ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

We kindly invite you to participate in the 9th edition of the Young Media and Communication Scholars Mentoring Program of the Polish Communication Association. The Mentoring Program is addressed to Ph.D. and MA students who want to develop their research competencies under the guidance of renowned Polish researchers. Participation in the program is free of charge.

Applications (in Polish or English) will be accepted until December 15, 2026. Application form and detailed information about mentors are available here: https://www.ptks.pl/en/programs/pca-mentoring-program 

We encourage you to submit your application!

If you have any additional questions, do not hesitate to contact us via: mentoring.fmmik@gmail.com

Odense M, Denmark

The Department of Design, Media and Educational Science and the Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS) at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) seek an outstanding candidate to fill a position as tenure-track assistant professor/DIAS Fellow in Media Studies. The candidate is expected to start on 1st September 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

We are looking for a researcher with clear potential for research excellence who thrives in and is inspired by interdisciplinary collaboration. The ideal candidate will contribute to high-quality media research in close collaboration with colleagues in the Media Research Group while embracing DIAS's mission of curiosity-driven inquiry and interdisciplinary dialogue. The successful candidate should have a strong and promising research profile within Media Studies and a demonstrated interest in collaborative and interdisciplinary research. The candidate will hold a joint position at the department and DIAS and should be prepared to engage in multiple and diverse research environments at SDU.

Who are we looking for?

We seek an ambitious and internationally oriented scholar with expertise in Media Studies who is eager to develop their research career within the DIAS framework.

The position is open with regard to theoretical orientation, empirical focus and methodological approach. We are particularly interested in research that advances our understanding of the complex and evolving role of media in society and that contributes to contemporary debates concerning media, culture, technology and social change. We are looking for excellence in one or several of the following research areas (including, but not limited to):

• media theory, media change and digital cultures 
  
• platforms, social media, networked communication and datafication 
  
• artificial intelligence and emerging media technologies 
  
• media production, creative practice, media work and cultural industries 
  
• audiovisual, interactive and auditory media, including film, television, games and podcasting 
  
• media audiences, everyday media practices and participation 
  
• media, sustainability and societal challenges
  

We also welcome applicants whose research engages with media production and creative practices, including the cultural, technological, organisational and industrial conditions shaping contemporary media creation.

Applicants with other profiles within Media Studies are also encouraged to apply.

The successful candidate is expected to:

• develop a strong international research profile and contribute actively to collaborative research initiatives, joint publications and externally funded research projects within the Media Research Group and the interdisciplinary environment at DIAS
  
• contribute to high-quality research and publication activities
  
• engage actively in interdisciplinary collaboration across SDU
  
• contribute to attracting external research funding
  
• participate in research dissemination and societal engagement
  
• contribute to teaching, supervision and curriculum development in Media Studies at BA and MA level and, over time, to PhD supervision, while contributing to strengthen the connection between research and education
  
• contribute actively to the academic and collegial life of both the department and DIAS.
  

Qualifications

The successful applicant must:

• hold a PhD or similar qualifications within Media Studies
  
• exhibit curiosity-driven research excellence, thinking beyond traditional boundaries
  
• show potential for attracting external research funding. Experience in applying for external funding and a strong international network are considered comparative advantages
  
• have a publication record that demonstrates their excellence and broad thinking
  
• have relevant teaching and supervision experience at university level equivalent to that attained through a PhD degree, documented through a teaching portfolio
  
• be fluent in English.
  

Tenure-track programme

The position is a tenure-track assistant professorship. During the tenure-track period, the assistant professor is expected to develop qualifications corresponding to associate professor level. Subject to a positive academic assessment before the end of the tenure-track period, the assistant professor will transfer to a permanent position as associate professor without a new advertisement.

The tenure-track process includes annual follow-up, mentoring, and a formal midterm evaluation aimed at supporting the candidate’s development in research, teaching, external funding, knowledge exchange, and academic citizenship.

The position is based at the Department of Design, Media and Educational Science in Odense and includes regular participation in DIAS and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS)

DIAS at SDU is a hub for interdisciplinary excellence at and beyond the frontier of knowledge, bringing together outstanding researchers from various disciplines to foster groundbreaking interdisciplinary research and bold innovation. DIAS nurtures a collaborative and curiosity-driven environment, encouraging scholars to think outside the box and challenge conventional boundaries. The institute values open-minded exploration and an ambitious yet collegial atmosphere with a strong sense of community. Researchers affiliated with DIAS are expected to contribute actively to DIAS activities, and engage in interdisciplinary collaborations across faculties and departments, both nationally and internationally. 

About the department and the Media Research Group

The Department of Design, Media and Educational Sciences is one of two departments at the Faculty of Humanities at SDU. The department has approximately 150 employees and houses research and teaching in a wide range of different areas, including design studies, media studies, educational science, philosophy, information studies, library science, business communication and web communication. The department is located at Campus Odense, Campus Kolding and Campus Sønderborg.   

Researchers in the department are organized in research groups that foster collaboration across job categories. The preferred candidate will join the Media Research Group, a group of 13 junior and senior members researching different aspects of media studies.

The group is a collaborative and internationally oriented research environment with expertise across film, television, games, auditory media and social media. It combines historical and theoretical perspectives with research into contemporary media industries, media use and media cultures. Members of the group collaborate on research, education and publication activities and share a strong commitment to collegiality, intellectual curiosity and interdisciplinary engagement. Current research interests include digitalisation, artificial intelligence, sustainability, media industries, media audiences and the societal implications of media change. Applicants are encouraged to consider how their expertise may contribute to ongoing and future collaborations within the group.

Working at University of Southern Denmark

The International Staff Office (ISO) at SDU provides a variety of services for new employees, guests and people who consider applying for a job at the University of Southern Denmark. International staff in tenured positions will be offered Danish language training in connection with the employment and are expected to achieve Danish language competences at CEFR B2-level within 5 years from being appointed.

The University is signatory of the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). We wish our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Contact information

Further information about the position may be obtained from Head of Department, Alexandra Holsting, aho@sdu.dk, or Head of Media Research Group, Prof. Susana Tosca, stosca@sdu.dk. Information about the department and the Faculty of Humanities is available on the University of Southern Denmark website.

For further information about being a fellow at DIAS, please contact DIAS director Sten Rynning at +45 6550 2193 or via email at director-dias@sdu.dk.

For questions related to CV, diplomas etc., please contact humfak-hr@sdu.dk 

Conditions of employment

Employment is governed by the collective agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). 

The salary comprises a seniority-based base salary and a centrally agreed supplement.

Additional supplements may be negotiated locally.

As of 1 August 2026, the annual salary for an Assistant Professor is DKK 480,224.96 (salary level 6), consisting of a base salary of DKK 417,456 and a supplement of DKK 62,768.96.

All amounts are stated before tax, before added pension (18.07%), and any additional supplements. Pension contributions are paid by SDU, and both salary components (the annual salary and the supplement) are pensionable. For further information, please see SDU’s pages on salary, taxation, and general employment conditions.

Persons employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a “self-organizer”

Application

Applications must be submitted electronically and should include the following documents:

• application letter
  
• curriculum vitae
  
• certificates and diplomas
  
• complete list of publications
  
• research plan for the coming years
  
• Teaching portfolio – please read more here
  
• Documentation of experience with knowledge exchange, collaboration, and external funding, where relevant
  
• Up to 4 relevant publications. One pdf-file per publication should be attached. In case of co-authorship, a co-author statement must be submitted as part of the pdf-file. 
  

References letters and other relevant qualifications may also be included. References may also be sent directly to humfak-hr@sdu.dk 

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English.

Application and all appendices must be in Danish, English or one of the Scandinavian languages. Please always include a copy of original diploma/certificates.  We only accept files in pdf-format no more than 10 MB per file. In case you have more than one file per field you need to combine the pdf-files into a single file, as each field handles only one file. We do not accept zip-files, jpg or other image files. All pdf-files must be unlocked and allow binding and may not be password protected.

The assessment process

Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee, and the applicant will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns them. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department who will assemble an appointments committee. An interview may form part of the overall assessment of the applicants' qualifications.   

The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material.

If the application does not meet the requirements mentioned above, the Faculty of Humanities may reject your application without further notice. Applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.

Shortlisting and tests will be used in the assessment process. Please note that only a shortlisted applicant will receive an assessment. Here you can read more about shortlisting at SDU

The application deadline is 1st March, 2027 at 11.59 PM/23.59 (CET).

The University of Southern Denmark is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of personal background, and strive to reflect the diversity of society in our staff

If you are not a Danish-speaking applicant, please ensure that you use the English website to access the electronic application form to receive further information in English.

We recommend that as an international applicant you take the time to visit Working in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU. 

About SDU

SDU was founded in 1966 and now has more than 27,000 students, almost 20% of whom are from abroad. It has more than 3,800 employees, and 115 different study programmes in the fields of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering. Its main campus is located in Odense, but SDU is present also in Kolding, Sønderborg, Esbjerg and Copenhagen.

Apply HERE.

April 15, 2027

Online panels

Deadline: November 16, 2027

We invite interdisciplinary proposals exploring the Eurovision Song Contest through music, identity, media, language, politics, performance, gender and queer studies, fandom, diaspora, and pedagogy.

Individual abstracts should be no more than 250 words.

Extended submission deadline: November 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Submit a proposal through the KFLC abstract portal: https://kflc.as.uky.edu/form/submit-abstract  

Call for papers: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kECjA3o-COzlVp6kD9wNV6-aKIrcv00F/edit

June 9–12, 2027

Chicago, USA

Deadline: January 22, 2027

The 35th ACM Conference on User Modeling, Adaptation and Personalization (UMAP 2027) invites submissions of original research on user modeling, adaptation, personalization, and human-centered adaptive AI systems.

UMAP 2027 welcomes theoretical, methodological, empirical, and applied contributions, including (but not limited to):

• User modeling, adaptation, and personalization for intelligent interfaces and human–computer interaction.
  
• Recommender systems, personalized search, information access, and conversational recommendation.
  
• Machine learning, generative AI, LLMs, NLP, knowledge graphs, and multimodal approaches to personalization.
  
• Adaptive and personalized agentic, conversational, and embodied AI.
  
• Personalized healthcare, well-being, education, and collaborative systems.
  
• Ethical, inclusive, explainable, and trustworthy personalization.
  
• Evaluation, benchmarks, datasets, reproducibility, and human-centered evaluation of adaptive systems.
  

Submission Types

Full papers: Up to 8 pages of content, plus up to 2 pages of references. Accepted papers will appear in the main conference proceedings and be presented in plenary sessions.

Short papers: Up to 4 pages of content, plus up to 2 pages of references. Submissions should present complete and focused research contributions and may be presented orally or as posters.

Important Dates (Anywhere on Earth, AoE)

• Abstract submission: January 22, 2027
  
• Paper submission: January 29, 2027
  
• Rebuttal: March 2–8, 2027
  
• Acceptance notification: March 15, 2027
  
• Camera-ready submission: March 30, 2027
  

Submission Information

Abstract registration is mandatory by January 22, 2027 and must include the paper title, abstract, and complete author list. The author list and author order cannot be changed after the abstract deadline.

All submissions must be in English, follow the ACM double-column format, and be submitted electronically through EasyChair. UMAP 2027 follows a double-blind review process.

Full Call for Papers and Submission Guidelines:

https://um.org/umap2027/call-for-full-and-short-paper/

We encourage researchers working on user modeling, personalization, recommender systems, adaptive interfaces, and human-centered AI to submit their work and share this call with interested colleagues.

We look forward to your contributions to ACM UMAP 2027!

November 6, 2026

Please join us for the fifth event in the 2026 By/For: Photography & Democracy virtual lecture series, coming up this Friday, November 6, at 1pm ET: “Pop Art’s Other Histories” with Zahid R. Chaudhary. Learn more and register here. 

We also invite you to explore the rest of this year’s series which includes leading thinkers Anne Strachan Cross & Matthew Fox-Amato, Vindhya Buthpitiya, Leigh Raiford, Jeehey Kim, Zahid R. Chaudhary, and Tiffany Fairey. Explore season two, view recordings, and register for all events here.  

By/For: Photography & Democracy is a collaborative partnership between three photographic historians, Dr. Tom Allbeson, Dr. Colleen O’Reilly, and Helen Trompeteler. Our collective investigates photography’s assumed democratic credentials as an art form and a medium of mass communication. We believe a historical perspective on the complex relationship between photography and democracy is critical to understanding how the medium and related visual technologies can address the social and political issues of our time.

Deadline: December 15, 2026

The special issue invites contributions examining how Africa is represented across African and global media, with particular attention to the practices, power relations and inequalities that shape these representations. We welcome empirical and theoretical contributions addressing journalism, digital platforms, alternative media, visual cultures and transnational communication.

Key details:

• Submission deadline: 15 December 2026
  
• Manuscript length: 6,000–8,500 words
  

Full CFP and submission details: https://think.taylorandfrancis.com/special_issues/african-and-global-media-representations-of-africa/

Guest editors: Sisanda Nkoala (University of the Western Cape), David Cheruiyot (University of Queensland) and Dani Madrid-Morales (University of Sheffield).

We are pleased to announce that Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences has been recognized as an Affiliate Journal of the International Communication Association (ICA).

ICA is a leading international scholarly association dedicated to advancing the scholarly study of communication worldwide, with more than 7,000 members in more than 85 countries. Since 2003, ICA has been formally associated with the United Nations as a non-governmental organization. It promotes international research, scholarly exchange, and academic publishing in the field of communication.

Established by the ICA Board in 2015, the Affiliate Journal program promotes high-quality communication research from diverse linguistic and regional contexts and enhances the international visibility of such research. With this recognition, Connectist joins a select group of six ICA Affiliate Journals worldwide.

For more information about the ICA Affiliate Journal program: https://www.icahdq.org/page/Affiliatejournals

IE University

IE University invites qualified candidates in communication and media to apply for a tenure-track position at the Assistant or Experienced Assistant Professor level in the Communication and Media Department, beginning in September 2027.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates with expertise in Political Communication and/or Environmental Communication. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, misinformation and disinformation, public opinion, news and media trust, civic engagement, climate change communication, and sustainability communication. We also welcome applied or solutions-oriented research that connects theoretical insights to areas of practice such as journalism, strategic communication, public policy, advocacy, or platform and technology governance.

Candidates using any methodological approach are welcome to apply, with preference for those with expertise in quantitative, computational and/or experimental methods.

The selected candidate(s) will join and complement a vibrant and growing community of researchers in Communication and Media whose work encompasses areas as diverse as journalism studies, critical-cultural approaches, digital media studies, cultural production, film and media, globalization, public affairs, corporate ethics, and consumer behavior. English is the working language of our diverse, international faculty and student community. Knowledge of Spanish is not required.

Our faculty are expected to present their work in international venues and to publish in peer-reviewed journals. Teaching requirements for these positions are the standard for research-active institutions. The successful candidate will teach and advise students in the portfolio of bachelor and master programs of the Business School. New faculty members are expected to provide intellectual leadership within IE University in their areas of expertise, and to contribute to a collegial atmosphere and a diverse, inclusive campus life.

IE University is an internationally recognized institution comprising IE Business School, IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, IE School of Science & Technology, IE Law School, IE School of Architecture and Design, and the newly established IE School of Arts & Humanities.

We are among the most international institutions of higher education with approximately 85% of our students coming from outside Spain and typically over 120 countries represented on campus. Our Madrid campus is situated in the financial district of this vibrant, cosmopolitan capital city of over 5 million people.

In 2021, we opened the doors to the IE Learning Tower – a vertical undergraduate campus located on the northern edge of Madrid’s city center. Our Segovia campus is located in the historic quarter of this World-Heritage city, 30 minutes by high-speed train from Madrid.

Qualifications:

The successful candidates will hold a Ph. D. in Communication or a related discipline. Prior teaching experience at the undergraduate or graduate level is desirable but not required.

Application instructions:

Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, three confidential recommendation letters, research and teaching statements, and evidence of teaching effectiveness, if applicable.

Please submit your application by November 23rd, 2026 via Interfolio at: https://apply.interfolio.com/196200

Specific enquiries about the Department or the position can be made to Prof. Vincent Doyle at vdoyle@faculty.ie.edu.

We are conducting a survey to better understand the mental health experiences and needs of ECRs in our field! It takes only a few minutes to fill out and your participation will be valuable in raising awareness of mental health in academia and ensuring that the experiences and perspectives of ECRs are heard. Please, take part in the survey and help us make mental health a priority in academia: https://usalinvestigacion.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6QZn8CaJBgaTf38 

June 3, 2027

University of Glasgow

Call for Expressions of Interest: Pre-conference

The concepts of impartiality, objectivity and political balance remain among the most contested issues in journalism scholarship, media regulation and public debate. Accusations of media bias are now routinely amplified through digital and social media, often through isolated clips or excerpts that circulate far beyond their original context. Yet despite the prominence of these debates, there remains limited conceptual clarity within scholarship and relatively little systematic evidence about how such principles are understood, measured and applied across different media systems and historical contexts.

As part of an AHRC-funded research project at Cardiff University examining media impartiality, we are organising a symposium at the University of Glasgow on 3 June 2027, immediately preceding the ICA conference. We invite papers that examine how impartiality, objectivity, balance, fairness and related concepts are conceptualised, theorised, operationalised, assessed and contested in journalism research and practice.

We welcome contributions from a wide range of disciplinary, methodological and international perspectives. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Theories and concepts of impartiality, objectivity, balance and fairness
  
• Historical perspectives on journalistic impartiality
  
• Measuring and evaluating news bias
  
• Media regulation and impartiality standards
  
• Public perceptions of media bias and trust
  
• Impartiality in digital, platform and social media environments
  
• Political communication, election coverage and balance
  
• The challenges of impartiality in polarised media systems
  
• Professional norms, newsroom practices and journalistic cultures
  

We are particularly keen to support early career researchers working in this area. A limited number of UK travel bursaries will be available to help ECRs attend. Participation is not dependent on attending ICA 2027, and we welcome contributions from scholars who wish to attend this event only.

We anticipate space for approximately 15-20 paper presentations, alongside wider attendance and discussion. Subject to the quality and volume of submissions, we will also explore opportunities for a special issue in a leading journalism journal based on papers presented at the event.

Formal registration and abstract submission will open in January 2027, when prospective participants are likely to have greater clarity about their conference plans. In the meantime, if you are interested in presenting, attending, or learning more about the event, please complete the expression-of-interest form below. This will help us gauge demand and plan accordingly.

We would be grateful if colleagues could share this call with interested researchers, early career academics and doctoral students.

For further information and to register your interest, please visit:

https://www.enhancingimpartiality.com/blog/impartiality-symposium

Or if you have any questions, please email us here: https://www.enhancingimpartiality.com/contact