News

ECREA supports the Public Service Media and Public Service Internet Manifesto

The European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) endorses the recently-launched Public Service Media and Public Service Internet Manifesto (http://bit.ly/psmmanifesto), a collective work of communication scholars and practitioners that calls for the safeguarding of the existence, funding, and independence of Public Service Media as well as the creation of a Public Service Internet.

Public Service Media have been under attack, which constitutes a threat to democracy. In addition, in light of developments such as online “fake news”, “post-truth culture” and the Cambridge Analytica Scandal, it is evident how the profit-driven model of the Internet contributes to the endangerment of democracy and the public sphere. The Manifesto calls for Public Service Internet platforms as not-for-profit alternatives to the digital giants that help advancing the democratic public sphere.

Initiated by ECREA members, the Manifesto has already been endorsed by over 600 communication scholars and professionals, including Jürgen Habermas and Evgeny Morozov. The Manifesto was also signed by presidents of two international communication research associations - the International Association for Media and  Communicaton Research (IAMCR) and European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA).

ECREA Public Statement Committee encourages ECREA members to support and sign the Manifesto: http://bit.ly/signPSManifesto

Dear ECREA Members,

the General Assembly of ECREA will convene at the 8th European Communication Conference to be held virtually during the forthcoming conference. The General Assembly will take place on 9 September 2021, 1.30 to 3 PM. The link to the General Assembly will be distributed to all ECREA members in due time.

Use this link to join the General Assembly: https://us06web.zoom.us/w/85484689583?tk=Svyg_nIkDWTItS6lqkWd3SDO6Cx2jTC2rfcZxQTSH6w.DQMAAAAT50jYrxZpNEpuTFQtb1RtU21Ka3FqWDhSSVRnAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&pwd=RjFSYlhUaWlBRDBVQjM3NWJhTVNCUT09

Agenda

1. ECREA Executive Board Report on state of association and activities 2018-21

2. The minutes of the previous General Assembly (7-11 June 2021) – online voting

3. Dissolution of the existing ECREA Executive Board – online voting

4. Brief reports on the Section, TWG and Network elections

5. ECREA Executive Board Elections: announcement of the results of the online elections of the new board (closed before opening of the General Assembly)

6. Any other business

We would like to invite all ECREA members to participate at ECREA General Assembly. Participation at the General Assembly will be open to all ECREA members, notwithstanding if the person is registered for the conference or not.

Types and methods of voting

There will be two important opportunities to vote during the ECC 2021: ECREA Executive Board Elections and voting on General Assembly items (S/N/TWG elections excluded). All ECREA members eligible to vote will receive comprehensive information and links for both votes in due time. Both votes will be open to all eligible ECREA members irrespective of whether the member is registered for the conference or not.

Who can vote?

Following our Statutes (see: https://ecrea.eu/Statutes) each individual member has one vote, and each coordinator of an institutional member has one vote that counts for five votes.

If you are an institutional coordinator, you should reach out to the members covered by your institutional membership and coordinate with them.

If you are an ECREA member through an institutional membership and you are not the institutional coordinator, you cannot vote, but need to communicate with your institutional coordinator. If you do not know who your institutional coordinator is, please ask Irena Reifová, the General Secretary of ECREA (generalsecretary@ecrea.eu).

The quorum

Please note that the ECREA Statutes (art. 10a) stipulates that “the General Assembly votes and elects by a simple majority of those present and represented. In the case of a tie, the vote of the President or of the Board member replacing the President will be decisive.”

The Series Editors Göran Bolin, Christina Holtz-Bacha and Simone Tosoni invite the submission of book proposals for the Routledge Studies in European Communication Research and Education Series.

DEADLINE (EXTENDED): October 4, 2021

The Book Series aims to provide a diverse overview of the work of ECREA members and working groups, showcasing

- diversity of topics and areas within the field of contemporary media and communication research, and

- addressing this diversity from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives, and

- promoting collaborative research of our members, either within or between ECREA Sections, Networks and Temporary Working Groups (S/N/TWGs).

NEW SERIES FEATURE - OPEN ACCESS

We are glad to announce that from this year onwards the top-ranked proposal will be published as an OPEN ACCESS book.

The editors select up to five proposals for publication in the series within one call. The top-ranked proposal will be published as an open access book and, thus, be freely available to the academic community. Other selected proposals will be published as printed books, but a range of open access options will be available for other volumes or individual chapters provided the authors are able to cover the open access costs. For more information on the open access options send inquiries to info@ecrea.eu.

WHAT are we looking for?

ECREA Book Series Publications need to have a clear theme or focus. Authors are strongly advised to outline the focus of the book and its framework in the abstract of the introductory chapter (see our submission form). The structure of the book (division of sections and chapters) should be in line with the proposed framework. Although the series is open to a wide diversity of disciplines and subjects, editors will consider the potential audience of a proposed book and previous publications on the topic within the Book Series.

ECREA Book Series Publications aim to promote European media and communication research. We are, therefore, seeking proposals, which have a strong European dimension either by virtue of inclusion of regionally and ethnically diverse voices and cases, or by virtue of comparative research. Proposals should attempt to bridge the divides between regional and linguistic academic communities and strive to secure regional (East/West/North/South) balance of contributors or analysed cases. Proposals can include a limited number of authors who are not ECREA members (see details below).

ECREA Book Series Publications aim to promote collaborative research. The series is for edited volumes only. Single-author monographs are not considered for publication. Proposals resulting from the activities within ECREA S/N/TWGs as well as those originating from collaboration between ECREA S/N/TWGs are particularly encouraged. Proposals resulting from S/N/TWGs events or international projects are welcomed if thematic coherence and European dimension of the topic are made clear. Proposals where the chapters come from members of one institution or predominantly from one national academic community are not considered for publication.

We are seeking original, previously unpublished work. Inclusion of previously published work is accepted under condition that the work has previously not been published in English or was published in now mainly inaccessible outlets. In such cases, editors of accepted proposals will be required to acquire permissions to translate or republish the work (without any extra costs to the Book Series).

WHO is invited to submit?

The book series primarily promotes the work of ECREA members although a degree of openness towards non-ECREA members is also considered to add value to the Book Series.

At least 50% of the chapters need to originate from ECREA members (individual members, or members through an institutional membership). At least one of the editors needs to be an ECREA member. These conditions need to be met by the time the proposal is accepted for publication.

Please note that ECREA Executive Board members cannot be editors of the books in ECREA book series, but can serve as authors of the chapters. The Book Series editors cannot contribute to the content of the books in the ECREA book series in any way.

What is the DEADLINE for submissions?

Proposals are to be sent to the series editors by email to info@ecrea.eu by the 4th of October 2021.

HOW to submit the proposal?

Proposals are submitted using Book Series form. Only this form can be used for submitting a book proposal; applications that do not use this form will not be considered. Please note that the proposal should include a detailed abstract of each chapter including introductory and potential closing chapters.

Download the form here.

QUESTIONS and queries?

Should you have any further questions concerning the Book Series call, please email Wave 18 Series Editor Galina Miazhevich at info@ecrea.eu.

If you have problems accessing the documents, please email us at info@ecrea.eu.

ECREA protests against political attacks on academic freedom and is deeply concerned about the erosion of academic freedom in Denmark

The European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) is deeply concerned about the erosion of academic freedom in Denmark and the mounting political attacks on particular research areas within the fields of social sciences and humanities.

On 1 June 2021 the Danish Parliament adopted a statement on ‘Excessive activism in certain research environments’, calling upon universities to ensure “that the self-regulation of scientific practice is working” and that “there should be no standardization of research in order to produce politics disguised as science”.

A number of academics, particularly those working in the fields of race, gender, migration, and post-colonial studies, have been publicly attacked by both Danish politicians and media outlets in ways that by far surpass legitimate public debate and critique. The attacks have resulted in a number of academics withdrawing from public debates and even filing for legal protection. ECREA members and academics working in the field of media and communication research were among academics who were pressured or publicly attacked by the media, politicians and public figures.

In an open letter, signed by over 3000 academics, the statement adopted by the Danish parliament has been described as a culmination of “political campaign against targeted research environments by a number of politicians and public figures across the political spectrum” which include not only social sciences and humanities but also technical and natural sciences. It is particularly worrying that the support for public pressure on critical research comes from across the political spectrum, that the government is openly critical of research which does not support its policies and that the Ministry of Higher Education And Science has not defended the autonomy of scientific research.

ECREA fears that the apparent political consensus on the undesirability of critical research, indicated by the majority support for the statement (72 out of 96 cast votes), will lead to intensification of what is described by our members as a growing culture of fear and will lead to withdrawal from public debate, self-censorship or worse, decline of critical research on politically sensitive topics. This seems particularly likely given the number of precariously-employed academics in Denmark. Such developments would be detrimental not only on development of science but on the state of democracy in Denmark.

The current state of affairs – not only Covid 19 pandemic but the looming economic, environmental and humanitarian crisis – has highlighted the necessity and benefits of free and critical scientific research. Scientific autonomy from political and religious power has developed for a reason and the list of cases where political silencing of critical research has resulted in societal and environmental failures is already too long.

ECREA sees positions, such as the one adopted by Danish parliament on 1 June 2021, as systemic attacks on academic freedom and calls the Danish parliament to stop political attacks on autonomy of scientific research. It also calls the Danish Minister of Higher Education and Science, Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen, to actively act in favour of the independence of scientific research and higher education institutions in Denmark.

In the light of this, ECREA would also like to express its support to our Danish members and colleagues.

ECREA Election Committee consisting of Alenka Jelen and Miguel Vicente invites candidacies for members of ECREA Executive Board for the upcoming election period.

The candidacies should include:

1) a brief position statement,

2) a short CV,

3) a statement specifying if you wish to become a candidate for one of the statutory positions (President, Vice-President, Treasurer or General Secretary), and

4) the scan or photograph of passport or identity card.

The deadline for sending your candidacy and all documents is 9 July 2021.

The documents should be sent by email to: info@ecrea.eu.

The candidacies (position statements, CVs and candidacy statements) will be made public by the election committee one month prior the elections at the latest.

The General Elections will take place during online General Assembly organised at 8th European Communication Conference on 9 September 2021. The new Executive Board will be elected for the period 2021 – 2024.

How do ECREA elections work: Elections of ECREA Executive Board take place in two stages. During the first stage, ECREA members are invited to nominate themselves for Executive Board positions. During the General Assembly at an ECC conference, ECREA members (individual members and institutional co-ordinators) elect up to 12 members of ECREA Executive Board.

The elected Executive Board members then organise a vote for positions of the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer and the General Secretary.

In the second stage, the call for representatives of Sections, Networks and Temporary Working Groups is organised. The candidates come from management teams of Sections, Networks and Temporary Working Groups and are elected by members of respective management teams.

Legal provisions: For detailed information and procedures concerning ECREA elections you can consult Title III and Title IV of ECREA Statutes (https://ecrea.eu/Statutes) and Title I of ECREA Bylaws (https://ecrea.eu/Bylaws). If less than 3 candidacies will be submitted, the Call for ECREA Executive Board Members will be repeated and the election period of the existing Executive Board will be extended by 6 months to organise the elections.

More information: Should you have any questions concerning the Executive Board elections send your inquiries to info@ecrea.eu.

The Bureau of the Executive Board (composed of Ilija Tomanić Trivundža, John W. Downey, Irena Reifová and Pawel Surowiec) organized a General Assembly on 7-11 June 2021. The voting at the General Assembly was organised through an on-line voting tool.

The agenda was the following:

1. Approval of the minutes of the previous General Assembly (25-29 May 2020)
2.  Vote upon the ECREA Executive Board Report 2020
3.  Any other business
   

563 ECREA Working Members (individual members and coordinators of institutional members) had the right to vote. Each individual member has one vote and each institutional coordinator has five votes. The 201 votes cast by 73 individual members and institutional coordinators represent 12% of all possible votes.  Annual report for 2020 and Minutes of the previous General Assembly were approved.

ECREA is happy to inform you that the Gender and Communication Thematic Section has changed the name to Gender, Sexuality and Communication. Management team believes that this name will represent the true spirit of the section as it evolves in the last years.

"Our section aim is to be an inclusive group that works on communication using a particular lens (and sensibility) that comes from gender studies. Sexuality studies, as well as porn studies and the other fields connected to gender and sexuality, now, are intrinsically contained within the label Gender, but we think that it could be better to express that the sections have a broader view about the field also inserting the term ‘Sexuality’. From our point of view, this kind of change will permit to more scholars to identify themselves with the section and will express that Gender and Sexuality are both important topics that the section wants to use as pillars in its structure."

With great sorrow we remember Filip Láb, head of the Department of Journalism at Charles University Prague, whose work, often in close collaboration with colleagues, extended and broadened our knowledge of photojournalism, photographic ethics, and the impact of digitization on photographic practices. Filip Láb was exceptionally active internationally, and a speaker and participant in a wide range of international conferences focusing on photography, journalism and media and communication research. Láb's presence was special, he was attentive, generous, with a keen interest in his colleague's work, and is warmly regarded by members of the ECREA Section Visual Cultures. A life too early lost, we mourn his sudden passing and send our deepest sympathies and condolences to his family and close friends.

Filip Láb was also guarantor of doctorial study programmes, former Vice-Dean, chairman of the legislative commission, long-time senator of the Academic Senate and member of the Research Board at Charles University Prague. He was also the head of a local branch of European Journalism Observatory.

Láb was cherished as a lecturer by his visual studies and photography students. Many of them joined together to establish a memorial place of flowers and candles in front of the school building in Prague. The ECREA Section Visual Cultures remembers and honours Filip Láb's life, whose presence will be deeply missed in the future.

Photo: Barbora Součková

The 2021 ordinary General Assembly of ECREA opens on Monday 7 June (6:45 CEST) and will close on Friday 11 June (23:45 CEST) 2021. We invite all the members, who are eligible to vote, to participate and cast their votes online.

The Assembly deals with a number of important issues, such as Approval of ECREA Executive Board Report for 2020.

WHO CAN VOTE

Please note that only individual members and institutional coordinators are entitled to vote. If you are a member through an institution, you do not have the right to vote but need to communicate to your institutional coordinator. If you do not know who your institutional coordinator is, please ask ECREA’s Office Manager at info@ecrea.eu. In line with ECREA Statutes, each individual member has one vote and each coordinator of an institutional member holds five votes.

All members, who are eligible to vote will receive a separate email with voting credentials and a link to dedicated online area when the General Assembly opens.

ECREA is pleased to announce the publication of the new book from the Routledge Studies in European Communication Research and Education Series. The edited collection Gender and Sexuality in the European Media. Exploring Different Contexts Through Conceptualisations of Age brings together original empirical and theoretical insights into the complex set of relations which exist between age, gender, sexualities and the media in Europe.

The book was edited by Cosimo Marco Scarcelli, Despina Chronaki, Sara De Vuyst, Sergio Villanueva Baselga.

Read more HERE.

Purchase the book HERE.

Don´t forget that members can buy the books from the series (and other Routledge books in the field of media and communication studies) with a 20% discount by using the code available on ECREA intranet under ‘member-only offers’.

Routledge Studies in European Communication Research and Education Series provides a diverse overview of the collaborative work of ECREA members and groups, showcasing diversity of topics and areas within the field of contemporary media and communication research.