<2016 KABS Annual Spring Conference>

Main Theme

Media Requiem: Revisiting Media and/for Democracy

Dates:

Friday, April 22 – Saturday, April 23, 2016

Venue:

Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea

Call for Papers/Abstracts for International Sessions:

The World Press Freedom Index has given a worrying overview of press freedom in South Korea over the last few years. After reaching its highest rank in 2006, the level of press freedom has been in general decline and marked the lowest rank in 2014. The theme of the conference arose from our acute awareness as communication scholars of the current condition of the media environment where its role in building and maintaining a democratic society became diminished. We believe that the same concern is shared by communication scholars who work in and on other parts of Asia. In the last year’s World Press Freedom Index, Taiwan was the only Asian country in a satisfactory situation while other Asian countries ranged between a situation with noticeable problems and very serious situation. To reflect the current status of media and democracy from wider perspectives, the Korean Association for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Studies (KABS) will run its first international sessions, inviting concerned scholars from Asia and beyond.

While submissions under the main theme are encouraged, we also welcome topics that encompass various sub-disciplines in communication studies including, but not limited to, new media and technology, cultural/critical studies, communication history, communication law and policy, mass communication, journalism studies, and media industry studies.

Submission types:

§   Full paper: should be between 6,000 and 8,000 words in length, plus tables, images, appendices, and references.

§   Extended abstracts: should be between 1,000 and 2,000 words in length excluding references.

§   Both full papers and extended abstracts should contain i) title, ii) clear statement of research question(s), iii) methods/methodologies, iv) results, and references.

§   Full papers and extended abstracts should be submitted to oyeonj@hallym.ac.kr. If you have any inquiries about the conference or submission, please contact Dr. Yeon Ju Oh at oyeonj@hallym.ac.kr.

Language:

§   International sessions will be in either English or Chinese. While full papers, extended abstracts, and PowerPoint slides (to be used onsite) must be written in English, presentations can be given in Chinese. Please indicate your preferred language for presentation when submitting papers or abstracts. Please note that sessions other than international sessions will be in Korean.

Deadlines:

§   Full papers or extended abstracts submission: 6PM (KST) March 14, 2016

§   Announcement of accepted papers and abstracts: Usually within two weeks of submission

§   Registration starts on: March 21, 2016

Grant opportunity:

To encourage participation from scholars who cannot secure travel fund from their own institutions, KABS offers USD400 travel grants up to 10 scholars. Grant recipients will be decided based on the quality of papers/abstracts. Those who would like to apply for a grant should make a request along with the submission. (Please note that this grant is only applicable to those who travel outside Korea.)

Travel Information:

The conference venue is easily accessible from Incheon International Airport via bus. Attendees will have an option to stay at Hotel Le Win during the conference at a discounted price. We will provide further information on the accommodation once the review process is completed.