New Media and Citizenship in Asia: Values, Digital Politics, and Civic Well-Being
May 22, 2014 (Seattle, USA)
The role of new communication technologies—such as the internet, social media, and mobile phones—in political and civic engagement has generated significant interest not only from scholars, but also organizations, politicians, and ordinary citizens. While recent events in the Middle East help recognize the potential of new communication media as an agent contributing to macro-level political changes, these new communication tools are also actively utilized in more traditional political processes, such as electoral campaigns. Also important is everyday use of new communication technologies, which research has uncovered as providing an opportunity to encounter public affairs news and discourse, enhancing understanding of issues, and becoming involved in civic and political activities. One of critical elements to pay attention to when appreciating the role of new media—perhaps underlying all of these processes and practices—would be the values, traditions, and histories that define each Asian country and the region.
This preconference aims to showcase innovative scholarly work examining various subjects concerning the role of social media, mobile phones, and other new communication technologies in the formation of democratic citizenship writ large—in Asia.
Conference organizers
Nojin Kwak, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of Michigan, USA
Marko Skoric, Associate Professor, Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Natalie Pang, Assistant Professor, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Baohua Zhou, Associate Professor, Journalism School at Fudan University, China
Tetsuro Kobayashi, Associate Professor, Information and Society Research Division, National Institute of Informatics, Japan
Scott Campbell, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, University of Michigan, USA
Junho Choi, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Information, Yonsei University, Korea
