.

Length • Manuscripts should be no longer than 6,000 words and their length will be evaluated as part of the review process.

Style • For final acceptance, authors will be expected to conform to APA (5th edition) guidelines.

Deadline • March 1, 2008.

Submission • Authors should submit an electronic copy of their manuscript as an e-mail attachment to Denis Wu at hdw@bu.edu. The text format should be double-spaced, with tables and figures at the end of the manuscript. Word or WordPerfect documents for PC are preferred.

The accepted manuscripts will appear on the first issue of the Journal. If you have any questions about the call, please e-mail either Dr. Festus Eribo at eribof@ecu.edu or Dr. Denis Wu at hdw@bu.edu, guest coeditors of the special issue of Journal of Global Mass Communication.

May 21 & 22, 2008. Call For Papers. "What is an Organization? Materiality, Agency and Discourse," Universite de Montreal, Quebec, Canada (right before the start of the 2008 meeting of the ICA in Montreal). Agency is a concept that is receiving increasing attention from organization scholars. While some approach this notion from a discursive point of view, others propose a more hybrid view that also takes into account materiality. Organized in honor of James R. Taylor's contributions to the study of organizing, this conference aims to engender new, thought-provoking views on this debate. See also: http://www.groupelog.umontreal.ca/anglais/colloque/index.htm. Guidelines for Submission: All submissions and conference communications will be conducted via email. Prospective contributors interested in presenting a paper should send an abstract of approx. 1,000 words to the conference organizers by October 1, 2007. Notification of acceptance of papers will be given by December 15, 2007. Authors will need to send full papers by April 1, 2008 if they want their paper to be included in the conference proceedings. Abstracts should be typed, double spaced, and include a title, name(s) and affiliation(s) of the author(s), and author contact information. Copies of submissions should be sent as an email attachment (saved as a Word document) to the LOG email address at: groupelog@umontreal.ca. The organizers are currently discussing the possibility of publishing the best contributions as book chapters in an edited book with a book publisher.

CONFERENCES

January 7, 2008. Broadcast News and the Active Citizen: A conference exploring the changing relationship between Broadcast News and Citizenship. University of Leeds, UK. 500 word abstracts due by October 1, 2007. For details, see http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/news-citizen.

Western States Communication Association, Denver/Boulder Convention, February 15-19, 2008. The 2008 convention will include competitive paper panels, programs, workshops, the Undergraduate Scholars Research Conference, and the Graduate Student Workshop & Graduate Programs' Open House. There will be a Basic Course Conference, coordinated by Amy London of Oxnard College, with the theme "Serving Students and the Larger Community" examining such issues as service learning projects, learning communities, online teaching, Blackboard/Web CT, evaluating students, and the like. And there will be three mini-preconference sessions devoted to the theme of "Engaging Through Service." Session I, coordinated by Sue Pendell, will focus on participating in department/ college/ university service; Session II, coordinated by Dennis Alexander, will focus on getting involved in your regional, national, and international associations, and Session III, coordinated by Peter Andersen, will focus on utilizing your knowledge and interests in community service. Complete information is available on the WSCA web site at http://www.westcomm.org/conventions/wsca-2008-Denver/call2008.pdf.

February 29-March 2, 2008. Exploring New Media Worlds: Changing Technologies, Industries, Cultures, and Audiences in Global and Historical Context. An international conference hosted by Texas A&M University. Integrated fields of study in a time of change; setting a new agenda for media studies. Papers and proposals are invited on any aspect of the conference themes, offering reports of new research, position-taking conceptual essays, discussions of media and telecommunication policy, and both international and historical comparisons on changing technologies, industries, cultures, and audiences. The program will include keynote speakers, roundtable discussions, thematic panels, prominent scholars as respondents, and time for interaction. A wide selection of papers from the conference will be published. Travel grants will be available for students members of the National Communication Association (see our webpage for more information). Send papers or proposals (abstracts or annotated outlines) with a 50-word professional biography by email attachment to mediaworlds@libarts.tamu.edu. Panel proposals are also acceptable. Deadline: November 20, 2007. For more information see http://comm.tamu.edu/mediaworlds.

Camri Media and Development in Africa Conference: 28th – 29th March 2008. THEME: The Media and Development in Africa: Local and Global Initiatives

1st Call for Papers
This is the first announcement of the call for papers to be submitted for a two-day conference to be hosted by CAMRI, University of Westminster. The conference’s theme is: The Media and Development in Africa: Local and Global Initiatives. The mass media have been the bedrock of development initiatives in Africa, ranging from local and national developmental strategies to regional and (cross) continental initiatives like the New Partnership for Development of Africa (NEPAD). These development strategies and goals have been set on  a pedestal by various media and communication channels in Africa. The imperative now is to interrogate these efforts in a bid to identify some opportunities and problems and help support the development process. In order  to examine such issues, questions have to be raised; for example, what has been the role of the media in African development? How have the media influenced development processes in Africa? What, if any, have been the major set-backs to these development models and strategies? What has been the mass media’s contribution to the development of a nation-state project? The conference explores the role played by different media at various levels. It also seeks to place the development agenda in Africa within the context of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by debating the role of the media in development. For example, what role have the following organizations played in African Development:  USAID, Save the Children, Oxfam, DANIDA, SIDA, CIDA, NORAD, DfiD Konrad Adenauer  Foundation, Ford Foundation, NIZA, Article 19, Rockefeller Foundation, Kellogg Foundation? How have they engaged the media? What part has been played by states and local communities in African development? Are the mass media necessary? Are the new media providing new answers?

Individual papers may, amongst other topics, focus on the following:

> Media and development in Africa: An historical overview
> The role of NGOs in Development
> African Radio and TV soaps, drama, music, talk shows
> New Media and African Development: e.g. the Internet and Mobile phones
> Radio broadcasting and Africa’s development models
> The Nation-State, Media and Development
> Local and Foreign Initiatives in Media Performance and Training
> Media for Peace-building, Elections and Conflict Resolution
> World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
> Media and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
> Setting the goals for Africa: Revitalising the role of the media in Africa.

Papers are invited on the above and related topics hinged on the broader theme: The Media and Development in Africa: Local and Global Initiatives. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 30 January 2008. All submissions must include a title and an abstract. They should also list the full name of the submitter, with contact information and affiliations. The abstracts should be provided as ‘plain text’, and not as file attachments. Those whose papers are accepted will be notified by 15th February 2008. Completed papers (not more than 6000 words) must be e-mailed to us not later than 15th March 2008. Send 200-word abstracts to Brilliant Mhlanga at: bsigabadem@gmail.com or bsigabadem@yahoo.co.uk

Fees:
Unwaged/Students:  50 GBP
Non-Students: 100 GBP

Fees cover registration, conference pack, lunch, coffee and tea.

Conference Team:
Prof. Colin Sparks, Prof. Annette Hill, Dr. Winston Mano, Wilberforce Dzisah, Brilliant Mhlanga and Erica Spindler

CAMRI Africa Media Series
University of Westminster, Harrow Campus
Watford Road, HA1 3TP, UK
Phone: +44 (0) 2079115000 Fax: +44 (0)2079115942

April 17-18, 2008. Call for Papers: Politics: Web 2.0: An International Conference. Hosted by the New Political Communication Unit, Department of Politics and International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London. http://newpolcom.rhul.ac.uk/politics-web-2-0-conference/.

May 15-18, 2008. Mark your calendars now for the 63rd AAPOR (American Association of Public Opinion Research) conference, May 15-18, 2008. The conference will bring together almost a thousand of country's leading public opinion research scientists to discuss and analyze the latest research on public opinion and survey methodology, theory, and results.

This year's conference is being held in the fascinating City of New Orleans -- a fitting location given the theme of the Conference: "Polls for the Public Good." The city will provide an important case study for conference sessions and speakers who will focus on the ways in which public opinion research since Hurricane Katrina has - and can continue to be - used "...for the public good."

Plus, of course, New Orleans provides a setting for the AAPOR conference that is unique in the United States -- with the French Quarter, Jackson Square, Mississippi River, and historical sites all within walking distance of the conference hotel.

Registration begins in February 2008.

20 June 2008: CALL FOR PAPERS. "Journalism Testing Legal Boundaries: Media Laws and the Reporting of Arab News." Conference organised by the
Arab Media Centre Communication and Media Research Institute, University of Westminster (http://www.wmin.ac.uk/mad/page-1447)
in collaboration with the Westminster International Law and Theory Centre (http://www.wmin.ac.uk/law/page-661) with support from the UK Higher Education Innovation Fund

Date: 20 June, 2008
Venue: University of Westminster, New Cavendish Campus,
115 New Cavendish Street, London W1

THE TOPIC

Parts of the Arab-owned news media have become more credible and effective in recent years. Non-Arab broadcasters, by venturing into Arabic-language television, are today also increasing their output of Arab news. But is the global legal environment conducive to informative reporting on Arab affairs? Do we know enough about the legal systems that govern newsgathering in Arab countries or the breaking of news stories in the Arab world and beyond? Is critical thinking in international law and legal theory keeping pace with the cross-jurisdictional development of organisations that cover Arab news?

International human rights law sets media freedom standards, while international humanitarian law recognises journalists as civilians, who are entitled to protection in war zones. Yet the killing of media workers in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestinian towns calls respect for international law into question. New Arab legislation often defines terrorism broadly enough to criminalise forms of media activity, even in countries where emergency laws and laws on defamation already curb journalists' work. Meanwhile Arab journalists have been detained in US military prisons, an Al-Jazeera journalist has received a seven-year prison sentence in Spain, and two Danish reporters were taken to court for reporting evidence that suggested their government lacked credible reasons to invade Iraq. The changing landscape of news coverage has diversified the range of jurisdictions under which the reporting of Arab news takes place. Internet journalism adds to the mix. Such diversification might be assumed to create structural pressure that would undermine restrictive media laws. Does the evidence bear this assumption out? This conference, besides providing an opportunity for scholars to present research papers, will also bring together prominent media practitioners, lawyers and journalists' representatives to share their experience and discuss key issues.
SUGGESTED THEMES FOR PAPERS

Researchers in law, political science, international relations, socio-legal studies, area studies, media studies and human rights studies are invited to propose papers under themes that may include the following:

• Laws on access to information and their application in relation to news from or about Arab countries
• The relevance of international human rights law and humanitarian law to the treatment of journalists in Arab countries
• Reporting of war and conflict in Arab countries and the law
• The status of emergency laws and their use against journalists
• Defamation laws in Arab countries: their impact and attempts at reform
• Legal reasons for basing Arab news organisations outside the Arab world
• Citizen journalism, blogging and the law
• Who can be legally defined as a journalist and who decides?
• Gender, reporting and personal status laws in Arab countries
• Laws on unionisation of journalists
• Relations between journalists and the judiciary 
• Legal/sociolegal/critical theorisation of the media/war/law situation

DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS AND DRAFT PAPERS
The deadline for abstracts is December 14th 2007. Successful applicants will be notified by January 11th 2008. Since it is proposed to publish conference papers as soon as possible after the conference, final papers will be requested in draft form by April 28th 2008. Abstracts should be between 150-350 words. They should include the presenter's name, affiliation, email and work address, together with the title of the paper and a brief biographical note on the presenter, and should be addressed to Maha Taki at amc-office@wmin.ac.uk. The selection committee will comprise members of both the CAMRI Arab Media Centre and the Westminster International Law and Theory Centre.

SUPPORT FOR SELECTED PARTICIPANTS
It is recognised that funding for conference attendance is very limited in some Arab institutions, including universities, and that this may constrain their researchers from attending. In order to maximise participation of Arab scholars specialising in the relevant fields, the conference organisers hope to be able to provide travel grants in selected cases. Anyone interested in presenting a paper is advised to submit their proposal pending further information about their eligibility for a grant to attend the conference.

July 3-6, 2008. The International Society for Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection and the School of Primary Education, University of Crete, Greece, have the pleasure to officially announce that the 2nd International Congress on Interpersonal Acceptance and Rejection will be held in Rethymno town on the island of Crete (at the University of Crete), from July 3rd - 6th, 2008. For more information, please visit the Congress website: www.isipar08.org or contact Prof. Elias Kourkoutas, President of the Organizing Committee, at hkourk@edc.uoc.gr.

The 11th International Conference on Language and Social Psychology (ICLASPXI) will be held in Tucson, Arizona, July 16-20th, 2008. ICLASPXI will offer innovative scholarly exchange, shared meals, receptions, and the opportunity to experience the beautiful Sonoran Desert. Distinguished keynote speakers include: Howard Giles, Chris Segrin, Bonny Norton, Jon Nussbaum, and Tadasu Todd Imahori. We invite you to submit a proposal for presentation (deadline February 1st, 2008). Proposals should be sent in electronic form (single file: .txt, .rtf, .pdf, or .doc format) to Jake Harwood at jharwood@u.arizona.edu. Please put "ICLASP 11 submission" in the subject line. See our Association website for additional information regarding paper and panel submissions (WWW.IALSP.org).

September 5-6, 2008. "Representing Islam: Comparative Perspectives." International Conference, University of Manchester. We invite single-paper and full-panel proposals. We anticipate proposals on topics emanating from the fields of Political Communication, Communication Science, Media Studies, Film Studies, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Social Psychology, Translation Studies, Sociolinguistics, and Modern Languages. An edited volume based on selected conference papers will be published.

Accommodation and meals will be provided on campus by the University of Manchester. The conference fee will be discounted for students.

Please send panel and paper proposals (title + 250-word abstract) by January 31, 2008 to Oxana.Poberejnaia@manchester.ac.uk.

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: The Donald McGannon Communication Research Center at Fordham University announces its 2007 Award for Social and Ethical Relevance in Communications Policy Research. Nominees should be book-length research published in 2007 that addresses or informs issues of communications policy. Authors of the winning book will be awarded $2,000.

Nominations should consist of a cover letter briefly summarizing the book's research and findings, along with four copies of the book. Self-nominations are welcome. Edited volumes are not eligible for consideration.

Deadline for consideration is January 15, 2008. Send nominations to:

McGannon Book Award
Donald McGannon Communication Research Center
Faculty Memorial Hall, 4th Floor
Fordham University
Bronx, NY 10458

Normal, IL 61790-4480

Sexuality Studies: A book series by Temple University Press. The coeditors of Sexuality Studies-Janice Irvine and Regina Kunzel-are currently soliciting book manuscripts. The series features work in sexuality studies, in its social, cultural, and political dimensions, and in both historical and contemporary formations. The editors seek books that will appeal to a broad, cross-disciplinary audience of both academic and nonacademic readers. Submissions to Sexuality Studies are welcome through Janet Francendese, Editor in Chief, Temple University Press (janet.francendese@temple.edu). Information on how to submit manuscripts can be found at: http://www.temple.edu/tempress/submissions.html. Initial inquiries about proposals can also be sent to: Janice Irvine, University of Massachusetts, Department of Sociology. irvine@soc.umass.edu; or, Regina Kunzel, University of Minnesota, Departments of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies and History rkunzel@williams.edu.

The IABC Research Foundation is offering a grant for US $50,000 for Research on Communication Department Structure and Best Practices. Proposal guidelines can be found on the Research Foundation website http://www.iabc.com/rf/. The IABC Research Foundation serves as the non-profit research and development arm of IABC (International Association of Business Communicators). The Foundation is dedicated to contributing new findings, knowledge and understanding to the communication profession, and to helping organizations and communicators maximize organizational success. Through the generosity of donors, corporate sponsors and volunteers, the Foundation delivers original communication research and tools not available in the commercial marketplace.

The Canadian Journal of Communication (CJC) is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal committed to publishing outstanding scholarship in communications, media and cultural studies, journalism, and information studies. CJC is looking for theoretically innovative and methodologically challenging original manuscripts, in English or French, for immediate peer-review. To submit an article for peer-review go to the CJC website http://www.cjc-online.ca and click on the "submit" button. Articles for peer-review should be approximately 6,000 to 8,000 words in length. In addition to the traditional peer-reviewed article the CJC will develop innovative forms and formats for discussions of current practices including: media reviews, research overviews of current projects, and polemical commentaries. These submissions are shorter in length and may be either more descriptive or experimental in tone. Please direct ideas and inquiries to editor@cjconline.ca. For information on book reviews please contact our book review editor, Leslie Regan Shade, at review_editor@cjconline.ca. Info on CJC: Kim Sawchuk, Editor, CJC, editor@cjc-online.ca.

Visiting doctoral fellowships. The Media Management and Transformation Center (MMTC) at Jonkoping International Business School, Jonkoping University, Sweden, in the field of media business and media economics for advanced doctoral students. Dr. Cinzia dal Zotto, Research Manager, Media Management and Transformation Center, Jonkoping International Business School, P.O. Box 1026, SE-551 11 Jonkoping, SWEDEN. Info: http://www.jibs.se/mmtc. Email for more information: cinzia.dalzotto@ihh.hj.se.