Special Theme 1: Social Media Usage, Over-Usage and Addictive Patterns

Over the past decade social media has infused itself in the lives of every young person in the developed world today. The types of social media that we use are ever growing, evolving and changing. The way we communicate has also changed dramatically - moving further away from face-to-face communication in exchange for an almost-perpetual need for text messaging, checking Facebook accounts, and instant communication via smart phones. It seems we have no "down time" and have to be in contact every waking minute. Medical research clearly shows a strong correlation between media exposure and long-term negative health effects. This Theme provides us the opportunity to discuss where we've been, the positive and the negative impact of social media usage, and the opportunity to gaze into our "crystal ball" to brainstorm about where we might be headed.

Special Theme 2: Globalization and Internationalization: Performance and Outlook
Media organizations across the world are becoming increasingly socially, ethnically and culturally diverse, both as a consequence of globalization and in response to internationalization. What are the positive and negative effects of these processes? How can the strangely powerful and yet rhetorically ambiguous concepts of globalization and internationalization exert benign and normative influences on the media industry, and how can they be used to more detrimental and even sinister effect?
Special Theme 3: Communication Ethics and the Media's Social Responsibility: Power & Responsibility in an Era of Change

"Power without responsibility" is the origin of James Curran and Jean Seaton's seminal study of the press and broadcasting the books title is a quote from the 1930s and British politician Stanley Baldwin, in perhaps the most eloquent rendering of the friction felt between those who are elected, and those who hold them accountable, but frequently remain unaccountable themselves. 80 years on and as technological innovations have created an ever-growing media net, and where the lines between users and consumers become increasingly blurred, questions of media accountability remain a constant source of discussion. This year MediAsia will continue the debate in the light of recent and ongoing developments in the Murdoch empire, as questions of journalistic practice are called into account, and their relation to accountability at every level. Added to this is the continued impact of social media on the more traditional forms, and how it has affected journalism for better and worse. Issues discussed will include events related to the fabrication of news and events, photojournalism fakery, citizen journalists, as well as covering news inside trouble areas where mainstream journalists cannot go, etc.

The Conference themes are designed to inspire invitations of submissions that approach these topics from a variety of perspectives and approaches. However, the submission of other topics for consideration is welcome and we also encourage sessions within and across a variety of disciplines and fields related to Media and Mass Communication, including:

Advertising
Communication Technology and Digital Media
Communication Theory and Methodology
Critical and Cultural Studies, Gender and Communication
Disaster Coverage in the Media
Documentary Production*
Film*
History
International Communication
Journalism Research and Education
Law and Policy
Magazine
Media Ethics
Mass Communication, Society and Globalization
Media, Sport and the Olympics
Media Education Research
Media Management and Economics
Newspaper
New Technologies in Event Coverage (Backpack Journalism, Cellphones, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Political Communication and Satire
Public Relations
Radio-TV journalism
Social Media
Scholastic journalism
Visual Communication

*Successful presentations in this stream may be scheduled alongside relevant papers submitted as a part of the FilmAsia sister conference.

Abstracts of no more than 250 words should be submitted by August 1, 2012.
All abstracts will be double blind reviewed by a voluntary team, and authors will usually be notified of the decision of the reviewers within two weeks of submission. Those who submit near the extended August 1 deadline will normally receive confirmation of acceptance or rejection by August 15, 2012. As we anticipate a large number of submissions, we strongly advise that you submit in advance of the deadline.
All accepted authors may have their full paper published in the online Conference proceedings. Full text submission is due by December 1, 2012.
Selected papers included from the proceedings will be considered for inclusion in the proposed MediAsia 2012, Conference Journal. This will be fully refereed in accordance with international standards.

Submitting a full paper for inclusion in the proceedings is optional. If you do not wish your paper to be included then do not upload a paper on the system.
The deadline for full Conference payment for all presenters is October 15 2012.