Tribute to Nora C. Quebral

Oct 26, 2020 | Announcements, Member Updates, News

Tribute to Nora C. Quebral

(On her death Oct. 24, 2020)
By Crispin C. Maslog

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The first time I met Nora was in the early 1970s, shortly after I became director of the School of Journalism and Communication in Silliman University. Those were the days when we both were young and gay, and the word gay meant happy and not what it means today. Fifty years later, I pay tribute to my esteemed friend and scholar who has passed away to eternal pastures.

She was then a young faculty member of the Institute of Development Communication, UP Los Banos. And I was a new associate professor of communication in Silliman. She struck me as intellectual, demure and soft spoken. We kept in touch over the years, growing our professions in our respective parts of the country. We had a common advocacy—rural development. I nurtured community journalists for the small towns. She developed communicators for the countryside. We struck up a quiet professional friendship, partly because of our common advocacy.

It was in 1975 that we started working together as founding organizers of our professional organization—the Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE). She became the second President of PACE from 1980 to 1984. I took over as third President from 1985 to 1989.

By that time I was already a professor at the College of Development Communication, which had grown from the Institute when I first met Nora. Nora had a major influence in my coming to UP Los Banos in 1982. I came as a visiting professor but my visit became permanent with her encouragement–and the rest is history.

I stayed and saw Nora develop her practice and theory of development communication and her rise in stature to become the “mother of development communication” to hundreds, perhaps thousands of former students, scholars and professionals all over the Philippines and the world.

It has been a privilege to have stayed on and retire from UP Los Banos with my wife, Florita, who was just as happy as I was with my decision because her childhood home is in Santa Cruz, Laguna. So to my esteemed friend and development communication comrade in arms, Nora, thank you for accepting me here in UP Los Banos. I leave with you the words of the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore:

“Death is not extinguishing the light. It is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.”

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[Call for Book Chapter Abstracts] Environmental Journalism in the Global South

Oct 24, 2020 | Announcements, Call for Papers, Member Updates, News

Dear AMIC Members:

We–Ramon Tuazon, Sadia Jamil and Therese San Diego Torres–are pleased to open the call for book chapter abstracts for our forthcoming publication, “Environmental Journalism in the Global South.” We invite you to submit your abstracts.

Below are the details. We have also attached the PDF of the call here.

Call for abstracts

Environmental issues continue to grow in scope, indicating the timely need to address pressing areas of concern: global warming; climate change; food security and public health safety; overpopulation; water, land, and air pollution; increased carbon footprint; deforestation; and natural disasters. These issues go beyond the realm of science into the areas of politics, public policy, and economics. As environmental concerns grow, the need for a well-informed public becomes more critical (Jamil, 2020). Public opinion and perceptions about environmental issues are shaped by many sources including government and non-government organizations, the academe, and the media. Journalists and the news media, in particular, are among the important sources of information about the environment. A major challenge is how to convey complex concepts and impart a sense of urgency in addressing problems in a way that engages the reader. In the past two decades, environmental journalism has evolved to serve this purpose and has represented people’s diverse perceptions of the world. Over time, people have become more and more interested and concerned about what is happening in the environment. As more information comes to light about how environmental issues impact people and the globe, the interest in and recognition of the importance of environmental journalism have likewise increased. The rise in public awareness has translated to an even greater need for environmental journalism studies. Much of the work on environmental journalism has been done by Western scholars (Sachsman and Valenti, 2020; Valenti, 2017; Rogener and Wormer, 2017; Ale, 2015; Bodker and Neverla, 2014; Bodker, 2012; Carthew et al., 2012; Wyss, 2010; Frome, 1998), and limited attention has been paid in the Global South to reflect upon different aspects of environmental journalism (Acharya and Noronha, 2010). Thus, this edited volume welcomes contributions from scholars in the Global South to cover the following key areas:

– Journalists’ attitudes and motivations towards environmental journalism;
– The influence of contextual factors, such as religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-political environments, on journalists’ practice of environmental journalism;
– Coverage of environmental issues by mainstream, ethnic and diasporic news media;
– The role of religious, political and cultural factors in shaping and influencing news media discourses on diverse environmental issues;
– Challenges and prospects for the practice of environmental journalism;
– The role of economic, intellectual and technological resources to foster environmental journalism;
– Environmental journalism pedagogy in the Global South.

Submission details and guidelines:

Please submit your abstract of 500-700 words by 20th November, 2020. All abstracts will be assessed based on:

– Clarity of research problem;
– Conceptual soundness of study;
– Theoretical and methodological strength;
– Contribution and impact of the study.

Abstracts should be submitted to Dr. Sadia Jamil (sadia.jamil@ymail.com), Ramon Tuazon (ramon.tuazon@aijci.com) and Therese Patricia S. Torres (therese.torres@aijci.com). All authors should submit a bio of 200 words with complete institutional details when submitting their abstracts.

Timeline

– Abstract submission deadline: 20th November, 2020
– Notification to author/s: 10th December, 2020
– Full chapter submission: 15th April, 2021
– Review process by editors: 16th April, 2021 – 15th May, 2021
– Revision deadline: 1st July, 2021
– Anticipated submission of full book manuscript: 30th September, 2021

Publisher

The full book will be submitted to Palgrave Macmillan in 2021 and is envisioned to be published as part of the ‘Palgrave Studies in Journalism and the Global South’ book series: https://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/16423 (series editors: Bruce Mutsvairo, Saba Bebawi and Eddy Borges-Rey).

On behalf of Sadia Jamil and Therese San Diego Torres, I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,
Ramon R. Tuazon

Media Asia analyzes repression and assertion in latest issue

Oct 22, 2020 | Announcements, Media Asia, Publications

Media Asia analyzes repression and assertion in latest issue

An international peer reviewed journal bravely confronts a sensitive issue plaguing selected parts of Asia.

Published by the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) and Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, the Media Asia journal released Volume 47 (Numbers 1-2) with the theme “Repression/Assertion.” The online edition may be retrieved from the journal’s website (https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rmea20/current).

The issue is composed of four refereed articles and three non-refereed commentaries that focus on the realities of repression and intricacies of assertion in Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan), Pakistan and the Philippines.

The authors of the refereed articles are Nyan Lynn (University of Kansas, USA), Deborah N. Simorangkir (Swiss German University, Indonesia), Hazrat M. Bahar (Shanghai University, China) and Mengmeng Zhao (Hang Seng University of Hong Kong).

Those who wrote the non-refereed commentaries are Muhammad Ittefaq (University of Kansas, USA), Syed Ali Hussain (Arizona State University, USA), Maryam Fatima (University of Education, Pakistan), Beatrice Puente (University of the Philippines Diliman) and Sammy Westfall (Yale University, USA).

The editorial describes the contents of the seven articles: “Nyan Lynn (The danger of words: Major challenges facing Myanmar journalists on reporting the Rohingya conflict) and Deborah Simorangkir (Work-related sexual harassment and coping techniques: the case of Indonesian female journalists) analyze the predicament of journalists in covering sensitive issues and protecting themselves from those who exploit them. Meanwhile, Hazrat Bahar (Social media and disinformation in war propaganda: How Afghan government and the Taliban use Twitter) studies how warring parties weaponize social media in spreading “fake news” and discusses why deprivation of relevant information is a form of repression. Mengmeng Zhao (How do leading companies in Greater China communicate CSR through corporate websites? A comparative study of Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) focuses on the use of corporate social responsibility and explains why corporations need to increase awareness and prevent skepticism at the same time. [xxx] Beatrice Puente (Muzzling the media: The perils of the critical press in the Philippines) and Sammy Westfall (Growth of a young journalist amid the pandemic and media repression) provide first-person accounts on the struggles of campus journalists as they are faced not just with the global pandemic but also a repressive government. Muhammad Ittefaq, Syed Ali Hussain and Maryam Fatima (COVID-19 and social-politics of medical misinformation on social media in Pakistan) present their views on how social media have been misused amid the global pandemic when accurate information is needed.”

Starting with this 2020 issue, Media Asia adopts a “new look” as designed by Karl Castro (Philippines). The cover design is inspired by the constantly evolving media landscape. Front covers are rendered in “black and white” but the nuances of each image display a much broader gamut of color, symbolizing the media’s constant struggle with truth-telling, perception, and subject position, the examinations of which are part of the raison d’être of this journal. In contrast to the black and white covers, the spines and back covers are rendered in bright fields of color. These hues are taken from both broadcast and print tests, emphasizing the spectrum of our media landscape.

The journal is indexed/abstracted in Scopus, EBSCO Research Databases (Bibliography of Asian Studies, Associates Programs Source Plus, Communication & Mass Media Complete, Communication Source, Military Transition Support Center, Vocational Studies Complete) and ProQuest (Business Premium Collection, Asian & European Business Collection, ProQuest Central, ProQuest Central Basic, ABI/INFORM Professional Advanced, SIRS Editorial, eLibrary).

Danilo Araña Arao (University of the Philippines Diliman) is the editor of Media Asia. The associate editors are Lisa Brooten (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Pamela Custodio (University of the Philippines Los Baños), Roselyn Du (California State University Fullerton), Ma. Theresa M. Rivera (Far Eastern University Manila) and Nick Y. Zhang (Hong Kong Baptist University).

Media Asia Special Call for Papers: Media and the Pandemic

May 20, 2020 | Announcements, Call for Papers, Media Asia, News, Publications

Media Asia
published by AMIC and Routledge Taylor & Francis Group

Media and the Pandemic

SPECIAL CALL FOR PAPERS

Have you recently conducted research on media and the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia? If your findings are interesting, we’re interested!

Media Asia is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal published by the Asian Media and Information Communication Centre (AMIC) and Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. Published since 1974, Media Asia is now in its 46^th year.

Manuscripts should focus on relevant issues related to media’s role in relation to the pandemic. These are some of the topics that may be interesting:

Impact of COVID-19 on journalism, advertising, public relations, entertainment or any aspect of media (e.g., case studies, in-depth interviews with practitioners)
Media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., content analysis, in-depth interviews with journalists)
Government restrictions on media coverage during lockdown (e.g., effects of government’s “virtual pressers” with screened questions from journalists, weaponization of laws against the media, state of press freedom)
Media technology and COVID-19 (e.g., how technology is being used to adapt to the changing environment)
Media operations amid COVID-19 (e.g., reduction of media workforce, limited advertising, dependence on replayed and canned entertainment programs, impact on profit, changes in routines of media practitioners, adjustments in production processes)
Media and the “new normal” (e.g., adjustments in the delivery of news and entertainment, quality of reportage due to limited movement of journalists and media workers)
Media and history of global health crises (e.g., comparison of media’s role in past health crises like SARS to contextualize COVID-19 coverage)

These are just examples of research areas and topics. Please feel free to submit other manuscripts that focus on media’s role amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In coordination with the editor, authors may also send commentaries on media and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as reviews of books, films, plays and other media related to past health crises. These submissions are not subjected to peer review and have faster editorial decisions.

Given the journal’s adherence to the highest degree of academic scholarship, authors should be willing to submit their manuscripts to a double-blind review process. The journal editors shall initially review the manuscript. If it is assessed to be well-written and well-researched, the manuscript (with the author’s name and other related details redacted) shall be forwarded to at least two experts on the topic who will provide objective reviews. Similar to other peer-reviewed journals, Media Asia shall only publish manuscripts from authors who are able to revise their manuscripts based on the reviewers’ comments.

Based on data from the handling of 16 manuscripts submitted to Media Asia from 1 January to 12 May 2020, our journal has a relatively fast turnaround time in terms of editorial evaluation and reviewer invitation. Authors can be assured of a hastened process of feedback even if reviewers are usually given a maximum of 30 days to submit their comments.

Manuscripts should be written in English and should have not more than 10,000 words (including tables, references, captions and endnotes). They should also have an abstract of 100 to 150 words and keywords not exceeding five. Authors should use the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style. More information about submission format may be retrieved from https://authorservices.taylorandfrancis.com/tf_quick_guide/.

Interested authors may submit online at https://www.editorialmanager.com/rmea/default.aspx.

Effective 2020, Media Asia’s editor is Danilo Arao (University of the Philippines Diliman). The associate editors are Lisa Brooten (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Pamela Custodio (University of the Philippines Los Baños), Roselyn Du (California State University Fullerton), Ma. Theresa Rivera (Far Eastern University Manila) and Zhang Yin Nick (Hong Kong Baptist University).

If there are any questions, please send an email to media.asia@amic.asia.

Cancellation of 2020 AMIC Conference

Mar 9, 2020 | Announcements, Annual Conference, Events, Member Updates, News

Dear AMIC colleagues,

We wish to inform you that the AMIC Board of Directors (BoD), upon the recommendation of the AMIC Board of Management (BoM), approved the cancellation of the 2020 28th AMIC Conference. This was originally scheduled on 25-27 September 2020 at the Communication University of China (CUC) in Beijing. The AMIC Board and the Secretariat seek your understanding and patience.

Starting January 2020, our AMIC Secretariat had been in regular consultation with Dr. Peixin Cao of CUC regarding our options in holding the conference in Beijing in the aftermath of the COVID-19. Finally, on 18 February 2020, we received a letter from Dr. Cao informing us of CUC’s decision to withdraw its hosting of the event in the interest of health and safety of our AMIC members and colleagues.

In lieu of the 2020 Annual Conference, AMIC will focus on other urgent matters such as address backlogs in our 2019 Media Asia issues; publish updated Communication Theory: The Asian Perspectives; AMIC Asia 2020 Communication Awards; launch of AMIC Communication Campaigns Excellence Awards; finalize systems, procedures and tools for the accreditation system for Asian communication schools; and the 50th anniversary of AMIC in 2021.

AMIC Secretariat envisions a year-long kick-off activities for our 50th anniversary. A plan is now being prepared for this purpose and we will update you on this matter. We expect the full support and participation of our members on this special event.

We will also follow up with some country representatives who have earlier expressed interest to convene a national AMIC Conference this year or in succeeding years. We will encourage them to do so and the AMIC Secretariat will provide technical assistance in the planning of such national events. The Secretariat can share with them the list of plenary and parallel sessions earlier prepared for the AMIC Beijing Conference as this could provide ideas on possible themes/issues for the national conferences.

AMIC expresses its yearning that our communication colleagues worldwide will stay healthy and safe amidst the health crisis due to the COVID-19 health crisis. We pray that the disease will end soon in the interest of humanity.

Thank you very much. Keep well.

Sincerely yours,

RAMON R. TUAZON
Secretary General

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