January 11, 2020

The Queens Hotel, Leeds, United Kingdom

Deadline for abstracts: October 15, 2019

It is an unobjectionable fact that media participate in the formation of our daily lives by creating identities, images, and by generally influencing our views. This applies not only to politics (i.e. political campaigns) but also to the formation of how we see ourselves and others. Popular culture, on the other hand, also affects our daily lives by fostering images and ideologies, and by selling a way of life that is presented as acceptable or non-acceptable.

However, in recent years there has been a decrease in the trust in mainstream media which has come under criticism for bias and discriminatory representation while social media has become a platform for influencing the public. While it is still the content from the mass media that is being shared on social media and while it is still the mass media that set the agenda, the public has started to selectively join various groups on social media platforms, thus creating forums for exchange of information which is not always factual and there is lots of space for manipulation.

The media system is thus changing and with the proliferation of fake news and alternative websites offering alternative facts, we live in the age of propaganda and wars for the dissemination of information. In addition, growing anti-intellectualism and populism in the West, especially promoted by the Far-Right politicians and activists, means that many members of the public dismiss information from experts who are seen as elites and thus not trustworthy. All of this created a situation in which many do not trust official sources of information and the public is more prone to propaganda than ever.

Popular culture has also been in the spotlight in regards to Oscars and the fact not many black films obtain awards and that not many women obtain awards for film directors. Thus, the criticism is that the film production is still predominantly white and male, while other voices and narratives struggle to enter this arena. The social media movement has changed this to an extent by bringing criticism to Oscars and similar awards, and the mainstream media have picked up on this criticism, thus attracting anger from the Far-Right viewers who turned to social media sphere and alternative websites to look for places where PC and human rights are directly challenged and misinterpreted.

Papers are invited (but not limited to) for the following panels:

• Trust in the media
• Fake news and alternative websites
• Far Right and the Media
• Donald Trump and the Media
• Media Bias
• Media representation
• Social media and information exchange
• Social media and politics
• Representation in Popular Culture
• TV shows and identity
• Film and identity
• Audience studies
• History of media and popular culture
• Oscar awards and women
• Social media movements for equality in popular culture
• Women and Film
• Women Film Directors

Prospective participants are also welcome to submit proposals for their own panels. Both researchers and practitioners are welcome to submit proposals.

Submissions of abstracts (up to 500 words) with an email contact should be sent to Dr Martina Topić (martinahr@gmail.com) by 15 October 2019. Decisions will be sent by 15 November 2019 and registrations are due by 25 December 2019.

The conference fee is GBP 180, and it includes the registration fee, conference materials and meals for a whole day of the conference.

Centre for Research in Humanities and Social Sciences is an organisation originally founded in December 2013 in Croatia. Since July 2016 the Centre is registered in Leeds, UK.

Participants are responsible for finding funding to cover transportation and accommodation costs during the whole period of the conference. This applies to both presenting and non-presenting participants. The Centre will not discriminate based on the origin and/or methodological/paradigmatic approach of prospective conference participants.