Although I’d always been aware of Roger Silverstone’s work in media studies, for some reason, I had managed to virtually ignore him until I came across his last book, Media and Morality. And even then – somewhat embarrassingly – my attention was piqued by the mere fact that the book’s subtitle (on the rise of the mediapolis) used the same concept (if in name only) as the Mediapolis event I co-organized in 2008.

Since then, however, I’ve developed a growing appreciation of Silverstone’s importance not just to ‘media studies’ but a quite broad and fruitful sense of what it might mean to study media (as well as ‘the media’). So it’s nice to see that the School of Media, Film and Music at Sussex has put together an event around the work of Roger Silverstone, who passed away in 2006. The event goes along with the university’s naming of a new ‘Silverstone Building’.

The event takes place on January 20th, 2010 (12:30 – 18:00 followed by a reception) at the University of Sussex, Silverstone Building (Room 309). Speaking at the event are Nick Couldry (Goldsmiths), Leslie Haddon (LSE), Andy Medhurst (Sussex), Robin Mansell (LSE), Marie Gillespie (OU), Lilie Chouliaraki (LSE), Maren Hartmann (Berlin University of the Arts), Matt Hills (Cardiff), Myria Georgiou (LSE), Irmi Karl (Brighton) and Kate Lacey (Sussex). 

The event is free and open to all, but the email invite I received asked for RSVPs to Sarah Maddox as soon as possible (s.maddox@sussex.ac.uk) if you plan to attend.