Written by Eric Holder, University of Georgia, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Public Relations department head, the Peabody Awards
Athens, Ga. — The Peabody Center for Media and Society at the University of Georgia`s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication will convene the inaugural Peabody Seminar at UGA Nov. 10-13. The seminar, funded by the Ford Foundation, will bring together media professionals from around the world for a discussion titled “Global Implications of Media Industry Consolidation.”
On Thursday, Nov. 11, a public session of the seminar will be held at 3:30 p.m. in room 268 of the Student Learning Center. Scheduled to speak are Jonathan Adelstein, Federal Communications commissioner; Arne Wessberg, president of the European Broadcasting Union; and Pat Mitchell, president of the U.S. Public Broadcasting System and graduate of UGA. A welcome reception is to follow in the George Foster Peabody Suite at Grady College.
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Horace Newcomb, Peabody Awards director, refers to the Peabody Center for Media and Society as “the research and ‘think tank` arm of the George Foster Peabody Awards” and considers the Peabody Seminars a way to bring together the opinions of “media industry professionals, policy officials, advocacy groups and members of the Peabody Board. The issue of industry consolidation is crucial throughout the world. Our discussion will lead to new perspectives on this vital issue,” said Newcomb.
Other participants in the Inaugural Peabody Seminar include Shuchi Bansal, media industry reporter for The Business Standard in New Delhi, India; Michael Bracy, co-founder of the Future of Music Coalition and director of the Low Power Radio Coalition, United States.; Yuen-ying Chan, director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at Hong Kohn University, Hong Kong.; Helen DeMichiel, director of the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC), United States; John D.H. Downing, director of the Global Media Research Center at the University of Southern Illinois, United States; Sheldon J. Krys, former U.S. ambassador, former assistant secretary of state for administration, former assistant secretary for diplomatic security, and former Peabody Board chairman, United States; Mauro Porto, professor of communication at the University of Brasilia, Brazil; Valerie Steeves, senior research fellow of the Media Awareness Network (MNet), Canada; Ruth Teer-Tomaselli, professor of culture, communication and media studies at the University of Natal, South Africa; and Yuezhi Zhao, professor and Canada Research Chair in Political Economy of Global Communication at Simon Fraser University, Canada.
The Peabody Awards are the oldest honor in television and radio and widely considered the industry`s most coveted prize. The Peabody Award recognizes distinguished achievement and meritorious public service by stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals in electronic media. For more information about the Peabody Awards visit www.peabody.uga.edu.