Emmanuel Essel, a Ghanaian Postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS), University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, was awarded a travel grant to present his paper "Community radio as a counter-discursive and dialogic tool for health-related social change communication: Ghanaian perspectives" to the Community Communication and Alternative Media (CAM) Section at IAMCR 2024.
In this article, he reflects on this experience:
"The Christchurch 2024 IAMCR conference was the second I have attended in person since I joined the association in 2021 through my affiliation as a PhD candidate with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. This is my second IAMCR grant award. At the end of my travel grant article for the Lyon 2023 conference, I stated, “I am eager to attend the next IAMCR conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, to share my postdoctoral research work with researchers from around the globe”. Little did I know it would be a double delight on the bounce for me. As the saying goes, if it is nice, play it twice. If my first IAMCR conference whet my appetite, the 2024 conference was the icing on an amazingly delicious cake. Thank you, IAMCR, for making my dreams come true, not once but twice. Indeed, thunder struck me twice in a fantastic way.
I presented my paper during the evening session on Thursday, July 4th, in the Community Communication and Alternative Media section (CAM). It discussed the essential role of dialogue in promoting meaningful community involvement in the activities of local community radio in Ghana. My working paper greatly benefited from the comments and feedback from other participants. Having been invited to submit my presented paper at the Lyon conference for a special issue of the IAMCR-CAM affiliated Journal of Alternative & Community Media issue, I am delighted to announce that my paper has just been published. This is a tangible academic outcome of my participation in an IAMCR conference.
I am currently refining my IAMCR Christchurch 2024 paper for submission to a journal for publication.
Beyond the academic aspect, the conference was rewarding in a personal way. The conference organisers awarded me an all-day tram tour ticket for my sustainable living practices. The Christchurch tram tour I took on Friday 5 July left an indelible impression. Not only did I learn about the history of the city, but I enjoyed every bit of the incredible sights and sounds of Christchurch"
Emmanuel Essel
University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa