ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

1/ Reporter Without Borders (RSF)

Founded in 1985, Reporters sans frontières (RSF) defends the right to reliable information. Its mandate is based on article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers".

RSF strives to ensure that all human beings benefit from information that enables them to know, understand and form an opinion on the issues facing the world and their environment. To achieve this, the organisation is developing a holistic strategy, with 360° activities, to bring about global change. RSF acts on four levels: press freedom, relations between the public and journalists, the information market and the information space.

RSF also demonstrates creativity by developing systemic initiatives that address the causes of problems: the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) and the Partnership on Information and Democracy (I&D). 

RSF has an international secretariat in Paris, thirteen sections and offices around the world, more than 150 correspondents, 4 representatives and local partners in a wide range of countries. RSF is a registered association in France and has consultative status with the United Nations and UNESCO.

2/ Context of the project 

Access to free, reliable and independent information is a fundamental right and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières - RSF) fights for the power of journalism to shape societies and promote transparency and accountability. RSF has been involved for years in exposing Russian propaganda. As RSF’s World Press Freedom Index highlights, the Russian state is pursuing its crusade against journalism, with almost all independent media banned, blocked and/or declared “foreign agents” or “undesirable organisations” and all others subject to military censorship. Throughout the last 25 years of Vladimir Putin’s regime, Russians have been subjected to a non-stop barrage of propaganda from all media sources. A systematic suppression of freedom of expression has occurred within Russia and the neighbouring states, engendering an alternative reality media universe. Since the beginning of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, the lockdown on independent media has worsened, rendering it virtually impossible for Russians to access reliable information. A war of information happens daily alongside the physical conflict, both in broadcasting media and on social platforms, as Russia projects a message of aggression against Ukraine and against the West, inciting hatred and spreading misinformation.

At a time when the level of censorship of journalists and media is unprecedented in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union, civil society and independent media in exile have rallied to combat propaganda and find innovative and different solutions to ensure that populations in the region have access to alternative voices. To lead this fight, RSF has stepped up its efforts to create the concrete conditions for the circulation of free, pluralistic independent news and information in the region (JX Fund, Collateral Freedom).

Given the intensification of the Russian government's actions and measures to prevent the spread of reliable information and strengthen the grip of propaganda and disinformation campaigns, it was necessary to develop new ambitions and innovative solutions that are aimed more broadly at the Russian audience and public in the region, which are deprived of access to alternative, independent and pluralistic information. To meet this objective, the Svoboda Satellite Project, a package of mainly Russian-speaking television and radio channels run by independent media in exile, was launched in March 2024. Svoboda, which means "freedom" in Russian, represents a significant step forward in the quest for unrestricted access to information in a region where media freedom faces numerous challenges. This ambitious initiative intends to reverse the logic of propaganda. With the Svoboda project, the aim is to provide an alternative source of information, give access to exiled media content and ensure media pluralism for the people in Russia and in the region.

3/ The project 

Title : Svoboda Satellite Project, bringing free, alternative and trustworthy information to the people in Russia and neighbouring countries

Donor : European Union (DG Connect) + RSF

Duration : 1 November 2024 - 31 October 2026 (2 years implementation period).

Budget : 2 599 868,29€. 

Target countries : Russia and neighbouring countries. 

Target groups : 

• Russian media outlets in exile ;
  
• International media who are no longer able to access audiences in Russia and the neighbouring countries ;
  
• Russian people living in Russia ;
  
• People (including but not limited to Russian-speaking people) living in the neighbouring countries ;
  
• Russian diaspora living anywhere abroad across the world.
  

The Svoboda Satellite Project aims to ensure the free flow of alternative, pluralistic and independent media information in countries subject to intense propaganda. The project, a pioneering initiative, aims to provide an alternative source of information and ensure media pluralism. The project aims to provide independent journalists and media outlets, particularly those working in exile, the technical means to broadcast their content effectively in Russia and neighbouring countries. In order to reverse the logic of propaganda, and based on the independent media in exile, the project operates an independent and diverse package of TV channels distributed via direct-to-home satellite. 

The project has two specific objectives : 

Specific objective 1 : Operate an independent and diverse TV channels package distributed via direct-to-home satellite.

Specific objective 2 : Expand the access to independent, alternative and pluralistic information for audiences in Russia and in the neighbouring countries. 

The project is organised into three work packages which includes tasks : 

Work Package 1: Project management and Coordination

• Task 1.1 : Grant management and project coordination
  
• Task 1.2 : Governance
  
• Task 1.3 : Audit and evaluations
  

Work Package 2: Deployment of the technical means to ensure the access to independent, alternative and pluralistic information in Russia and in the region

• Task 2.1 : Content identification and selection
  
• Task 2.2 : Content formatting and packaging
  
• Task 2.3 : Playlist development
  
• Task 2.4 : Satellite distribution
  

Work Package 3: Communication and dissemination

• Task 3.1 : Dissemination strategy
  
• Task 3.2 : Outreach towards the final beneficiaries
  

4/ Objectives of the impact assessmen

RSF reserves the right to make small changes to the content of these ToR after their publication. If changes have to be made, they will be discussed during the inception phase of the assessment.

The main objective of the impact assessment is to determine how many households are reached by RSF's Svoboda satellite package and are watching the channels. The other objective of the assessment is to have a global overview of RSF’s Svoboda satellite impact. Some impact that could be studied are the following : 

• Impact on the channels and content providers which benefit from the project to be able to broadcast their contents in countries or areas where they would normally be banned or restricted. 
  
• Impact of the project communication on social media (Telegram, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok).
  
• Impact of the channels on streaming applications, (UVOtv, Kartina, etc)
  
• Impact of the Youtube channel. 
  
• Impact of working with pay TV platform and streaming services
  
• Impact on helping partners reach their global audiences, (Current Time, DW, RFI).
  
• Impact in the press (press releases about Svoboda, interviews, etc.). 
  

The aim of this call for proposals is to find consultants who can offer innovative solutions to meet this objectives, taking into account the following elements and limits: 

• It is not possible to calculate by technical means the number of people watching the Svoboda package through the satellite. 
  
• RSF is listed as an “undesirable organisation” in Russia. Anyone cooperating with listed "foreign organisations" or helping to fund them in Russia can be subjected to administrative prosecution and fined. Repeat offences may lead to criminal prosecution punishable by up to five years in prison. Even the slightest reference to such an organisation or sharing its posts is enough to trigger these prosecutions. 
  
• It is not possible to contact people in Russia without exposing them to excessive risk. 
  

Stakeholders who can be involved in the impact assessment are :

• RSF Project officer 
  
• RSF Projects Director
  
• RSF Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk 
  
• Director of the Svoboda project and his technical support team (external consultant) 
  
• Channel editor consultant 
  
• Marketing sales consultant 
  
• Representatives of channels 
  
• Content providers 
  
• Eutelsat
  
• The company in charge of doing the uplink to the satellite 
  

All the documents required for the assessment will be made available to the consultants after the signature of the contract.

5/ Deliverables

The expected deliverables includes : 

An inception report that will form the basis for the impact assessment process and shall be approved by RSF before starting to implement the assessment. The inception report should be written in English. The report will include: 

• An updated work plan and timeline based on the documentation review and the kick-off meeting. 
  
• Updated methodology and data collection tools 
  
• A list of stakeholders who will be contacted. 
  

A final report (including draft reports for comments and review by RSF). The format of the final report will be decided during the inception phase based on the methodology chosen. Additional documents to the final report may be proposed as part of the methodology in the response to the terms of reference. 

6/ Budget

The maximum budget available for this impact assessment is €35,000 all taxes included. This amount must include all the costs required to carry out the impact assessment.

The assessment can be carried out remotely or the evaluators can decide to carry out field mission(s), with the prior agreement of RSF. In the event of mission(s), the costs must be part of the total budget and the consultants will be required to arrange the logistics including any necessary security arrangements. 

7/ Calendar

The impact assessment consultancy mission is scheduled to start at the end of January 2026. 

RSF will need the results of the impact assessment as soon as possible. The impact assessment must be finalised and the final report approved by RSF by the end of May 2026 at the latest. 

As part of their proposal, consultants are expected to submit a timetable. The timetable must allow for a certain degree of flexibility. 

8/ Consultant qualifications

For this assessment, RSF is seeking to recruit a team of consultants. Preference will be given to the team with the most relevant expertises and experiences, and that proposes the methodology that best meets the objectives.

The following skills will be sought : 

• Expertise in media ecosystem ;
  
• Knowledge of the Russian and regional media ecosystem ;
  
• Knowledge of television ecosystems and technology, including satellite. 
  
• Fluent spoken and written English and Russian. 
  

9/ Submission of the offer and selection

Team of consultants interested in the impact assessment should include the following documents in their application: 

• A technical proposal detailing the understanding of the assessment stakes, the proposed methodology, as well as the implementation schedule considered.
  
• CVs describing education and experience.
  
• A list describing previous assessment/consultancies. Please give details of similar contracts: donor and organisation that implemented the project, budget and duration of the project concerned, budget and duration of the assessment/consultancy, main results, etc.
  
• A detailed financial  proposal (estimate) with the total budget all taxes included.
  

Proposals must be submitted in English. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

Full applications must be sent by email to the following addresses before 07/01/2026 at 9.00 a.m (Paris time, CET) : 

Charlie Troncy, MEAL officer: ctroncy@rsf.org 

Cléa Monier, Project officer : cmonier@rsf.org 

The interviews with pre-selected applicants could be organised in January 2026.

June 3 (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM)

Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) - Hanover St, District Six, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa

Deadline: February 15, 2026

Division(s)/Interest Group(s): Public Relations

Rationale & theme

Public relations and strategic communication often sit at the intersection of power, ethics, and inclusion. Around the world, widening gaps in wealth, voice, and representation shape who gets heard and how institutions and organizations are held to account. This preconference invites scholarship and practice that examine how public relations and strategic communication can help bridge inequality gaps, as well as what role they play in reproducing them across organizational, community, governmental, and transnational contexts. We welcome conceptual and empirical work as well as practitioner‐academia collaborations that surface actionable insights for practice and policy.

We especially encourage contributions that:

• Shed light on power dynamics (agenda‐setting, visibility regimes, “strategic silence”, influence industries) and their consequences for equity and justice; Advance ethical frameworks for practice under uncertainty, polarization, and AI‐mediated communication;
  
• Move beyond diagnosis and into actionable research through workable tools, interventions, and partnerships that demonstrably improve inclusion and accountability in/through public relations and strategic communication.
  
• Suggested topics (but not limited to)
  
• Inequality as a communication problem: who benefits/loses from current communicative arrangements?
  
• Organizational responsibility, legitimacy, and trust in divided societies (CSR/ESG, stakeholder capitalism, social license)
  
• Activism, advocacy, and coalition‐building; tensions in corporate/NGO/grassroots collaborations
  
• Ethics in practice: competing accountabilities, dilemmas, and decision‐making models
  
• AI, datafication, targeting, and automation: risks/opportunities for inclusion, transparency, and participation
  
• Publics, counter‐publics, and audience segmentation beyond the “usual suspects”
  
• Internal communication, voice at work, and equitable change from within organizations
  
• Crisis, disaster, health, and environmental communication through an equity lens
  
• Measurement beyond media hits: evaluating social impact and equity outcomes
  
• Pedagogy and professional formation: curricula, credentialing, and pathways that reduce (not widen) inequality
  

 Participation tracks

1) Research papers

Original scholarly submissions (conceptual or empirical) that advance theory and/or evidence on the conference theme.

Format

• Extended abstracts (800 words incl. references).
  

2) Actionable research & practice labs

Short, impact‐oriented contributions that translate scholarship into tools for practice and policy.

Submissions should include at least one tangible output, such as:

• A practitioner toolkit/checklist or decision‐making flowchart;
  
• A policy/practice brief (2–4 pages) targeting a defined audience;
  
• An open protocol (e.g., equity audit, listening/engagement method, evaluation template);
  
• A partnership plan with a civil‐society, public‐sector, or industry actor;
  
• A dataset or replicable codebook enabling comparative equity analysis (e.g., comparing voice/access gaps across sectors, countries, or stakeholder groups).
  

Publication opportunities

Special issue in Journal of Communication Management

Special issue in Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa

Costs

The conference fee is 40 USD and includes a light breakfast on arrival, lunch, and refreshments during session breaks. Participants attending this pre-conference on June 3rd as well as the Metamodern Public Relations pre-conference on June 4th will benefit from a reduced joint participation fee of 60 USD.

The pre-conference is supported by the Public Relations Division of the ICA.

Abstract submission

The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2026.

Abstracts of up to 800 words are invited. Please send your abstract to: bridginggapsconf@gmail.com

Submissions will undergo blind peer review, so please make sure to submit a suitably anonymized text. Please make sure that your abstract is a specific contribution to this pre-conference.

Acceptance notifications will be sent out by mid-March, 2026. It is understood that, by submitting an abstract, you are going to attend the pre-conference should it be accepted.

Check the Call for Papers on the ICA website: https://www.icahdq.org/mpage/ICA26-prepostconferences

Organizers

• Rene Benecke, University of Johannesburg, South Africa Anca Anton, University of Bucharest, Romania
  
• Alice Cheng, North Carolina State University, USA Jesper Falkheimer, Lund University, Sweden
  
• Cindy Ngai, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Caroline Azionya, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
  

Local organizers

Nirvana Bechan, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa Deidre Porthen, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa

RePIM – Revisioning Public Interest Media – is a four-year Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network dedicated to reimagining how Public Interest Media can remain relevant, sustainable, and impactful in a rapidly changing, data-driven and platform-dominated environment.

The network unites leading European universities, Public Interest Media organisations, and industry partners to train 12 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) working across media content innovation, infrastructure transformation, organisational change, audience analysis, and policy development. RePIM offers an interdisciplinary, international, and cross-sectoral training environment, including secondments, summer/winter schools, scenario-building workshops, and close collaboration with non-academic partners.

We are now recruiting 12 fully funded PhD researchers, each employed for 36 or 48 months (project-dependent) at one of the participating universities across Europe.

All positions are full-time, fully funded according to Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network regulations, including living allowance, mobility allowance, and, when applicable, family allowance.

Eligibility (MSCA-DN Requirements)

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Not already hold a doctoral degree.
  
• Not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies) in the host country for more than 12 months in the 36 months before the recruitment date (MSCA mobility rule).
  

General Requirements

• You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field
  
• You are motivated to pursue a doctoral degree through an individual research project
  
• You are open to international mobility, in line with the MSCA-DN framework, and are willing to relocate to the host university’s country, as well as attend international trainings, internships, and academic exchanges
  
• You demonstrate a strong academic track record
  
• You have a solid scientific background, possibly with prior relevant research experience
  
• You are proficient in written and spoken English.
  

Open PhD Positions (12 Doctoral Candidates)

Below is an overview of all RePIM Doctoral projects. Each title links to a full description and guidelines for applying.

Applicants may indicate interest in up to three positions. This can be done as part of a single application but this must clearly specify their first choice.

PhD project

DC1. Coping with the challenges of automated content in public interest media

University of Zurich (UZH)

Switzerland

DC2. Reinventing content for online-first public media

Charles University Prague (CU)

Czechia

DC3. Quality news bots for public service media

Aalborg University (AAU)

Denmark

DC4. Object oriented edge-casting using semantic encoding

Aalborg University (AAU)

Denmark

DC5. Digital infrastructures in the public interest

University of Stavanger (UiS)

Norway

DC6. Global logics in local contexts: Reinventing partnership strategies for Public Interest Media

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Belgium

DC7. Reconfiguring organisational structures for delivering platformised public value

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Belgium

DC8. Developing and transforming sustainability requirements for Public Interest Media

Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS)

Austria

DC9. Regulating Public Interest Media in a platform world

Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS)

Austria

DC10. Public support for non-public service media organisations

University of Warsaw (UW)

Poland

DC11. Reaching the unreachable

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Belgium

DC12. Audience data management and performance measurement in the cross-media landscape

Tallinn University (TLU)

Estonia

Deadline for Applications

Apply before 31 January 2026 by following the procedure detailed in each job posting.

What RePIM Offers

All DCs will benefit from:

• Employment at a leading European university with full social security coverage
  
• A competitive salary in accordance with the MSCA Call 2025 regulations for Doctoral Researchers, paid from the relevant monthly gross allowances: living allowance, mobility allowance, family allowance (only if applicable)
  
• International secondments at partner universities
  
• Paid internships at relevant media organisations
  
• A comprehensive training programme including three Summer Schools (Brussels, Copenhagen, Salzburg), three Winter Seminars (online), and cross-sector training in research skills, data management, ethics, policy, management and leadership
  
• A final RePIM Scenario-Building Symposium & Career Days in Brussels
  
• Close supervision by world-leading academics and Public Interest Media experts
  
• A vibrant interdisciplinary research community spanning content, infrastructure, organisation, audiences and policy.
  

RePIM – Revisioning Public Interest Media is a four-year Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) Doctoral Network dedicated to reimagining the role and future of public interest media in a data-driven, platform-dominated environment. RePIM brings together leading European universities, industry partners, and 12 Doctoral Candidates in an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral training and research programme. The network investigates how public interest media can remain relevant, sustainable, and impactful by transforming how content is produced, packaged, distributed, and supported organisationally and technologically. Through its focus on strategic innovation, organisational change, and media management, RePIM equips its doctoral researchers with advanced analytical and managerial skills to help reshape public interest media across diverse European contexts.

Weizenbaum Institut

Founded in 2017, the Weizenbaum Institute researches the effects of advancing digitalisation on our society. With its recommendations for action, it helps to ensure that the digital transformation is sustainable, self-determined and responsible. The Weizenbaum Institute is supported by a network of seven partners, including Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin University of the Arts, the University of Potsdam, the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (FOKUS) and the Social Science Research Centre Berlin (WZB). The institute is financed by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the state of Berlin. It is located in Berlin.

For our third-party-funded research group “Local Digital Public Spheres” at the Weizenbaum-Institut e.V. we are looking, at the earliest possible date, for 3 research associates in social science (m/w/d) with 29.25 hours per week (75%). The position is initially limited until 31 December 2028. Further employment up to a total duration of four years will be sought and is dependent on further funding approval.

The Team

The junior research group “Local Digital Public Spheres” is funded as part of the German Research Foundation’s (DFG) Emmy Noether program. It investigates how contemporary local public spheres are formed under conditions of digitalization and globalization, as local issues and events often gain national or even international attention. The project investigates digital discourses on places which have gained public notoriety in the fields of (a) illiberalism and backlash against plural societies and (b) industrial transformations and environmental concerns. It further investigates how residents respond to such public attention and organize around these issues locally. The group employs a mixed-methods design of computational (text-as-data, network analysis) and qualitative approaches (interviews, ethnographic field work) to investigate six local digital public spheres in three countries (Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom). Based on this empirical data, it will develop a theory of the spatial dimension of digital public spheres. You can take a closer look at the team and their work here.

Your tasks

• Conceptualization and execution of a doctoral dissertation in the research group’s fields of study (e.g., local public spheres, political discourses, mobilization and protest, local communities and social cohesion) and utilizing project data
  
• Conducting qualitative and/or mixed-methods fieldwork for one of the three countries of study (Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom), including qualitative interviews with local stakeholders and citizens
  
• Working with the team of two other PhD students and the research group leader on cross-case analyses and theory building in the field of study
  
• Regular publication and presentation of research results at national and international conferences and workshops
  
• Organization of events and activities for the research community and the broader public
  
• Participation in the events and program of the Weizenbaum Institute and - as an associated member - of the Collaborative Research Center 1265 “Re-Figuration of Spaces”
  

Your profile

• Master’s degree in the social sciences (e.g., communication studies, sociology, political science, human geography), area studies, or a related field
  
• Very good knowledge of qualitative research methodologies and willingness to conduct fieldwork
  
• Excellent proficiency in the national language of the case study you intend to work on (i.e., Polish, German, or English) and very good understanding of the respective political and cultural context
  
• Interest in interdisciplinary social scientific research, particularly in the areas of public spheres, digital transformations of society, and/or spatial theory
  
• Basic knowledge of quantitative and/or computational methodologies and interest in developing mixed-methods approaches to the analysis of local digital public spheres
  
• Excellent English skills and very good communication, presentation, and academic writing skills
  
• Enjoy working in a team
  

Your chance

• Exciting tasks: Work in a committed, innovative, and scientific environment
  
• Optimal conditions: Compensation depending on qualifications up to EG 13 (TVöD Bund), including annual bonus, company pension plan, and subsidy for the Deutschlandticket
  
• Work-life balance: We offer mobile working, flexible working hours, and 30 days of vacation per year (based on a 5-day week), plus paid time off on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
  
• Central location: Work in the center of Berlin
  
• Personal development: Regular professional development opportunities
  

Severely disabled applicants with equal qualifications will be given preference. We value diversity and welcome all applications - regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic or social origin, religion, disability, age and sexual orientation. The Weizenbaum Institute expressly encourages women and people with a history of migration to apply.

Please submit your application, consisting of a motivation letter, your curriculum vitae (including a list of publications, conference presentations, or other academic activities, if applicable), university degree and other relevant certificates, and a writing sample (e.g., a student paper or master’s thesis) in English or German addressed to Dr. Daniela Stoltenberg, in our application portal until 2nd January 2026. Please indicate clearly for which country case studies you are applying. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Maite Vöhl from our HR team (personal[at]weizenbaum-institut.de) at any time. We look forward to receiving your documents.

Application portal

Deadline for panel paper abstracts: January 15, 2026 (5pm UTC)

Panel Convenor: Nico Carpentier, CULCORC, Charles University, Prague,  Czech Republic. 

Submission to be sent to: nico.carpentier@fsv.cuni.cz 

Dear all, 

I plan to submit a panel proposal for the IAMCR 2026 conference, which  will take place in Galway (Ireland), from 28 June - 2 July 2026. The  theme of this year's conference is "Peripheries and Connections: Media,  Communication and Transformation", with panel and paper submission  deadline of 3 February 2026. More about the conference can be found (as  you know) at https://iamcr.org/galway2026. 

This panel proposal, which originates from my work in MeDeMAP (a  European research project), will be entitled “Participation, Knowledge  and Communication: An Intersection of Transformative Forces”; the  abstract is below. 

With this call for papers (for this panel) I want to invite interested  scholars, activists and artists, from a diversity of locations and  affiliations, to join me in this panel proposal. In order to allow time  for the panel selection process, proposals should reach me, at  nico.carpentier@fsv.cuni.cz, on or before 15 January 2026, 5pm UTC. 

Proposals need to include (1) an abstract between 500 and 800 words, (2)  a title, (3) an author list with names, affiliations and email  addresses, and (4) a note confirming that at least one author will be  present in person at the IAMCR conference (if the panel is accepted). 

The panel “Participation, Knowledge and Communication: An Intersection  of Transformative Forces” incorporates theoretical and empirical  research papers which scrutinise the intersection of three key concepts  and the multitude of practices they cover. First, participation, defined  here as the rebalancing of power imbalances (see, e.g., Pateman, 1970),  or, as the sharing of power, with its promises of empowerment, is  central to our understanding of political processes in a variety of  societal fields (also moving beyond politics). Participation has the  capacity to validate ordinary people and the decentralisation of  decision-making processes. Knowledge, in its very Foucauldian meaning,  is seen the assemblage of the discourses that are constructed as  truthful renderings of social reality. To use McCarthy (1996: 2)  definition: “knowledge refers to any and every set of ideas accepted by  one or another social group or society of people, ideas pertaining to  what they accept as real.” Finally, communication is approached here as  the interpreting and sharing of meaning, through the exchange of  signifying practices, structured through discourses and ideologies. Also  knowledge and communication, are deeply political practices, structured  through power relations, and part of discursive-material construction  processes, always located in particular geographies. 

This panel is particular interested in how these three notions  theoretically and empirically intersect, and how these intersections  allow us to (re)think societal transformations, in a diversity of  centres and peripheries. For instance, this panel aims to open up  discussions about situated knowledge (Haraway, 1988), and its capacity  to feed into participatory processes, but also how participatory  processes can bring out a diversity of voices which otherwise would be  silenced by hegemonic knowledge and communication practices. Similarly,  the panel is interested in collaborative-participatory knowledge  production and communication processes, which disrupt the traditional  centres and hierarchies of knowledge production. Equally important are  alternative-participatory communication practices, which allow for the  generation of new knowledges, or for the re-articulation of existing  hegemonic knowledge frameworks. Through an articulation of different  critical perspectives, this panel aims to deepen our reflections on how  these three notions intersect, and how they can support (or disrupt)  social change processes and societal transformations. 

Slavko Splichal

A new book by Slavko Splichal, titled The Gig Public, was recently published by Anthem Press. The book explores the rise of the “gig public” in the age of performative publicness, highlighting challenges in sustaining meaningful discourse, the impact of new technologies and AI on public engagement, and the emergence of the will to visibility within the context of capitalism and algorithmic governmentality.

Read open access version HERE.

Contents:

Introduction: The Gig Public – Rethinking Publicness in the Age of AI

1-From Collective to Counter: Understanding the Evolving Territories of Publicness

2-Paradigm Shifts: Habitual and Contractual Foundations of Publics

3-The Gig Public: Redrawing the Boundaries between Public and Private Realms

4-Invigorating Publicness in the AI World: Challenges, Opportunities and Strategies

Today the Global Media & Internet Concentration Project released its report on market, policy and technological developments in a swathe of communication, internet and media industries in Germany:

-  The Germany report was prepared by: Lukas Barbutev, Dr Hendrik Theine, Dr Tobias Mast and Josefine May Spannuth

This follows editions we have already published on the state of media and internet concentration in Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Norway the United States and many more, with the end goal a library of regularly updated reports for all of the nearly 40 countries that make up the GMICP.

These reports are rich with insights into growth and concentration trends within media and communication sectors in these countries, as well as key regulatory developments.

 Finally:

-  Please review any of our reports and the underlying data sets here.

-  We invite other researchers to contribute their expertise to our efforts – please reach out to us here.

 June 4, 2026 (8:30 - 12:00 PM (UTC+2)

Cape Town, South Africa (in-person only) 

Deadline: December 15, 2025 (12:00 CET)

Organised with the ICA divisions Children, Adolescence and Media and Communication Law and Policy, the DFC welcomes original research studies addressing the theme of children’s rights in the digital environment, from all disciplines, employing empirical methods, relevant theory, and contributing to children’s rights in the digital environment, especially Global South perspectives.

In the pre-conference, scholars and practitioners will explore how research can inform policy, regulation and design with children in digital environments, framed by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General comment No. 25 on Children’s Rights in Relation to the Digital Environment. 

More info: https://www.digital-futures-for-children.net/events/ica-preconference/call-for-submissions

March 19-20, 2026 

Hybrid: Lublin, Poland & Online

Deadline: January 20, 2026

Organizers: Institute of Social Communication and Media Science

Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin 

Polish Communication Association, Mediatization Section

This year the keynote speech will be given by Professor Martin Johannes Riedl, representing School of Journalism and Media at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Resuscitated at the deathbed? GenAI as challenge and opportunity for journalism

For more information please visit the conference website: https://www.umcs.pl/en/ms-cfp.htm

Forms of participation: personal and online; languages of the conference: English and Polish; conference site: Institute of Social Communication and Media Science, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Głęboka Street 45.

Accompanying event: Workshop: From data to interpretation: NLP techniques in digital discourse analysis (onsite event).

Important dates:

• Abstract submission: 20 January, 2026 
  
• Abstract acceptance: 30 January, 2026
  
• Conference program announcement – first draft: 6 February, 2026
  

Conference fee for the personal and online participation: PLN 200 (PTKS/Polish Communication Association members: PLN 150; plus 60-100 PLN [for the Workshop participants, depending on their number); 

The conference concept:

Mediatization and Artificial Intelligence: Values, Principles, and Practices of AI-zation?

When observing the constant deepening of the mediatization process, one can ask what comes after mediatization? Is this term still relevant or should we look for an alternative, such as 'AI-zation', to describe and explain the transformations driven by Large Language Models witnessed by people in different fields and sectors of their private and public lives? These questions concern the accelerators, obstacles and disruptors introduced by AI technologies and the kinds of transformations or breakthroughs they bring about when human dependency on media is considered. At the same time, we may feel lost when trying to determine the principles that should organize the media and AI worlds, and the values that they should reflect. In particular, discussions about the AI-related principles and values face us with the problem of obsolescence, need for updates or new rules and ideals, as well as their commonality and applicability in different societal and national contexts.

When asking these questions, we would like to invite media and communication scholars, as well as researchers interested in technology, the humanities, psychology, and other disciplines, to discuss the topics, we believe, will help us to consider the current and future stages of media- and AI-related phenomena wisely and visionary.

The list of expected topics includes, but is not limited to:

• What comes after deep mediatization? Does AI technologies introduce the next phase of mediatization (AI-zation)?
  
• What are the features, principles and consequences of human-machine communication, especially in the current era of LLMs proliferation?
  
• Which values are of paramount importance and should be preserved first in human-machine communication?
  
• Are generative AI tools merely intermediaries in media communication, or are they the authors, creators and broadcasters of messages? To what extent can they be perceived as having agency and/or subjectivity?
  
• Given the vast application of generative AI tools, can we trust media materials, including journalistic content, in terms of their veracity and factuality?
  
• What can technological approach to mediatization teach us about human-machine communication? Is AI technology similar to any other invention, e.g. the internet, or is it a game changer unlike anything we have ever seen before?
  
• What role do machine participants play in the meaning-making process, and who or what do they represent? The European and national laws and regulations on AI (e.g. AI Act 2025) and the ethics of human-machine communication?
  
• Originality and creativity in media production in the face of generative AI application. Affective artificial communication (e.g. AI-driven emotion recognition, relationships and intimacy in the age of AI, technological forms of empathy, affective computing).
  

Accompanying event: Workshop: From data to interpretation: NLP techniques in digital discourse analysis (onsite event): Kamil Filipek, Michał Błaszczykowski, Center for Artificial Intelligence and Computational Modeling.

The aim of the training is to familiarise social communication researchers with modern natural language processing methods used to analyse texts obtained from digital platforms. Participants will learn how to prepare data, select appropriate analytical techniques (e.g. embedding models, classification, topic analysis) and interpret results in the context of discourse theory. The training also aims to develop competencies that allow for critical assessment of both the potential and limitations of NLP methods in communication research.

On behalf of Scientific and Organizational Committee

Ewa Nowak-Teter, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University

Karolina Burno-Kaliszuk, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University

Dr hab. Ewa Nowak-Teter, prof. UMCS

University of Zurich, Switzerland

The Media & Internet Governance Division (Prof. Dr. Natascha Just) of the Department of Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich invites applications for an open position of Senior Research and Teaching Associate/Postdoc (80%). Start of employment: 1 February 2026 / upon agreement.

The Media & Internet Governance Division studies media policy and media economics in the convergent communications sector. Alongside research on traditional mass media, the division focuses on Internet Governance and Platform Studies. The successful applicant will work on dedicated topics that align with the division's research program. 

Further information and application details: https://jobs.uzh.ch/job-vacancies/senior-research-and-teaching-associate-postdoc-position-media-internet-governance-division-ikmz/995cf26d-8973-49eb-8f1e-385950f00513

Review of applications starts immediately, but the position will remain open until a qualified candidate is found.

Please contact Alena Birrer, MA (a.birrer@ikmz.uzh.ch) if you have any further questions.