*Call for Papers* *Bridging Gaps:* *Where is the Persona in Celebrity and Journalism?* * The Terrace Club** 25 W. 51st St. (Off Fifth Ave.) New York, NY* * September 2-3, 2015 * In tabloid journalism and in social media, gossip, rumors and scandals about celebrities develop intimacy among fans. Such gossip and rumour mongering serves a purpose in society: to build a common moral ground on the backs of celebrity lives. However what about the celebrities themselves whose emotional lives are consumed by us? The production, circulation and reception of these celebrities then negate the democratic role of journalism in providing value-free information and undermine artistic talent and activism for which many celebrities became famous. Corporate interests of governments and businesses have dominated the field of journalism and the new industry, in particular. A combination of media productions such as interviews, portraits, diary entries, life-writing, and unedited footage can facilitate a relation between celebrities as subjects of journalistic enquiry and modes of their representation. The biographical and autobiographical elements in these productions can express nuances and subtleties of creative drives that construct public personas. Scholars can also act as journalists and interview celebrities, adding research as informed opinions. As celebrity studies scholar Olivier Driessens suggests, there are innovative ways in which researchers can surpass cultural intermediaries, such as managers, who control the celebrity's agenda, and fill methodological gaps in media studies and practices. We need to build academic, media and community partnerships to implement creative strategies and informed opinions in content production. What creative strategies do you implement to position your modes of inquiry in celebrity culture? How can journalists benefit from researchers in developing stories? Should academics become cultural critics to build an engaged audience? Show new and powerful ways of storytelling that journalists and researchers should consider in examining authentic personas in fame. The Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies (CMCS), in association with sponsors WaterHill Publishing and Centre for Ecological, Social, and Informatics Cognitive Research (ESI.CORE), invites academics, journalists, publicists, social innovators and guests to attend, speak and collaborate at the international conference *Bridging Gaps - Where is the Persona in Celebrity and Journalism*? Join us in NYC where the conference will uniquely combine vibrant roundtable and workshop panels in a collaborative network! We invite original cross-disciplinary proposals for the conference. Extended version of selected best papers will be published in an edited book by WaterHill Publishing. Working papers and media productions will be considered. *Submission guidelines:* - 250-word abstract or workshop / roundtable proposal - Include a title, your name, e-mail address, and affiliation if applicable - Submit to conference Chairs Dr Jackie Raphael and Dr Samita Nandy at *celeb.studies@gmail.com <celeb.studies@gmail.com>* - Deadline for submission: *June 1, 2015* - Notification of acceptance: *June 8, 2015* - Conference presentation: *September 2-3, 2015* The format of the conference aims at being open and inclusive through roundtable and workshop panels with substantial discussion and networking sessions. We welcome speculative ideas, exploratory practices, position papers, manifestos, performances as well as traditional academic papers from affiliated and independent researchers, journalists, social innovators and related media professionals. *Topics include but are not limited to:* - Persona - Celebrity - Scandals - Infamy - Online Fame - Social Media - News - Journalism - Publicity - Policies - Interviews - Audiences - Fandom - Fiction - Genre - Biography - Literature - Film - Video - Television - Fashion - Photography - Selfies - Portraiture - Art History - Performance - Life Writings - Diaspora - Theory and Methods - Research Agenda - Business Models - Ethics and Morality - Cognition and Memory - Media Literacy - Social Innovation - Education and Advocacy - Community Building - Business and Community Partnerships Enjoy your stay and meetings at Club Quarters during the conference. We invite applicants to visit www.clubquarters.com <http://cmc-centre.com/conferences-2015/nycsept15/www.clubquarters.com> to view the hotel. Discounted rates will be available for accepted delegates after June 8, 2015. Conference URL: http://cmc-centre.com/conferences-2015/nycsept15/. <http://cmc-centre.com/conferences-2015/nycsept15/> *Dr Samita Nandy*Director, Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies (CMCS) Reviewer, Routledge, SAGE Publications and Wilfrid Laurier University Press PhD Curtin University, Australia (Media / Celebrity) MA and BA York University, Canada (Communication) URL <samitanandy@gmail.com>: <http://www.cmc-centre.com/> http://www.cmc-centre.com/ | www.samitanandy.com