CMH Panel Session at the International Communication Association Conference 2013 in London

The Center for Media & Health organizes the panel session “Beyond Entertainment – Storytelling for Social Change” at the International Communication Association Conference, which takes place from June 17th to June 21st 2013 in London.

Here is an abstract on the panel session, which gives a background and insights into various themes and questions that the session will touch upon:

Popular media entertainment programs reach large sections of the public and can be a powerful vehicle for the promotion of healthy and sustainable lifestyles, social and ethnic tolerance. In both Western and non-Western countries, a number of organizations have sought ways to incorporate health and other pro social issues into diverse entertainment formats (prime time television, radio soap operas or web series). This concept is commonly referred to as ‘the entertainment-education (EE) strategy’. This panel explores the collaboration processes between communication scholars, creative media professionals and subject matter specialists in designing and implementing innovative and effective entertainment education strategies.

The panel draws on a range of international case studies (Netherlands, Germany, U.K., Afghanistan, and Niger) including different popular media formats (television, web and social media, radio) to explore the following questions: How do pro social change communication and media professionals negotiate, brainstorm and create ideas? How are these ideas put into media practice? How is popular program content selected and created? How do pro social change communicators, health campaigners or charities work with media professionals? What challenges, struggles, and dilemmas emerge in the collaboration process? What are the factors that hinder or facilitate collaboration?

This interdisciplinary panel, comprised of scholars, subject matter specialists, and creative personnel sheds light on the nature of pro social change communication through popular media formats in diverse international settings and the possibilities and challenges of such strategies.

The panelists of the “Beyond Entertainment” panel session are:

• Dr. Martine Bouman (organizer of the panel), Scientific Director, Center for Media & Health
• Dr. Sarah Lubjuhn, Research Fellow, Center for Media & Health
• Dr. Lesley Henderson, Department of Sociology and Communications School of Social Sciences, Brunel University, UK,
• Lucy Hannah, Producer, Trainer, and Radio Drama Consultant in the Field of Social Change Communication and
• Francis Rolt, Trainer & Producer, specializing in Behavior Change & conflict prevention/management

Photo source: ICA website Back to news overview