community news IN THIS ISSUE: Dear Readers, Editorial Note

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1 IN THIS ISSUE: The Department of Communications of UNIC Newsletter Editorial Note A few words from Dr Tao Papaioannou Commentaries Η Επαγγελματική Κατάρτιση στη Ψηφιακή Εποχή Νικόλας Νικολή Activities What the Experts Say The COMM department goes cinema Crazy! A long Evening of Short Films COMM Department Students Step into the World of Cyprus Film Days International Film Festival Costas Constandinides A Taste of European Cinematic Cultures Research and Publications South Africa a whole world of arts in one country Mike Hadjimichael Media and Civic Engagement among Youth Horizon Project Europe Journal Publication by COMM MA Student Vampire and Zombie Mythology Strikes Back Forthcoming Book: Cypriot Cinemas: Memory, Conflict and Identity in the Margins of Europe On-going Arts Research Project IMME (Mass Media Institute) Activities Ημερίδα του ΙΜΜΕ για το δημοσιογραφικό έργο του Κώστα Μόντη Dear Readers, We would like to welcome you to the second issue of the bilingual e-newsletter of the Department of Communications Comm-Uni-ty News. This issue features a fascinating section titled The COMM department goes cinema Crazy! with contributions by two former COMM students, who share their experiences at the Venice International Film Festival as representatives of Cyprus to the 28 Times Cinema EU project. The department also celebrates the first journal publication of one of our MA students, Hugo Enrique Olivos. Hugo s article Cultural identity and social media in the Arab Spring: Collective goals in the use of Facebook in the Libyan context co-written with Tao Papaioannou was published in the peer-review Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research in September Nicholas Nicoli briefly discusses the importance of communication studies and PR in the digital era, and Damianos Lambidonitis informs us about IMM s upcoming event on the journalistic work of Costas Montis. Furthermore, the issue features an exciting Research and Publications section, which includes brief descriptions of publications on the study of Vampires and Zombies, and a short piece by Mike Hajimichael about his conference presentation and journey of cultural discovery in South Africa. Finally, John Ioannou offers a best of summary of Mediazone related activities and events. We hope that you will enjoy reading the contributions in this issue of Comm-Uni-ty News! Editor: Dr. Costas Constandinides, Assistant Professor, Department of Communications Design: Marios Tziakouris, Mediazone Connect to MediaZone Mediazone ! John Ioannou I would like to thank Mediazone s Marios Tziakouris for his expert insight and assistance. Please don t forget to Like our Facebook pages: Dr. Costas Constandinides Assistant Professor Department of Communications

2 A few words from Dr Tao Papaioannou Dear Colleagues, Welcome back to the university and hopefully from a restful summer! This issue of Comm-uni-ty news will take a reflective glance back at the academic year in the Department of Communications. This last year has turned out to be rather significant for the department, witnessing a series of positive changes and new developments. The department has successfully concluded the first year running of our revised MA program in Digital Media and Communications. Incorporating the staggering advent of Web 2.0 technologies and their complex social-cultural consequences, this new program consists of exciting and cutting edge courses and is offered as a12-month program with two specializations - Journalism and Social Media Publishing and Public Relations and Advertising in the Digital Age. As partial fulfillment of the degree requirements, three of our students successfully produced practicum reports, the equivalent of an MA level academic research written in the context of professional experience. These students spent at least three months, working regularly in a media or communication related post, applying theoretical knowledge to practice! Based on their understanding and current knowledge about social media and journalism and public relations, these students analyzed respectively the opportunities and challenges of using new technologies to engage audiences in three contexts: reporting news for Phileleftheros online, conducting online campaigns for CYTA and assisting television programs at CyBC. Also, a new concentration on film and creative media production will be added onto the BSc. program in Digital Communications and Mass Media. This concentration features courses on editing and compositing in digital media, digital cinematography and film production management. The department also organized a variety of seminars, workshops and other supportive learning activities to further develop the competence of our students. The Industry Experts Guest Speaking Series has become a signature event for the department with the Spring 2014 series proving to be well received once again by students both in the department and the School of Business. In Spring 2014 the department in association with the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC) and the Friends of Cinema Society celebrated a long evening of short Cypriot films, which participated in ISFFC s 2013 national competition segment; and a number of COMM students participated in the events of Cyprus Film Days International Film Festival either as members of the Student Jury or Mediazone s behind the scenes mini crews. While trying to embrace and enjoy change, I would like to acknowledge the collective effort and resilient spirit our faculty has demonstrated, especially in the face of uncertainty that often comes in the process of managing change. Exacerbated by the global economic recession and the financial crisis in Cyprus, students and parents are more demanding than ever about tertiary education. To rise above that challenge, in addition to striving for teaching excellence, our faculty is also encouraged to pursue research success. You will read about an impressive range of output from new books, journal articles, book chapters, research grants to training seminars for professionals. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation for the constant and close collaborations between the Department of Communications and Academic Affairs, Admissions, Student Advising and particularly, MediaZone and the Institute of Mass Media (IMM), two long standing partners of the department. I sincerely hope this spirit of collaboration will continue to enhance the strengths of the department and help the department move forward! Happy reading of the COMM-UNI-TY news and have a successful year! Dr. Tao Papaioannou Associate Professor Head of COMM Department 2

3 Η επαγγελματική κατάρτιση στη ψηφιακή εποχή Σήμερα, η ψηφιακή και τεχνολογική επανάσταση αλλάζει διαρκώς κάθε τομέα που αγγίζει με αποτέλεσμα οι οργανισμοί να προσαρμόζονται στις μεγάλες αλλαγές των εποχών, να εμφανίζονται νέες επαγγελματικές κατευθύνσεις και να παρατηρούνται σημαντικές ανακατατάξεις στα ήδη υπάρχοντα επαγγέλματα. Αυτό που παραμένει αδιάλλακτο σε κάθε περίπτωση είναι η επιτακτική ανάγκη των οργανισμών αυτών να οργανώνουν και να διαχειρίζονται την επικοινωνία τους. Επικοινωνία η οποία τους τοποθετεί στην αγορά, δημιουργεί σχέσεις με τα σημερινά κατακερματισμένα κοινά, χτίζει τη φήμη του οργανισμού, τους διαφοροποιεί από τον ανταγωνισμό, δίνει συνοχή στη ροή του λόγου και προσδίδει ανταγωνιστικό πλεονέκτημα. Η επικοινωνία είτε σε περιόδους οικονομικής ευφορίας είτε σε περιόδους οικονομικής σήψης είναι αναπόσπαστο κομμάτι των οργανισμών. Στο Πανεπιστήμιο Λευκωσίας και το Τμήμα Δημοσίων Σχέσεων, Διαφήμισης και Μάρκετινγκ, οι νέοι σήμερα, στο ταξίδι προς την επαγγελματική τους κατάρτιση, έχουν την ευκαιρία να ακολουθήσουν μια κατεύθυνση η οποία θα τους μετατρέψει σε άξια στελέχη αγοράς, θα τους δώσει την ευκαιρία να καινοτομήσουν και να βρουν θέσεις εργασίας ενώ παράλληλα θα μειώσει την ανασφάλεια της ανεργίας μετά την φοίτηση. Δρ. Νικόλας Νικολή Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Επικοινωνίας Αρχική Δημοσίευση: City Free Press 10/09/2014 Η επικοινωνία είναι αναγκαία σε startups και ώριμες επιχειρήσεις, οργανισμούς και σωματεία, σε πρόσωπα ή οργανωμένες πρωτοβουλίες. Ως κλάδος που χαρακτηρίζεται από δημιουργικότητα, στρατηγική και καινοτομία η επικοινωνία και κατ επέκταση οι δημόσιες σχέσεις αποτελούν τη ραχοκοκαλιά κάθε επιχειρηματικής λύσης. Σήμερα οι κοινωνίες βρίσκονται ανάμεσα σε δύο άκρα: από τη μια υπάρχουν οι επιχειρήσεις που πάσχουν από έλλειψη εξειδίκευσης στον τομέα της οργανωμένης επικοινωνίας και από την αντίπερα όχθη βρίσκονται οι νέοι επιστήμονες που καλούνται να βρουν επαγγέλματα που θα τους αναδείξουν και θα τους βοηθήσουν στην άμεση απορρόφηση στην αγορά. Τα μυαλά αυτά μπορούν με την επιλογή τους να σπουδάσουν επικοινωνία και δημόσιες σχέσεις να τύχουν επιστημονικής εξειδίκευσης και να απασχοληθούν με ως στελέχη επικοινωνίας και δημοσίων σχέσεων επιχειρήσεων με υψηλό ποσοστό επιτυχίας στην Κύπρο. 3

4 What the Experts Say The Spring 2014 Industry Professionals Guest Speaking Series Co-organized by the M.A. in Digital Media and Communications and the School of Business of the University of Nicosia The M.A. in Digital Media and Communications and the School of Business of the University of Nicosia organized the Spring 2014 What the Experts Say Industry Professionals Guest Speaking Series. This series included Linos Ermogenides, Marketing Manager of General Insurance of Cyprus; Nico Carpentier, Associate Professor, the Communication Studies Department of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB - Free University of Brussels) and at Charles University in Prague; and Silia Vassiliou, founding team member of SigmaLive and founder and Managing Director of 360 Digital Degrees. Each of the three speakers delivered a presentation to the students in the programs of MA in Digital Media and Communications and MBA in an area which they have been recognized by both their industry and academic peers as the expert. These three high caliber practitioners shared their professional expertise on cutting edge and urgent subjects in the context of the current economic and political situation in COMM MA students at the What the Experts Say series. Cyprus as well as their critical insights on the future of tertiary education from their professional perspectives. They also discussed their career reflection in relation to their contribution and new plans for their organizations and their thoughts on how programs such as UNIC s MA in Digital Media and Communications may increase student employability and prepare them for successful careers. 4

5 The COMM department goes cinema Crazy! A long Evening of Short Films The Department of Communications of the University of Nicosia celebrated filmmaking in Cyprus on Wednesday the 2nd of April at 7:00 p.m., in Cine Studio in association with the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC) and the Friends of Cinema Society. Theatre. ISFFC aims to promote the art of cinema, presenting a variety of short films coming from Cyprus and around the world. This cooperation represents the Communications Department s aims to further strengthen bonds between the academic, industry, and the film community in Cyprus. We hope this becomes a yearly event bringing everyone in touch with Cypriot cinema and our University! The films: Dead End (Tonia Mishiali), Adventure of the Soul (Stavros Papageorgiou), Up or Down (Yiorgos Koukoumas), 5 Ways 2 Die (Daina Papadaki), Dancing Landscapes (Yiannos Economou), Omikron Plus (Michalis Georgiades), First Love (Soteris Christou), Newborn (Paris El-Said), Domino Effect (Maria Papacharalambous, Achilleas Kentonis), Immortalizer (Marios Piperides), Whispers (Andreas Kyriacou), Neighbor (Kamil Saldum). This incredible collaboration brought to us the chance to screen all of the short films from Cyprus, originally screened at the ISFFC event at Rialto in Limassol. This opportunity brought out almost 250 film goers, directors, producers and many others! The International Short Film Festival of Cyprus was launched in 2011 and is the official short films festival of Cyprus, organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Cyprus and the RIALTO 5

6 The COMM department goes cinema Crazy! COMM Department Students Step into the World of Cyprus Film Days International Film Festival COMM Students (both Postgraduate and Undergraduate) formed the 2014 Cyprus Film Days Student Jury, which was established in Cyprus Films Days is the Island s biggest film festival; an annual event that showcases some of the best festival films and critically acclaimed commercial successes of the year. This year Cyprus Film Days screened film festival hits such as Omar (Hany Abu-Assad) and Miss Violence (Alexandros Avranas), and offered an interesting selection of films by promising film directors in its competition section, including Stratos by Cypriot filmmaker Yiannis Economides. The festival invited three leading film professionals to select the best films of this year s competition section, entitled Glocal Images. The three member international jury consisted of Martin Schweighofer (Εxecutive Director of the Austrian Film Commission and chairman of the Jury), Despina Mouzaki (producer- director) and the amazing Μania Akbari (director- actress). The Student Jury after a diligent and well-informed discussion decided to give the Student Jury Best Film Award to the audience favourite Life Feels Good (Maciej Pieprzyca). The award was announced by the Student Jury member Pamela Dube (COMM postgraduate student) during the closing ceremony of the festival. The students discovered art-house cinema, and the work of a younger generation of filmmakers whose films participated in the competition section of the festival titled Glocal Images. The student jury exchanged views on the stylistic choices and themes of the films screened at the festival and a number of them blogged about their experience. This exciting, but also demanding activity gave the opportunity to our students to interact with local and international filmmakers through discussions or interviews; the film judging itself was also a great experience as it gave the opportunity to students to discuss different films on a different level (cinema as a form of culture and not as entertainment) and within a different context. This process strengthened their understanding of film reading practices and of the narratives and aesthetics associated with non-commercial cinema. Dr. Costas Constandinides Assistant Professor, Department of Communications 6

7 The COMM department goes cinema Crazy! 28 Times Cinema 2013 In September 2013 I was elected as one of the European Union representatives at the 70th Venice International Film Festival as part of 28 Times Cinema, a Europa Cinemas project in partnership with the European Parliament. My day to day activities included watching a number of films shown at the festival, discuss them with my fellow European representatives and attend panel meetings with industry professionals.on the day of my arrival I had my first panel meeting at the Villa, where I met Giorgio Gosetti and the coordinators of the project from Europa Cinema, Cineuropa and the Lux Prize. After the introductory meeting, I had the chance to meet and ask Bruce La Bruce (Director of Gerontophilia) about his films and career. Courtesy of Damien Heraclides The next day I attended the press conference of the Miu-Miu project that is dedicated to female creativity. I also got the chance to explore different professions of a film festival by observing a Biennale press conference and discover the spaces of the Film Market. Throughout the next couple of days I attended different panel sessions where I met journalists and directors who were presenting their film at the Venice Days. Some of which were: Adrian Wootton (Film London), John Krokidas (Kill your Darlings), Frédéric Boyer (Tribeca Film Festival), Grayna Torbicka and Luciana Castellina (Journalists), Juno Mak (Rigor Mortis), Doris Pack and Silvia Costa (Members of the European Parliament), Giorgio Gosetti (Festival Director). Courtesy of Damien Heraclides I also had the opportunity to watch the three incredible movies competing for the Lux Prize and meet the directors the very next day: Clio 7

8 Activities Barnard (The Selfish Giant), Valeria Golino (Honey), Felix Van Groeningen (The Broken Circle Breakdown). To my surprise, many Hollywood celebrities attended the Venice film festival and I got the chance to see them walk the red carpet and even attend their film screening. Some of the celebrities I saw were Nicolas Cage, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hardy, Daniel Radcliffe, Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, James Franco among others. The 28 Times Cinema was an incredible experience for me, and at times, I still can t believe I was presented with that opportunity. I was able to talk to directors first hand and ask them how they got started in the industry and all the difficulties they may have had. I got to understand the industry better and experience the life and vibe of a film festival, which was extraordinary to say the least. The whole atmosphere was filled with energy and passion. I met film lovers from all over Europe whom I was able to discuss our common passion; film. After watching so many foreign films at the festival, I developed a certain fondness towards them. They are exceptionally story driven and manage to capture the audience and keep them hooked throughout the duration of the film.would I recommend the program to other people? Without doubt, it is definitely something film lovers should experience in their life. Being surrounded by industry professionals, celebrities and film buffs is inspiring and certainly boosts your creativity and curiosity to discover everything you can about this art form. I would relive the experience in a heartbeat. Damien Heraclides COMM Department Alumnus 8

9 Activities 28 Times Cinema 2014 Ένα τηλεφώνημα στα μέσα του Ιούνη άλλαξε τη ζωή μου! Είμαι άραγε τόσο τυχερή? Συγχαρητήρια! Έχετε επιλεγεί για να αντιπροσωπεύσετε την Κύπρο στο Φεστιβάλ Κινηματογράφου της Βενετίας. Στην αρχή δεν το πίστευα. Μόλις είχα τελειώσει τις σπουδές μου από το Πανεπιστήμιο Λευκωσίας στον κλάδο της επικοινωνίας. Ο κινηματογράφος η ζωή μου! Προορισμός λοιπόν η Ιταλία, 28 νέοι από όλη την Ευρώπη παρουσιάστηκαν στην πανέμορφη Βενετία για το Διεθνές Φεστιβάλ Κινηματογράφου Κόκκινα χαλιά, φώτα, κάμερες! Όλα έτοιμα για την έναρξη. Όλα άρχισαν από την στιγμή που έφτασα στην Villa Degli Autori όπου μας παραδόθηκε το πρόγραμμα ταινιών, καθώς και το πρόγραμμα των συνεντεύξεων με συντελεστές ταινιών, παραγωγούς και άλλους επαγγελματίες του κινηματογράφου. Τα 28 μέλη που αντιπροσώπευαν τις χώρες τους μαζί με τον Αργεντινό σκηνοθέτη Diego Lerman ορίστηκαν ως η κριτική επιτροπή για την επιλογή της καλύτερης ταινίας! Μέσα στις 10 μέρες του φεστιβάλ συναντήθηκε όλη η ομάδα περίπου 3 φορές για να συζητήσει τις ταινίες τις οποίες παρακολούθησε έτσι ώστε να καταλήξουν στην νικήτρια ταινία. Για να υπάρχει μια πιο ξεκάθαρη εικόνα η ομάδα έπρεπε να δει όλες τις ταινίες έτσι ώστε να αποφασίσει. 28 διαφορετικές κουλτούρες μέσα σε ένα δωμάτιο, 28 διαφορετικοί χαρακτήρες, 13 διαφορετικές ταινίες, δύσκολο να παρθεί μια απόφαση. Για πρώτη φορά στη ζωή μου θα βίωνα την εμπειρία του κόκκινου χαλιού όλοι ψιθύριζαν Αλ Πατσίνο! Δεν το πίστευα ότι θα είχα την ευκαιρία στα 5 μέτρα να δω ένα τόσο μεγάλο αστέρι του Χόλλυγουντ. Όλοι περίμεναν την άφιξη του. Η ώρα έφτασε, ένα μαύρο πολυτελές αυτοκίνητο πλησίαζε, ο Αλ Πατσίνο κοίταζε έξω από το παράθυρο και μας έκλεισε το μάτι! Το αυτοκίνητο σταμάτησε μπροστά μας κατέβηκε... όλα τα φώτα στραμμένα πάνω του! Η μεγάλη μέρα έφτασε, η κριτική επιτροπή έπρεπε να επιλέξει την ταινία που θα κέρδιζε. Στην τελευταία συνάντηση έπρεπε να επιλεγούν τρεις ταινίες μια από τις οποίες θα ήταν η νικήτρια. Ο ανταγωνισμός ήταν μεγάλος αφού επιλέχτηκαν οι ταινίες Between 10 to 12 από την Ολλανδία και 2 γαλλικές ταινίες το Return to Ithaca και το Les nuits d été (Summer Nights). Η ταινία που πήρε τους πιο πολλούς ψήφους ήταν το Return to Ithaca του Laurent Cantet. Μια παρέα ηλικίας 50 χρονών κάνει reunion σε μια ταράτσα. Η βραδιά ξεκινά χαρούμενα, με ποτά, τραγούδια, παλιές ιστορίες και πειράγματα. Ώσπου να φτάσει το πρωί, οι πέντε φίλοι θα έχουν κάνει μπάχαλο όχι μόνο τις δικές τους σχέσεις, αλλά και την ιστορία της χώρας τους. Το βραβείο συνοδεύεται και από το ποσό των ευρώ, το οποίο θα μοιραστούν ο Laurent Cantet μαζί με την εταιρεία που έχει αναλάβει τις διεθνείς πωλήσεις της ταινίας. Courtesy of Christiana Palaonta 9

10 Research and Publications Τις τελευταίες μέρες παρακολουθήσαμε τα έργα που προωθεί το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο, Lux Prizes στα οποία η βράβευση τους θα γίνει το Δεκεμβρίου του Πραγματικά η Ευρώπη νοιάζεται για τον κινηματογράφο, αγαπά τον κινηματογράφο και προσπαθεί να τον προωθήσει, δίνοντας ευκαιρίες στους ευρωπαίους να δημιουργούν καλλιτεχνικά. Ελπίζω κάποια από τα έργα που προβλήθηκαν στο Φεστιβάλ Βενετίας να επιλεγούν από το Cyprus Film Days Το υπέροχο και όμορφο αυτό ταξίδι στη Βενετία για το Φεστιβάλ κινηματογράφου, είναι μια εμπειρία που θα μου μείνει αξέχαστη και θα μου δώσει εφόδια να δουλέψω περισσότερο, έτσι ώστε να δημιουργήσω και εγώ με τη δική μου σειρά. Χριστιάνα Παλάοντα, Απόφοιτη Τμήματος Επικοινωνίας Courtesy of Christiana Palaonta 10

11 Research and Publications South Africa a whole world of arts in one country Attending a conference on Applied Ethnomusicology of the ICTM Study Group at The University of Fort hare, in East London, South Africa was a valuable experience as the country is so diverse from a musical and cultural perspective and the international contributors added even more to the diversity of content. My paper was on Music TV a course I teach at The University of Nicosia, and it was well received. Participants were impressed with the quality of our students work when a clip of documentary made by our students was screened. I was also fortunate enough, on invitation from The Standard Bank, to attend The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. This festival is Africa s equivalent of the Edinburgh Festival. It includes music, poetry, drama, visual art, multi-media works, street art, and dance. This year Grahamstown celebrated its 40th Anniversary as a hub for the arts in South Africa so it was a very special event that had a retrospective feel. More information on The Arts Festival here I also had a chance to visit the founder of the Art & Social Justice Conference, Jan Jordaan and artist/teacher Nivesh Rawathal in Durban. We are hoping next summer to organize the 4th Art & Social Justice Conference at The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. There is a lot of work to be done on this which starts from now, such as organization, planning, content, themes so 2015 will be another busy year, and hopefully, another trip to this beautiful country, South Africa. Dr. Michael Hajimichael Associate Professor, Department of Communications 11

12 Research and Publications Media and Civic Engagement among Youth Civic participation among youth has a powerful normative value for democracy. However, until recently, the interest among youth in public life has been steadily declining. Young people are described as politically apathetic as they are uninterested in the news media, unaware of national and international current affairs and indifferent about participating in the political process. One aspect of Tao Papaioannou s current research explores the role of media, particularly web 2.0 technologies in fostering civic interests and participation among youth. In 2013, Tao published a chapter entitled Media and civic engagement: The role of web 2.0 technologies in fostering civic participation among youth in the Routledge International Handbook of Children, Adolescents and Media Studies. This article specifically focuses on three issues: (1) reconceptualizing the very notion of civic participation so that it reflects the ways in which young people incorporate their civic interests and media content into their everyday lives; (2) examining whether and how children and teenagers make selective use of digital technologies for civic purposes in view of the participation opportunities that new media offer and the ways in which young people utilize online tools available to them; and (3) identifying strategies to further promote online civic participation among youth. Related to the topic, Tao Papaioannou also published, individually or in collaboration with other researchers, articles in three other books including Comparative Analysis of Media and Information Education Policies in Europe, Audience transformations: Shifting audience positions in late modernity and Arts and social justice: The media connection. 12

13 Research and Publications Horizon Project Europe Since 2013, Tao Papaioannou has been serving on the Horizon Project Europe s Expert Advisory Board. The Horizon Project Europe is a partnership between the New Media Consortium (NMC) and the European Commission s Directorates-General on Education and Culture (EAC), along with some leading European universities and research institutes in the field of educational technology studies. The goal of the project is to create an on-going process for understanding the trends and challenges impacting strategic technology planning and policymaking in education across Europe. The Horizon Project Europe s Expert Advisory Board provides vision and stimulus to the effort and has been of critical importance for identifying and describing key emerging technologies that will be influential for teaching, learning and creative expression in European schools over the next five years. In 2014, as one of the Advisory Board members, Tao Papaioannou contributed to three research reports which have been submitted to the European Commission s Directorates-General on Education and Culture (EAC). These Horizon Europe 2014 School Edition Reports include analyses and recommendations in three areas: important developments in educational technology(ed), key trends accelerating European Ed technology adoption and Significant challenges impeding European Ed tech adoption. 13

14 Research and Publications Journal Publication by COMM MA Student Hugo Enrique Olivos, a recent graduate of the MA program in Digital Media and Communications, has just published with Dr. Tao Papaioannou an article in the Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research ( view-article,id=18080/). Entitled Cultural identity and social media in the Arab Spring: Collective goals in the use of Facebook in the Libyan context, this article aims to analyse the role of cultural identity in facilitating civic participation and empowering citizens through the use of Facebook in the Libyan context. While the use of social media in articulating citizens actions and social change in the Arab Spring movement has challenged more traditional participation and public deliberation practices, important questions are emerging about the potential of the networked sphere to contribute to the democratic process in these countries. A content analysis of posts within three months in 2012 on three Libyan Facebook pages is performed in order to identify collective goals shared among the participants and their use of Facebook in reference to these objectives. The results reveal that new cultural values based on human rights and political freedom, in particular participation in free elections, are disseminated via Facebook, highlighting Libya s transition from an authoritarian regime towards democracy. Second, Facebook is used to serve these collective goals through promoting civic journalism, encouraging freedom of speech and facilitating participation in civic and political activities. Facebook also supports among Libyan citizens an inclusive discourse which recognizes equal representation of all regions in the country and its cultural and political significance in the emergence of a new democracy. Hugo is the first student in the MA program who has published an article in an international academic journal. Upon this success, he had decided to enter the doctorate program offered by the Department of Communications to further pursue his academic ambition! Vampire and Zombie Mythology Strikes Back Screening the Undead: Vampire and Zombies in Film and Television (I.B. Tauris, 2014) Volume Description: The vampire and the zombie, the two most popular incarnations of the undead, are brought together for a forensic critical investigation in Screening the Undead. Both have a long history in popular fiction, film, television, comics and games; the vampire also remains central to popular culture today, from literary paranormal romance to cult TV and movie franchises - by turns romantic, tortured, grotesque, countercultural, a goth icon or lonely outsider. The zombie can shamble or, nowadays, sprint with alarming velocity, and even dance. It frequently lends itself to metaphor and can stand in for fascism or ecological disaster, but is perhaps most frequently a harbinger and instrument of the apocalypse. Leading writers on Horror and cult media consider the sexy vampire and the grotesque zombie, as well as hybrid figures who do not fit neatly into either category. These are examined across a range of contexts, from the Swedish vampire to the Afro-American Blacula, from the lesbian vampire to the gay zombie, from the Spanish Knights Templar riding skeletal horses to dancing Japanese zombies. Screening the Undead sheds new light on these two icons of terror - and desire - whose popular longevity has taken them Beyond Life. Costas Constandinides chapter in the Screening the Undead volume focuses on the undead films of Guillermo Del Toro. On the one hand, Del Toro is a disobedient, border-crossing auteur with careers in Hollywood and Spanish-language cinema Constandinides contrasts the 14

15 Research and Publications reinvention of the undead in Cronos with the more franchise-friendly vampires of Blade 2, but finds in both the same interest in impure vampirism, the product of genetic engineering and biological engineering. Jesus, the undead protagonist of Cronos, is not a vampire in the traditional sense his need for blood is also connected to the bio-mechanical Cronos Device that keeps him alive after death. Constandinides finds the character rooted in biological transformation, fairy tale and magical realism. The film offers not the charismatic, seductive, all-powerful vampire but a protective grandfather, a figure sometimes rendered clownish, frail or abject, as in the signature sequence where he licks blood from a toilet floor, the aftermath of a nose bleed. ( Introduction: Sometimes They Come Back The Vampire and Zombie on Screen, Leon Hunt, Sharon Lockyer and Milly Williamson, 14). Para-adaptation: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Convergence Culture Costas Constandinides has also contributed an article to Adaptation journal s special issue on Adaptation, Transmedia Storytelling and Participatory Culture (Guest Editors: Pascal Nicklas and Eckart Voigts, 2013) In this article Constandinides attempts to explore the possibility of a call for para-adaptation studies as a basic discursive paradigm that may allow an engagement with amateur-created adaptations. Para-adaptation serves as a springboard to problematize further the enthusiastic call for the expansion of adaptation studies by bringing in the emerging debate of post-celluloid adaptations the cultural practice of vernacular creativity. This attempt develops from a re-examination of the terms paracinema and paratextuality since amateur creativity has a direct dialectic relationship with practices that are relevant to these terms. In order to offer a more detailed debate on the ways amateur creativity can contribute to the expansion of adaptation studies Constandinides uses amateur-made and industry-made renditions of the zombie mythology as case studies. Forthcoming Book Cypriot Cinemas: Memory, Conflict, and Identity in the Margins of Europe edited by Costas Constandinides and Yiannis Papadakis (Bloomsbury) Book Description: Cyprus, the idyllic island of Aphrodite, is better known as a site of conflict and division between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, rather than for its film production. Constandinides and Papadakis work to rectify this dearth of information by discussing the ouevre of filmmakers engaging with the island s traumatic legacies: 15

16 Research and Publications anti-colonial struggles, post-colonial instability, interethnic conflict, external interventions and war. Starting with the cinema of the 1960s, when the island became a republic, the collection focuses on the recent decades of filmmakers exploring issues of conflict, memory, identity, nationalism, migration and gender, as well as the work of filmmakers who chose to cooperate across the ethnic divide. Cypriot Cinemas utilizes a methodology that engages all necessary perspectives for an illuminating critical discussion: historical, theoretical and comparative (Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot films in relation to regional film cultures/practices). While the volume develops a discussion based on the reading of the political in Cypriot films, it also looks at other film cultures and debates such as (s)exploitation films and transnational cinema. - See more at: cypriot-cinemas /#sthash.xxfsxjhv.dpuf Reviews: This fascinating anthology is to be commended for its focus on a small unknown cinema in which we can see, as if through a magnifying glass, all the reoccurring nightmares of recent European history as well as the struggle to forge a common history, memory and understanding across divided identities and communities. What is so valuable about this volume is that it offers a very manageable case study of the varied roles film can play in shaping historical perception, memory and identity and at its best, opening up spaces of communication and dialogue that have been closed by civil war. Michael Wayne, Professor of Media and Communications, Brunel University, UK On-going Arts Research Project Dr. Rita C. Severis, an Art Historian and freelance researcher, and Dr. Marios Sarris, a Social Anthropologist in the Communications Department, have embarked on a common arts research project. Their primary aim is to produce a digitized sequence of descriptive texts that can illuminate the contents of a major arts collection. The collection which consists of over 2500 items (paintings, costumes and memorabilia) was painstakingly put together by Costas and Rita Severis over the last 30 years. In its material form, it will be exhibited by the Costas and Rita Severis Foundation in the Centre of Visual Arts and Research which has been established in Nicosia. As for the digitized website record, electronic access will be allowed to members of the scientific community and the wider public by the Costas and Rita Severis Foundation. The ultimate purpose of Dr. Severis and Dr. Sarris is to expand on the descriptive texts and co-author a book on the contents of the collection which includes about 1400 visual compositions. The book will not only serve as a catalogue with a permanent outlet in the Centre of Visual Arts and Research but it will appeal to a broader public with a number of detailed papers on issues pertaining to anthropology, art and history. 16

17 IMME (Mass Media Institute) Activities ΙΜΜΕ για το δημοσιογραφικό έργο του Κώστα Μόντη Το Ινστιτούτο Μέσων Μαζικής Επικοινωνίας (ΙΜΜΕ) του Πανεπιστημίου Λευκωσίας, αποφάσισε την οργάνωση ημερίδας για το δημοσιογραφικό έργο του αείμνηστου Κώστα Μόντη, το οποίο είναι παραγνωρισμένο, αλλά επίσης σημαντικό, με την ευκαιρία της συμπλήρωσης 100 χρόνων από τη γέννησή του. Η ημερίδα είναι προγραμματισμένη για την Παρασκευή, 24 Οκτωβρίου 2014 και έχει ως στόχο να προβληθεί ιδιαίτερα και η δημοσιογραφική δουλειά του μεγάλου μας λογοτέχνη, στα περιοδικά Θέατρο, Times of Cyprus και Πνευματική Κύπρος, τα ταξιδιωτικά του κείμενα στις εφημερίδες Ελευθερία και Πρωινή, η εκδοτική του προσπάθεια με την Ελευθέρα Φωνή και την Εμπορική, οι συνεργασίες του με τις εφημερίδες Έθνος, του Θεμιστοκλή Δέρβη και Κυπριακή, του Οδυσσέα Τσαγγαρίδη, καθώς και η αρχισυνταξία του στην εφημερίδα Τα Νέα, του Φάνου Ιωαννίδη. Στόχος του ΙΜΜΕ είναι όπως οι ανακοινώσεις στην ημερίδα, περιληφθούν στη συνέχεια σε ειδικό τόμο που θα εκδώσει. Δαμιανός Λαμπιδονίτης Λειτουργός Ερευνητής ΙΜΜΕ 17

18 Connect to Mediazone Mediazone 2014 Mediazone has been very busy over the last year. As an audio visual service support entity for the University Mediazone has produced more than a hundred audio / video multimedia items for a variety of purposes in the year We are the go to producers of media for the University of Nicosia as well as supporting the practical courses offered by the Department of Communications. We are involved in activities sponsored by the University and involve our students whenever possible. A selection of our work, our involvement with the Department, and with our students can be seen below. Mediazone Multimedia Designer Marios Tziakouris has produced outstanding work that spans from recently creating a Booklet for corporate social responsibility for the University, to creating the Unic Online support Promo video for Intercollege Larnaca. Coming up next Mediazone will be immersed in the University of Nicosia TEDx event. Mediazone undertakes the entire live video production of the event as well as all of all TEDx visual identity (logos, social media covers, posters, banners, booklets, leaflets etc). We will see you there in November! Dancing to the beat of House Music in Cyprus! On July 26 th Music TV, aired the first documentary on House Music in Cyprus, as part of the Communications Department course 417 (Music TV - on Air). As an industry and academic collaboration, Mediazone Lab Assistant Andreas Papatheodoulou took the lead in producing this documentary. Mediazone worked intensively in supporting this course and is proud to be the Producers of House Music in Cyprus. There were over viewers that tuned in during its on air summer premiere, during its time slot. Graduation live to tape production! Over 2500 audience members, over 650 Graduates, live on the internet and on screens setup at the event! A total of 14 Mediazone staff members, lab assistants, and volunteers made this year s production of 3 main Graduation events possible. Meticulous planning and interdepartmental cooperation made the University of Nicosia 2014 Graduation ceremonies comparable to those of any school around the world. This is stated with great confidence! See for yourself: Marlisco / Isotech Framework 7 Project Saving our beaches Our beaches are our greatest resource and our greatest inheritance. Cyprus is an island that is surrounded by Blue Flag Beaches. There are multiple seasonal and daily threats to this resource that most of us are simply unaware of. We take panoramic pictures to capture the beauty of a sunset at the beach, but how many of us have actually zoomed in to have a closer look? Mediazone, University of Nicosia is proud to support the MARLISCO project and inspire everyone to do what they can to stop littering on our beaches. Mediazone produced and directed a short video documentary on the state of our beaches, particularly Lara Beach in Paphos, home to hundreds of Loggerhead and Green Sea Turtles. Mediazone lab assistants also participated. Mediazone along with faculty member Dr. Costas Constandinides conducted a Film workshop in Limassol with high school students who were to participate in a video contest on saving our beaches. Mediazone worked with all of the teams closely to ensure their video submission was up to par. The videos were 18

19 Connect to Mediazone screened and the final winners were announced in Cine Studio here at Unic. Head of Mediazone John Ioannou and Dr. Costas Constandinides were also on the selection committee. The winning team went on to Bremen Germany to join other teams from around Europe. GET FAMOUS WITH FAMELAB!! The national talent competition which tries to find the best new talent in science communication, FameLab Cyprus, was successfully completed on the 13th of March at CINE STUDIO of University of Nicosia. Its aim was to encourage scientists, engineers, technologists and mathematicians to inspire and excite public imagination with a vision of science in the 21st century. The entrants had three minutes to impress the judges and the public by giving an entertaining and original oral presentation which can be in either Greek or English. For the third year Mediazone was the video production team behind the preliminaries. Hosted by Doxa Komodromou, this year s event included backstage footage of contestants as well as our packaged preliminary show. Mediazone student lab assistants and student volunteers helped make this event a success! The Social Media Show Mediazone s crew prepares for shooting, Lara Beach, Paphos. The Social Media Show is on air! Everyone s very excited to be a part of this show. Mediazone student assistants got a chance to get involved and be on air. Did you know that all three student personalities were Mediazone Student assistants? It was a chance for everyone involved to gain unique experiences, enhance their social media and communication skills and discover different aspects of themselves.each week, Lucia Protopapa, Julia Antoniou, Marios Vassiliou, our on-air personalities researched, wrote and got involved in all details required to bring you the most interesting and entertaining topics surrounding the virtual world of online! The show is hosted by Dr. Marcos Komodromos, Communications Department faculty, and Demetra Makriyianni.Mediazone and the University of Nicosia continue to support the show into the coming season! 19

20 Connect to Mediazone is proud to volunteer its time and resources for a second year in a row for such a worthy event, providing the multi camera video production element. Along with the Mediterranean Institute for Gender studies Mediazone captures the unforgettable moments that show us all that unity behind a just cause, will bring about change! High School Mediazone tours & workshops! The Show s on-air personalities: Lucia Protopapa, Marios Vassiliou and Julia Antoniou One Billion Rising Nicosia One Billion Rising, a global campaign that has joined people worldwide to end violence against women. It was successfully held on February the 26th, 2014 at the Mall of Cyprus. The rise for justice and the promotion of gender equality are just some of the important reasons hundreds of people came to show support on that day. Sometimes you have to just stand up and be counted...sometimes you just have to dance... Mediazone In our continuing effort to share Mediazone University of Nicosia to the rest of the community we are giving the opportunity to high school to tour our premises. Over one hundred high school students visited Mediazone in 2014 and almost 800 over the last three years. Along with Communications Department faculty Dr. Costas Constandinides, we introduce students to film, and then do a live television workshop giving students the thrill of feeling what it s like in a live studio environment. Our goal is to have Mediazone continue to be a place of creativity as the media hub of the University of Nicosia, and this includes bringing together some of our younger audiences. Mediazone wants to promote film and television as an emerging field in Cyprus. Students from different schools across two cities have become involved. They come see our facilities, ask questions and have new experiences. I think this sums it up: I enjoyed very much the presentation given by Mr. John who showed us different advertisements and explained to us how broadcasting is made I will put the promotional items given to us in my library as a memoire from this special day! (Georgia Demetriou) John Ioannou Head of Mediazone 20