{"id":2349,"date":"2020-02-19T14:43:14","date_gmt":"2020-02-19T13:43:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nordmedianetwork.org\/?post_type=news&p=2349"},"modified":"2026-03-31T08:28:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T06:28:02","slug":"operation-rescue-finns-to-host-iamcr-conference","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/nordmedianetwork.org\/fr\/latest\/news\/operation-rescue-finns-to-host-iamcr-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"Operation Rescue: Finns to Host IAMCR Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak made it impossible for IAMCR to continue plans for the upcoming conference in Beijing, but the bold and creative Kaarle Nordenstreng came to the rescue with his colleagues in Tampere, offering to host the conference on the original dates only five months away. The new local organising committee will include veteran conference planners from the 2017 NordMedia Conference held in Tampere.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tKristin Clay\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n \n Managing Editor – University of Gothenburg, Sweden – Nordicom <\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

On 12 February, and after some withdrawals of participants, Mobile World Congress, the biggest mobile trade show in the world, cancelled their 2020 event<\/a>, citing \u201cglobal concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) had a different response. Their upcoming conference, Reimagining the Digital Future: Building Inclusiveness, Respect and Reciprocity<\/em> (12\u201316 July) was originally scheduled to be held at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Now, it will be held in Tampere, Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak worsened, IAMCR quickly issued a\u00a0statement<\/a>\u00a0acknowledging the outbreak, giving assurances that the recommendations of health authorities and organisations are being closely followed, and affirming that the safety and well-being of attendees is the priority.\u00a0Janet Wasko<\/strong>, from the University of Oregon and president of the IAMCR organising committee, reiterated that they\u00a0were \u201cwatching very closely, together with the local organising committee in Beijing, and have not closed or delayed registration\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the outbreak showed no signs of abating, spreading to 26 countries in a month<\/a>, Kaarle Nordenstreng<\/strong>, Professor Emeritus at Tampere University, came up with a solution together with his colleagues in Tampere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 This is really a lucky coincidence, and my role was just to ask a crazy question in early February: Could we materialise in this emergency situation the old loose idea to invite a major international conference in our field to Tampere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From that moment, Professor Nordenstreng made a call to Tampere Hall booking office and found out to his surprise that there was vacancy \u2013 normally they are booked about two years in advance. An hour later the Visit Tampere office confirmed that local hotels can accommodate a thousand people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 Sinikka Torkkola<\/strong>, Senior Research Fellow, and Iiris Ruoho<\/strong>, Head of Unit for Communications Sciences, were indispensable in making the crazy question into a feasible plan, Nordenstreng says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iiris Ruoho immediately informed the dean, and more people joined, to form the new local organising committee: Marko Ala-Fossi<\/strong>, Pekka Isotalus<\/strong>, Kaarina Nikunen<\/strong>, Mikko Hautakangas<\/strong>, and Teija Waaramaa<\/strong>, all of Tampere University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Nordenstreng has been an IAMCR member since the 1960s. In 1972 he was selected as vice president of the IAMCR and held this position until 1988. Thereafter, he headed the professional education section of IAMCR until 1998, after which he has served on the Scholarly Review Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NordMedia 2017 venue<\/h2>