Thursday, April 9th – Friday, April 10th
Over three decades of digital media, our cultural environment has shifted considerably: information, entertainment and media forms are created and consumed in continually evolving ways. The audience for these media products has similarly been constructed through big data, algorithms, social media and AI, challenging traditional conceptions of how to appeal to viewers, listeners and participants in our media world. Given the swiftness of these cataclysmic changes, much coverage has centered on new marketplaces for media and how everyone, from corporations to individual entrepreneurs, can benefit.
This two-day conference takes a step back to consider the consequences of the current digital environment from a social and cultural perspective. What do we gain and what is lost from the bevy of mediated communications? How can we navigate information channels in a mindful way? What are the pro-social opportunities potentially offered by digital media (and how can these be fostered)?
Drawing from case studies, critical analyses and a diverse set of methods, scholars in this symposium will address the myriad challenges in contemporary media. Rather than operate from a single perspective, the symposium will highlight these challenges, and at times crises, from areas such as media industry studies, sports media and communication, film, public relations and journalism. Participants will be drawn from scholars, media practitioners and executives, and creative producers. Professors will include nationwide leaders in media analysis, including scholars from the Harrington School of Communication and Media. Non-concurrent panels allow for full participation in each topic. Space for relevant feedback, open discussion and brainstorming on addressing these media challenges will be included in the program.
A Symposium sponsored by the Harrington School for Communication and Media at the University of Rhode Island