Dr. Ola Ogunyemi, Principal Lecturer in the Lincoln School of Journalism, has recently returned from TU Dortmund University, Germany, where he led and participated in the 2nd annual Media of Diaspora Research Group Conference. The event focused on the so-called “digital revolution”, and in particular the ways in which and the extent to which ethnic minorities participate digitally in new forms of media. Below are some key themes for the presentations and discussions which took place at the conference:

• Geo-ethnic storytelling and civic engagement by ethnic minorities in digital media
• Transnational & diaspora-linking digital media outlets, including those transcending or blurring traditional majority/minorities dichotomies
• What is the role of policies (states and civil society stakeholders including at the UN, EU, national, regional and local levels) in fostering internet literacy and digital participation among citizens, but also in regulating access?

Dr. Ogunyemi reported that the conference had been a success, and added:

The two day event was intellectually engaging with very interesting papers from interdisciplinary perspectives on the theme of the conference. The roundtable session focused on research networking and publication of a collection of papers. Members also appointed a  Scientific Committee to drive these initiatives forward.

The group will soon publish further details of the sessions on their blog. Ola has confirmed that the 2012 MRDG Conference will be held in Lincoln.