The world’s media and its innovators will descend on Galway city later this month, but not for the local newspapers’ catchy headlines.
The prestigious International Association for Media and Communications Research’s (IAMCR ) annual conference will be hosted by the University of Galway for five days from Sunday, June 28, to Thursday, July 2.
More than 2,400 delegates are expected to attend the global gathering, which this year will dwell on themes of ‘Peripheries and Connections: Media, Communication and Transformation’.
A major topic under this heading will be the dominance of English language on major digital platforms, with a public talk on the subject scheduled in the college’s O’Donoghue Centre on Tuesday, June 30, at 6.30pm.
Former senator, and current innovation director at TG4, Trevor O’Clochartaigh, will host the event ‘Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile: Digital media and non-dominant languages, local and global lessons’.
This public debate will be attended by top media academics, including Dr Rodrigo Cetina Preseul (UPF Barcelona School of Management ); Professor Tarlach McGonagle (Leiden University ); Dr Enrique Uribe Jongbloed (Cardiff University ); and Dr Sorcha de Brun (University of Limerick ).
The issue of representation through the Irish language is particularly resonant for County Galway, home to Ireland’s largest Gaeltacht and two national, Irish language broadcasters: TG4 and RTÉ’s Raidió na Gaeltachta. Article Eight of?Bunreacht na hÉireann recognises both Irish and English as official languages, yet Irish media is dominated by English language content.
The rise of digital platforms impacts media in all languages, from regulation, platformisation, the impact of Large Language Models and Generative -AI,?and homogenisation, but it also offers opportunity for preservation and promotion of languages, for engagement and translation, and the recognition of global solutions for local challenges.
The public talk is free, with booking essential on www.eventbrite.ie There is also special feature by Eoghan Moylan founder and creative director of Galway-based Rún Stiúideo who has created an interactive game set in Galway city in the year 2160.
