Conferences and Workshops

Administrative v. Critical Research: Implications for Contemporary Information Policy Studies

An ICA pre-conference co-hosted by the Journal of Information Policy, the Institute for Information Policy at Penn State, the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science, the LINKS-ICORE project at the Department of communication Studies at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the ICA Communication Law and Policy Division

San Juan Caribe Hilton
Puerto Rico

Program

Thursday, May 21, 2015

9:00 – 9:10 Welcome and Overview

Part 1: Theoretical Approaches

9:10 – 10:00 Session 1: “The Role of Critical Research in Information Policy: Lazarsfeld Reconsidered,” Johannes M. Bauer and Hsin-yi Sandy Tsai, Michigan State University
Respondent: Robin Mansell, London School of Economics and Political Science
Chair: Richard Taylor, Penn State University

10:00 – 10:50 Session 2: “Breaking Down the Critical – Administrative Dichotomy: Toward a Critical Administrative Communications/Information Policy Research Paradigm,” Philip M. Napoli, Rutgers University and Lewis A. Friedland, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Respondent: Sandra Braman, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Chair: Terry Flew, Queensland University of Technology

10:50 – 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 – 11:50 Session 3: “Conflicting Administrative and Critical Research Paradigms in
Modern Telecommunications Policy Disputes,” Benjamin W. Cramer, Penn State University
Respondent: W. Russell Neuman, University of Michigan
Chair: Seamus Simpson, University of Salford

11:50 – 1:10 Lunch: Keynote Speakers: Elihu Katz and Ruth Katz: “Revisiting the origins of the Administrative-Critical debate”

Part II: Cases and Contexts

1:10 – 2:00 Session 4: “Two (un)related spheres? Understanding administrative and critical research in health communication,” Nathan Walter, U.S.C.-Annenberg
Respondent: Victor Pickard, University of Pennsylvania
Chair: Peng Hwa Ang, Nanyang Technological University

2:00 – 2:50 Session 5: “Media pluralism research, policy and political agenda (the case of the Media Pluralism Monitor),” Alina Dobreva, European University Institute
Respondent: Sharon Strover, University of Texas at Austin
Chair: Noam Tirosh, Ben-Gurion University

2:50 – 3:00 Coffee Break

3:00 – 3:50 Session 6: “Demystifying the Magic Kingdom: The Importance of Taking a Critical Approach to Understanding Disney,” Geoff Ostrove, University of Oregon
Respondent: Bingchun Meng, London School of Economics and Political Science
Chair: Reynaldo Rivera, University of Navarra

3:50 – 4:40 Session 7: “Transforming ‘Digital Labor’ Theory into a Political Project: A Critical Digital Communication Policy Framework,” Brice Nixon, University of La Verne.
Respondent: Manuel Puppis, Universität Freiburg
Chair: Amit Schejter, Ben-Gurion University/Penn State University

4:40 – 5:00 Concluding Remarks