The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) is pleased to announce its 18th Annual International Conference, which will be held at the Le Méridien Hotel, New Delhi, India from the 13-16 July 2009.

The theme of the 18th annual conference is "Media, Democracy and Governance: Emerging Paradigms in a Digital Age".

While democracy has generally been spreading across the world, we have seen countries where democracy is challenged and where the failure of governance has led to widespread poverty, hunger and deprivation. The media can play a significant role in spreading awareness and empowering people while monitoring governments and corporations and holding them accountable. In recent years, the advent of the Internet and digital information and communication technologies have brought about a profound transformation in the way people communicate and share knowledge and information. These new technologies offer vast new opportunities for public participation and engagement and have the potential to expand the public sphere, deepen political participation and enhance good governance and democracy. However, the media and new digital technologies can also present new challenges and be exploited to extend control and surveillance thus policy makers need to put in place the necessary mechanisms that can mitigate the harmful use of the media by extremists and special interest groups.

This conference will provide a critical space for both media professionals and academics to exchange knowledge and share their experiences on the role of the media in bringing about development and the new paradigms that are emerging in the digital age.

Source: http://www.amic.org.sg/new/news_n_updates/conf2009cfp.htm