[Air-L] GMJ-Canadian Ed.-Intl. Perspectives on Net Neutrality

[lshade at alcor.concordia.ca]

CALL FOR PAPERS

Global Media Journal - Canadian Edition
2010: Volume 3, Issue 1
International Perspectives on Network Neutrality

Guest Editors:
Dr. Jeffrey Layne Blevins, Iowa State University
Dr. Leslie Regan Shade, Concordia University

URL for pdf and French abstract:
http://www.gmj.uottawa.ca/gmj--ce_cfp_v3_i1_10.pdf


The idea of “network neutrality” has become one of the most prominent
policy concerns for lawmakers, telecommunications industries, media
reformers, and communication scholars. In short, neutrality is the idea
that Internet service providers should afford equal interconnection among
content providers and users of the network, so that those who control
access to the network do not censor lawful content or enact discriminatory
routing of content. The outcome of this debate has significant
implications for the participatory-democratic nature of the Internet, the
free flow of information and speech, user’s privacy rights, Internet
governance, efficacy of independent media, and political participation, as
well the continued vitality of libraries and educational systems. Given
these stakes, network neutrality may well be the telecommunication policy
issue of the 21st Century.

In North America, battles over network neutrality have already emerged in
Canada and the United States. While mobilization for network neutrality
has been slower in Canada than in the United States, in the last year
alone activism has taken many forms, including online and offline actions
and politicizing a range of citizens and policy-makers. Canada’s media
regulator, the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission
(CRTC), has issued a call for network neutrality and is holding a public
hearing on issues related to traffic management in July 2009. Proponents
of network neutrality in the United States scored their biggest victory to
date when President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009, which included language supporting neutrality
principles as part its Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.
Nevertheless, any subsequent legislation seeking comprehensive enforcement
of network neutrality will surely face intense opposition.

This issue will spotlight international perspectives on network neutrality
that encompass such themes as empire, network economics, technological
innovation, telecommunication regulation and corporate control. Any
analytical approach is welcome, including comparative studies,
telecommunication policy analysis, media studies, ethical examination,
political economic critique, as well as others. Potential topics could
include, but are not limited to the following:

--public awareness and activism about net neutrality
--ethical perspectives on network neutrality
--neutrality as a telecommunication policy norm
--network neutrality and Internet governance
--the relationship of network neutrality to other areas of communication law
--consumer disenfranchisement/power without network neutrality
--media ownership and network neutrality
--industry trends that may undermine, or support neutrality
--technologies that may undermine or support network neutrality
--examination of the relationships between competing broadband networks
--media discourses on network neutrality
--network neutrality and impact on library and education sector
--network neutrality and impact on independent media sector

The Global Media Journal -- Canadian Edition (http://www.gmj.uottawa.ca/)
welcomes high-quality, original submissions on related topics to the above
theme. Submissions are expected to develop communication and media
theories, report empirical and analytical research, present critical
discourses, apply theories to case studies, and set out innovative
research methodologies. The Journal is bilingual (English and French)
open-access online academic refereed publication that aims to advance
research and understanding of communication and media in Canada and around
the globe.

Deadline: March 15th, 2010

Submissions: Papers (5,000 to 7,500 words), review articles of more than
one book (2,500 to 3,000 words), and book reviews (1,000 to 1,200 words).

Method: All manuscripts must be submitted electronically as Word Document
attachments, directly to Dr. Jeffrey Layne Blevins (blevins at iastate.edu)
or Dr. Leslie Regan Shade (lshade at alcor.concordia.ca).

Guidelines: Available at: http://www.gmj.uottawa.ca/for-authors_e.html

Decision: April 30th, 2010

Publication: June 15th, 2010