ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Susanne Janssen, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Nete Nørgaard Kristensen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Marc Verboord, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands

2025, Routledge

Website, open access: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003460497

Against the backdrop of globalisation, digitalisation, growing diversity and social inequality, the book offers timely and critical insights into the role of culture and cultural participation in the daily lives of Europeans from different social groups and countries. In fifteen thematic chapters, it explores how residents of nine European countries engage with and experience culture, with particular attention given to the perspectives of migrants. The book is based on extensive empirical research conducted as part of the EU-funded Horizon 2020 INVENT project (European Inventory of Societal Values of Culture as a Basis for Inclusive Cultural Policies). Fieldwork was carried out in nine countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Croatia, the Netherlands, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The collaborative work of the INVENT consortium has provided a rich empirical foundation for cultural research, policymaking, and practice.

Ramírez Plascencia, D., & Alonzo González, R. M. (Eds.). (2025)

This book analyzes the potential benefits of using artificial intelligence to surpass traditional social and economic problems in Latin America, but it also looks to understand the perils and barriers derived from the adoption of this technology. This volume is divided in Section 1. “Considering AI in the private sphere” that debates about the employment of artificial intelligence from the citizen’s perspective. It embraces topics related with the introduction of AI in the media and the labor market, and how Latin Americans perceive, engage and mobilize before the rising presence of AI in their daily lives. Section 2. Challenges and promises of AI in the public sector centers on the ethical and legal controversies triggered by the incorporation of artificial intelligence in the public sphere. It focuses on the promising benefits of introducing AI in the public administration, education and public security, but also the latent impacts on human rights.

TOC

1. The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Latin America  

David Ramírez Plascencia, Rosa María Alonzo González  Pages 1-18 

Considering AI in the Private Sphere  

2. Artificial Intelligence, Copyright, and Media: An Analysis of Journalism in Latin America from an International Perspective  David Ramírez Plascencia  Pages 21-39  

3. From Epistemological Foundations over Futuristic Speculations to Fact-Based Concerns: Evolving Discussions on Artificial Intelligence in Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico (2014–2024)  Fátima Ávila-Acosta, Lucía Morales-Lizárraga, Jan Nehring  Pages 41-65  

4. The Algorithmic Tyranny in the Gig Economy: National Strategies and Policy Implications in the Latin American Context  Alisa Petroff  Pages 67-83  

5. Mapping the Future of AI Regulation in Latin America: Civil Society Perspectives on Brazil’s Pilot AI Regulatory Sandbox  Kenzo Soares Seto  Pages 85-104  

Challenges and Promises of AI in the Public Sector  

6. Ethical and Legal Dilemmas of National AI Policies in Latin American Countries  Rosa María Alonzo González  Pages 107-124  

7. The Use of Biometrics and AI for Border Control and Its Impact on Human Rights  Jezabel Pérez Yáñez, Natalia Brzezinski Ramírez  Pages 125-141  

8. Ethical and Educational Dilemmas of AI in Latin American Higher Education Institutions: Persistent Challenges and Inquiries  

Jairo Alberto Galindo-Cuesta, Rubén Yáñez Reyna, Paola Mercado Lozano  Pages 143-164  

9. The Quest for a Responsible Use of AI in Latin America  Rosa María Alonzo González, David Ramírez Plascencia  Pages 165-177 

Journal of Language and Social Psychology (special issue) 

Deadline: August 1, 2025

Link to Journal CFP: https://journals.sagepub.com/page/jls/callforpapers

Editors: Dr. Andrea L. Guzman (Northern Illinois University), Dr. Bingjie Liu (Ohio State University), and Dr. Renwen Zhang (National University of Singapore)

Goals and Foci

How we study and understand the social psychology of language is rapidly changing with the growth of AI. This special issue of the JLSP focuses on scholarship that addresses the conceptual and theoretical questions regarding how artificial intelligence (AI) changes communication practices and research. We invite submissions from scholars in the fields of communication, psychology, linguistics, sociology, education, information science, health, computational social science, and others. We are especially interested in conceptual and theoretical contributions as well as empirical work that push the boundaries of our thinking on the impact of AI on communication mechanisms at fundamental levels. The goal is to provide thought-provoking scholarship that can further progress the study of AI’s implications for language and social psychology in the tradition of other special issues that have guided research on communication into a new era of inquiry (e.g., Journal of Communication - The Disciplinary Status of Communication Research, 1993; New Media & Society - Internet Studies: Perspectives on a Rapidly Developing Field, 2013; Computers in Human Behavior - Digital Interlocutors: Theory and Practice of Interactions Between Human and Machines, 2019; Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication - What is Computer-Mediated Communication?, 2020).

Artificial intelligence is defined as machines that can simulate human intelligence and perform tasks that would require human intelligence (e.g., Turing, 1950). With the rapid development of AI, such as natural language processing, machine learning, affective computing, and, more recently, large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, AI-based technologies are increasingly mediating and affecting language and communication in innumerable ways. Examples include, but are not limited to, “communicative AI” (Guzman & Lewis, 2020; Hepp et al., 2023) conversing with humans (e.g., chatbots, robots, smart speakers, AI companions) in human-machine communication (Fortunati & Edwards, 2020; Guzman, 2018), applications that enable AI-mediated communication (Hancock et al., 2020) by modifying human communication (e.g., Grammarly) or even communicating on behalf of humans (e.g., smart reply), and algorithms that make decisions on communication flows and exposure to messages (e.g., algorithms that moderate the content in news and social media platforms) and that connect communicators (e.g., matching algorithms in online dating platforms).

As a result, AI has brought changes to many communication practices and has inspired numerous empirical studies on the uses and effects of AI. Nevertheless, what AI-induced changes are meaningful and fundamental to the understanding of communication and to theory building about the social psychology of language? Communication is traditionally conceived as a uniquely human activity (Peters, 2012; Schramm, 1973), and most theories are developed based on the assumption that the participants of communication are only human agents. The involvement of AI thus pushes us to rethink the nature as well as the future of communication and human connection (Gunkel, 2012; Zhao, 2006). In other words, AI raises new questions regarding how we create meaning with, make sense of, and relate to each other. We encourage researchers, including both junior and established scholars, to join us in contemplating how existing concepts and theories are challenged, expanded, revived, and nullified, and what new concepts and theoretical perspectives are inspired, invoked, or necessitated by AI in the domain of language and social psychology and beyond.

Scope

We welcome submissions focusing on any type(s) of AI-based technologies, including narrow AI, machine learning, and GenAI, and the full range of applications (e.g., chatbots, virtual agents, algorithms), and any communication context or across contexts (e.g., intercultural, interpersonal, mass, political, organizational communication), communication processes (e.g., language use and effects, message production and interpretation, information access and processing, dynamics in dyads or small groups), from all research traditions and approaches. We also are interested in conceptual pieces that consider the larger philosophical and historical implications of AI for the study of communication and language.

Artificial Intelligence notoriously is an area of study that spans many different disciplines and fields, each with different definitions of what constitutes AI, as well as goals in studying AI. Furthermore, there are many different types of AI in use and development (e.g., narrow AI, generative AI) and applications (e.g., chatbots, programs for developing text, audio, and/or visual content, data processing, curation, information gathering, social listening, etc). For this special issue, we are open to the varying definitions and forms of AI.

The potential topics for submissions are wide-ranging, and authors are welcome to reach out to the special issue editors with questions regarding relevant topics. Some possible areas of inquiry include: 

• How does AI change/challenge/redefine the nature of communication and its study?
  
• How does AI alter the psychological processes and outcomes of language use and effects?
  
• How does AI moderate the dynamics of communication, such as in human-machine communication and AI-mediated communication?
  
• What implications emerge from AI when considering information credibility?
  
• How does AI challenge or expand the key concepts or theories regarding communication? For example, how do we need to adapt existing theories, the meaning they create, and the effects and implications of social interaction (for self, organizations, society, etc.) to account for AI?
  
• In what ways might AI promote or hinder diversity, inclusivity, and fairness in language and communication practices?
  
• In what ways is AI unique as a communicator and mediator compared to previous technologies and human communicators?
  
• What new insights can AI provide regarding previous forms of communication, such as human-human communication and CMC, that may have gone unnoticed?
  
• How might AI induce a paradigm shift in the social psychology of language and related areas of study germane to communication? 

Timeline:

• August 1, 2025: Abstract due
  
• September 2025: Decisions on the abstract sent back to authors
  
• January 9, 2026: Full paper submission due, followed by peer review
  
• September 2026: Special issue to be published
  

Submission Format 

Abstract

We welcome extended abstracts (up to 500 words, excluding references) for both theoretical and empirical papers that examine how AI is reshaping communication in various contexts. The abstract should clearly state the focus of the manuscript and its contribution related to the topic of the special issue and explain the scholarly format it will take (e.g., theoretical, empirical). Be specific regarding the objectives and/or questions the manuscript will address and, if applicable, articulate pertinent details regarding the approach and method. Abstracts should be submitted via Google Form: https://forms.gle/XbPdLwpHiffr5YvZ6. 

Full Manuscript

Papers in the special issue will be consistent with the JLSP’s existing guidelines and requirements for papers.

Contact

Questions about submissions to this special issue can be addressed to Dr. Andrea Guzman (alguzman@niu.edu), Dr. Bingjie Liu (liu.11321@osu.edu), and Dr. Renwen Zhang (r.zhang@nus.edu.sg). 

Mediatization Studies

Deadline: June 30, 2025

We are pleased to invite researchers and scholars to submit articles for Volume VIII (2025) of the journal:  Mediatization Studies, published by Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin.

Mediatization Studies is the first international open access journal dedicated entirely to the theory and processes of mediatization. The journal is free of charge for authors and is currently indexed in ERIH Plus and positively recommended to DOAJ.

Preferred manuscript topics include: mediatization and mediated communication, human-machine communication, the role of AI tools in communication and media production. Both theoretical and empirical articles are welcome, as well as book reviews and conference reports. 

If you are interested in submitting but require more time, please do not hesitate to contact the Editorial Board – we are happy to consider individual circumstances.

 Languages accepted: English and Polish

No publication fees

Previous issues: https://journals.umcs.pl/ms/issue/archive

Registration & submission portal: https://journals.umcs.pl/ms/login

Author Guidelines: https://journals.umcs.pl/ms/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

We warmly welcome your contributions and look forward to your insights into the expanding field of mediatization research.

Revista Comunicando

Deadline: October 15, 2025

This thematic section of Revista Comunicando aims to create a broad space for debate and exchange of knowledge that, with eyes (and ears) set on the future, does not forget history or the urgency of caring for the memory of sounds.

Full text submission period: September 1st to October 15th, 2025

https://revistacomunicando.sopcom.pt/index.php/comunicando/announcement/view/19

University of Fribourg, Switzerland, Department of Communication & Media Research

Chair of Prof. Dr. Diana Ingenhoff

Start: September 1, 2025 (or by agreement)

Shaping digital strategic communication in the public interest — join us as a doctoral researcher and contribute to advancing academic insights that benefit organizations, governments, and society.

Position profile

• Research (50 %) – develop and execute a self-chosen PhD project in strategic communication (corporate or country); present and publish your findings.

• Chair activities (50 %) – contribute to ongoing empirical projects, assist with teaching (English MA courses; German BA courses if applicable), and support various administrative tasks.

• Participate in methods training and international conferences (funding provided). Requirements

• Excellent Master’s degree in Communication Science or a related social science field.

• Sound knowledge of empirical social research methods; confident in statistics.

• Excellent command of English; proficiency in German is preferred

• Motivation for academic work, reliability, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively in our team.

We offer

• A full-time, five-year position at Switzerland’s only trilingual university (D/F/E).

• Access to didactic programs, advanced methods courses, language courses, and mentorship.

• Funding for conference travel and research stays.

• Close links to practice through societally relevant research with partners from business, government, and the non-profit sector.

Application

Please send one PDF (motivation letter, CV, certificates, and—if available—a sample of academic writing, e.g., your master thesis) by June 27 or until the position is filled to:

• Prof. Dr. Diana Ingenhoff – diana.ingenhoff@unifr.ch

• Jolanda Wehrli – jolanda.wehrli@unifr.ch

We look forward to your application.

University of Galway

We are seeking an experienced postdoctoral researcher to join the interdisciplinary project CLiME — Tackling Climate Misinformation in Ireland — led by Dr Brenda McNally and co-supervised by Professor Karyn Morrissey. The project explores how climate policy misinformation is produced and circulated through strategic political communication, particularly in elite discourses about decarbonising agriculture.

The researcher will analyse political, and interest group discourses and collaborate on co-producing recommendations for journalists and communications practitioners as well as media and education policy. You will contribute to stakeholder-facing resources and engage with a dynamic team including a PhD researcher and an international advisory board.

This is an exciting opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher with 3–4 years of experience and a background in critical climate communication, political communication, and/or misinformation studies. The role includes publication support, research-led teaching development, stakeholder engagement, and opportunities for training and international collaboration.

Candidates must hold a PhD and demonstrate expertise in qualitative or mixed methods research. Familiarity with Irish/EU climate policy or media systems is desirable.

Further details and application process: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/human-resources/links/011106/

September 24-26, 2025

University of Pamplona (Spain)

Deadline: June 16, 2025

ECREA’s section for Interpersonal Communication and Social Interaction (ICSI) is delighted to announce that the 8th bi-annual meeting of the ICSI section of ECREA will take place in University of Pamplona in Navarra, Spain at 24.-26.9.2025.

Overcoming differences celebrates the spectrum of research themes, metatheories, methods and paradigms that have created a fruitful soil for understanding mutual interaction in interpersonal encounters. Overcoming differences means accepting differences, respecting them and seeing the huge possibilities and synergies that we have as interpersonal, interaction and communication scholars. ICSI2025 conference creates a platform for being together and discussing the nuances and potential that our discipline provides. During the conference a Young Scholar’s workshop will also take place.
Call for abstracts is now open. See all the detailed information here: https://www.unav.edu/web/instituto-cultura-y-sociedad/actividades/overcoming-differences-icsi-conference-2025 Notice the extended deadline June 16th.

If you have any questions, please contact: ICSI2025@tuni.fi

University Cologne

With more than 6000 students from 93 countries, the German Sport University Cologne (GSU) is currently an outstanding university location both nationally and internationally. The GSU stands for proven research with a high volume of third-party funding and research-based as well as international teaching in sports practice and in all social and life science sub-disciplines of sport science. Research, teaching, and transfer are supported by the administration and central operating units with their services.

At the German Sport University Cologne, the Institute for Communication and Media Research is seeking to fill the following position as of April 1, 2026:

W3-Professorship for Communication and Media Sciences (female/male/diverse)

We are looking for an internationally recognized personality who represents the communication and media sciences in all its breadth in research and teaching. Special expertise is expected in the areas of „Digital transformation of media in sport“ and „Processes of change in sports journalism and media reporting in sport“.

The tasks of the professorship include collaboration in the Bachelor's, Master's, teacher training, and doctoral degree programs as well as in the academic self-administration of the university. The German Sport University Cologne pursues the goal of promoting (inter-) disciplinary and cooperative research. Accordingly, participation in joint research activities of the Institute and the University as well as the successful acquisition and implementation of third-party funded projects are an integral part of the professorship's remit.

Requirements for employment pursuant to § 36 of the Higher Education Act of North Rhine-Westphalia are:

• Completed university studies
  
• Ph.D. or equivalent
  
• Appropriate pedagogical/educational skills,
  
• Post-doctoral qualification (habilitation) or equivalent academic achievements.
  

Applicants are expected to have:

• Expertise in the above-mentioned research fields: 1) Digital transformation of media practice and 2) Journalism research
  
• Relevant international and thematically broad publication achievements in the field of communication and media studies, preferably in the context of the professorship
  
• High level of expertise in quantitative and/or qualitative methods of empirical social, media or communication research
  
• Ability to develop and represent topics of sports communication and sports media in research and teaching
  
• Cooperation with media and sports practice organizations and transfer of scientific findings into practice
  
• Successful acquisition of, in particular, competitive third-party funding
  
• Experience with interdisciplinary and international research collaborations
  
• Positively evaluated teaching.
  
• Experience in the (further) development of study programmes and/or teaching formats
  
• Expertise in staff management and staff development
  
• Ability to connect to existing and developing research projects at GSU
  
• Experience in academic self-administration.
  

Desirable are

• References of own scientific activities to the context of sport
  
• English-language teaching skills
  
• Experience abroad in academic institutions.
  

The position entails a teaching obligation of 9 SWS.

International applicants are expected to be able to offer German-language courses within six semesters.

The German Sport University Cologne sees itself as an open-minded employer that values diversity. It is committed to diversity and gender equality and welcomes applications that contribute to this – regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, and identity. Increasing the proportion of women in research and teaching is one of the university's strategic goals; qualified female academics are therefore expressly encouraged to apply. Women are given preferential consideration in accordance with the State Equality Act. Severely disabled persons and persons of equal status are very welcome and will be given preferential consideration within the framework of the statutory provisions.

The German Sport University Cologne offers an excellent academic environment, a wide range of professional development programmes, and support in balancing family and career.

Please send your application with the usual documents, in particular a description of your professional career, a list of publications, and a selection of important publications, quoting the reference number 2517 Prof-Kommunikation by 16. June 2025 in the form of a pdf file exclusively to the e-mail address bewerbung@­dshs-koeln.de.

Please also visit our homepage www.dshs-koeln.de. There, at www.dshs-koeln.de/datenschutz/, you will also find information on the handling of your personal data transmitted for the purpose of your application.

Digital Journalism (special issue)

Extended abstract submission deadline: July 1, 2025

In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital journalism, adaptation has become a crucial strategy for survival and growth. This special issue of Digital Journalism seeks to explore the multifaceted nature of adaptation within the field, examining how the relevant actors and institutions of digital journalism proactively and reactively adapt to technological advancements, shifting audience behaviors, and the changing socio-political environment.

As a construct that has emerged out of biology, anthropology, and health sciences, we know that adaptation is crucial human skill. Yet as Sarta et al. (2021) argue, “scholars have used the concept of adaptation inconsistently across research traditions without always being able to push the research agenda beyond analogical reasoning” (p. 44). While there might be a notion that adaptation is a passive process, one that happens to, for example, journalists or journalism organizations, this is only one portion of the concept. Research primarily defines adaptation as a response or reaction to a force in that an “instance of adaptation is viewed as a modification” that occurs “in reaction (or response, for that matter) to an external or environmental contravention” (Sachs & Meditz, 1979, p. 1084; Giddens, 1999). In this way, adaptation is opportunistic and describes how an individual or organization or institution can choose change and but still engage in a range of different forms of adaptation (Sachs & Meditz, 1979). Adaptation in digital journalism can take many forms, from the integration of emerging technologies and platforms to the reimagining of practices and ethics. And there are a range of actors engaged in the adaptation in digital journalism, who may not be formally affiliate with journalism, and who conduct work relevant to the overall adaptation of the field (as with technologists, peripheral actors).

In our field, adaptation has been primarily considered through the lens of technology, yet the actors of digital journalism actively adapt to a range of actions, actors and contexts: changes in the audience (e.g. rising audience hostility), physical environment (e.g. COVID protocols, violence), personal circumstances (e.g. precarity, life changes, employment disillusionment), political environment (e.g. democratic backsliding), market changes, and others. Adaptation means actors at times engage in “adoption” of new processes, seeking to normalize them as a part of working routines (Perreault & Ferrucci, 2020). As actors have engaged in platformization, this means at times that they have adapted through the stacking of platform-specific skills, using the skills gained in adapting to one platform to jumpstart their adaptation to others. But at times actors also engage in “selection” of other processes to denormalise when they no longer serve (e.g. many journalists are stepping away from social media; Bossio et al., 2024). Research produced within the “emotional turn” (e.g. Wahl-Jorgensen, 2020) and “audience turn” (e.g. Costera Meijer, 2020) shows that, to stay relevant to changing audiences and new political and cultural contexts, actors reconsider/select old and actively adopt new processes and skills. For example, journalists have engaged in adaptation through personalizing their reporting, using authenticity, empathy, and passion as strategic skills, building emotional and trauma literacy, and redefining long-dominating cornerstones of journalistic professionalism, such as objectivity and impartiality.

Digital journalism bears meaningful similarities in this regard to other fields: journalists can anticipate change even if they don’t know what that change will entail. But conversely, and unlike other fields, journalists are often not provided the resources to ease adaptation. For this reason, this special issue seeks to center adaptability as a crucial journalistic professional skill; it is perhaps more crucial in journalism than other fields given that journalists consistently find themselves negotiating new circumstances and environments as a native part of their work.

This special issue invites contributions that investigate these adaptive processes, particularly those that challenge traditional norms and propose innovative approaches to journalism in the digital age.

We are interested in a wide and overlapping range of digital journalism actors–journalists, technologists, businesspeople, fact checkers, fixers, peripheral actors, news organizations, platforms, policymakers, regulatory bodies–and topics, including but not limited to:

• Technological Adaptation: How are relevant actors and organizations incorporating emerging technologies such as AI, VR, and blockchain into their workflows? What are the implications of these technologies for media integrity and audience trust? How have actors adapted through platformization and datafication?
• Emotional Adaptation: How are the actors of digital journalism adapting emotionally to changes within the media ecosystem to which they can have little effect? What are the means by which actors engage in selection in order to engage in emotional management? How can actors cultivate and actively employ emotional literacy to adapt to changing media landscapes and audience behavior, increase their relevance for broader audiences, and secure their unique role and place within the attention economy?
• Adaptation to Audiences: How are the actors of digital journalism adapting to changes in audience behavior and preferences? What strategies are being employed to engage diverse and fragmented audiences? How can actors actively go to meet their audiences, including young audiences, where they are?
• Normative Adaptation: How are ethical standards in media being redefined in the digital era? What new ethical dilemmas are emerging, and how are the actors of digital journalism addressing them? How have norms adapted to digitization?
• Economic Adaptation: How are news and tech organizations adapting their business models to ensure sustainability in a digital-first world? What innovative revenue streams are being explored?
• Cultural and Political Adaptation: How are the actors of digital journalism navigating the complex cultural and political landscapes of the 21st century? How are they addressing issues of misinformation, polarization, and censorship?

Submission Instructions

Extended abstracts should include an abstract of 500 words (not including references) as well as a full list of author(s) with affiliation(s) and abbreviated bio(s). Please submit your proposal to Dr. Gregory Perreault (gperreault@usf.edu) as one file (PDF) with your names clearly stated on the first page.

Full manuscripts should target a length of 7,000-9,000 words.

Timeline:

• Extended abstract submission deadline: July 1, 2025
  
• Notification on acceptance of abstract: August 1, 2025
  
• Deadline for full manuscripts: October 31, 2025
  

No payment from the authors will be required.

For questions, please contact one of the Special Issue Editors:

Gregory Perreault, University of South Florida
gperreault@usf.edu

Patrick Ferrucci, University of Colorado-Boulder
Patrick.Ferrucci@Colorado.EDU

Johana Kotišová, University of Amsterdam
j.kotisova@uva.nl

Dariya Orlova, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
orlova@ukma.edu.ua