11th October 2017
By Tom Law

Journalism and Mass Communication in the Age of Instant information

Welcome Note 

On behalf of the Organizing Committee, it is a pleasure for me to welcome you to the AUSACE 22nd Annual Conference hosted by the American University in Cairo October 21 – October 24, 2017. I believe we have chosen a venue that guarantees a successful conference amid the heritage, traditional, culture and buzz of Cairo.

The theme that we have chosen for this year’s conference “Journalism and Mass Communication in the Age of Instant information” is designed to explore research and application of new directions in an ever-changing digital environment whether in the Arab region or globally.

Today’s technology changes so rapidly that many media industries, including news media, can barely keep up. In the traditional world, newspapers, corporations, advertisers, governments etc … simply handed out information and entertainment, that people would consume. But this method is transforming rapidly. Providing information and entertainment is no longer sufficient for today’s public as they are becoming accustomed to picking and choosing, contributing and distributing content themselves. The Internet and social media have seriously affected news and media organizations and how they operate, and it has affected how journalists, advertising agencies, public relations officers, and photojournalists and others perform their jobs. The conference program features an inspiring keynote address and a range of panels that will address the current state of traditional media within the age of instantaneity, information on changes in media, social media tools professionals use, ethical issues surrounding the shift; how the future of media might look in the next few years and how academics should continuously adapt curricula in the digital age.

This theme also gives us an opportunity to discuss the future directions of the field of journalism and mass communication, research, and beyond. We look forward to the many international and regional and local speakers who will shed light on the research issues that shape our field today.

Finally, we are also looking forward to each of you having the opportunity to discover, explore and enjoy our beautiful city.

Welcome to Cairo.

Naila Hamdy, PhD

Chair of Organizing Committee – AUSACE 2017