Mysuru: The 11th Global Communication Association (GCA) International Conference (www.gcaconference.com), with the theme Ombudsman: Media and social responsibility, is being organized on the 28th and 29th of January, 2016 in Mysuru, India. The University of Mysore (UoM), which is marking its Centennial (http://centenary.uni-mysore.ac.in/) will be the academic partner hosting this conference, which is being organized by Global Communication Association. The conference will be one of the highlights of the ongoing grand centenary celebrations.
“At a time when there is a massive explosion of the media across the globe, be it of the traditional variety or the new media, it is increasingly being looked upon as a powerful instrument of social change. On the flip side, as with any instrument that can influence vast sections of a society, there are also other ‘powerful forces’ that will misuse the media for vested interests. To enable the debate, GCA conference organisers have invited industry and academic experts from across the globe to come under the one forum to discuss and generate new ideas in various spheres of media and communication and University of Mysore is therefore, proud to be co-organising this prestigious and important international conference”, said Prof. K. S. Rangappa, Vice- Chancellor, University of Mysore and 11th GCA Conference President.
As a part of the centenary celebrations, the 11th GCA International conference will have top-notch media experts and public affairs stalwarts from around the world to be part of the two-day deliberations. The conference includes high-profile inaugural speakers, guest panelists and awards ceremony speakers. There will also be a plethora of media-research paper presentations by academicians coming from across the country relating to various aspects of communication.
“The conference will also provide opportunity for discussing topics concerning government and private-organization communication strategies. It aims to share the knowledge dealing with the ways and methods in which an NGO, for example, can use communication tools to gain substance and credibility. The communication patterns between the between the government and the public and ways in which we can make it more effective, people friendly and how identification of the target audience through proper communication can be achieved”, says Mr. Yahya R. Kamalipour, Chairman, Global Communication Association.
Some of the key topics that will be discussed at the conference include: Is there an urgent need for a strong ombudsman to restore and integrity and credibility of Indian media? Can media and NGOs collaborate to get the best out of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligations? With the advent of new social media, is the old, traditional media struggling to retain its identity and value? With corporate owning or buying media houses, how credible is news now and does it pose a threat to the future of democracy? The obnoxious growth of paid news, is there is a way to end it? Is ombudsman a pain or gain? What do experiences around the world tell us, besides others?
The Global Communication Association (GCA) will also honor seven eminent personalities/ organizations, who have immensely contributed to the media and communications profession/ industry across academia, government, corporate, non-government, media as also, agency sectors, with the presentation of A. P. Chowdappa Memorial Award for Excellence in Communication for the year 2015-16.
“In the two-day conference deliberations, there will be well over 62 speakers, 12 Keynotes, 10 panel discussions, 24 paper presentations, 7 awards with over 400 delegates participating from around the world. The speakers will discuss different topics with an intrinsic aim to share information, promote culture, identify challenges, find solutions and exchange the most updated knowledge on various topics of public relations, media and communication”, added Mr. Krishna B. Mariyanka, Conference Curator and Organising Secretary, 11th GCA Conference.
The GCA conference is a good platform for corporate chief executives, communication specialists, policy makers, academicians, bureaucrats, political leaders, public relations practitioners and co-related industry professionals to meet, interact and generate new ideas for bettering the media and communication scenario in the world.
Established in the year 2007, Global Communication Association (GCA), a not-for-profit body of media and communication professionals, promotes academic research in global communication studies among major universities worldwide along with facilitation of joint project and research opportunities among scholars and students. GCA provides an eclectic international platform for corporate executives, communication specialists, policy makers, academicians, bureaucrats, political leaders, public relations practitioners and co-related industry professionals to meet, interact and generate new ideas for growth.
