ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

EEMC – www.electionsmonitoringcenter.eu - is an international research centre in studies and monitoring of European elections and electoral campaigns. Its research projects, backed by national and European institutions, have seen participation from over 100 researchers representing more than 40 European universities.

Among the achievement of EEMC's activity is the creation of the biggest archive of European electoral campaigns, housing over 10,000 materials that are freely accessible online.

For the 2024 European elections, as for those of 2014 and 2019, EEMC is promoting an international research on the EU electoral campaign in the 27 member countries.

The research involves collecting and analysing the electoral materials (posters, TV ads, and Social network content) produced by the main political parties in the 27 EU Member States.

The main objectives of the research are:

• the comparative analysis of the media, communication styles and formats of the electoral campaign;
  
• the investigation of the different communication cultures and traditions and their political or geographical origins;
  
• the analysis of the contents and issues of the campaign and their ideological and political roots;
  
• update the European elections archive with the 2024 electoral campaign materials
  

EEMC is selecting the National Research Groups eager to join a dynamic international research team at the forefront of political communication studies for the following EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Each National Research Group, must be led by a senior scholar, and will play a pivotal role in this research. Tasks of national teams are: to research, collect, and analyse the electoral materials produced in their nation by the main political parties. For these activities, the research tools and IT applications developed by the EEMC will be made available. At the end of the research, the national data set will be made available to the National Research Groups.

Researchers and research groups interested in participating in the project can send their application including their CVs and participation in international projects to: eemc@uniroma3.it.

Problemi dell'Informazione (Special Issue) n. 1/2025

Deadline: May 30, 2024

Guest editors: Sergio Splendore & Elena Valentini

Description

For a long time, studying journalism has meant studying its newsrooms. The paradigm of Newsroom Studies, sometimes also referred to as the sociology of news, precisely because it analyses how journalistically relevant information is produced and distributed, was capable of laying the foundations of journalism studies (Kunelius & Waisbord, 2023). What happens with the sociology of news is an accurate and meticulous sociological analysis of the work of journalism, where not only the mechanisms of social control attributable to editors or those in influential positions in the newsroom are taken into account but also the broader context of socialization to professionalism and the way it is exercised. With Newsroom Studies, the focus shifts from the individual choices of editors or journalists to the complex processes involved in the production of information and involving various actors. Newsroom Studies have also been able to identify the process of professionalization innovatively, considering the inclusion of objectivity and impartiality in practices and products of professional journalism a mean to make it more autonomous. On the contrary, it is argued here that those values could also be a way of strengthening dominant positions and cementing the status quo. Professionalization as a project was aimed not at increasing journalists’ independence but at co-opting them.

While Newsroom Studies has been regarded as a paradigm, the field’s contextual broadening and fragmentation make this approach less central. The contemporary media ecology has radically changed this context: recent work and analysis suggest that the supposed core of journalism and the assumed consistency of the inner workings of news organizations are problematic starting points for journalism studies.

Among the many terms to identify this change (hybrid journalism, convergent journalism, ambient journalism, collaborative journalism) Deuze and Witschge (2018) talk about beyond journalism. With this locution, they precisely indicate the context of profound transformations in the professional, business, technological, and social context of journalism, which is now pervaded by the rejection of professionalism, but at the same time, the need to affirm as reliable and true the production of information from actors outside the journalistic field, through alternative ways and different types of informational flows. For example, Peters and Allan (2022) study memes as new forms of digital communication to disrupt, undermine, attack, resist or reappropriate discursive positions pertaining to public affairs narratives in the news. Moreover, the recognition of a broader arena of news production and consumption implies the need to break established routines, the start-up culture, and a radical turn towards the audience (Swart et al. 2022), shifting the focus from what counts as news use to what is experienced as informative and positing many different audiences as active agents.

The role of the public at multiple levels is at the heart of new relational approaches in journalism studies. Recent works recognize relational work as part of journalistic professionalism in different forms: from engaged reporting to collaboration with the local community to organizing journalism festivals or social events such as opening the newsroom to the public (Koliska et al., 2023). These forms contribute to repositioning the role of journalists and journalism in society.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, scholars have investigated participatory practices in newsrooms. These practices have been at the centre of journalists’ meta discourses, often considered an obligation to respond to and embrace or vital for the future of journalism (Vos & Ryan, 2023). At the same time, journalistic-centric visions of the audience prevailed (Carlson & Peters, 2023), also considering the contribution and the role of other actors from the point of view of journalists. Most recently, the discourse about participatory journalism has shifted to concerns and has declined (Vos & Ryan, 2023), opening new perspectives about audience engagement and the work beyond newsrooms.

Moreover, several scholars support an expansive view of journalism situated more broadly (Reese, 2021; Zelizer et al., 2022) and promote a decentralized vision of journalism based on experiences rather than norms, identifying the range of actors and institutions that provide people with knowledge and information about the world (Carlson & Peters, 2023).

However, it is argued here that these new perspectives do not intend to question the centrality and importance of journalism in society but aim to reflect on the redefinition of the “places” and practices of information production and consumption. This call for papers, therefore, seeks to study and analyse the production and consumption of information that does not take place in traditional contexts, which goes beyond newsrooms.

The proposed empirical and theoretical analysis needs to stress the new perspectives necessary to grasp this change (or the old one still able to reach the scope) and propose the new meaning of professionalism that arises.

This group therefore includes, but is not limited to:

- Platformized news sources and products (forms of news initiatives embedded within social media);

- Journalism initiatives beyond newsrooms (journalists or media outlets themselves which meet audiences outside the newsrooms);

- Journalism Festivals;

- Media activism projects;

- Civic Journalism, Engaged reporting and other forms of community voices’ inclusion in news reports;

- New perspectives on participatory journalism;

- Debunking and fact-checking activities;

- Information production by nonjournalist actors;

- Audience consumption concerning what publics consider and consume as informative products beyond the traditional ones;

- New perspectives on the conception of what journalism is for and its role in society.

Key dates:

• Deadline for abstract submissions: May 30, 2024
  
• Decision by issue editors sent by: June 15, 2024
  
• Full paper submissions: September 30, 2024
  
• First round of reviews completed by: November 20, 2024
  
• Resubmissions of papers: December 20, 2024
  
• Second round of reviews completed by: January 15, 2025
  
• Submission of final manuscripts: February 15, 2025
  

Abstracts (300-500 words plus references) in English or in Italian should be submitted at: https://submission.rivisteweb.it/index.php/pdi 

Abstracts should be proposed for the section “Saggi”. Please indicate that the proposal is for the special issue edited by Splendore and Valentini in the box “Comments for the editor”.

For further information about the submission process, please contact: elena.valentini@uniroma1.it, sergio.splendore@unimi.it

There are no APC (article processing charge) for authors.

About the venue

Established in 1976, Problemi dell’Informazione (PdI) has been the first Italian scientific journal focusing specifically on journalism and communication studies. Since then, PdI has represented a dedicated venue for the development of a vivid debate on these topics, fueled both by academic research and by contributions from professionals. More recently PdI has expanded its aims and scope by broadly considering all forms of communication, also to keep pace with the latest transformations in the field of journalism and of journalism studies. PdI publishes contributions in Italian and in English after a rigorous double-blind peer review process.

Principal Editor: Carlo Sorrentino.

Here: https://www.mulino.it/riviste/issn/0390-5195 its national and international board.

Problemi dell'Informazione is A-class rated journal by ANVUR (Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of the University and Research Systems) in Sociology of culture and communication

November 7-8,2024

University of Salzburg (Austria)

Deadline: July 28, 2024

Workshop 2024 of the Network Media Structures

Organiser: Network Media Structures and Dept. of Communication Studies at the University of Salzburg

Extended Abstracts: 500-1.000 words including references

Submission: 28 July 2024 as PDF to the address tales.tomaz@plus.ac.at (Subject: “Abstract NMS24”)

Context

The Network Media Structures offers a transnational platform for researchers who deal with media structures and media organisations from a political, historical, economic, legal or sociological perspective. The Network is originally based in German-speaking countries, but this workshop also invites the international community to participate.

Theoretical, methodological and empirical contributions, case studies and comparative work that address one or more aspects of the broad understanding of media structures are welcome. All those interested in researching media structures – especially early career scholars (doctoral candidates, students) – are invited to submit papers.

This workshop will focus in particular on questions of European platform policy. Digital platforms have become a key element of contemporary communication systems (Flensburg & Lai, 2020; Humprecht et al., 2022). They increasingly play an intermediary role in the distribution of media content, structuring its consumption across the globe. In addition, they have become crucial spaces of civic discourse and cultural expression beyond the media themselves.

After an early phase in which these developments were seen as “democratisers”, this optimism has vanished. Digital platforms are now held responsible for several problems such as the spread of misinformation, hate speech and privacy infringements (Miller & Vaccari, 2020). On top of that, they are often held responsible for undermining the sustainability of the business model of many media organisations, deemed essential for an informed citizenry (Trappel & Tomaz, 2021). Accordingly, these developments may be regarded as a threat to democracy.

The European Union has reacted to this context introducing a comprehensive package of media and platform legislation. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) establishes a baseline for data collection and processing, drawing on the understanding that data is central in the business model of Internet companies and prone to privacy infringements. The Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) introduce specific responsibilities on platforms, requiring more transparency in their moderation and recommendation processes and limiting abuse of market power by very large platforms. In 2024, the AI Act and the Media Freedom Act (EMFA) have expanded this framework, striving respectively for a safe adoption of automated decision-making and for protection of media independence vis-a-vis interference both from politics and digital intermediaries. This is not to mention the amendment of already existing legislation, such as the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), to account for the interaction between media and platforms.

This approach differs considerably from early communication policy in the EU, which clearly distinguished between content producers and distributors, and was more concerned with issues such as media ownership concentration, must-carry obligations, universality, and promotion of public interest content, to name a few (Picard & Pickard, 2017). Communication policy was also often a matter of concern for member states, with the EU refraining from intervention. But there are also continuities. The EMFA indicates some prevalence of the idea of promoting findability and discoverability of public interest content, and some aspects of the DSA can also be interpreted as an updated version of must-carry obligations.

In the context, the workshop is particularly interested in the following questions:

• How are EU policymakers conceiving the relation between media and platforms in their regulatory proposals since the rise of the digital intermediaries?

• Which ideas from the toolkit of traditional media policy remain present in the new EU media and platform regulatory framework? Which ones are absent?

• How are the German-speaking countries interpreting and applying these ideas in their specific contexts? Are there specific developments that diverge from the EU trend?

• How are different stakeholders, such as media groups, digital companies, politicians, journalists and activists reacting to these developments?

• What should we expect as further developments in the European media and platform regulation?

In addition to contributions on these questions, open-topic submissions are also possible and welcome. If you are planning a contribution or a discourse format with a different thematic focus that could be of interest to members of the network, we will be happy to create a space/time for it. Please also submit your proposal with the same deadline and format (extended abstract). We will then try to find a suitable slot.

We expect abstracts of 500 to 1.000 words. Submissions are requested by 28 July 2024 and should be sent to tales.tomaz@plus.ac.at with the subject "Abstract NMS24". We kindly ask you to submit your abstract in anonymised form, i.e. with a separate cover sheet on which the title of the article, names of authors and contact details are noted.

Contacts & further information

Organisers:

Josef Trappel (josef.trappel@plus.ac.at)

Tales Tomaz (tales.tomaz@plus.ac.at)

Division of Media Policy and Media Economics, Dept. of Communication Studies

University of Salzburg

Network head:

Leyla Dogruel: leyla.dogruel@uni-erfurt.de

Dirk Arnold: dirk.arnold@uni-leipzig.de

References 

Flensburg, S., & Lai, S. S. (2020). Comparing Digital Communication Systems: An empirical framework for analysing the political economy of digital infrastructures. Nordicom Review, 41(2), 127–145. https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2020-0019

Griffin, R. (2023). Public and private power in social media governance: Multistakeholderism, the rule of law and democratic accountability. Transnational Legal Theory, 14(1), 46–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/20414005.2023.2203538

Humprecht, E., Castro Herrero, L., Blassnig, S., Brüggemann, M., & Engesser, S. (2022). Media systems in the digital age: An empirical comparison of 30 countries. Journal of Communication, 72(2), 145–164. https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqab054

Miller, M. L., & Vaccari, C. (2020). Digital threats to democracy: Comparative lessons and possible remedies. The International Journal of Press/Politics, 25(3), 333–356. https://doi.org/10.1177/1940161220922323

Picard, R. G., & Pickard, V. (2017). Essential principles for contemporary media and communications policymaking. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/our-research/essential-principles-contemporary-media-and-communications-policymaking

Rahman, K. S., & Teachout, Z. (2020). From private bads to public goods: Adapting public utility regulation for informational infrastructure. Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. https://knightcolumbia.org/content/from-private-bads-to-public-goods-adapting-public-utility-regulation-for-informational-infrastructure

Trappel, J., & Tomaz, T. (2021). Democratic performance of news media: Dimensions and indicators for comparative studies. In J. Trappel & T. Tomaz (Hrsg.), The Media for Democracy Monitor 2021: How leading news media survive digital transformation (Bd. 1, S. 11–53). Nordicom. https://doi.org/10.48335/9789188855404-1

Diffractions (Issue 10)

Deadline for Abstracts: May 15, 2024

Deadline for Papers: September 30, 2024

Editors-in-chief: Rissa L. Miller,  Federico Bossone 

Few sentences can express the significance of food for our being human as concisely and pointedly as ‘You are what you eat’. This saying is found in different languages and could be one of those transversal notions that has existed in some form throughout history. From French gourmand Brillat-Savarin to German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach, belief in the entanglement of food habits and identity can be observed across time and cultures, in that food constitutes an indispensable aspect of human existence, serving not merely as sustenance but also as a mirror reflecting culture, history as well as individual and collective identities (Shapin 2014, 377). Culinary traditions, rituals, and practices have profoundly influenced how individuals dine, socialize, and forge connections with one another. As a potent medium for expressing cultural identity and safeguarding traditions, food embodies a compelling narrative about humans, encompassing countless social aspects that vary across regions, communities, and even individual households.  

Food can also be a measure of prestige within a given social order: it can serve as a symbol of power within social hierarchies and status structures. Interestingly, the cultural interpretations of its symbolism are intricate and sometimes conflicting. Claude Lévi-Strauss (1966) delved into this complexity in his culinary triangle, suggesting that boiled food signifies refinement and sophistication compared to roasted food. However, the consolidation of gender roles reversed these associations, as boiled dishes are often linked to familial intimacy and traditionally prepared by women. At the same time, roasted fare is associated with public celebrations and a more masculine domain. Not only have these assumptions shaped gender roles within families, but they have also shaped the male-dominated world of fine cooking in terms of prestige and social status[1].

Looking at the brighter side, food acts as a unifying force, nurturing a feeling of camaraderie and inclusion among people. Regardless of cultural background, the act of cooking or partaking in a meal carries significant symbolism, deeply intertwined with rituals and ceremonies. Certain dishes are important in religious and cultural contexts and are crafted with utmost respect and attention. These culinary practices frequently serve as a means to pay homage to ancestors and deities alike, commemorate significant life events, and express profound convictions. Beyond nourishment, these traditional foods are vital in transmitting cultural heritage and strengthening familial bonds (Fieldhouse 2013). 

Patterns of migration significantly shape and sometimes come to define culinary landscapes. Assimilation theories suggest that as individuals adapt to a new culture, there is a corresponding cultural exchange that occurs. This exchange becomes visible when mainstream societies include culinary practices originating from outside ethnic groups who have been excluded from access into the prevailing society – whether previously or currently (Boch, Jiménez, Roesler 2020 64-65). The culinary traditions brought by migrant communities have often been subject to alienation by the mainstream surrounding society, being perceived as unclean or too ‘exotic’. This is the case for Chinese and Italian immigrants who settled in the U.S. starting in the mid-1800s. Up until the 1950s U.S.-American society perceived the “newcomers as barbaric” (Inness 2006, 41) and as not integrated. Nowadays, many of those dishes that were introduced by those communities have become a staple of the mainstream culinary habits of U.S.-Americans. On the other hand, for migrant communities, traditional foods provide a tangible connection to ancestry, recounting historical migrations and cultural interactions. As ingredients, methods and tastes blend, fresh culinary customs develop, fostering lively and evolving food scenes. One example among many, Louisiana’s Creole cuisine history exemplifies this cultural fusion, drawing from French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean culinary legacies to create a uniquely multi-layered and symbolically loaded culinary tradition (Smith 2013, 423). 

We look forward to receiving contributions addressing these or related questions. Topics include but are not limited to: 

●  Culinary Traditions: Delving into the intricate tapestry of traditional food practices, rituals and customs within specific cultural contexts, as evidenced in literature and various cultural artifacts.

● Food and Identity: Investigating how food shapes both individual and collective identities, from the culinary memoirs of immigrant communities to its symbolic significance. 

● Representations of Food in Media and Literature: Analyzing depictions of food across different forms of media – the arts, literature, film, television – and their influence on cultural perceptions and practices.

● Globalization and Food Cultures: Examining the ramifications of globalization on culinary traditions, including the dissemination of cuisines, culinary fusion, and the commercialization of food in today’s fast-paced world.

 ● Food and Power: Scrutinizing the complex dynamics of foodways, especially in relation to social inequalities and justice as portrayed through literature and cultural narratives. How do gender, race, and class impact culinary heritage? Who decides what is ‘palatable’? 

● Food Rituals: Exploring the deep-rooted significance of food-related rituals, festivals, and ceremonies as reflections of cultural values and beliefs, as depicted in arts, literature and/or liturgy. 

●  Food’s Role in Memory and Heritage: Investigating how food shapes personal and collective memory, nostalgia, and cultural heritage, as seen through literary reminiscences and historical narratives. 

● Food and the Climate Crisis: examining the environmental footprint of food production and consumption practices and exploring cultural responses to sustainability challenges through literature and cultural representations. 

● Food and Health: the intersections of food culture, nutrition, and public health policies, as portrayed in literary works and cultural discourses. 

Submission and review process 

Abstracts will be received and reviewed by the Diffractions editorial board who will decide on the pertinence of proposals for the upcoming issue. Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit a full article. However, this does not imply that these papers will be automatically published. Rather, they will go through a peer-review process that will determine whether papers are publishable with minor or major changes, or if they do not fulfill the criteria for publication.  

Please send abstracts of 150 to 250 words and 5-8 keywords as well as a short biography (100 words) by MAY 15th, 2024, to info.diffractions@gmail.com with the subject “Diffractions 10”, followed by your last name.  

The full papers should be submitted by SEPTEMBER 30th, 2024, through the journal’s platform: https://revistas.ucp.pt/index.php/diffractions/about/submissions.   

Every issue of Diffractions has a thematic focus but also contains a special section for non-thematic articles. If you are interested in submitting an article that is not related to the topic of this particular issue, please consult  general guidelines available at the Diffractions website at https://revistas.ucp.pt/index.php/diffractions/about/submissions. The submission and review process for non-thematic articles is the same as for the general thematic issue. All research areas of the humanities are welcome. 

[1] A survey by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has shown that 81.5% of head-cooks and chefs in the US were male in 2008. As of 2023, the percentage of women employed as head-cooks or chefs increased by only 4,8% (23,3%). (https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm and Carolan 2012, 298).

Bibliography 

Boch, Anna, Jiménez, Tomás, and Roesler, Katharina. 2021. “Mainstream Flavor: Ethnic Cuisine and Assimilation in the United States.” Social Currents, 8 (1), 64-85. 

Carolan, Michael. 2012. The Sociology of Food and Agriculture. Florence: Taylor & Francis Group.  

Fieldhouse, Paul. 2013. Food and Nutrition: Customs and culture. Dordrecht: Springer. 

Inness, Sherrie A. 2006. Secret Ingredients. Race, Gender, and Class at the Dinner Table. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 

Lévi-Strauss, Claude. 2008. “The Culinary Triangle.” In Carole Counihan and Penny Van Esterik (ed.). Food and Culture: A Reader. (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge, 36–43. Originally published as: Lévi-Strauss, Claude (1966). “The Culinary Triangle.” The Partisan Review 33, 586–96. 

Shapin, Steven. 2014. “‘You Are What You Eat’: Historical Changes in Ideas about Food and Identity.” Historical Research 87, 377-392. 

Smith, Andrew F. 2013. Food and Drink in American History: A “Full Course” Encyclopedia. Volume 1. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.

May 29, 2024

Loughborough University’s London campus, UK

Event on sportswashing – Loughborough University London campus, Wednesday 29th May, 1100-1700

Sportswashing is a neologism that has become a mainstay of Western media reporting in the last few years, whether in relation to the hosting of sporting mega events, the ownership of professional sports clubs or the sponsorship of high-profile sports tournaments. It refers to the ways in which a country invests in sports to promote its reputation on a global stage and deflect attention away from less favourable perceptions of its actions and institutions.

Yet, despite its growing profile, there has been little research into sportswashing and, as a result, many of the claims about its utility are yet to be substantiated. In short, we require better ways of evaluating the impact (or otherwise) of sportswashing.

To address these issues, we will be holding a one-day symposium on Wednesday 29th May 2024 at Loughborough University’s London campus https://www.lborolondon.ac.uk/about/location/

The event will feature two academic panels and a round-table discussion, involving;

• Miguel Delaney, chief football writer at the Indepndent and author of the forthcoming book, States of Play: How Sportswashing Took Over Football
  
• Professor Richard Giulianotti, UNESCO Chair in Sport, Physical Activity and Education for Development, Loughborough University, UK
  
• John Hird, Newcastle United Fans Against Sportswashing
  
• Alex Carlen, Human Rights Co-ordinator, FairSquare
  

You can sign up for tickets (admission is free) here; https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sportswashing-managing-state-relations-and-reputations-through-associations-with-sport-tickets-890869313097?aff=oddtdtcreator

Online attendees are welcome. Please use the following link.

May 30-31, 2024

University if Niš (Serbia)/online

Deadline (EXTENDED): May 6, 2024

The Department of Communications and Journalism (Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš) in 2024 will mark the twentieth anniversary. Therefore, we are happy to invite you to the international scientific conference “Меdia and Challenges of the Modern Society 2024“, held from 30th to 31st May, in a hybrid format (online and onsite).

The Conference seeks to bring together researchers, academics and experts who will focus on critical insight and empirical interventions into media issues.

We seek proposals that aim to consider the following themes:

- Artificial intelligence and media industries;

- Media and environmental communication;

- Media, digital and information literacy;

- The role of media in post-truth society;

- Media ethics in the digital environment;

- Media and permacrisis;

- Resilience in communication and the media;

- Streaming services and audiences;

- Media archives as interoperable and user-oriented service for researchers;

- Digitization criteria as the capacity of the management system;

- Public media sector and the private/commercial sector;

- Political economy of the media;

- Transformation of capitalism and communication;

- Polarization and depolarization;

- Sustainability of media;

- Narrativity, transmediality and multimodality;

- Media archives and creativity;

- Media nostalgia and popular culture;

- Gender, sexuality and the media;

- Management of intellectual property;

- Tools and software, and strengthening infrastructure;

- Education and media studies;

- Crossmedia aesthetics;

- Art and science;

- Media representation of cultural heritage;

- Game studies and reception.

The conference will explore problems and challenges in these fields. The conference in Niš will also serve as a working platform for further cooperation on potential joint projects.

The official languages of the conference are Serbian and English.

Application

The application should contain the following data:

• Affiliation
  
• The email address of the first author
  
• The title of the paper
  
• An abstract (maximum 250 words)
  
• Key words (maximum 5 words)
  

It should be sent to this email address: misd@filfak.ni.ac.rs

The application should be sent no later than May 6, 2024.

Papers publication

The papers which are positively reviewed will be published in the journal Media Studies and Applied Ethics. All abstracts will be published in a book of abstracts with ISBN number.

Instructions for the preparation of papers for publication in journal is available at  the link: https://izdanja.filfak.ni.ac.rs/casopisi/media-studies-and-applied-ethics

Registration fee

The registration fee for participation in the conference is 6000 RSD / 50 EUR (for PhD students 25 EUR).

Registration fee in RSD should be paid to the account of the Faculty of Philosophy in Niš 840-1818666-89, call number 74212142. Instructions for payment in Euros are attached here: https://www.filfak.ni.ac.rs/konferencije/item/2258-media-and-challenges-of-the-modern-society-2024

The conference fee includes: full access to all sessions; a conference pack; a certificate of attendance; refreshments during breaks; an e-book of abstracts and a conference dinner.

Practical information

Niš is the third-largest city and is located in the southern part of Serbia. Niš has Constantine the Great airport, but the offer of destinations is limited, so please check if they can be useful for you. The largest airport in the country, Nikola Tesla, is 250 km away. It is possible to use a rental car or take buses and minibuses. The airport in Sofia (Bulgaria) is 160 km away, and from there Niš can be reached by bus or car. There are plenty of budget-friendly hotels and Airbnb apartments in Niš.

For additional information, please contact:

The Department of Communications and Journalism

Faculty of Philosophy in Niš

Ćirila i Metodija, 2, 18 000 Niš, Republic of Serbia

misd@filfak.ni.ac.rs

Organizing committee:

Nataša Simeunović Bajić, PhD

Neven Obradović, PhD

Andrej Blagojević, PhD

Ilija Milosavljević, PhD candidate

Neda Necić, PhD candidate

Jovana Trajković, PhD candidate

Tamara Tasić, PhD student

Programme committee:

Dragana Pavlović, PhD, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Nataša Simeunović Bajić, PhD, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Neven Obradović, PhD, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Tatjana Vulić, PhD, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Zoran Jevtović, PhD, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Marija Vujović, PhD, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Anka Mihajlov Prokopović, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Andrej Blagojević, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Velibor Petković, PhD, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Ivana Stojanović Prelević, Department of Communication and Journalsim, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Ivana Stamenković, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Dušan Aleksić, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Vladeta Radović, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Marta Mitrović, Department of Communication and Journalism, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš

Adriana Stefanel, PhD, Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies, University of Bucharest, Romania

Romina Surugiu, PhD, Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies, University of Bucharest, Romania

Vyara Angelova, PhD, Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski, Bulgaria

Antonija Čuvalo, PhD, Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia

Anke Offerhaus, PhD, Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research, University of Bremen, Germany

John Mullen, PhD, Department of British and American Studies, University of Rouen-Normandie, France

Martina Topić, PhD, College of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Alabama, USA

Barbara Lasticova, PhD, Institute of Research in Social Communication, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia

Victoria Shmidt, PhD, Faculty of Humanities, University of Graz, Austria

Karin Roginer Hofmeister, PhD, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University Prague, Czechia

Marcus Morgan, PhD, School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies, University of Bristol, UK

Judit Acsády, PhD, HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre of Excellence

José Manuel Robles, PhD, Data Science and Soft Computing for Social Analytics, Complutense University of Madrid

Belén Casas Mas, PhD, Information Sciences Faculty, Complutense University of Madrid

New Media & Society  (Special Issue Call for Papers)

Deadline:  June 1, 2024

Guest-editors: Karolina Koc-Michalska, Darren Lilleker, Bente Kalsnes, Homero Gil de Zuniga, Thierry Vedel

OVERVIEW OF THE SPECIAL ISSUE FOCUS

Contemporary understandings of democratic citizenship and their role in democracy have evolved over the last five decades, generally following periods of change in society, politics, and communication. For example, the mid-Twentieth Century was a period of prosperity and trust in political and media institutions which corresponded to standard views of civic role performance centered on voting in elections and referenda, supporting the campaigns of parties and candidates for office, contacting elected representatives to highlight issues of concern, and being involved in cooperative activities (Verba & Nie, 1972). The subsequent era of economic globalization and related disruptions of civil societies, labor markets and individual security, along with declining levels of institutional trust, shifted focus away from earlier models of dutiful citizenship toward more fragmented repertoires of the monitorial citizens (Schudson, 1998), engaged citizens (Dalton, 2008), or actualizing citizenship (Bennett, Freelon & Wells, 2011).

These new forms of citizenship are viewed as responses to challenges associated with globalization, growing inequality and perceived institutional limitations; but also reflect the emergence of identity politics, culture wars, political instability, and democratic erosion (V-Dem, 2022). In addition, the spread of digital communication technologies has offered a broad spectrum of citizens means of connecting across social and even national boundaries, to develop political networks and campaigns focusing on local, national or global issues (Bennett & Segerberg, 2013). The current era is defined by a new set of social and political contexts that call for fresh thinking about citizenship and communication, and how evolving new technologies such as algorithmic based social media, artificial intelligence (AI), and the upcoming synthetic media will all sustain or challenge the future of democracy. Dalton’s conceptualization of ‘the fifth state’ (2023) indicates a shift in power dynamics tied to developments in communication technology. These developments have seen the emergence of networked individuals who play a strategic role across different layers of society who are empowered ‘citizens of the digital age’. These actors eschew nation-state affairs in favor of global politics, focusing on myriad cross-national causes.

The current era is also one of further technological opportunities and challenges. Digital technology has provided spaces for good democratic citizenship (participation, deliberation, inclusivity and pluralism) as well as destructive democratic citizenship (spreading disinformation and hate speech, silencing opponents aggressively and trolling). As AI enters the common public consciousness due to easily available software, the emerging question is how might AI impact upon our democracies (Jungherr 2023). On the one hand AI can be used to promote pro- democratic behavior. AI tools may moderate deliberation, promote and help construct more rational arguments and facilitate more inclusive consultation between institutions and citizens. AI could support informed discussions and decision-making which close inequality gaps around political participation. At a basic level this could provide the ground for electronic voting. But at a more fundamental level ensure voters feel empowered through having access to sufficient information to participate not only in elections but directly influencing political decisions. These positive views, however, are contingent on who determines the role AI plays. AI can promote disinformation, misinformation, societal biases, and populist propaganda. Governments can harness AI to promote their policies, excluding oppositional or civil society voices. Governments could also harness AI to depress political participation by controlling the flow of information. We can see examples of the positive and negative uses of AI within a range of political systems, but this area is underexplored. AI is currently under scrutiny, and conversations are taking place between world leaders and tech moguls (such as AI Safety Summit 2023), and there are moves to develop a framework for how AI should function or at least could be constrained to limit its possible harm to democratic institutions. But further research from the fields of political science, and communication is needed to inform these debates, in particular to consider how AI could and should be used and regulated for the enhancement of citizen engagement.

This special issue aims to understand the role of new communication processes, the development of multiple platforms and the role of AI in reshaping political and social interactions, and how they are related to citizens, and their role as active actors in democratic or non-democratic societies. It aims to explore the roles of networked active publics within and across nations and the extent that their deliberative and communicative activities contribute positively or negatively to civic and democratic culture, pluralism and societal cohesion. It also aims to understand how organizations facilitate and employ AI, algorithmic based social media information, and other technological developments in building citizenry or on the contrary how they limit the role of individual citizens. Topics may include the construction of new norms and understandings of citizenship across the political spectrum, the replacement of civic groups with networked-based communication, and the proliferation of identity-based language codes. These features of changing citizen-communication ecologies may be involved in building a sense of community, altruism and belonging, but they may also facilitate polarization, antagonism, isolation, and disruption (Koc-Michalska et al., 2023).

Bennett, W. L., Wells, C., & Freelon, D. (2011). Communicating civic engagement: Contrasting models of citizenship in the youth web sphere. Journal of communication, 61(5), 835-856. Bennett, W. L., & Segerberg, A. (2013). The logic of connective action: Digital media and the personalization of contentious politics. Cambridge University Press.

Dalton, R. J. (2008). Citizenship norms and the expansion of political participation. Political studies, vol. 56, no 1, p. 76-98.

Jungherr, A., (2023). Artificial Intelligence and Democracy: A Conceptual Framework, Social Media + Society (July-September).

Koc-Michalska, K., Klinger, U., Bennett, L., & Römmele, A. (2023). (Digital) Campaigning in Dissonant Public Spheres. Political Communication, 40(3), 255–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2023.2173872 Schudson, M. (1998). The good citizen: A history of American civic life.

V-Dem (2022) Democracy report: Autocratization changing nature? https://v-dem.net/publications/democracy-reports/

Verba, S., & Nie, N. H. (1972). Participation in America: Political democracy and social equality (University of Chicago Press ed). University of Chicago Press.

 

Articles submitted to this special issue may address, but are not limited to, such topics as:

- the roles of different social media, algorithms, and platforms in facilitating or restricting active publics;

- the development of the usage of AI for politics, information, and communication;

- do these new media play a role in reshaping or constructing the common civic norms and citizen identities, especially in times of crisis;

- how the adoption of new technologies creates differences in civic practice and mobilization across different publics

- analyses of online public deliberation or lack of it; the role of digital public consultation;

- the politics of platform and AI products regulation and self-regulations.

In general, we are interested in studies depicting how such factors may affect the balances of political power in democratic societies? The overall aim is to revise and update our understanding of citizenship and communication in this era of democratic turbulence, and stark technological changes.

The proposed special edition will tackle questions relating to the role that new technologies play in facilitating and sustaining the performance of citizenship with the following foci:

1. interdisciplinary theoretical approaches to understand the psychology, behavior and social context of individuals functioning and communicating in relation to their own performances as citizens, to understand the role of communication in shaping new forms of citizenship and democratic processes. We are also open to manuscripts based on a wider inter-disciplinary cooperation (e.g. economy, law, engineering etc.)

2. Comprehensive methodological approach, especially global and inclusive contexts and cross-country studies exploring comparatively the roles of active publics across diverse regimes and political systems.

We specifically invite submissions from CEE, Global South and other regions outside of the Western Democracies. The special issue is open for sound theoretical and data-driven manuscripts, with no limits to the methods used, however, a comparative approach will be privileged.

SUBMISSION PROCESS Schedule:

• 1 June 2024 - Possible expression of interest sent to the Guest Editors (this is not a preselection process) to bravedemocracy@gmail.com Max. 500 words
  
• 15 November 2024 - Full manuscript submission (open to all)
  
• November 2025- Online first

The Moving Image (Special Issue)

Proposals due: May 5, 2024

Final manuscripts due: November 30, 2024

Guest editors (in alphabetical order): Luca Antoniazzi, Daniela Currò, Simone Venturini

The Moving Image, the peer reviewed journal of the Association of Moving Image Archivists, invites submissions for possible inclusion in a special issue on film heritage and environmental sustainability. Despite its conceptual malleability, sustainability is increasingly taken as a key concept in assessing good practice in collection stewardship and long-term viability of digital preservation. In some parts of the world, sustainability is also an increasingly relevant preoccupation of public funding bodies and private donors. Despite notable exceptions, sustainability has not been explored enough in the context of film archival studies and its potential is not yet fully developed.

The overall objective of this special issue is threefold: (1) to shed light on the environmental impact of the film archival sector; (2) to assess whether, in the face of the climate crisis, film policies, archival and programming/exhibition practices, infrastructures, and technologies are transitioning towards environmentally sustainable stewardship; (3) to sketch out lessons learned and best practices that might be applied to different institutional and geo-political contexts.

We welcome contributions from a diverse range of research traditions, including film heritage studies, the humanities, cultural production, cultural policy, media infrastructure studies, and information science. We also welcome contributions from practitioners, cultural managers, policymakers, and the film archival community at large.

Potential topics include:

• Energy and resource-efficient labor processes and organizational models in film archiving
  
• Cultural and technological policies for sustainable film heritage
  
• Gender, class and race implications of new ‘green’ policies and practices
  
• Green digital stewardship and curatorship
  
• Archival e-waste, obsolescence, and rare earths extraction
  
• Power consumption and carbon emissions in film conservation and data preservation
  
• Sustainable facilities and buildings in film archival institutions
  
• Good (green) practice in traditional film archiving
  
• Sustainability and film archiving grassroots innovations in the context of the Global South
  
• Promoting sustainability within and outside film heritage institutions
  
• The institutional politics of greening film heritage
  

Types of Submissions:

Feature articles: Double-blind peer reviewed research papers, 4,000 – 6,000 words

Forum pieces: Shorter, less formal pieces, including interviews and “notes from the field” discussing case studies on single institutions or archivists’ own work, such as specific projects or policy initiatives, 2,000 – 3,000 words

Reviews: reviews of recent books, media (e.g., DVDs, Blu-Rays), conferences, film festivals, and exhibitions, 700 – 1,000 words

Submission guidelines

Please send initial proposals and final submissions to special issue co-editors Luca Antoniazzi, Daniela Currò, Simone Venturini at sustainability.tmi@gmail.com.

Proposals must be submitted by May 5, 2024 for initial consideration and should include: (1) a 250-word abstract, (2) four key words, (3) a 100-word bio of the author(s), (4) the type of paper you would like to write (e.g. feature article). Proposal review will be completed by May 31, 2024. For any questions regarding this CFP, please contact the co-editors prior to the proposal submission deadline.

Completed manuscripts will be due for editorial review by November 30, 2024. All manuscripts should be submitted as a Microsoft Word email attachment, double-spaced throughout, using 12-point type with 1 -inch margins, following the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style.

University of Southampton

The University of Southampton is looking for two Lecturers in Digital Media with research interests in Artificial Intelligence to join the Film department. These posts are available from August 1 2024. Details on the role further below.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to the Head of Film, Prof. Shelley Cobb (s.cobb@soton.ac.uk). Whilst this post is offered on a full-time basis, hours are not a barrier, and we are interested in individuals wishing to work 0.6 FTE and above. 

You can apply at jobs.soton.ac.uk. REF 2659424AR https://jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=2659424AR

The deadline is May 1, 2024 and we expect interviews to take place June 3rd and 4th.

The University of Southampton is in the top 1% of world universities and is one of the UK’s top 15 research-intensive universities.  Committed to excellence in all we do, we are growing and investing in our research and people to accelerate our remarkable achievements. With particular focus on four key impact themes chosen to build on the university’s existing strengths and to address the most complex societal and environmental challenges: Artificial Intelligence, sustainability and resilience, decarbonisation and engineering better health, this role is integral to our aim of making a lasting difference.  https://uosacademicrecruitment.webrecruit.co.uk/

The Film Department at Southampton has an excellent reputation for teaching and research. For REF 2021, 95% of our research was judged ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, and we achieved the highest scores for impact beyond the academy. We have close interdisciplinary links with other members of the School, Faculty and the wider University. Our research-led teaching across film, television and digital media includes modules on history, theory, industry, and cultural studies. 

The role  

These posts are REF (Research Excellence Framework) led and require academics with a developing and growing research profile that indicates an

 existing or developing national reputation in their area of expertise, as well as strong potential for participation and/or leadership in grant applications.

About you  

You will be capable of engaging with critical questions about the place of artificial intelligence in society from a humanities or social science perspective. Your research agenda will address a larger question of social importance (sustainability, policy/governance, wellbeing or social resilience), and its potential to impact beyond the academy will be an advantage. An ability to teach undergraduate students in modules dealing with digital labour, algorithmic cultures, and automated systems and decision-making processes will be highly regarded, and we are keen to hear from applicants whose teaching and research expertise can productively engage with media industries. The ability of your research to have impact beyond the academy and/or familiarity with computational methods may be advantageous.

June 27, 2024

Online/Melbourne (Australia)

Deadline: May 13, 2024

We are excited to invite you to the workshop ”Generative AI as a method in social sciences”.  We appreciate help in circulating the call with colleagues working on the topic.

Workshop descriptions and questions

In this half-day hybrid workshop, we focus on exploring different ways of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and how it could be used as a method in social scientific research, and what ethical and practical considerations are implied. 

We invite researchers working on the topic to submit an abstract (maximum 300 words) by May 13 to miguel.gomezhernandez@monash.edu. The notifications on acceptance will be sent out on May 27. The methodological papers on the use of GenAI in research can present research ideas, ongoing projects, or research findings.

In exploring the practical examples of methods and methodologies involving GenAI we would expect the proposal to state a clear contribution, for example by accounting for at least one of the following questions:

• How does the use of GenAI in research methods shift the ways we can research and the qualities of the knowledge we can generate? What are the benefits of this? 
  
• What are the ethical considerations of engaging with GenAI as a research method? 
  
• How do we unpack what is and is not meaningful to understand in the datasets and classifications when using GenAI as a research method?
  
• How should researchers address the political economies of the construction of AI systems when using GenAI as a research method?
  
• How might the wider planetary consequences of using GenAI as a research method frame our research practices and methods? 
  
• How can critical researchers engage in decolonising GenAI systems when using them as a method? How can we resist the hegemonic and often naturalised narratives of the AI industry and provide alternatives that frame the use of these technologies as a research method?
  
• How can GenAI be applied as a research method in research projects whose objective is to generate a radical reimagining of AI's technological development and role in society?
  

Workshopping dynamic:  

We will have two sessions with presentations (10 minutes each) and 20 minutes of Q&A. The second session is dedicated to online presenters. Please prepare your presentations being mindful of the time and the readability of the content. After an afternoon tea and coffee break, in our last session, we will divide the participants in groups and ask them to agree on 3 key insights from the previous presentations and prepare a short showcase arguing for them. This group exercise will enable us to move forward planning future collaborations and discussions.

Key information

Date: 27/6, 1.00 pm - 6 pm AEST

  *  Hybrid: online and in Melbourne (Australia) 

  *  Location: Building 97, RMIT University, 106-108 Victoria St, Carlton VIC 3053

  *  CFP Deadline: May 13

  *  Notification of acceptance: May 27

If you have any questions, please contact miguel.gomezhernandez@monash.edu

The workshop is  organised in collaboration with Emerging Technologies Lab, Monash node of ADM+S, and research project Imagining Sustainable Digital Futures (Aalto University, Finland).