War, Media, and the Public Sphere
Undoubtedly, the playing out of war in the public sphere is one of the most significant developments of modern warfare. The inclusion of civilians, not only as “manpower” and an increasingly vulnerable target of hostile actions but also for legitimating war in face of its tremendous economic and social consequences, requires the mobilization of society as a whole. Consequently, the “total war”, so dramatically experienced for the first time in World War I, brought along with it massive changes in the social organization of warfare, including the role of the media and public opinion.
Considering the changing relationship between the state, the media and society, the Vienna Symposium focuses on the pictures of war in our heads (to vary Walter Lippmann’s famous phrase), how they are shaped and how they are shaping culture, society, and politics. It intends to bring together internationally renowned experts from the fields of media and communication studies, politics and history.
Einführungsveranstaltung am 5. März 2009, 17 Uhr (in deutscher Sprache): Vortrag von Prof. Dr. Imanuel Geiss
Introductory Speech by Prof. Imanuel Geiss (in German only; no simultaneous translation available)
Registration (for the Conference: 6-7 March 2009)
Medienpartnerschaft
Organizing Committee
Matthias Karmasin, Professor of Media and Communication Studies at the University of Klagenfurt
Gabriele Melischek and Josef Seethaler, Senior Scientists at the Commission for Comparative Media and Communication Studies, Austrian Academy of Sciences
For more information, please contact Dr. Romy Woehlert (romy.woehlert@assoc.oeaw.ac.at) or call +43 (0)1 51581 3513