Convergence and Society:
The Participatory Web

October 8-11, 2008

University of South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina

Register for Conference (pdf)

Preliminary Conference Agenda v. 1.7

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

1:00-5:00 pm           Newsplex Training Session: Convergence on a Budget, IFRANewsplex at the University of South Carolina

Free training session, limited to the first 15 conference registrants requesting attendance.

6:30-7:30 pm           The First Amendment, Freedom of the Press and the Future of Journalism, Law School Auditorium (Room 106, corner of Main and Greene Streets on the USC Campus), ancillary event, open to all conference attendees

            Co-sponsored by the National Press Club, the World Affairs Council, and University of South Carolina College of Mass Communications and Information Studies

Moderator:    Gil Klein, National Press Club

Panelists:       Mark Lett, Editor, The State,

                    Donita Todd, President and General Manager, WIS-TV

                    Charles Bierbauer, University of South Carolina

                    Augie Grant, University of South Carolina

Thursday, October 9, 2008 (All daytime sessions at IFRANewsplex)

7:40 am                    Shuttle leaves hotel to take attendees to IFRANewsplex

8:00-8:15 am           Welcome

8:15-9:30 am           Theme Session #1: Citizen Journalism.

The “Yin and Yang” of one newspaper’s attempt to encourage Web 3.0 citizen journalism participation: A case study of the Ventura County Star’s “YourNews” section. Dennis Jeffers, Central Michigan University.

Teaching convergent journalism through the use of a citizen journalism Web site. Kirsten Johnson & Tamara Gillis, Elizabethtown College.

Leveraging the local: Applications of citizen journalism and hyperlocalism in television station Web sites. Thomas Baggerman, Capital University.

The participatory Web: Demographic predictors of online content creation. Bartosz Wojdynski & Jessica Smith, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill .

Moderator: Doug Fisher, University of South Carolina

9:30-9:45 am          Break

9:45-11:00 am        Theme Session #2: User-Generated Content.

Examining the effects of comments in online news on readers’ perception of bias. Michele Jones, University of North Carolina.

Explorations of virtual community at online newspaper sites. Jack Rosenberry, St. John Fisher College.

Gadgets and the games: Using the participatory Web to chronicle Emerson’s Beijing Olympics experience. Janet Kolodzy & Paul Niwa, Emerson College.

Dialing up coverage: The implications of a iPhone-enabled readership on online news distribution. Kenneth Pybus & Cade White, Abilene Christian University.

Moderator: Jeff Wilkinson, United International College

11:00-11:15 am     Break

11:15-12:30 pm     Showcase Session #1: Tools for Teaching Convergence.

Using “blog talk radio” in the classroom Jessica McBride, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Making your wiki sticky: How to successfully implement wikis in the academia. Maria Raicheva-Stover, Washburn University.

Recorders & cameras & phones – Oh my!: Using ubiquitous technology to teach great interviewing skills. Margaret Achterman, University of Washington.

Conducting a virtual class: How to demonstrate types of computer-mediated communication in the completion of a team task. Lauren Vicker, St. John Fisher College.

Moderator: Sid Bedingfield, University of South Carolina.

12:30-1:15 pm        Lunch

1:15-2:30 pm          Showcase Session #2: Participatory Projects.

The Annenberg Program on Online Communities: Curriculum, effective teaching methodologies, and survey of related programs. Andrew Schrock & Karen North, University of Southern California.

Transformative journalism education for the 21st century. Alfred Hermida, University of British Columbia.

Rep J: Where journalism, community and funding meet online. Leonard Witt, Kennesaw State University.

Creating a New Crowd: The Challenges of Crowd Sourcing at (Chicago Public Radio's): Vocalo, Edie Rubinowitz, Northeastern Illinois University.

Moderator: Kenneth Campbell, University of South Carolina.

2:30-2:45 pm           Break

2:45-4:00 pm           International Perspectives on Convergence.

Exporting convergence to post-Soviet states Robert Mercer, Cypress College.

The role of blogs when a democracy is in crisis: A Bangladesh context. Masudul Biswas & Lance Porter, Louisiana State University.

Audience participation and online content of mass media in Romania. Alina Hogea, Temple University.

Islands in the streaming : An examination of daily newspaper Web sites in United Kingdom and Ireland. Robert Bergland, Kallie Hartigan, Sarah Noe, David Hon, Kirby Strider, Missouri Western State University.

Media convergence at a college in China: Models, approaches, and implementation. Jeff Wilkinson, United International College.

Moderator: Keith Kenney, University of South Carolina.

4:00-4:15 pm           Break

4:15-5:30 pm           Collaboration and convergence in a liberal arts college.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Political Polls. Gordon Williams, Ursinus College.

Facebook Nation. Angela M. Corbo, DeSales University.

Photojournalism with an Artistic Eye. Gregory Scranton & Lynne Edwards, Ursinus College

Content Analysis and the ChatCoder. April Kontostathis & Lynne Edwards, Ursinus College

5:30 pm                    Shuttle bus returns to hotel from Newsplex.

7:00-9:00 pm           Poster/Reception Session: Social Networking, Audience Studies, Legal Issues, and More…, Room TBA, Clarion Townhouse Hotel

A space for hate: The white power movement’s adaptation into cyberspace. Adam Klein, Howard University.

Logging on and letting it out: Using online social networks to grieve and to mourn. Brian Carroll & Katie Landry, Berry College.

Audience gatekeeping: A study of The New York Times most-emailed news items. Pamela Shoemaker, Hyunjin Seo, Philip Johnson, & Xiuli Wang, Syracuse University.

Interpersonal communication and the Internet Tony DeMars, Texas A&M University--Commerce.

Media convergence and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Craig Stark, Susquehanna University.

A comprehensive theory of problematic Internet use: Evaluating the role of self-esteem, anxiety, flow, and the self-rated importance of Internet activities. Hokyung Kim & Keith Davis, University of South Carolina.

Privacy on Facebook:  A social networks theory analysis. Kathleen Olson, Lehigh University.

Exploring the potential of most popular news cues as a Web 3.0 interactive tool and its public nature. Ying-Ying Chen, University of Texas.

Can social networking be classified as an Internet addiction? Marguerite Cronk, Harding University.

The converging nature of public access television: A study of the Alliance for Community Media Central States Region. Lori Brost, Central Michigan University.

Luring language and virtual victims: Using ChatCoder to analyze online predator discourse. April Kontostathis, Lynne Edwards & Amanda Leatherman, Ursinus College.

Disruptive Innovations in the Newspaper Industry: A Case Study Utilizing The Star, Lisa Luedeman, University of South Carolina/Gardner-Webb Univeristy.

Friday, October 10, 2008 (all sessions at Clarion Townhouse Hotel)

8:00-9:15 am           Politics and the Participatory Web.

The root of empowerment is “power”: An examination of political empowerment and the Web. Laurel Gleason, Ohio State University.

Polls, information, and bloggers in the 2008 U.S. election: Proposing a moderated effect model of public opinion. CamLy Bui, Syracuse University.

MySpace, MyVote: The role of online social networking in political involvement. Tim Brown & Jasmine Jones, University of Central Florida.

Web 2.0 Citizens 2.0 and Patriotism 2.0: Instant messaging use and political learning of college students. Jinghui Hou, Syracuse University.

Moderator: Jay Bender, University of South Carolina.

9:15-9:30 am          Break

9:30-10:45 am        Beyond Journalism: Convergence Across the Curriculum.

The national student advertising competition: Making it in fact about convergent media. Dennis Hinde & Katie Hendrickson, South Dakota State University.

Jump to Screen: The digital image in the Metaverse. Michael Scott Sheerin, Florida International University.

Educational crisis management practices tentatively embrace the new media. Barbara Gainey, Kennesaw State University.

The advertising agency boys’ club meets Advertising 3.0. Now what? Karen Mallia, University of South Carolina.

Using storytelling to introduce principles of podcasts and wikis. Jeremy Sarachan, St. John Fisher College.

Moderator: John Besley, University of South Carolina

10:45-11:00 am     Break

11:00-12:15 pm     Newsroom Perspectives on Convergence.

Convergence should lead to choice, not over-commitment. John Cokley, University of Queensland.

Building the information valet economy: Sustaining news and information through a shared-user network. Bill Densmore, University of Massachusetts.

From beginner to advanced reporter: Examining the process of becoming a multimedia journalist. Sonya Miller, Pennsylvania State University.

New media and news dissemination: How television stations are “publishing” their product. Tim Brown, University of Central Florida.

Goodbye convergence, hello “Webvergence” –The decline of broadcast-print partnerships in an increasingly online media world. Leslie-Jean Thornton, Arizona State University & Susan Keith, Rutgers University.

Multimedia features and newspaper Websites: A 2007 content analysis of daily newspapers. Robert Bergland, Lisa Crawford, Sarah Noe, & Melody Ellsworth, Missouri Western State University.

Moderator: Tim Bajkiewicz, Virginia Commonwealth University

12:15-1:00 pm        Lunch

1:00-2:15 pm          So many stories, so little coverage: A practical and theoretical guide to unite multimedia journalism and urban neighborhoods.

Panelists:       Linn Washington, Temple University

                    Christopher Harper, Temple University

                    Dianne Garyantes, Temple University

                    TBA, Temple University

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2:15-2:30 pm          Break

2:30-3:45 pm          Media Convergence Education: Leaving the Silos Behind.

Panelists:       Katherine Hughes, James Madison University.

                    Nancy Nusser, James Madison University

                    Steve Anderson, James Madison University

                    Thomas Ruggiero, University of Texas at El Paso

                    Tim Brown, University of Central Florida

3:45-4:00 pm          Break

4:00-5:15 pm          Retrofitting for convergence: Rebuilding, redesigning and reorganizing.

Panelists:       Linda Thorsen Bond, Stephen F. Austin State University.

                    Greg Patterson, Stephen F. Austin State University

                    Dustin Lawhorn, Stephen F. Austin State University

                    Al Gruele, Stephen F. Austin State University

                    Gary Mayer, Stephen F. Austin State University

                    Sherry Williford , Stephen F. Austin State University

6:30-7:30                Participatory Plenary Session.

Round-table discussion of all subjects discussed at the conference.

Moderator:    Augie Grant, Conference Chair

7:30-9:30               Dinner and Keynote Address. Room TBA, Clarion Townhouse Hotel

Introduction of Keynote Speaker, Charles Bierbauer, University of South Carolina

Keynote Speaker, Daryn Kagan, DarynKagan.com

            The "Participatory Web" has created a wealth of new opportunities for journalists, with a shift in media power, business models, and consumer participation. In her address, Daryn Kagan will offer her perspective on these changes and how she leveraged them in her transition from CNN Reporter/Anchor to head her own independent, award-winning, media enterprise that distributes inspirational stories across platforms. Kagan will discuss the new media power paradigm, exploring its influence on audiences and the next generation of media practitioners.

Saturday, October 11, 2008 (all sessions at IFRANewsplex)

8:00 am -5:00 pm        BEA District II Regional Conference

                  Schedule TBA.

                  Sessions will include:

                                             Research in progress

                                             Faculty production competition

                                             Student production competition

                                             Broadcast industry panels

                                             Vendor displays