IAMCR - International Association for Media and Communication Research

The Legal Committee of IAMCR was requested by the International Council and the President to draft the changes in the statutes and the by-laws needed to enact Electronic Voting for the IAMCR Executive Board and the elected members of the International Council in the future. The President of IAMCR, Annabelle Sreberny, will bring these changes to the General Assembly in Durban.

IAMCR and the Urban Communication Foundation offer an annual prize for the best paper by an IAMCR member that critically addresses issues in urban communication. This year's prize will be awarded at IAMCR's conference in Durban, South Africa to an original paper which shows scholarly excellence in critical and innovative engagement with issues in urban communication.

The deadline for submission of papers for the 2012 prize is 10 June.

S. Allern & E. Pollack (eds.)

New book by IAMCR members

The purpose of this book is to spotlight the way in which political scandals in four Nordic countries have been launched, directed, dramatized and interpreted through different genres of journalism – in an interactive tug-of-war between editors and various political actors.

News institutions help to build political careers – and to tear them down. A mediated scandalization process can make the path from power to powerlessness, from a top position to exclusion, very short.

In recent years free, on line journals, many of them open access and peer-reviewed, have begun to both challenge and complement traditional academic publishing. This is a welcome development and IAMCR is developing a resource on its website with links to journals in the field of media and communications.

Jack Lule

New book by IAMCR member

This book argues for the central role of media in understanding globalization. Indeed, the author convincingly shows that globalization could not have occurred without media. From earliest times, humans have used media to explore, settle, and globalize their world. In our day, media have made the world progressively 'smaller' as nations and cultures come into increasing contact. Decades ago Marshall McLuhan prophesied that media technology would transform the world into a 'global village.' Slowly, fitfully, his vision is being fulfilled.

Mirca Madianou & Daniel Miller

New book by IAMCR member

How do parents and children care for each other when they are separated because of migration? The way in which transnational families maintain long-distance relationships has been revolutionised by the emergence of new media such as email, instant messaging, social networking sites, webcam and texting. A migrant mother can now call and text her left-behind children several times a day, peruse social networking sites and leave the webcam for 12 hours achieving a sense of co-presence.