ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Arizona State University

Where to Apply: apply.interfolio.com/159830 

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (The College) on the Tempe campus of Arizona State University (ASU) invites inquiries, nominations and applications for the position of Director of the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (HDSHC) with a concurrent appointment as tenured Full Professor. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2025.  As articulated in the ASU Charter, ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.

The HDSHC is home to a dynamic group of faculty working to create innovative research and excellence in teaching through its efforts to address the complexity of human communication in the 21st century.  The HDSHC’s mission aims to place communication at the center of human activity while creating a culture of belonging that values inclusive excellence. The HDSHC is comprised of 28 distinguished core faculty and offers BA, BS, MA and PhD degrees. Our faculty are recognized for teaching and research excellence in areas of Human Communication including: health, intercultural, interpersonal, organizational, performance studies, critical/cultural studies and rhetoric. Online programs, including a minor, BS, BA and MA, have experienced exponential growth and the school looks forward to continuing the upward trajectory. The HDSHC offers laboratory facilities, computer resources, project support, grant development support and a performance studio. 

Reporting to the dean of social sciences within The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the next Director will have a leadership style that aligns with the university's culture of invention and innovation, creates meaningful and enduring results and encourages a passion for the social sciences as interconnected, inclusive and impactful fields. The Director should cultivate a persuasive vision for the HDSHC’s future that reflects our highest aspirations for the school and its role in civil discourse within and across communities and throughout society.

Arizona State University is a leading public university ranked #1 Most Innovative School by U.S. News & World Report 10 years in a row and is leading a bold reinvention of higher education as the New American University. ASU serves more than 145,000 students on four campuses in the Phoenix metropolitan area, one of the fastest growing urban centers in the nation; at locations across the U.S., including California and Washington, D.C; and globally through ASU Online. ASU is a research-intensive university and has developed numerous new programs and units that defy and bridge disciplinary boundaries to enable the exploration and discovery of new knowledge while developing solutions to the most challenging issues of our time. With the University’s location in the nation’s fifth largest city, the Phoenix region provides a rich context for applied research and community engagement around issues of human communication. ASU’s location offers the resources of a major metropolitan area (5+ million) in a state with spectacular natural scenery and recreational areas, sublime winters and a culturally rich population.

Learn more about the HDSHC and ASU at https://humancommunication.asu.edu/ and https://newamericanuniversity.asu.edu/, respectively. Learn more about what The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has to offer by visiting https://thecollege.asu.edu/faculty.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Ph.D. degree in Communication Studies or a closely related field
  
• A scholarly record commensurate with the rank of tenured full Professor in HDSHC
  
• A record of effective mentoring
  
• Demonstrated experience in an academic leadership position
  

Desired Qualifications

• An internationally recognized program of research, a strong record of external funding and experience supporting colleagues as they compete for funding
  
• Demonstrated experience with financial oversight and personnel management
  
• Excellent interpersonal and strong persuasive communication skills
  
• Ability to articulate the vision, mission and future aims of the HDSHC in relationship to The College and the University
  
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial approach to forming alliances and partnerships with other units and programs, as well as outside organizations and external stakeholders
  
• A broad outlook and approach to new trends in Human Communication that capture a new learning paradigm of the communication process in post-pandemic higher education
  
• An interest in and commitment to fundraising and an ability to present a compelling story to potential donors, funding agencies, and external constituencies

NOMINATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

The application deadline is December 26, 2024.   Applications will be reviewed beginning Friday, January 10, 2025.  Applications will continue to be accepted, if position is not filled, reviews will occur every two weeks thereafter until the search is closed. Candidates are required to submit the following for consideration:

• a curriculum vitae
  
• a letter of interest describing how you meet the qualifications noted above and your vision for leadership of an interdisciplinary school
  
• contact information, including email addresses, for five references [references will be contacted at a later stage of the search and only with the candidate’s approval].

Nominations and inquiries about this position are encouraged. Please direct them to Irasema Coronado, Chair of the Search Committee, via email at: Irasema.Coronado@asu.edu. 

A background check is required for employment.

ASU is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. For more information on ASU’s policies, please see: https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html  and its complete non-discrimination statement at: https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/. 

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources.  ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf. You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.

MedieKultur: Journal of media and communication research (Vol. 40 No. 77, 2024)

Theme Editors

• Jeannine Teichert, Paderborn University, Germany
  
• Heike Graf, Södertörn University, Sweden
  
• Philipp Seuferling, The London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom
  

Issue Editors

• Maja Nordtug, University of Oslo, Norway
  
• Lynge Stegger Gemzøe, Aarhus University, Denmark
  

Published: 2024-11-15

READ MORE HERE

Media Studies at the Faculty of Humanities, Odense (Denmark)

The Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS) and the Department of Design, Media and Educational Science at the University of Southern Denmark invite applications for a full professorship in Media Studies. The candidate is expected to start in October 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The 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 interdisciplinary research and innovation. DIAS encourages and supports curiosity-driven research and fosters the meeting of minds across disciplines and levels of seniority. The centre cultivates an ambitious, open-minded and playful environment that nurtures both academic growth and a strong sense of community. 

For questions about DIAS, you may contact Professor Sten Rynning, Director of DIAS (director-dias@sdu.dk).

Information about the Department of Design, Media and Educational Science

The Department of Design, Media and Educational Science is home to approximately 150 employees, covering a wide range of subjects and research interests, including Language Acquisition, Design, Education Sciences, Information Studies, Library Science, Upper Secondary Didactics, Media Studies, Organisational Communication, Philosophy, Tourism and Experience Economy, and Web Communication. Our faculty is deeply committed to interdisciplinary research and teaching, fostering collaborations across disciplines and with external partners. The department emphasizes a productive balance between curiosity-driven research and applied research, focusing on societal challenges and innovative solutions. Our researchers are involved in a number of cutting-edge research centres, groups, and networks, contributing to significant publications and projects that impact both academia and broader society.

The department fosters a vibrant research environment in Media Studies, with the Media Research Group at its core. The group adopts a forward-thinking approach, grounded in historical perspectives on media’s materiality and social practices, while focusing on how media permeates everyday life and shapes broader cultural, political, and economic dynamics on a global scale.

Our current research engages with a diverse array of media forms and practices, including film, television, games, auditory media, social media, as well as emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, health communication, and the role of media in museums. We actively track the dynamic developments within these industries and their cultural fields, while also paying close attention to contemporary media usage across different demographic groups, such as children, older people, and marginalized communities. Furthermore, we are committed to addressing key societal issues such as digitalization and climate change and are pioneers in exploring the sustainability and "greening" of media industries.

Further information is available from Professor Susana Tosca by email: stosca@sdu.dk 

Candidate profile

We seek a candidate with broad knowledge of the field and expertise across theoretical traditions, methodological approaches, and diverse media practices, whose profile both complements existing work and reflects the ability to further develop media research at the department and engage in interdisciplinary activities at DIAS. We are particularly interested in candidates who combine scholarly excellence and originality with a proven interest in leading and contributing to collaborative work, public dissemination, and societal engagement.

As a DIAS Professor, you are also expected to actively engage with activities at Danish Institute of Advanced Study as a DIAS chair. More specifically, your DIAS affiliation requires active participation in DIAS lectures and related activities.   The candidate will be expected to contribute actively to DIAS, including but not limited to participation in DIAS activities, mentoring of DIAS fellows, and promotion of DIAS nationally, internationally and within SDU, as well as through strengthening the bonds between the department/faculty on one hand and DIAS on the other, through interdisciplinary collaborations when meaningful.

As a fully tenured professor, you are also employed to contribute significantly to the academic development in the department and of your field. Your main work tasks include research, teaching, and related organizational work. This also includes supporting the career development of younger scholars and the realization of the department’s strategic goals.

Candidates must therefore: 

• Have an excellent academic profile and publication track record including substantial international publications.
  
• Present an ambitious and innovative research and publication plan including plans for acquiring external funding and team building.
  
• Demonstrate interest for engaging in cross- and inter-disciplinary research and dialogue in order to engage further in the framework of DIAS.
  
• Be able to teach and supervise core topics in media studies
  

Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of collegial engagement for creating and upholding a stimulating, creative and curiosity-driven research environment.

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.

Conditions of employment

Appointment to the position will be in accordance with the salary agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Please check links for more information on salary (only available in Danish) and taxation. 

Application

The Faculty expects applicants to read the information "How to apply" before applying. 

The application must include: 

• Application letter/cover letter

• CV

• Documentation of qualifications (diplomas, etc.)

• Teaching portfolio

• Research plan, including documentation of research management experience and record of external funding 

• Complete list of publications. The enclosed publications must be clearly marked. 

• Up to 6 relevant publications. One pdf-file per publication should be attached. In case of co-authorship, signed statements stipulating the extent and nature of the candidate's contribution should be included in the relevant pdf-file

• References letters and other relevant qualifications may also be included

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. When the assessment committee has submitted its report, the applicant will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns him/her. 

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 may be used in the assessment process. Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be assessed. Here you can read more about shortlisting at SDU.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

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, the third largest city in Denmark, but is present also in Kolding, Sønderborg, Esbjerg and Copenhagen. 

Application deadline: February 27, 2025 23.59. PM (CET/CEST).

Read more HERE.

April 7-11, 2025

IUC, Dubrovnik (Croatia)

Post-graduate course and research conference co-organized with the ECREA CEE Network

What is the impact of AI on public sphere and journalism? Chat GPT summarized the answer as follows:

AI and automation is used not only in content creation in journalism, but across government and corporate services, in governing of news feeds on social media,  to produce deepfakes and misinformation. AI powered data analytics could aid in investigative journalism, but its discruption of the existing business models for the media could further agravate the position of news media. The struggle around economic and symbolic power was highlighted by the recent strikes of the film industry and lawsuits for copyright infringement by the New York Times against OpenAI and Microsoft.  

Automation is used not only in content creation in journalism, but across government and corporate services, in governing of news feeds on social media, in deepfakes and misinformation strategically implemented both by local and international actors. AI powered data mining could aid in investigative journalism, but its disruption of the existing business models for the media could further agravate the position of news media. The first threat to the film industries was already faced, but will certainly not be the last one. AI also challenges journalism education in manifold ways, depending on the constraints of local media systems and journalism cultures.

The course & research conference will discuss new research in the area of AI, automation and the public sphere. The course will also include a hands-on methodological workshop focusing on comparative methods. 

Lecturers include:

• Stina Bengtsson, Södertörn University, Sweden
  
• Göran Bolin, Södertörn University, Stockholm
  
• Carmen Ciller, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
  
• Susanne Fengler, TU Dortmund, Germany
  
• Anne Kaun, Södertörn University, Stockholm
  
• Paolo Mancini, Università di Perugia, Italy
  
• Rita Marcheti, Università di Perugia, Italy
  
• Zrinjka Peruško, University of Zagreb, Croatia 
  
• Slavko Splichal, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
  
• Fredrik Stiernstedt, Södertörn University, Stockholm

The course directors:

• Zrinjka Peruško, University of Zagreb, Croatia 
  
• Göran Bolin, Södertörn University, Stockholm
  
• Carmen Ciller, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
  
• Susanne Fengler, TU Dortmund, Germany
  
• Epp Lauk, University of Tartu, Estonia
  
• Paolo Mancini, Università di Perugia, Italy
  
• Slavko Splichal, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
  
• Miklós Sükösd, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
  

This 13th "slow science" IUC-CMS is an interdisciplinary research conference & post-graduate course open to academics, doctoral and post-doctoral students in media, communication and related fields engaged with the issue of media and media systems, that wish to discuss their current work with established and emerging scholars and get relevant feedback. 

Invited research conference participants will deliver keynote lectures with ample discussion opportunities. In this unique academic format, student course attendees will have extended opportunity to present and discuss their current own work with the course directors and other lecturers and participants in seminar form (English language) and in further informal meetings around the beautiful old-town of Dubrovnik (UNESCO World Heritage) over 5 full working days (Monday to Saturday). 

The working language is English. 

Participation in the course for graduate (master and doctoral) students brings 3,5 ECTS credits, and for doctoral students who present their thesis research 6 ECTS. The course is accredited and the ECTS are awarded by the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb (www.fpzg.unizg.hr). All participants will also receive a certificate of attendance from the IUC.

Enrolment

To apply, send a CV and a motivation letter to zrinjka.perusko@gmail.com Students who wish to present their research should also send a 300 word abstract. The course can accept 20 students, and the applications are received on a rolling basis. After notification of acceptance you need to register also on this web page: https://iuc.hr/programme/1844. 

The IUC requires a small enrolment fee from student participants. Participants are responsible for organizing their own lodging and travel. Affordable housing is available for IUC participants. Stipends are available from IUC for eligible participants, further information at  https://www.iuc.hr/iuc-support.php. For information on these matters please contact the IUC secretariat at iuc@iuc.hr. 

Venue Information

The Inter-University Centre was founded in Dubrovnik in 1972 as an independent, autonomous academic institution with the aim of promoting international co-operation between academic institutions throughout the world. Courses are held in all scientific disciplines around the year, with participation of member and affiliated universities.

Additional Information

For further information about academic matters please contact the organizing course director: professor Zrinjka Peruško zrinjka.perusko@gmail.com, Centre for Media and Communication Research (www.cim.fpzg.unizg.hr), Department of Media and Communication, Faculty of Political Science (www.fpzg.unizg.hr), University of Zagreb (www.unizg.hr). 

School of Social Sciences and Humanities – NOVA University Lisbon

Public Notice No. 1755/2024

In accordance with Article 39 of the University Teaching Career Statute (ECDU), approved by Decree-Law no. 448/79, of 13 November, in its current wording, the Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities of NOVA University Lisbon, Professor Luís Baptista, acting by delegation of powers in the terms specified in number 1 of Order no. 181/2023, of January 4th, published in Diário da República, 2nd series, number 3, hereby announces that a competition based on qualifications is now open for one faculty position of Assistant Professor in the disciplinary area of Communication Sciences, with a relevant curriculum in Digital Media/New Media/Multimedia or related areas, at the School of Social Sciences and Humanities of this University. Applications are accepted for a period of 30 business days counting from the day immediately after the publication of this Public Notice in Diário da República.

The opening of this competition and the appointment of the Selection Committee were authorized by an Order of Professor João Sàágua, Rector of NOVA University Lisbon, on the 14th November 2024.

This is an international competition based on qualifications, and it is governed by the provisions of Articles 37 et seq. of the above-mentioned Statute and of NOVA University Lisbon’s Regulation for University Teaching Career Applications, published in an annex to Order no. 3012/2015, of 20 February, published in Diário da República, 2nd series, number 58, of 24 March.

I — Admission requirements:

1 — In accordance with Article 41-A of the ECDU, holding a PhD degree is a requirement for applying to this competition.

2 — The candidates must hold a PhD degree in Communication Sciences, Digital Media, or related areas.

3 — The candidates must master spoken and written Portuguese or English.

II — Application instructions

1 — All applications must be sent to the following email address: drhrecrutamento@fcsh.unl.pt. The email’s subject line must contain the reference of this Public Notice.

2 — Applications must be formalized, under penalty of exclusion, with the supporting documents listed below. All the required documents should preferably be submitted as a PDF file. Short names for files are recommended. Links are not accepted as substitutes for these same documents.

a) Document proving the fulfilment of the legal requirements laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2 of point I;

b) A declaration under oath confirming proficiency in Portuguese or English, sufficient for teaching;

c) The application form available at https://www.fcsh.unl.pt/static/documentos/concursos/docentes/formularios/FORMULAR IO_PROF_AUXILIAR.docx;

d) A copy of the candidate's curriculum vitae, indicating completed work, publications, and activities related to all functions required of university lecturers as mentioned in Articles 4 and 5 of the ECDU. The curriculum vitae must be organized according to Section III of this notice;

e) A copy of each work mentioned in the curriculum vitae, particularly those most representative of the candidate's contribution to the development of Digital Media, with a maximum of 10 works;

f) A scientific and pedagogical development project that the candidate proposes to adopt in the future, attesting to their contribution to the institution's mission, especially in the area of Digital Media;

g) Two syllabi and associated teaching materials (lesson plans, teaching aids, bibliographies) from the following subjects, covering at least one undergraduate (1st cycle) and one postgraduate (2nd cycle - Master's or 3rd cycle - Doctoral):

1st Cycle (Bachelor’s):

• Information Sciences and Technologies;
  
• Interactive Narrative Laboratory;
  
• Digital Methods;
  
• Information Visualization;
  

2nd Cycle (Master's):

• Visual Data Communication;
  
• Interactive Narrative Laboratory;
  

3rd Cycle (Doctorate):

• Digital Methods and Data Analysis;
  
• Audiovisual and Interactive Content Creation Laboratory.
  

h) A digital portfolio documenting professional experience in managing, coordinating, or producing content in the public and/or private sectors over the last decade in the field of Digital Media.

3 — All communications and notifications carried out in this procedure will be made by email. For this purpose, candidates must indicate their email address in the application form and sign an authorization.

4 — Applications must be accompanied by a list of submitted documents.

5 — Supporting documents for proving the fulfilment of the requirements for recruitment into public functions may be replaced by a statement included in the above-mentioned application form.

6 — Applications duly accompanied by the above-mentioned documents must be submitted within 30 business days, counting from the day immediately after the publication of this Public Notice in Diário da República.

7 — The supporting documents of the application must be written in Portuguese or in English.

III — Criteria, indicators and weighting factors for the evaluation and seriation of the candidates:

1 — Scientific component of the curriculum vitae (40%):

1.1 — Publication of scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and books or book chapters in the field of Digital Media; publications indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus will be valued (0-20);

1.2 — Participation in externally funded and evaluated fundamental and/or applied research projects with a relevant impact in the field of Digital Media (0-10);

1.3 — Presentations at national and international scientific conferences and colloquia in the field of Digital Media (0-10).

2 — Teaching component (30%):

2.1 — Documented teaching experience in the field of Digital Media (0-20);

2.2 — Quality of the submitted teaching materials (lesson plans, teaching aids, bibliographies for up to 2 courses in the relevant area of this competition) (0-5);

2.3 — Supervision of completed Master’s dissertations and Doctoral theses (0-5). 3 — Scientific and pedagogical development project (15%):

3.1 — Contribution to fulfilling the institution’s mission, particularly in teaching in the field of Digital Media, including its international dimension (0-8);

3.2 — Research development plan in the field of Digital Media, including its international dimension and securing national and international competitive funding (0-7);

4 — Other relevant activities (15%):

4.1 — A digital portfolio documenting professional experience in managing, coordinating, or producing content in the public and/or private sectors over the last decade in Digital Media (0-10);

4.2 — Other extension activities, awards, participation in editorial boards, committees, and associations (0-5).

IV — Jury composition

President: Professor Dr. Luís Vicente Baptista, Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities of NOVA University Lisbon, under the delegation of powers from the Rector, Professor Dr. João Sàágua, 14th November 2024

Members:

José Miguel Tunez Lopez, Full Professor, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain;

José Miguel Santos Araújo Carvalhais Fonseca, Full Professor, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto;

Marco António Neves da Silva, Associate Professor with Habilitation, Faculty of Architecture, University of Lisbon;

Célia Maria Silvério Quico, Associate Professor, School of Communication, Arts, and Information Technologies, Lusófona University;

João Mário Lourenço Bagão Grilo, Full Professor, School of Social Sciences and Humanities of NOVA University Lisbon;

Paulo Filipe Gouveia Monteiro, Full Professor, School of Social Sciences and Humanities of NOVA University Lisbon;

Paulo Nuno Gouveia Vicente, Associate Professor with Habilitation, School of Social Sciences and Humanities of NOVA University Lisbon.

V — Selection process:

1 — After the deadline for applications, the Selection Committee will meet to evaluate and rank the candidates.

2 — Based on the assessment of the curricula, their suitability to the scientific area covered by this competition, the supporting documents and their evaluation in accordance with the criteria, indicators and weighting factors set out above, the Selection Committee will admit the candidates with a final classification, in terms of absolute merit, of 50 or more and exclude those with a final classification of less than 50.

3 — The candidates who are not admitted will be notified to submit their observations, in the terms of the Code of Administrative Procedure.

4 — Once the admitted candidates have been identified, based on the classifications mentioned above, the Selection Committee will issue a written opinion with the ranking of the admitted candidates.

5 — The ranking of the admitted candidates will be determined by the votes of the members of the Selection Committee, in conformity with the ranking presented in the document mentioned in the preceding paragraph, in accordance with subparagraphs a) to f) of paragraph 11 of Article 16 of NOVA University Lisbon’s Regulation for University Teaching Career Applications.

VI — The admitted and excluded candidates will be notified by email, in accordance with subparagraph c) of paragraph 1 and subparagraph b) of paragraph 2 of Article 112 of the Code of Administrative Procedure.

VII — The file of this competition procedure may be consulted by the candidates upon request. The request must be sent to the Division of Human Resources by an email addressed to the President of the Committee: drhrecrutamento@fcsh.unl.pt.

VIII — If the PhD degree of the winner candidate has been obtained from a foreign university, its recognition must comply with the provisions of Decree-Law no. 66/2018, of 16th August 2016. The candidates must fulfil all formal obligations laid down in that diploma until the date of the signature of the contract, under penalty of exclusion.

IX – Pursuant to subparagraph h) of Article 9 of the Constitution, the Public Administration, as an employer, actively promotes a policy of equal opportunity among men and women in the access to employment and in career development and takes scrupulous measures to avoid every form of discrimination.

Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas desta Universidade da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa

15th November 2024 – The Dean, Professor Luís Baptista

May 22-23, 2025

Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain

Deadline: January 31, 2025

Organized by Fernando Ramos Arenas (Universidad Complutense Madrid) and Daniel Biltereyst (Ghent University, CIMS)

The past three decades have seen European cinema undergo significant transformations, driven by a range of technological, economic, cultural, and political factors. From the proliferation of digital filmmaking and distribution to shifts in film programming, audience consumption patterns and evolving cultural policies, the landscape of European cinema has been dramatically reshaped. Frames of Change: Historicizing Recent European Cinema (1990–2025) seeks to explore these changes and reflect on their historical implications for the production, distribution, exhibition, and reception of European films, as well as for their modes of representation, aesthetics and ideology. 

At the heart of this exploration is a broad rethinking of the very concept of cinema across Europe and its cultural, societal and industrial value. Hasn’t cinema just become a “niche, like opera”, as Paul Schrader recently argued? What about cinema in Europe and its (still valid?) reputation linked to ‘auteur cinema’, art, critical prestige? How do different national and regional cinematic traditions conceptualize film and the cinematic in relation to global audiovisual media? These questions extend beyond traditional notions of national cinema to encompass how filmmakers, audiences, and institutions across Europe have shaped and been (re)shaped by the evolving media landscape. They also open following areas of critical reflection:

• The conference invites scholars to interrogate the shifting film styles, genres, and aesthetics that have emerged over the past three decades, tracing how European filmmakers have navigated both global trends and regional sensibilities in their work. Additionally, questions of representation, diversity, and inclusion have become central to the European film discourse, especially as filmmakers tackle issues of migration, gender, race, and identity within an increasingly interconnected (and recently disconnecting) Europe.
  
• Digitization has had a deeply transformative impact on European cinema. What kind of new programming tactics emerged thanks to digitization? How have the practices, strategies, and economies of film exhibition in Europe evolved, particularly in response to the dominance of streaming services and changing audience behaviours? What was the impact of technological disruptions, financial crises, and global health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic? 
  
• The rise of major streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ has led to profound shifts in distribution models, audience engagement, and film financing, challenging traditional cinema exhibition and altering how films are consumed across Europe. Alongside this, the evolution of film consumption patterns across Europe—shifting from cinema to streaming platforms, from physical to digital formats—requires new methods of understanding audience experiences and engagement.At the same time, European Union policies have played a key role in shaping the audiovisual sector, fostering co-productions and defining funding structures that influence everything from filmmaking to consumption and experiencing films. Looking back at thirty years of European film policies it is however time to evaluate how successful EU, national, regional and local film policies have been in strengthing cinema in the continent.
• Finally, we encourage papers that explore case studies of industry shifts, including the role of streaming platforms, independent cinema, and the research and development function of cinema within the broader European audiovisual market.
  

This conference seeks to provide a platform for scholars to critically engage with these issues and contribute to the ongoing reimagining of European cinema in the 21st century. We invite papers that approach these questions from a range of theoretical, methodological, and disciplinary perspectives, aiming to offer a comprehensive and multifaceted understanding of the forces shaping European cinema from 1990 to 2025.

Considering these aspects, we welcome proposals for papers addressing (but not limited to) the following topics:

• Conceptualizations of cinema, film, and the cinematic across Europe
  
• Shifting film styles, genres, and aesthetics across European cinema
  
• Representation, diversity, and inclusion within European cinema
  
• Reimagining authorship in European cinema
  
• The impact of digitization on European filmmaking and distribution practice
  
• Challenges, responses, and transformations in European film exhibition
  
• The role of European Union policies in shaping the audiovisual landscape
  
• The role of European festivals as sites of cultural and industrial transformation
  
• European film audiences and their experiences of European cinema
  
• European cinema as a tool for cultural diplomacy
  
• Evolving patterns of film consumption and audience engagement across Europe
  
• Reflections on the impact of the dominance of U.S. streamers and other global players on European cinema
  
• European cinema as world cinema: local narratives on the global stage
  
• Cinema as the R&D arm of the European audiovisual market
  
• Interplay between local, national, and global policies in European film markets
  
• European co-productions reconceived
  
• Case studies of industry shifts, including streaming platforms and independent cinema
  

The impact of far and extreme right-wing ideologies on cultural policies and on cinema culture

Approaches with a European scope are highly encouraged. An introducing keynote by an expert is planned. In conjunction with the conference, a follow-up publication is also planned.

The conference is part of the Horizon 2020 Research Project REBOOT.

Submission Process:

Please send your title, abstract (max. 500 words) and CV (max. 150 words) to Fernando Ramos Arenas (ferramos@ucm.es) and Daniel Biltereyst (Daniel.Biltereyst@UGent.be) not later than 31/1/2025.

Important Dates:

• Abstract Submission Deadline: January 31, 2025

• Notification of Acceptance: February 28, 2025

• Conference: May 22-23, 2025

Nico Carpentier and Jeffrey Wimmer 

Copyright 2025 

ISBN 9781032779263 

140 Pages 6 B/W Illustrations 

Routledge 

The Open Access version of this book has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license 

Download from: 

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-mono/10.4324/9781003485438/democracy-media-europe-nico-carpentier-jeffrey-wimmer 

or 

https://bit.ly/DemoMediaEurope 

Description 

Democracy and Media in Europe: A Discursive-Material Approach is a theoretical reflection on the intersection of democracy and media through a constructionist lens. 

This focus allows us to understand current political struggles over democracy, and over media’s democratic roles, with the latter ranging from the traditional support for an informed citizenry and the watchdog role, to the organization of agonistic debate and generating fair and dignified representations of society and its many (sub)groups, to the facilitation of maximalist participation in institutionalized politics and media. Moreover, the book’s reconciliation of democratic theory and media theory brings out a detailed theoretical analysis of the core characteristics of the assemblages of democracy and media, their conditions of possibility and the threats to both democracy and media’s democratic roles. 

This short book provides in-depth reflections on the different positions that can be taken when it comes to the performance of democracy as it intersects with the multitude of media in the 21st century. As such, the volume will be of interest to scholars of media and communication and related fields in the social sciences. 

Authors 

Nico Carpentier is Extraordinary Professor at Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic) and Visiting Professor at Tallinn University (Estonia) and at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (Suzhou, China). He was Vice-President of the European Communication Research and Education Association (2008–2012) and President of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (2020-2024). His theoretical focus is on discourse theory, his research is situated in the relationship between communication, politics and culture, especially in social domains as war and conflict, ideology, participation and democracy. His latest monographs are The Discursive-Material Knot (2017) and Iconoclastic Controversies (2021). His last exhibition was The Mirror of Conflict photography exhibition, in October 2023 at the Energy Museum, Istanbul in Türkiye, and in October 2024 at the Hollar Gallery, Prague, in the Czech Republic. 

Jeffrey Wimmer is Professor of Communication Science with an emphasis on media reality at the University of Augsburg, Germany. From 2008 to 2014, he was chairing the ‘Communication and Democracy’ section of the European Communication Research and Education Association, and from 2009 to 2015, the ‘Sociology of Media Communication’ section of the German Association of Communication Science. His research and teaching focuses on the sociology of media communication, public sphere and participation, mediatization and media change, digital games and virtual worlds. Recent edited book publications include (Mis-)Understanding Political Participation (2018, Routledge) and The Forgotten Subject (2023). 

Table of Contents 

Introduction

Part I: Democracy

1. Core Components of Democracy

2. Struggles over Democracy

3. Conditions of Possibility of Democracy

4. Threats to Democracy

5. A First Visual Summary

Part II: Media and Democracy

6. Core Components of Media

7. The Roles of (European) Media in Democracy

8. Struggles over Media’s Democratic Roles

9. Conditions of Possibility for Media’s Democratic Roles

10. Threats to Media’s Democratic Roles

11. A Second Visual Summary

A brief conclusion

References Index 

Praise 

"Democracy is the ultimate essentially contested concept and at the same time a never to be ultimately fulfilled or realised promise. This excellent and very necessary book not only makes this apparent in an understandable as well as sophisticated manner but also discusses the consequences of this for the role of media and communication within the competing articulations of democracy.” 

- Bart Cammaerts, Professor of Politics and Communication, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK 

"The topic of media and democracy is currently highly relevant because democracy and media are developing apart. With this in mind, the authors of this book systematically describe possible and existing problems of democracies in connection with the media, and then just as thoroughly examine the question of where the media can develop and how they can be kept on a democratic course. This is why this book is important for theorists, empirical reseachers and practitioners, as well as anyone else who works or wants to work in the fields concerned." 

- Friedrich Krotz, Professor of Communication and Media Sciences, University of Bremen, Germany 

"Heterogeneity and turbulence characterize democracy in Europe; the convoluted media landscape is in constant evolution. Both domains are contingent, shaped by changing contexts, as are the relations between them. Analyzing such moving targets can be a bewildering task. This important volume by Nico Carpentier and Jeffrey Wimmer equips the reader with an elegant analytic framework to grapple with these challenges. From a discursive-materialist perspective the authors provide a very lucid toolkit, one to make use of, to work with. For many it will become a close companion." 

- Peter Dahlgren, Professor emeritus, Lund University, Sweden. His latest book is Media Engagement (Routledge, 2023, with Annette Hill) 

"Nico Carpentier and Jeffrey Wimmer have written a hopeful book that offers a map of the often confusing landscape of current democracy and media. Everything you want to know about the state of 21st-century democracy and media is here. The book’s learned, yet clear and concise, voice shows how theory can help us tackle the great challenges of our times and build democratic societies that do not succumb to declarations of decay and pessimism." 

- Anu Kantola, Professor of Media and Communication Studies, University of Helsinki 

"This book is groundbreaking in many ways. It is the first comprehensive investigation in a long time on what is arguably today’s most important socio-political issue – in Europe and elsewhere: Without media that respects democratic standards there is no modern democracy; without democracy there is no politics that respects fundamental human rights. Consequently, the book combines approaches from communication and media studies and political science. But, moreover, it interlinks the material(ist) and the discursive component of media and democracy in a way that the struggles over what is expected from both are revealed. Highly recommended." 

- Josef Seethaler, Research Group Leader “Media, Politics and Democracy”, Austrian Academy of Sciences 

"This groundbreaking book by Nico Carpentier and Jeffrey Wimmer provides a powerful and innovative response to a pressing issue of our time: the thorny relationship between democratic politics and the media in Europe. In so doing, the book elaborates a distinctive discursive-material approach, neatly reconciling themes in discourse theory and new materialism, which foregrounds the primacy of politics in our understanding of the contemporary forms and articulations of democracy and the media. Delineating and representing the complex intersections between different democratic and media assemblages, the book sets the agenda for future explorations and interventions in this critical field of study and practice." 

- David Howarth, Professor in the Department of Government and Co-Director of the Centre for Ideology and Discourse Analysis, University of Essex, UK

Studies in Communication and Media (Special issue)

Deadline: April 1, 2025

Guest Editors: Alexander Godulla (University of Leipzig) Christian Pieter Hoffmann (University of Leipzig)

Ever since a Reddit user called “Deepfake” created a forum for publishing pornographic content based on deep learning technologies, synthetic media have attracted increasing interest in research and practice (Godulla et al., 2021). Deep learning technologies enable users to depict individuals in scenarios that never happened and have them say anything imaginable (Citron & Chesney, 2019; Vaccari & Chadwick, 2020). The rapid advances of these technologies result in synthetic media increasingly entering new social domains, such as entertainment, education, journalism, or politics (Seibert, 2023).

To date, research has focused primarily on the concept of deepfakes, while the term synthetic media has only recently gained popularity. Although both terms refer to the use of deep learning technologies in the creation of media content, the term “synthetic media” might be more suitable when discussing the benefits of synthetically generated content (e.g., WDR Innovation Hub, 2021), as the term “deepfake” is connotated with fake news and, thus, misinformation (Altuncu et al., 2022; Dan et al., 2021; Weikmann & Lecheler, 2023). Research into deepfakes is currently dominated by studies in the field of computer science, focusing on the development of tools for the automatic detection of deepfakes. In addition, studies in the field of law discuss legal frameworks to combat harmful effects of the novel technology (Godulla et al., 2021). Thus far, studies in the social sciences mostly focus on the implications of deepfakes for audiences (e.g. Dobber et al., 2020; Hameleers et al., 2024; Vaccari & Chadwick, 2020). Initial findings suggest that audiences have difficulties identifying deepfakes as such (Bray et al., 2023; Thaw et al., 2020) and that the mere awareness of the existence of deepfakes can create a sense of uncertainty, skepticism and even distrust towards online news and media in general (Ternovski et al., 2022; Vaccari & Chadwick, 2020; Hameleers & Marquart, 2023). From the audience's perspective, deepfakes and synthetic media increasingly blur the boundaries between reality and fiction (Bendahan Bitton et al., 2024).

The interdisciplinary nature of research into deepfakes and synthetic media is partly due to the technology’s diverse fields of application. However, research on the emergent technology from the perspective of communication and media studies is still in its infancy.

Therefore, the upcoming special issue of SCM aims at examining deepfakes and synthetic media specifically from the perspective of communication and media studies. We welcome qualitative, quantitative as well as theoretical and methodological contributions addressing challenges faced by the public, organizations and institutions as well as individual recipients in dealing with synthetic media and deepfakes. We define synthetic media as media content created using deep learning technologies with a wide range of potential applications, such as education, entertainment, journalism, or advertising. In contrast, we define “deepfakes” as a specific application of synthetic media, which primarily serves harmful purposes such as disinformation. Synthetic media can be used to generate audiovisual recordings that can be used in the context of corporate or organizational communication. Further, synthetic media hold the potential to create and enhance journalistic content, for example by illustrating real events or rendering the reception of news content more interesting through new forms of personalization (e.g. synthetic news anchors). Finally, synthetic media can be used in the creation of entertaining and satirical content, which can, however, mislead audiences if there is a lack of labelling or background information. Deepfakes can be used to expose individuals to risks (e.g. by means of nonconsensual pornographic content) or to defame public actors and spread disinformation. Politically motivated deepfakes may have the potential to influence political knowledge, attitudes or even voting intentions and thus challenge democracy. The public, in turn, could be deceived and manipulated by deepfakes if they do not dispose of the necessary digital skills to recognize them. The continuous improvement in the quality of deepfakes makes it increasingly difficult to determine the veracity of media content. Consequently, journalists and influencers could fall for a deepfake and accidentally share it with their audience.

Individual submissions could cover, but are not limited to, the following perspectives (or a combination thereof):

• Media Reception and Effects: How do synthetic media influence recipients' trust in media content? How do they affect recipients' attention and entertainment? What dispositions and boundary conditions influence these relationships? What interventions can reduce deepfake misinformation effects?

• Political Communication: What role do political deepfakes play in the context of elections? What persuasive effects do they have on voters? How are deepfakes employed in the context of political disinformation (e.g. Ukraine war)? To what extent are synthetic media used in the context of political campaigning?

• Journalism Studies: To what extent can standards of journalistic work be reconciled with the use of synthetic media? What specific labels should be introduced for synthetic media to ensure transparency for audiences? What skills do journalists need to be equipped to deal with deepfakes?

• Visual Communication: To what extent do the persuasiveness and credibility of audiovisual deepfakes differ from text-based content? Which factors favor or impede the credibility of audiovisual deepfakes (e.g. plausibility, background knowledge, attitude, psychological factors)? How do synthetic media and deepfakes change the definition and perception of authenticity of visual content?

• Media Education: What skills do audiences need to develop to critically question and recognize deepfakes and synthetic media? How can children and young people be protected from negative applications of deepfakes? Media Ethics: To what extent can generated content be used to depict real events? What ethical aspects should be considered when using synthetic media for the creation and distribution of audiovisual content, for example in the context of education or strategic communication?

• Media Law: What legal framework could prevent the misuse of deepfake technologies without unduly restricting the creative use of synthetic media and freedom of expression? What legal protections of personal rights and user privacy apply in connection with deepfakes and synthetic media? To what extent can the use of synthetic content depicting deceased individuals be justified?

• Communication History: How can deepfakes be placed in historical contexts of media manipulation (e.g. Photoshop) and propaganda? What role do the negative effects of this new technology on audience trust play against the background of the history and development of audiovisual media?

Submission Instructions SCM is an Open Access Journal of the German Communication Association (DGPuK) and Affiliate Journal of the International Communication Association (ICA). Accepted papers will be published as Open Access without additional costs.

We invite submissions that fit any of the SCM formats: Extended paper (50-60 pages), Full Paper (15-20 pages), and Research-in-brief (5-10 pages). Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the SCM guidelines:

• https://www.nomos.de/en/journals/scm/#directions-for-authors (English)

• https://www.nomos.de/zeitschriften/scm/#autorenhinweise (German)

Manuscripts are to be submitted to christian.hoffmann@uni-leipzig.de.

Deadline for submissions will be April 1st, 2025. The special issue will be published in December 2025 (SCM issue 4/2025).

Øyvind Ihlen, Sine Nørholm Just, Jens E. Kjeldsen, Ragnhild Mølster, Truls Strand Offerdal, Joel Rasmussen, Eli Skogerbø

The book will be available for purchase on December 1.

During a pandemic, the advice issued by public health authorities undergoes significant scrutiny, potentially affecting public adherence to recommended measures. Trust and trustworthiness become key. This book analyses the rhetorical strategies of the Norwegian public health authorities as the COVID-19 pandemic moved through phases that presented different rhetorical problems and challenges. Many consider the Norwegian response successful, making it a particularly interesting case. Adopting an organisation-focused viewpoint, the analysis examines communication strategies through a dataset collected as the pandemic evolved. This included observations within communication departments of the main public health agencies during March and April 2020. The study offers five key insights: 1) A pandemic rhetorical situation has changing constraints and opportunities that influence the agency of the rhetor and necessitates bottom-up, continuing situational analysis and attention to perceptions; 2) The notion of “the rhetorical situation” conceptualises different phases that “bleed” into each other; 3) Trust and trustworthiness are negotiated through specific rhetorical strategies; 4) Transparency is the most crucial strategy; 5) Authorities used a combination of invitational rhetoric, providing a role for the citizens to willingly contribute to curbing the virus, and imperative form through simple directives that citizens were expected to follow. 

The primary audience for this book is scholars and practitioners within crisis communication. The book is written by a team from the “Pandemic Rhetoric” project, financed by the Research Council of Norway, consisting of Øyvind Ihlen (University of Oslo), Sine Nørholm Just (Roskilde University), Jens E. Kjeldsen (University of Bergen), Ragnhild Mølster (University of Bergen), Truls Strand Offerdal (University of Oslo), Joel Rasmussen (Örebro University), and Eli Skogerbø (University of Oslo). 

https://www.nordicom.gu.se/en/publications/navigating-pandemic-phases

Department for Media and Communication Studies Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden 

Deadline: January 31, 2025

The Department for Media and Communication Studies at Södertörn University offers a thriving and multidisciplinary research environment with a particular focus on contemporary datafied and media-saturated societies from a critical-cultural and often historical perspective. The research at the department shares a particular focus on the Baltic and East European region. The department is based at the School of Culture and Education and is a member of the Postgraduate School for Critical Cultural Theory. 

Current research projects conducted by faculty members at the department include among others: 

• Anticipating and mediating future classrooms (PI: Michael Forsman)
  
• A Sea of Data: Mediated temporalities of the Baltic Sea (PI: Lars Lundgren)
  
• Media trust and social imaginaries (PI: Fredrik Stiernstedt)
  
• Photographic Realism in the Age of Digital Media (PI: Patrik Åker)
  
• Post-migrant voices in the Baltic Sea region (Sweden, Germany, Estonia) (PI: Jessica Gustafsson
  
• Social Media Surveillance and Experiences of Authoritarianism (PI: Göran Bolin)
  
• The Digital Welfare State (PI: Anne Kaun)
  
• Vernacular fiction and digital publication platforms: An ethnography of contemporary Indian book worlds (PI: Per Ståhlberg)
  
• What is news? (PI: Sofia Johansson)

We are happy to offer several visiting research fellow positions for the academic year 2025/26. The fellows – holding a PhD – will each receive a one-time scholarship of 35.000 SEK contributing to travel and accommodation. The fellows can choose the length and timing of their stay during the academic year 2025/26 but should stay at least one month. Fellows are expected to present their current work during one higher seminar at the department. Södertörn University has a number of guest research apartments close to campus and we are happy to put fellows in touch with the housing unit at the university. However, we are not able to assist further in finding housing in Stockholm.

In order to apply please submit a short CV (max 2 pages) and a description of project that they will be working with during their stay (max 1 page) through this application form: https://forms.office.com/e/2Lqx90eTHT

Timeline:

• Deadline for applications: 31 January 2025
  
• Notification of applicants: 1 March 2025
  
• Start of the visiting fellowship period: September 2025 – June