ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

School of English, Media and Creative Arts (SEMCA), University of Galway

Applications are invited for a full-time, funded PhD scholarship in Journalism and Media at the University of Galway. This position is co-funded by Research Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Met Éireann, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

Project Description:

The PhD is part of a project titled Tackling Climate Misinformation in Ireland (CLiME). The project explores how misleading claims, delay discourses, and climate-sceptic arguments—especially around agricultural decarbonisation—are reproduced and normalised in Irish news media and public discourse.

The PhD researcher will help identify such claims in news coverage and examine how journalistic practices contribute to the spread of misinformation. The project aims to build an evidence base for climate policy misinformation in Ireland and develop resources for journalists and communication professionals.

Supervisors: Dr Brenda McNally (PI), Professor Karyn Morrissey
Location: Moore Institute for the Humanities and Social Studies, University of Galway
Start Date: 1st September 2025
Stipend: €25,000/year (tax-exempt)
Duration: 4 years (includes funding for tuition fees, computer, travel, and summer schools)

Academic Requirements:

• MA/MSc (2:1 or higher) in Media and Communications, Journalism Studies, Political Science, Social Sciences, or a related field

• Strong interest in misinformation, journalism, or climate communication

Essential Criteria:

• Master’s degree (2:1 or equivalent)

• Independent research ability

• Motivation and excellent communication skills

• Fluent in spoken and written English

• Teamwork skills

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in climate communication or misinformation studies

• Experience working in a research team

To Apply:
Email a single PDF containing your CV, cover letter, and two academic references to:
brenda.mcnally@universityofgalway.ie
Filename should include your name and “CLiME”.

Cover Letter Guidelines:

• Academic awards/scholarships (max 300 words)

• Previous research experience (max 500 words)

• Motivation for the PhD and relevance to CLiME (max 1000 words)

• Other relevant info (max 500 words)

• Two full references (not “available on request”)

Deadline: 6 June 2025, 17:00 (Irish time)
Keywords: Climate Communication, Misinformation Studies, News Media Analysis, Political Communication, Environmental Communication

October 17-19, 2025

Cairo, Egypt

Deadline: June 15, 2025

In today’s high velocity digital media markets and accelerating AI revolution, competence in management and leadership are critical success factors. It is especially important to develop mastery in leveraging creativity as a strategic resource for strengthening competitive advantages in company processes, products, market relationships, and business models. The complexity of digital disruption makes innovation and creativity a necessity for long-term sustainability. Company success requires competencies in emerging digital technologies and fostering organizational cultures that encourage experimentation, agility and respect for ethical responsibilities. Strategic managers are challenged with demands to rethink orientations, practices, and structures, to redesign business models, and to boost productivity by improving efficiencies that can be gained by harnessing AI technologies. Doing so raises ethical and legal issues pertaining to intellectual property rights and managing human creativity. 

The International Media Management Academic Association (IMMAA) invites submissions for its 19th Annual Conference, hosted by The American University in Cairo (AUC), October 17–19, 2025. Join global scholars and industry leaders to explore “Managing Innovation and Creativity for Sustainability in Media Companies” in the dynamic setting of Cairo, Egypt. Read full call for papers here (www.immaaegypt.com)  

KEY THEMES

Topics include (but are not limited to):

• Innovation in media management theory/practice
  
• AI-driven business analytics & ethical frameworks
  
• Leadership for creativity and organizational agility
  
• Evolving media business models & market strategies
  
• Cross-cultural management challenges
  
• Media policy, regulation, and sustainability
  
• Advances in advertising, marketing, and digital tech

IMPORTANT DATES

• June 15, 2025: Abstract/panel proposal deadline
  
• July 7, 2025: Acceptance notifications
  
• July 7 – Sept 15: Early registration
  
• Oct 17–19: Conference dates
  

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Papers: Extended abstracts (750–1,000 words) outlining focus, methods, and relevance to media management.

Panels: 300-word proposal + 300-word abstracts per presentation + panelist bios.

Submit via email to: immaaegypt2025@aucegypt.edu (Double-blind peer-reviewed). 

Discounted rates for global participation. Full details on conference website.

WHY ATTEND?

Engage with cutting-edge research and industry insights.

Network in Cairo—home to the Pyramids, Nile cruises, and a vibrant cultural scene.

Hosted by AUC, a leading MENA institution with world-class facilities. 

LINKS & CONTACT

Conference website: https://immaaegypt.com

IMMAA website: www.immaa.org

Questions? Email: immaaegypt2025@aucegypt.edu

Join us to advance media management scholarship amid Cairo’s historic wonders!

Best regards,

IMMAA 2025 Organizing Team

The American University in Cairo

#IMMAA_Egypt | Follow updates @immaaegypt2025

Edited by: Neil Thurman, Imke Henkel, Sina Thaesler-Kordonouri and Richard Fletcher

This report is based on a survey conducted between September and November 2023 with a representative sample of 1,130 UK journalists, a follow-up to a similar survey in 2015 (Thurman et al. 2016). The survey was carried out as part of the third wave of the Worlds of Journalism Study project. Our analysis of the survey data and of over 200 other relevant sources of information has produced numerous findings.

This report documents increased precarity in the profession with a shift away from permanent contracts and growth in the number of freelancers, lingering inequalities between specific groups in terms of pay and seniority, the continued adoption of new technologies that bring benefits but also exacerbate risks, and changing conceptions of roles, ethics, and journalism’s relationship with society.

ECREA members can access the publication open access here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/uk-journalists-2020s

November 26-28, 2025

University of Napoli, Italy

Deadline: June 30, 2025

In an era marked by rapid globalization, digital transformation, and shifting socio-political landscapes, contemporary Canada faces evolving challenges and opportunities in fostering stability and belonging while addressing divisions and conflicts (Simpson 2020; Coulthard 2021).

Canada has long been seen as a bridge between different cultures, identities, and geopolitical forces, yet barriers - both historical and contemporary - persist in shaping its national discourse. The complexities of Indigenous reconciliation efforts, the legacy of residential schools and land rights disputes (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 2015); regional disparities between provinces, particularly regarding economic development and resource distribution (Banting & Thompson 2023); linguistic tensions between English and French-speaking communities (Sioufi & Bourhis 2018); the outbreak and escalation of global conflicts, resulting in further divisions and negotiations; the evolving discourses on ethnicity, cultural diversity and gender equality which resonate in contemporary struggles for resistance and transformation (Abu-Laban 2023); the effects of migration and multiculturalism that shape urban and rural communities, raising questions about integration, identity, and policy responses (Li 2023). Canada's reputation as a welcoming nation for immigrants coexists with growing debates on border security, asylum policies, and systemic discrimination. Moreover, digital and physical infrastructures increasingly impact access to services, exacerbating socio-economic inequalities in an era of rapid technological advancement.

Canada’s dual role as a place of connection and disconnection is therefore evident. The Conference seeks to explore the multifaceted ways in which Canada engages with the notions of connection and separation across cultural, political, linguistic, economic, and social spheres. We invite proposals that critically examine the factors that build bridges and create barriers in contemporary Canadian society, from a range of disciplines in the wider field of the Humanities. We encourage interdisciplinary approaches as well as geographic, historical, sociological, legal, literary, linguistic and cultural perspectives.

Proposals may address (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• Indigenous sovereignty, reconciliation, and self-governance

• Bilingualism and multilingualism: policies, identities, and challenges

• Immigration, multiculturalism, and social integration

• Climate change, environmental justice, and Indigenous perspectives

• Digital and physical infrastructures: access, exclusion, and connectivity

• Cultural production and artistic expressions of belonging and alienation

• Social movements and activism: building solidarities or reinforcing divides

• The role of education in shaping national identity

• Inclusion and accessibility: policies, challenges, and opportunities

• Literature and narratives of connection and disconnection

We encourage both theoretical and empirical approaches. Submissions from graduate students and early-career researchers are also welcome.

The official languages of the conference: Italian, English and French

Submission Guidelines:

Abstracts should be no more than 250 words and be accompanied by a brief biographical note (100 words). Please submit your proposals by June 30 to aiscnapoli2025@gmail.com

Notifications of acceptance will be sent by July 15.

For further inquiries, please contact aiscnapoli2025@gmail.com

Works cited

Abu-Laban, Y. (2023). Contemporary Canadian Multiculturalism and Racial Justice. UBC Press.
Banting, K., & Thompson, D. (2023). Inequality and the Future of the Canadian Federation. University of British Columbia Press.
Coulthard, G. (2021). Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition. University of Minnesota Press.
Li, P.S. (2023) Deconstructing Canada’s discourse of immigrant integration. Int. Migration & Integration 4, 315–333
Simpson, L. (2020). As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom Through Radical Resistance. University of Minnesota Press.
Sioufi, R., & Bourhis, R. Y. (2018). Acculturation and Linguistic Tensions as Predictors of Quebec Francophone and Anglophone Desire for Internal Migration in Canada. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 37(2), 136-159.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2015). Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Lorimer.

November 27-28, 2025

Brussels, Belgium

Deadline: June 15, 2025

An international scientific symposium and stakeholder workshop organised by the Belgian Pandemic Intelligence Network (BE-PIN)

This event wants to bring together the research traditions connected to evidence-informed policy-making (EIPM): science communication research, risk communication, political communication, organisational communication, knowledge exchange, journalism studies, crisis management and political sciences.

We welcome empirical and theoretical contributions with a special focus on the communication processes for EIPM in the context of the management of crises such as pandemics and other emergencies (natural disasters or incidents involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear agents, usually grouped under the acronym CBRN).

In those contexts, we propose to analyse two intertwined levels of communication that are crucial to understand: 1) the organisation of scientific knowledge exchange between a diversity of stakeholders (amongst others: researchers, professionals, knowledge brokers, interest organisations and policy-makers); and 2) public communication explaining the policy decisions and managing the risks produced by public administrations, university press offices, scientists, journalists, etc.

Themes:

• Science communication as part of crisis management

• From (scientific) evidence to decisions: the communication processes of EIPM related to crisis preparedness and response

• Public communication of (evidence-informed) policy during a crisis

• Citizen perspectives on and expectations of public policy communication during crises

• Ethics and governance of EIPM in crisis times

• Professional knowledge and competences for an efficient EIPM ecosystem

Participation to the event will be free of charge for those presenting accepted papers.

Please submit a 300-word abstract, indicating the theme you want to contribute to, by 15 June 2025 to ingrid.van.marion@ulb.be

Location and program details will be available at the BE-PIN research project website once the selection of papers has been made:
https://www.pandemicintelligence.be/event-details/getting-ready-for-trouble

Special Issue of International Journal of Communication (IJoC)

Deadline: End of June 2025

The Open Society Hub for the Politics of the Anthropocene (Central European University, Austria) and the Disinformation Research Cluster (University of Sheffield, UK) are pleased to invite submissions for a Special Issue of International Journal of Communication (IJoC) on the theme of “Climate Disinformation: European and Global Perspectives”, to be published by July 2026.

Climate-related disinformation, ranging from climate change denialism to conspiratorial narratives about decarbonisation, remains a serious obstacle to effective climate action. This disinformation is often amplified by networks involving politicians, think tanks, politically motivated organisations, and anonymous actors, all working to sow doubt and undermine public trust in climate science. Such efforts not only delay urgent policy responses but also erode the scientific consensus necessary for broad societal change.

In Europe, while political momentum around decarbonisation is growing, denialist voices continue to challenge green initiatives. Climate denialism is increasingly used as a political tool, shaping electoral campaigns and lobbying against environmental regulation. Meanwhile, greenwashing by corporations adds another layer of complexity, eroding public confidence in legitimate sustainability efforts and blurring the line between genuine action and corporate PR.

International bodies like UNESCO and the UN have called for stronger action against disinformation, yet significant gaps remain in our understanding of how it spreads and how best to counter it. This Special Issue seeks contributions that critically examine the dynamics of climate disinformation and evaluate the effectiveness of counterstrategies, such as fact-checking, emphasising scientific consensus, cultural messaging, and pre-emptive inoculation approaches.

We invite papers that focus on, but are not limited to, the following issues:

• Climate change disinformation: mapping the stakeholders contesting public perceptions of climate change and decarbonisation
• Influence of political ideologies on climate change beliefs
• Impact of Big Tech companies: investigating how technology and social media algorithms contribute to the spread of climate change denialism
• Geopolitics, political warfare and climate change disinformation
• Climate change scepticism in the “Global South”: exploring the dynamics of climate change scepticism in developing regions
• Challenges of greenwashing: eroding public trust and slowing down systemic change
• Strategies for countering climate change disinformation

Deadline for submissions: end of June 2025

The submission must default to the 6th edition of the APA style guide.

Research articles should range between 6,000 and 8,900 words (all-inclusive). Papers must not exceed 8,900 words.

We would also like to stress that submission to the IJoC Special Issue does not guarantee publication. This will depend on the outcome of the peer review process.

Please send your manuscripts by the indicated deadline to KocsanyA@ceu.edu.

Scott A. Eldridge II, University of Groningen, the Netherlands

Copyright 2025, Peter Lang
Series: Frontiers in Journalism Studies, editor: Scott A. Eldridge II
Website: https://www.peterlang.com/document/1288791

Journalism in a Fractured World addresses the fractured nature of journalism as it has developed online. Engaging with theories from journalism studies and politics, it bases its findings on the study of peripheral journalistic media from the US, UK, and Netherlands. It addresses the pronounced animosity that has become a feature of peripheral, political, digital news. Focusing on the metajournalistic discourses produced by peripheral actors, it develops a framework to distinguish between peripheral antagonists and agonists. Antagonists blur lines between news and politics and foment societal divisions through narratives of backlash, fragmentation, and grievance. Journalistic agonists, on the other hand, are also political and critical, but offer a constructive vision of what journalism and society can become. Journalism in a Fractured World presents theories and frameworks for engaging with these actors with a clear-eyed message about the challenges journalism faces and how we might find our way forward, even in our fractured societies.

Journalism in a Fractured World is available Open Access, courtesy the University of Groningen Library Open Access Book Fund.

In 2025, the ECREA sub-committee for Methods is organising a series of workshops on different methods, tools and designs for junior researchers and PhD candidates. The sessions will include: refining a research project, designing a suitable methodological approach, research tools, research ethics, analysing quantitative research data, analysing qualitative research data, and AI. The sessions will be held online and will generally last between 90-120 min, hosted by senior researchers and experts in the respective fields. 

Workshop 3: Designing Research Tools

May 23, 14:00 (CET) (1h 30mins)

Lecturer: Dr Herminder Kaur, Senior Lecturer in Digital Sociology in the Department of Criminology and Sociology at Middlesex University, London

Whether conducting quantitative or qualitative primary research, you will likely develop research tools such as surveys, interview guides, or materials that facilitate data generation. If using a mixed-methods approach, you may need to create a combination of these tools. In this session, you will engage in designing quantitative survey questions and explore software options for creating and distributing surveys online. Additionally, you will be introduced to different types of interview questions and learn how to structure them effectively to gather rich, in-depth data.

If you would like to attend this workshop, please fill out the form HERE. 

Workshop 4: Research ethics

May 30, 14:00 (CET) (1h 30mins)

Lecturer: Dr Herminder Kaur, Senior Lecturer in Digital Sociology in the Department of Criminology and Sociology at Middlesex University, London

This workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to ethical considerations in research, ensuring participants understand the principles of conducting responsible and ethical studies. Key topics include informed consent, data protection, confidentiality, and avoiding bias. Participants will explore real-world ethical dilemmas and discuss strategies for addressing challenges in their own research. The session will also cover institutional ethical approval processes and the importance of maintaining integrity throughout the research journey. Through case studies and interactive discussions, attendees will develop a strong ethical foundation for their projects.

If you would like to attend this workshop, please fill out the form HERE. 

University of Galway

Journalism & Media

Fully Funded

We are inviting applications for a fully funded PhD scholarship as part of the interdisciplinary project CLiME (Tackling Climate Misinformation in Ireland), starting September 2025.

The project examines how climate policy misinformation, particularly around agricultural decarbonisation, is reproduced and normalised in Irish news media. The successful candidate will investigate media discourses, news production practices, and contribute to co-developing tools for journalists and educators.
Supervision: Dr Brenda McNally (PI) and Prof Karyn Morrissey

Funding: 25,000 EUR per year stipend plus fees and travel/conference support (4 years)

Further details: 

https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/339659
To apply: Please send a CV, letter of motivation with details of any awards and contact details for two references to 

brenda.mcnally@universityofgalway.ie

Deadline: 6th June 2025

May 21, 2025

Online

MeCCSA Race, Ethnicity, and Postcolonial Network and MeCCSA Women’s Network present:

Wednesday 21st May 2025

Please join us for Paradoxes of Visibility: Negotiating Race and Gender in the UK Political and Media Landscape, a half-day symposium exploring key issues of representation in contemporary media.

2pm: Welcome

2.15pm to 3.15pm Panel 1: Women of Colour in British Politics

Sophia Kanaouti (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens) ‘Bureaucratization of politics: identity without responsibility’
Craig Ryder (Ludwig Maximilian University Munich) ‘Fringe platforms and the prevalence of digital macroaggressions against UK female leaders’
Anna Sanders and Sarah Shair-Rosenfield (University of York) ‘The Glass Cliff in Contemporary British Politics: The non-traditional aspect of contemporary leadership contests and their gendered and intersectional consequences’

3.30pm to 4.15pm Panel 2: The Politics of Visibility

Tina Frederikke Kristensen (University of Sunderland) ‘#metoo was started by a black woman, @Tarana Burke!!! Give credit where it’s due! <3 (Marqueza, 2017): The discursive strategies used to increase visibility of people of colour in the #MeToo movement on Twitter’
Hannah Yelin (Oxford Brookes University) ‘Trans and nonbinary youth navigating celebrity culture and the risks of visibility’

All times BST

You can register for the event here: https://buytickets.at/universityofsurrey1/1651077