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<TITLE>CFP: Journalism Testing Legal Boundaries: Media Laws and the Reporting of Arab News</TITLE>
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<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Posted by request. Apologies for cross-posting.</FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT SIZE=5>CALL FOR PAPERS</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT SIZE=4>Journalism Testing Legal Boundaries: </FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><B><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT SIZE=4>Media Laws and the Reporting of Arab News</FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb">Conference organised by the</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT SIZE=5>Arab Media Centre </FONT></SPAN></U></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb">Communication and Media Research Institute, University of Westminster</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><A HREF="http://www.wmin.ac.uk/mad/page-1447"><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT COLOR="#0000FF">www.wmin.ac.uk/mad/page-1447</FONT></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-gb">in collaboration with the </SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en"><FONT SIZE=4>Westminster International Law and Theory Centre</FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><A HREF="http://www.wmin.ac.uk/law/page-661"><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT COLOR="#0000FF">http://www.wmin.ac.uk/law/page-661</FONT></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-gb">with support from the UK Higher Education Innovation Fund</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><I></I></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><I></I></B></SPAN><B><I><SPAN LANG="en-gb">Date: 20 June, 2008</SPAN></I></B></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb">Venue: University of Westminster, New Cavendish Campus,</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"><I></I></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><I>115 New Cavendish Street, London W1</I></SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT SIZE=4>THE TOPIC</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=JUSTIFY><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=JUSTIFY><SPAN LANG="en-gb">Parts of the Arab-owned news media have become more credible and effective in recent years. Non-Arab broadcasters, by venturing into Arabic-language television, are today also increasing their output of Arab news. But is the global legal environment conducive to informative reporting on Arab affairs? Do we know enough about the legal systems that govern newsgathering in Arab countries or the breaking of news stories in the Arab world and beyond? Is critical thinking in international law and legal theory keeping pace with the cross-jurisdictional development of organisations that cover Arab news? </SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=JUSTIFY><SPAN LANG="en-gb">International human rights law sets media freedom standards, while international humanitarian law recognises journalists as civilians, who are entitled to protection in war zones. Yet the killing of media workers in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestinian towns calls respect for international law into question. New Arab legislation often defines terrorism broadly enough to criminalise forms of media activity, even in countries where emergency laws and laws on defamation already curb journalists' work. Meanwhile Arab journalists have been detained in US military prisons, an Al-Jazeera journalist has received a seven-year prison sentence in Spain, and two Danish reporters were taken to court for reporting evidence that suggested their government lacked credible reasons to invade Iraq. The changing landscape of news coverage has diversified the range of jurisdictions under which the reporting of Arab news takes place. Internet journalism adds to the mix. Such diversification might be assumed to create structural pressure that would undermine restrictive media laws. Does the evidence bear this assumption out? This conference, besides providing an opportunity for scholars to present research papers, will also bring together prominent media practitioners, lawyers and journalists' representatives to share their experience and discuss key issues.</SPAN></P>
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<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT SIZE=4>SUGGESTED THEMES FOR PAPERS</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=JUSTIFY><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb">Researchers in law, political science, international relations, socio-legal studies, area studies, media studies and human rights studies are invited to propose papers under themes that may include the following:</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> Laws on access to information and their application in relation to news from or about Arab countries</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> The relevance of international human rights law and humanitarian law to the treatment of journalists in Arab countries </SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> Reporting of war and conflict in Arab countries and the law</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> The status of emergency laws and their use against journalists</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> Defamation laws in Arab countries: their impact and attempts at reform</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> Legal reasons for basing Arab news organisations outside the Arab world</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> Citizen journalism, blogging and the law</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> Who can be legally defined as a journalist and who decides?</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> Gender, reporting and personal status laws in Arab countries</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> Laws on unionisation of journalists</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> Relations between journalists and the judiciary </SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Symbol">·<FONT FACE="Courier New"> </FONT></FONT></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> Legal/sociolegal/critical theorisation of the media/war/law situation</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"> </SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT SIZE=4>DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS AND DRAFT PAPERS</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=JUSTIFY><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb">The deadline for abstracts is December 14</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><SUP>th</SUP></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"> 2007. Successful applicants will be notified by January 11</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><SUP>th</SUP></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"> 2008. Since it is proposed to publish conference papers as soon as possible after the conference, final papers will be requested in draft form by April 28</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><SUP>th</SUP></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"> 2008. Abstracts should be between 150-350 words. They should include the presenter's name, affiliation, email and work address, together with the title of the paper and a brief biographical note on the presenter, and should be addressed to Maha Taki at</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"> </SPAN><A HREF="mailto:amc-office@wmin.ac.uk"><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><U></U></SPAN><U><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT COLOR="#0000FF">amc-office@wmin.ac.uk</FONT></SPAN></U><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb">. The selection committee will comprise members of both the CAMRI Arab Media Centre and the Westminster International Law and Theory Centre.</SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></B></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=CENTER><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT SIZE=4>SUPPORT FOR SELECTED PARTICIPANTS</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P DIR=LTR ALIGN=JUSTIFY><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-gb">It is recognised that funding for conference attendance is very limited in some Arab institutions, including universities, and that this may constrain their researchers from attending. In order to maximise participation of Arab scholars specialising in the relevant fields, the conference organisers hope to be able to provide travel grants in selected cases. Anyone interested in presenting a paper is advised to submit their proposal pending further information about their eligibility for a grant to attend the conference.</SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B></B></SPAN><B><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN></B></P>
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