AUSACE 27th Annual Conference

Changing Media Landscapes: Convergence and Fragmentation

October 28-30 2023 - Kuwait University

Media platforms havedeveloped at an unprecedented rate recently, disrupting traditional models for publishing, broadcasting, and advertising and creating a need for identifying new models. As media become more fragmented and at the same time converge, implications can be seen across several different areas, such as the way people access media, how media are marketed, and how the media industry is changing.

Consequently, the consumers of media messageshave changed their usual patterns of consumption. The phenomena of digitization, media convergence, media fragmentation, and consumption of media and user-generated content set the agenda of interests and concerns for educators, scholars, and practitioners.

The main objectives of thisconference are to discuss, analyze, and critique topics related to those phenomena and to contribute to the academic debate about new media models and theory. The subjects and themes covered in the conference will include, without being limited to:

· History of media fragmentation and convergence inmedia landscape

· Digital and social media fragmentation and convergencein media landscape

· Changes in media theories and research in a fragmentedand converged media landscape

· New media for media education in a fragmented andconverged media landscape

· Effects of media convergence and fragmentation inmedia landscape

· Corporate and strategic communication and theirrelationships with media convergence and fragmentation in media landscape

· Agenda setting effects of influencers in medialandscape

· Effects of media fragmentation and convergence onconsumers in media landscape

· Fragmentation and convergence of journalism in medialandscape

· Health and emergency communication in a fragmented andconverged media landscape

Site: Kuwait University, Kuwait 

Date: 28-30 October 2023 

Languagesof the conference: Arabic and English 

Registration fees: $150 

Hotels: To be announced later 

Importantdeadline dates: 

· May 15^th: Submission ofabstract 

· June 15^th: Response toabstracts 

· August 15^th: Submission ofregistration forms and fee payments 

· Sept. 1^st: Submission of full paper 

· Sept. 20^th: Dissemination offinal conference program 

Contact: 

Send abstracts and questions to Dr.Yousef AlFailakawi, President of AUSACE, email: yalfailakawi@ku.edu.kw 

Save the date

28th Annual Conference will be hosted by the

University of Miami, Florida in 2024

AUSACE 26rd Annual Conference

Journalism in A time of Fake News - Ausace 2022

October 12-14 2022 - Örebro University

The aim of this year’s conference Journalism in a Time of Fake News - Ausace 2022, is to explore and critique how journalism is redefining its identity and reimaging its practices against the economic, cultural, and technological challenges especially in a fake news era.

Studies shows that fake news and false rumours spread six times faster on Twitter than any attempts to correct or clarify in response. Many more people are only seeing the first version of a story, not the following ones with updates, making it even more imperative that journalists get the facts right on the first go. Incidents of racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have risen past their previous peak levels following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2010 Arab spring. Misinformation, hateful rhetoric and discourses about the motives, and citizenship status of these groups have all led to harassment, graffiti, and mass shootings. From fake news to the deep fake, being in a digital era expanded possibilities for fabrication and falsehood are endangering the fourth estate, especially when many people are turning their minds to the future of journalism.

Given crises in our political and cultural worlds, along with advanced in multi- faceted communication technologies, we must turn our attention to the future of journalism. How, in the future, are we to know the difference between truth, myth and lies? And how can our scholarship and education help? We are open to work that considers the role of journalism and journalists, as well as media and communication studies that consider professional cultures and practices, organizational and economic conditions, local and hyper- local media, civic engagement and public sphere, text and content, and audiences.

We invite proposals that address this multifaceted phenomenon focusing on topics that include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Professional identities and organizational cultures
• Local and hyper-local media
• Social and civil functions of local journalism and impact on the public sphere
• Participatory/citizen journalism, community media
• Audience
• Emerging trends in digital storytelling, immersive journalism, data visualization
• New forms of journalism activism including but not limited to migrant journalism, political activism, etc.
• How the public and journalists contribute to, perceive, and deal with misinformation, disinformation, and fake news

Successful abstracts will be considered for inclusion in a Special Issue proposal to be submitted to Nordic Journal of Media Studies and Cultural

Working language for the conference is both Arabic and English. Please send abstracts to Ahmed El Gody .

For further inquiries regarding AUSACE, contact the President, Dr. Yousef Alfailakawi

Information in Arabic here (pdf)

View the full program outline and more information here: https://www.oru.se/english/schools/humanities-education-and-social-sciences/conferences/journalism-in-a-time-of-fake-news---ausace-2022/program/

Registration is now closed

Early bird registration fee until August 15: 1750 SEK excl.VAT (approx. 175 $)

Late registration fee from August 16: 2250 SEK exkl. VAT (approximately 225 $)

Only credit card payments accepted. Invoice possible only for Swedish organisations/Universities.
Please mark the payment with 2116 HU3016.

The registration fee includes: Dinner the 12th of October, morning and afternoon coffees both days of the conference and lunch included October 13.

Registration will close September 22!

Register here

Accommodation

Please note that payments in Sweden are often done via apps or with credit/debit card. Buses, restaurants etc may not accept cash.

Hotel Information

Hotel rooms have been pre-reserved at the following hotels in town.
Each participant must reserve hotel room by themselves.

There are rooms reserved for the conference participants at three hotels in Örebro. You find the reservation deadline in the hotel information. After the reservation deadline you can still make a reservation if there are rooms available. Örebro hosts many conferences so it is important to make the room reservation early.

To make a reservation please contact the hotel you prefer in the list below and give the hotel the booking reference when you make your reservation. All prices include breakfast and VAT 12%.

For the entire selection of hotels in Örebro, please visit websites such as www.booking.com and www.hotels.com

City Hotel Örebro

Kungsgatan 24
Phone: +46 (0)19-601 42 00
Email: info@cityhotelorebro.se
Website: City Hotel Örebro
Single room: 930 SEK/night
Booking reference: Ausace
It's only possible to book the room by sending them an e-mail or call them
Rooms reserved until September 13, 2022.

Elite Stora Hotellet Örebro

Drottninggatan 1
Phone: +46 (0) 19-15 69 00
Email: reservations.orebro@elite.se
Website: Elite Stora hotellet
Single room: 1057 SEK/night
Booking reference: Ausace
It's only possible to book the room by sending them an e-mail or call them
Rooms reserved until September 13, 2022.

First Hotel Örebro

Storgatan 24
Phone: +46 (0) 19-611 73 00
E-mail: boka@hotellorebro.se
Website: First Hotel Örebro
Only double rooms available: 1195 SEK/ night
Booking reference: Ausace
It's only possible to book the room by sending them an e-mail or call them
Rooms reserved until September 13, 2022

Scandic Grand Hotel

Fabriksgatan 21-23
Phone: +46 19 767 43 00
Email: orebrogrand@scandichotels.com
Website: Scandic Grand Hotel
Use the booking Code PRO10SE which will give you 10% discount of the price. Rooms only if available.

Getting Here

Örebro University's main campus is located in Örebro and this is where you find most of the students and staff. There are also regional campuses in Grythyttan and Karlskoga. On this web page we will guide you to the main campus in Örebro.
Find your way around our campus with the online indoor map - MazeMap. See links below. You can also download MazeMap app to your mobil free of charge.

Travel to Örebro

By train

Trains in Sweden

Several companies are operating the railway network in Sweden. The main train operator is SJ. Most trains can be booked via SJ's webpage.

SJ, travel by train

Railway stations in Örebro

There are two railway stations here. The main railway station is Örebro Central with its adjacent travel centre, Resecentrum. Örebro Södra is close to Conventum, a conference centre, congress hall and arena.

By air

Stockholm Arlanda Airport

If you arrive at Arlanda, you can go by coach or train to Örebro. The travel time is approximately 2 hours by train and 3 hours by coach.

Stockholm Arlanda Airport website

SJ, travel by train

Flixbus, express bus travel

Please note that there are other possible airports in Sweden. We do, however, recommend Stockholm Arlanda Airport as they offer the most convenient alternatives when travelling to Örebro from the airport.

Getting to the University from Örebro town centre

There are two railway stations in Örebro, and if you arrive by train, you should get off at the main railway station (Örebro Central) with its adjacent travel centre, Resecentrum. From here you can catch a bus or a taxi to the university. Coaches from Stockholm and Göteborg arrive here too.

By taxi

Ask to go to the university and to the main entrance of the building Långhuset. There is an information desk in Långhuset where you can ask for further directions. A taxi should cost around 100–150 SEK.

By coach or bus

Coaches from different cities in Europe travel to Sweden, unfortunately not direct to Örebro. You will need to change coaches or train (see below) to get here.

Coaches to Sweden

Coaches within Sweden

Buses to all our campuses depart from the travel centre (Örebro Resecentrum). Here there is an information desk as well as traffic displays. For complete traffic information and to plan your bus trip, visit www.lanstrafiken.se/en.

Bus to Campus Örebro

Buses 2 and 3 have Brickebacken on the bus display and stop at Universitetsplatsen.
Buses 9 has Universitetet on the bus display and stops at Universitetsplatsen.
Travel takes around 20 minutes.

Bus to Campus USÖ

Bus 9 to Örebro University Hospital (USÖ) has either Universitetet or USÖ on the bus display and stops at Huvudentré, USÖ. Travel takes less than 10 minutes.

Bus to Campus Grythyttan

Buses (Länstrafiken) to our regional campuses depart from the travel centre (Örebro Resecentrum). For complete traffic information and to plan your bus trip, visit www.lanstrafiken.se/en.

Paying for bus tickets

Cash is not accepted on buses in Örebro, so you can only buy a bus ticket with a debit or credit card.

If you are planning to make more than one trip, it may be more economical to buy a rabattkort – a top-up bus pass for pay-as-you-go travel. You can purchase the pass at the bus ticket office at the travel centre (Örebro Resecentrum), alternatively at Pressbyrån in the travel centre. The bus pass is not personal, and more than one person may travel at the same time using the card providing they get on the bus at the same bus stop. There is no time limit on the card.

By bike

Örebro is a bike-friendly town, and many bike paths lead to the university.
Visit Örebro Municipality’s website for bike maps and information about biking in Örebro. (Note: Translate is located at the bottom on the municipality’s website.)

By foot

Walking to the university from the travel centre (Örebro Resecentrum) takes about 40–50 minutes. Use Google maps to find the best walkway.

By car

After arriving in Sweden, Örebro is easily accessible by car. Take the E18/E20 motorways from major cities like Stockholm (200 km), Gothenburg (300 km), Oslo, Norway (300 km) and Copenhagen, Denmark (500 km).
Important: read about parking at the university.

Maps

To find your way around our campus, we recommend download the free online indoor map MazeMap app to your mobile. See links below.

Campus Örebro

Online Indoor Map Campus Örebro (MazeMap)

Map of Campus Örebro (pdf)

Campus USÖ

Online Indoor Map Campus USÖ (MazeMap)

Campus Grythyttan

Online Indoor Map Campus Grythyttan (MazeMap)

Map of Campus Grythyttan (pdf)

MazeMap

More information about MazeMap

AUSACE Annual Conferences

The most significant event of the AUSACE year is the annual international conferences, hosted by member universities across the Arab world and in the United States. The conferences have established and nurtured a community of scholars, professionals, students, families and friends. Each conference gives AUSACE members an opportunity to advance the research, service and teaching goals of the association. Since the founding conference in 1995, the association’s members have hosted annual conferences in:

• Cairo, Egypt (2017)
• Tangier, Morocco (2016)
• Doha, Qatar (2015) — photos
• Irbid, Jordan (2014)
• Tangier, Morocco (2013)
• Atlanta, Georgia, USA (2012)
• Beirut, Lebanon (2011)
• Kuwait (2010)
• Cairo (2009)
• Richmond, USA (2008)
• Dubai, UAE (2007)
• Tangier, Morocco (2006)
• Kuwait City, Kuwait (2005)
• Cairo, Egypt (2004)
• Dubai, UAE (2003)
• Beirut, Lebanon (2002)
• Atlanta, USA (2001)
• Yarmouk University, Jordan (2000)
• Beirut, Lebanon (1999)
• Cairo, Egypt (1998)
• Amman, Jordan (1997)
• Tangier, Morocco (1996)

If your university is interested in hosting a future conference, please email the AUSACE President, Sahar Khamis at skhamis@umd.edu