Polis announces details of the first stage of its Humanitarian and Development Communications project. This autumn there will be a series of high-powered seminars. In 2009 there will be events for NGOs, journalists, policy-makers and researchers. There will be major research projects and visiting research fellows. A photojournalism strand will be led by the London College of Communication.

Introduction

We live in a world of global communication where the news media can inform us about anything happening anywhere. But how does the public react to the messages about suffering, conflict or disaster in another part of the planet? What moral, practical or political role does the journalist have in communicating between different peoples? How can the news media promote democracy and development? These are some of the critical questions that Polis will be addressing in a new programme of seminars, conferences, research and publication.

This work will bring fresh critical thinking and academic research to a vital area of intellectual inquiry. It will also engage with practitioners to promote best practice and policy-making for humanitarian and development communications work.

There will be five key elements to this project.

1. A series of academic seminars and a symposium in autumn 2008
2. A long-term major research proposal
   
3. Public and Practitioner Engagement Programme – a series of events for NGOs, journalists, policy-makers and researchers
   
4. Further topical and customised research projects with NGOs, media and governments
5. Polis Humanitarian Research Fellowships

We are looking for financial support for this programme:

• For publications to disseminate debates and research findings
• To fund Research Fellows and Scholarships
• To create a programme of events for NGOs, media and policy-makers
• To support specific research projects

For more information about this project, please click through on the links above or contact us at .

This work builds on the Polis conference on Development, Governance and the Media. You can see the conference report here.

This autumn the LSE Media and Communications Department launches its new Media, Communication and Development Msc.