2014-11-07 O'Loughlin speaking at Streets to Screens symposium, Goldsmiths

Ben O'Loughlin is one of the speakers at the symposium Streets to Screens: Mediating Conflict Through Digital Networks on 7th November 2014 at Goldsmiths, University of London. The symposium is on the topic of mediating conflict through digital networks

•  What role do networked eyewitnesses, activists and citizen journalists play in conflict communication today? 
• What are the challenges faced by those mediating conflict online?
• In what ways are social media content produced within the zone of conflict shaping the coverage produced by news organisations?
• What are the implications of these forms of reportage for eyewitnesses, activists, citizen journalists, perpetrators, NGOs, journalists, news media, audiences and global publics?

Speakers Include

Andrew Hoskins, University of Glasgow

Ben O'Loughlin, Royal Holloway

Sam Gregory, WITNESS

Liam Stack, New York Times

Claire Wardle, UNHCR

Stuart Allan, Cardiff University

Malachy Browne, Storyful

Lilie Chouliaraki, LSE

Tickets are FREE but registration is required. For more information please visit: 

http://www.york.ac.uk/sociology/about/news-and-events/department/2014/streets-to-screens/

For more information, please contact Holly Steel at has502@york.ac.uk

2014-09-03 Soft Power panel at CRESC Annual Conference, Manchester

Ben O'Loughlin is part of a panel kicking off this year's CRESC Annual Conference in Manchester on 3rd September 2015. The panel, Soft Power and its Critiques, also features Marie Gillespie and Robin Brown, two experts on international communication and public diplomacy.

The aim of this panel is to offer a range of critical perspectives on contemporary conceptions of soft power as well as questioning how soft power strategies are applied in practice:

• How are users 'engaged' by soft power initiatives?
• To what extent is soft power a global concept?
• How do governments attempt to harness and use soft power?
• How has British soft power evolved from an analogue to a digital world?

The panel addresses the following critical questions:

What’s new about soft power? How does it differ from older forms of 'cultural imperialism'?

Why are European powers disinvesting in media/public diplomacy and soft power initiatives at a time when rising powers are investing? Are the kinds of values that have featured prominently in western soft power strategies (tolerance, pluralism, cultural diversity, impartiality) losing some of their leverage?

Is soft power just another stage in the advance of Public Relations as the art form for politics par excellence? What does ‘power’ look like beyond the nation state? How are soft power strategies affected by the rise of transnational and supranational communities beyond the nation on one hand, and of multiple diasporas within nation states on the other hand?

If we wish to attend, please register here.

O'Loughlin is former Specialist Adviser to the House of Lords Select Committee on Soft Power, which published its final report earlier this year, while Gillespie has just published a new report examining how the BBC World Service and British Council are using digital media to fulfil their cultural diplomacy functions. Robin Brown is completing a new comparative history of public diplomacy.

2014-06-11: Andrew Chadwick Speaking at University of Oslo Conference on New Trends in the Public Sphere

Professor Andrew Chadwick is speaking next week at the University of Oslo’s conference on New Trends in the Public Sphere.

The conference brings together scholars working in the fields of sociology, politics, communications and will be held at Åsgårdstrand in Vestfold. The University of Oslo’s Institute for Social Research is currently engaged in a multi-strand research programme on Social Media and the New Public Sphere: Consequences for Citizenship and Democracy.

Andrew’s talk is entitled "The New Public Sphere in Flow: Media Hybridity and Political Power." The themes will be based on his recent book The Hybrid Media System: Politics and Power and will also introduce new research, including an analysis of the mediation of the Edward Snowden NSA leak.

Details of this conference, which is a closed event, are here.

2014-06-05 Smith and Soo present at University of Kent Politics graduate conference

On 5 June 2014 Amy Smith and Nikki Soo will present papers at the conference Politics: The State of the Discipline at the University of Kent. The conference is organised on behalf of the ESRC's South-East Doctoral Training Centre and provides an opportunity for early-stage PhDs to present their initial research to peers and staff at other universities. The abstracts of Amy and Nikki are below. Thanks to the University of Kent for organising the event. If you wish to attend, contact them at: polirsedtc@kent.ac.uk

Amy Smith: Hitting a Moving Target: Controlling the news agenda during elections in the new media environment

This paper will argue that existing models of agenda-setting are not applicable to political communication during elections in the ‘internet-age’. Seminal models, such as Herman and Chomsky’s propaganda model and Bennett’s indexing hypothesis, no longer accurately reflect the power relationships between the three main actor groups in political communication: political elites, traditional media, and citizens. An alternative model will be presented, drawing on Andrew Chadwick’s theory of the hybrid media system and Cristian Vaccari’s analysis of citizen’s use of ‘digital politics’ in western democracies. There will be a discussion of the implications for power relationships in the new media environment, and the normative dimension provided by our discipline. Finally, this paper will show how the new model of agenda-setting will be utilised during the 2015 United Kingdom General Election.

A core assumption of political communication is that political and media elites will look to control the news agenda during an election campaign. However, with newer media and digital technologies, citizens are able to interact more efficiently with both elites; this alters the power dynamics between actors. As scholars within the discipline we need to analyse agenda-setting during elections from a fresh perspective. This paper acknowledges the impact of citizens through online tools and recognises the strategies that elites use to retain control of message dissemination. It argues for a reconceptualization of agenda-setting which realistically reflects power relations as they are played out during elections, and shows how this will be demonstrated during the 2015 United Kingdom General Election.

Contact: amy.smith.2011@rhul.ac.uk

Nikki Soo: Digital Media and Democratic Hopes: A Study of ICT Impacts

The pervasive presence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has been deemed by many such as Karlsen to be a driving force for change. As a hierarchy-free, interactive and global medium rooted in multiple information sources, the Internet and ICTs have allowed an expanding number of users unrivalled opportunities to access information as well as politically express themselves through new avenues. Available research reveal that ICTs have precipitated a paradigm shift in contemporary politics but these studies are predominantly focused on Western liberal democracies.

Recognising this caveat, this paper proposes to inquire and assess the interactions between ICTs, political parties and civil society in non-democratic Asian nations. Singapore will be used as a case study. Democracy eludes this island state despite high levels of Internet penetration, economic development and a well-educated population. To understand if ICTs have made an impact in Singapore’s road to democracy, the following methodology will be employed. Vanhanen’s participatory democracy theory will be synthesised with the theory of mass responsive democratisation to generate a causal path. A qualitative study of three indicators (political institutions, political culture and media system) will be carried out alongside several interviews before being evaluated against the hypothesis. This research hopes to contribute towards democratic transition studies revolving around the potential of the Internet, generating significant analytical and practical ramifications in subsequent ICT-related democratisation studies.

Contact: Nikki.Soo.2011@live.rhul.ac.uk

2014-06-04 Communicating Contested Political Histories: Memory, Truth and Denial in the Srebrenica Genocide

The Srebrenica massacre in July 1995 was the single greatest atrocity on European soil since the Second World War, during which Bosnian Serb forces systematically massacred more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in a crime judged by the International Court of Justice at The Hague to be an act of genocide. As we approach the 20th anniversary of Srebrenica, the terrible events of the past continue to haunt us – not just through the ongoing discovery of mass grave sites in Tomasica and elsewhere, but also through the pernicious denials of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and the rise of revisionist history that has taken hold in parts of the Balkans. 

​How do we communicate and remember contested political histories, particularly those involving extreme violence? How do we commemorate these tragic events without first achieving agreement on the narratives of what took place? How do we arrive at 'reconciliation' when the 'truth' itself is so polarising?

This event seeks to address these issues surrounding remembrance of Srebrenica, by discussing survivor testimonies, the painstaking process of establishing facts and truth, and the contesting of genocide denial and revisionist history.

PANEL

• ​Dr Akil N Awan, Lecturer in Political Violence and Terrorism, Department of History, Royal Holloway, University of London.
• Adam Boys, Director of International Programs, International Committee for Missing Persons (ICMP).
• Muhamed Durakovic, Srebrenica survivor, and Head of Libya programme at the ICMP.
• Dr. Eric Gordy, Senior Lecturer in Politics of Southeast Europe at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) of University College London.

Date/Time: 4 June 2014 6:30pm

Location: Room 261, Senate House, Malet St, London WC1E 7HU

Map/Directions: http://senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/visiting-the-library/how-to-find-us/

Generously supported by the Humanities & Arts Research Centre (HARC) at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Remembering Srebrenica.

2014-05-07 Religion, Conflict Resolution, and Media in the Syrian Crisis

Women refugees from Syria queue to register on arrival at the Za'atari camp in Jordan. 26 Jan 2013." Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license (CC BY-SA 2.0), courtesy of the UK Department for International Development and Georgia State University.The second leg of the NPCU-Georgia State University programme on Religion, Media and Conflict takes place in Atlanta, Georgia on 7-9 May. This workshop focuses on Syria, and takes place at the Carter Center. It will provide a closed-door forum for a small group of policy makers, experts, and religious actors to think critically about the challenges posed to the international community by the Syrian civil war and ensuing humanitarian crisis. While a number of immediate operational and tactical issues deserve attention, the workshop aims to anticipate and envision solutions to medium and long- term problems such as sectarian conflict, political reconciliation, and nation- (re)building. The project is supported by grants from the British Council and the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Our colleagues at GSU, Shawn Powers and Abbas Barzegar, have put together a stellar agenda. The NPCU's Akil Awan and Ben O'Loughlin will participate in the workshop.

For those in town, below are details of a free and public event that is part of the workshop. Kindly RSVP to jphil22@emory.edu or 404.727.1438.

Syria, The Human Toll: Prospects for Reconciliation and Redevelopment

Thursday, May 8 7pm Jimmy Carter Library and Museum

 Not since the Rwandan genocide has the world seen a humanitarian crisis like the one caused by Syria’s civil war. As the conflict enters its fourth year nine million people have been displaced, the education system is in ruin and the country’s medical system is near total collapse. With religious extremism on the rise and opposition groups divided, the prospects for peace remain elusive for the near future. While much international attention is focused on political processes that will lead to a cessation of conflict and a peace settlement, Syria’s humanitarian crisis continues to deepen. Governments and private donors are focused on the challenges of meeting immediate needs for food, shelter and medical care. But, what are the prospects for the future? This public discussion with policy, NGO and academic experts provides an opportunity for stakeholders to share their perspectives on the challenges of post conflict reconciliation and redevelopment in Syria.

Panelists

Basma Atassi, Journalist, Aljazeera

Hrair Balian, Director, Conflict Resolution Program, The Carter Center

Karen Betts, Foreign Policy Counsellor, UK Embassy, Washington DC

Juan Cole, Professor of History, University of Michigan

John Blevins,  Associate Professor, Hubert Dept. of Global Health, Emory University

Thanks as ever to Tim Rivera from British Council USA for assistance with the Bridging Voices program, as well as to The Carter Center, GSU, and Emory University. 

2014-04-10 Image Operations: Berlin conference

Ben O'Loughlin is an invited speaker at the conference Image Operations in Berlin organised by Humboldt-Universität zu Berlinon 10-12 April 2014. Other speakers include W.T.J. Mitchell, Timothy Lenoir and Nicholas Mirzoeff. 

Below are details of Ben's paper. 

Images of the World, Images of Conflict

Abstract

In the short story Pascale's Sphere Borges wrote, “universal history is the history of a few metaphors.” The history of world politics certainly seems marked by a few recurring concepts and metaphors: the universal and the particular, the inside and the outside, the balance of power, and the ideal of symmetry and actuality of chaos. Across eras, these concepts have shaped the image of world politics held by leaders, citizens and scholars. Such concepts are abstract but become visualized through diplomacy, war and cartography and through the lived experience of world affairs. For critical scholars of International Relations, these concepts and the images they translate into are responsible for conflict, for they become concrete in the states, borders and security dilemmas that propel us from conflict to conflict. It follows that there is a relationship between “the image of world politics” and actual visual images of world politics; between abstract, conceptual understandings of the ontology and mechanics of International Relations and the horrific news and events we witness every day. Borges concludes his story,‘Perhaps universal history is the history of the various intonations of a few metaphors.’ If so, we are doomed to variations on the same bleak events and the practice of international relations is ultimately tragic, as many of its founders believed.

2014-03-28 NPCU @ #ISA2014: International relations & communication

The International Studies Association (ISA) 2014 Annual Convention takes place in Toronto on 26-29 March. Ben O'Loughlin from the New Political Communication Unit has been invited to participate in a roundtable, 'International Relations & Communication: Connecting Spaces and Places'.

 

Time: Friday March 28th, 10.30 - 12.15

Place: Linden, Sheraton Centre Toronto

  

A focus on “geopolitics in an era of globalization” underscores the importance of integrating political communication concepts into international relations. Each panelist on this roundtable will address how an analysis of communication and/or information technology contributes to a broader understanding of space and place in international relations. Below are the participants and the general topic area on which they will focus. All will share insights on broader theoretical themes.

 

Participants:

Alister Miskimmon – EU integration: Connecting spaces and places

Laura Roselle – Territory, conflict, and mediatization

Steven Livingston – Seeing geopolitical spaces with new technologies: the consequences of GIS mapping of urban slums and the monitoring of geo-space from outer space

Ben O’Loughlin – Times make space: International relations after connectivity

If you're at ISA we hope you can join us for the debate. 

The International Studies Association (ISA) 2014 Annual Convention takes place in Toronto on 26-29 March. Ben O'Loughlin from the New Political Communication Unit has been invited to participate in a roundtable, 'International Relations & Communication: Connecting Spaces and Places'. Time: Friday March 28th, 10.30 - 12.15Place: Linden, Sheraton Centre Toronto  A focus on “geopolitics in an era of globalization” underscores the importance of integrating political communication concepts into international relations. Each panelist on this roundtable will address how an analysis of communication and/or information technology contributes to a broader understanding of space and place in international relations. Below are the participants and the general topic area on which they will focus. All will share insights on broader theoretical themes. Participants:Alister Miskimmon – EU integration: Connecting spaces and placesLaura Roselle – Territory, conflict, and mediatizationSteven Livingston – Seeing geopolitical spaces with new technologies: the consequences of GIS mapping of urban slums and the monitoring of geo-space from outer spaceBen O’Loughlin – Times make space: International relations after connectivity
If you're at ISA we hope you can join us for the debate. 

2014/03/18 Thierry Giasson - Open, Hybrid or Managed? Online political mobilization and electoral strategy in Québec

Department of Politics and IR Seminar

Tuesday 18 March 2014

5.15 pm in FW101

Open, Hybrid or Managed? Online political mobilization and electoral strategy in Québec

Thierry Giasson (Laval University)

Thierry Giasson is Associate Professor in the Information and Communication Department at Université Laval, in Québec City, Canada. He is the director of the Research lab on Political Communication at the same Institution and the Canadian Principal Investigator of the webinpolitics.com project, a comparative study of online electoral campaigns in France and Quebec. Thierry’s work on web campaigning, digital citizenship, the mediatisation of politics and political marketing has been published in a number of leading journals such as the Canadian Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Public Affairs, the International Journal of Interactive Communication Systems and Technologies, and the Canadian Journal of Communication. Thierry is also co-editor of the new UBC Press series Communication, Strategy and Politics, where his upcoming edited volume entitled Meet the Press and Tweet the Rest will be published in the fall of 2014.

2014-02-11 Seminar: ‘Witnessing political upheaval: media, protest and the Arab spring’ Tim Markham

Department of Politics and IR Seminar

Tuesday 11 February 2014

5.15 pm in FW101

‘Witnessing political upheaval: media, protest and the Arab spring’

Tim Markham

(Birkbeck, University of London)

Tim Markham is Reader in Journalism and Media as well as Head of the Department of Media and Cultural Studies at Birkbeck, University of London. He is a political sociologist whose work has focused on war reporting and issues of authority, authenticity and morality in journalism. His most recent book ‘The Politics of War Reporting: Authority, Authenticity and Morality’ (Manchester University Press, 2011) draws on interviews with war correspondents and the political phenomenology of Pierre Bourdieu to explore journalistic identity, experience and instinct. Other work of his appears in Celebrity Studies, Journalism Practice, Review of Contemporary Philosophy, and The British Journal of Sociology. Tim’s ongoing research questions the democratising potential of new media practices, asks what audiences are doing when they participate in media, and assesses emerging discourses of journalism in the Middle East.

All welcome!