06/15/2020

CSCA 2021 Convention - Media Studies Interest Group Call for Papers and Panels

MEDIA STUDIES INTEREST GROUP
Call for Papers and Panels

Central States Communication Association (CSCA)
Annual Convention-Cincinnati, Ohio
March 23-28, 2021

Inspire

The Media Studies Interest Group (MSIG) invites the submission of competitive papers, thematic paper panels, roundtable discussions, and innovative programming on all aspects of media studies for the 2021 CSCA convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. We seek to promote engaging and provocative scholarship about all forms of mass, new, and social media, including work that engages political economy, audience reception, textual analysis, critical cultural studies, media ecology, production studies, media effects, and all other media studies methodologies. The MSIG also accepts submissions of original media. Please see below for more details.

A range of topics centered on media are welcome, and we especially encourage members to address issues related to the convention theme, Inspire. Thus, we welcome submissions that, for example:

• Demonstrate inspiring media studies scholarship.
• Showcase various mediums that inspire individuals, communities, organizations, and/or societies.
• Comment upon and critique the inspiring potential of media production, research, teaching, and service.
• Analyze and promote the use of various media platforms to foster connections as well as promote mental health during this unique period of social isolation.
• Display and/or discuss media technologies and media studies methodologies that are inspiring.
• Reflect upon media’s unique ability to inspire social change.
• Focus on inspiring marginalized groups through research partnerships and/or creative activities that use various media platforms to amplify those groups' voices.

Awards

The Media Studies Interest Group presents the following awards at the annual business meeting:

• Top student paper (i.e., the Samuel L. Becker Award)
• Top paper
• Top panel
• Top original media submission

Submission Guidelines

Competitive Papers:

The Media Studies Interest Group seeks cutting-edge research papers that represent different paradigms, engage a variety of methodologies, and examine all forms of media with regard to audiences, texts, technologies, effects, producers, communities, culture, and more. When submitting a paper, please note the following guidelines:

• Only completed papers will be accepted.
• All submitted papers must be the original work of the author(s).
• Author name(s) and identifying information must be removed.
• Include a title.
• Include a brief abstract.
• Follow the current editions of APA, MLA, or Chicago styles.
• For the sake of timely and thorough review, papers must be no longer than 25 pages of actual text written within accepted publishing guidelines (not including appendices, references/bibliographies, etc.).
• Graduate students should type “STUDENT” on the upper right-hand corner of the title page.
  • If the paper will be a graduate student debut, please type “DEBUT STUDENT” on the upper right-hand corner of the title page. 
• To be considered a graduate student debut paper:
  • the author must be a graduate student,
  • the paper must have single authorship, and
  • the paper must be the author’s first paper to be presented at CSCA.

Papers that do not meet these submission guidelines may not be distributed for review.

Panels:

The Media Studies Interest Group welcomes submissions of proposals for paper panels, roundtable discussions, spotlight panels, and debate panels exploring media studies and the convention theme, Inspire. Please note: preference will be given to those with panelists representing multiple institutions rather than representing a single institution. When submitting a panel proposal, please note the following guidelines:

• Include a title.
• Include a brief abstract.
• Include a rationale for the panel.
• If applicable, follow the current editions of APA, MLA, or Chicago styles.
• Provide names and contact information for each panelist and designate the person(s) in charge of the panel.

Panel proposals that do not meet these submission guidelines may not be distributed for review.

Original Media:

The Media Studies Interest Group welcomes submissions of all forms of original media, including film, graphic design, music, podcasts, advertisements, short stories, digital games, multimedia projects, and other related works. Film submissions can include, but are not limited to documentaries, fictional narratives or non-narratives, public service announcements, and more. Given the convention theme, Inspire, the MSIG encourages original media submissions that are (intentionally) inspiring and/or address any of the suggested topics listed above. When submitting original media, please note the following guidelines:

• Original media must be submitted via CSCA’s online submission system.
• The submission must include a rationale statement of at least 2-4 pages that explains the connection between the original media and the conference theme.
• A link to view, listen to, and/or engage the original media artifact must be provided in the submission.
• Submissions should not exceed 30 minutes in total length. Longer original pieces should be edited into a representative clip that can be viewed within the time limit.

Original media submissions that do not meet these submission guidelines may not be distributed for review.

Technology Considerations:

Due to limited resources, the only technology that can be made available for your presentations will be a multimedia projector and speakers that you can connect your laptop computers (or other equipment) to. Any technology requests must be made at the time of submission or access cannot be guaranteed.

 

All submissions must be sent electronically through our online system via the CSCA website. You can find a link to the submission system, as well as instructions for how to use it, at: https://www.csca-net.org/aws/CSCA/pt/sp/callforpapers.

Submissions for all categories must be complete and received by 11:59 p.m. CDT October 9, 2020. 

Questions and other communication about the Media Studies Interest Group may be directed to the Chair and Program Planner, Tasha Dunn (The University of Toledo) at tasha.dunn@utoledo.edu