ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

University of Groningen

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Excellent research assessments and growing student numbers enable the Department of Media Studies and Journalism of the University of Groningen to hire an assistant professor in Media, Politics and Democracy. We are looking for candidates with, preferably but not limited to, expertise in:

• citizenship, political engagement and participation
• democratic theory
• political communication
• quantitative methods, such as statistics and social media analysis.

Although candidates with expertise in the above fields have a competitive advantage, the position is open to candidates with a wide range of research interests and theoretical and methodological expertise in media studies. Candidates should be able to teach courses in media studies on the BA and MA level, and contribute to our research programme. The position combines teaching (60%) and research (40%).

The successful candidates are expected to teach in our English-taught BA programme ‘Media Studies’ and our international MA programmes ‘Datafication and Digital Literacy’, ‘Social Media and Society’, and ‘Media Creation and Innovation’. Depending on their expertise, they may also teach in our minor programmes Media Studies and Journalism Studies, as well as our Dutch and international MA programmes in Journalism.

The international, English-taught BA programme in Media Studies focuses on the social and informative functions of media. It is rooted in the humanities but also draws upon methods and paradigms developed in the social sciences and other disciplines. The degree aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of the affordances of different platforms and the interplay between them; the political and economic underpinnings of media systems; patterns of use, production and content; and the functions and impact of media in culture and society. Throughout the curriculum it provides a comparative perspective by studying media in their cultural, historical, economic, political and international contexts. The programme has an annual enrolment of 120 students from all parts of the world.

The MA programmes ‘Datafication and Digital Literacy’, ‘Social Media and Society’, and ‘Media Creation and Innovation’ provide students with cutting-edge knowledge of the digital transformations which profoundly change society. The MA programmes in Journalism focus on high quality reporting in a cross-media setting with a strong focus on digital skills and innovation, and combine academic reflection with academic skills. Our BA and MA programmes rank first among all Media Studies programmes in the Netherlands in the national student survey.

Research is conducted within the interdisciplinary Centre for Media and Journalism Studies, which has been rated as “excellent/world-leading” in the last Research Review. Members of the Centre have been successful in recent years in attracting external research funding. If appointed, the candidates are expected to actively contribute to a vibrant research environment. They are provided ample support in applying for bids with national and international funding agencies.

The successful applicant is expected to:

• teach and supervise students in the department’s undergraduate and graduate programmes. International candidates will teach solely in English. They are expected to follow a Dutch language course
• participate actively in curriculum development, design and administration of course modules
• conduct and generate top research in media studies or communication studies
• pursue research grants and other forms of external funding
• participate actively in international research networks and build international collaborations
• participate actively in the activities of the interdisciplinary research Centre for Media and Journalism Studies.

Qualifications

In addition to a number of basic requirements set by the University of Groningen, such as excellent social and communication skills, presentation skills, coaching skills and a results-oriented attitude, we are looking for candidates who have:

• a PhD in Political Communication, Media Studies, Communication Science, or related fields
• wide-ranging knowledge in Media, Politics and Democracy, with, preferably but not limited to, expertise in: citizenship, political engagement and participation; democratic theory; political communication; statistics and social media analysis
• teaching experience at university level and proven didactic abilities
• gained their University Teaching Qualification or are prepared to do so within two years
• an excellent research track record, including relevant publications
• an outstanding national and international academic network as well as strong contacts with professionals in the field
• willingness to make substantial contributions to the development of the Department’s research and educational programmes
• organisational experience and skills
• excellent command of English (at least CEFR B2/C1 level for reading, listening, writing and speaking)
• expected to have or gain understanding of the Dutch language (CEFR B2 for reading and listening, and CEFR B1 for writing and speaking) within two years.

Organisation

Since its foundation in 1614, the University of Groningen has established an international reputation as a dynamic and innovative university offering high-quality teaching and research. Its 35.000 students are encouraged to develop their own individual talents through challenging study- and career paths. The University of Groningen is an international centre of knowledge: it belongs to the best research universities in Europe and is allied with prestigious partner universities and networks worldwide.

The Faculty of Arts is a large, dynamic faculty in the heart of the city of Groningen. It has more than 5000 students and 700 staff members, who are working at the frontiers of knowledge every day. The Faculty offers a wide range of degree programmes: 15 Bachelor's programmes and over 35 Master's specialisations. Our research, which is internationally widely acclaimed, covers Media and Journalism Studies, Archaeology, Cultural Studies, History, International Relations, Language and Literary Studies, and Linguistics.

Conditions of employment

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

• a salary, depending on qualifications and work experience from a minimum of € 3,746 (salary scale 11) to a maximum of € 5,826 (salary scale 12) gross per month for a full-time position
• 8% holiday allowance, 8.3% end-of-year bonus and participation in a pension scheme for employees. Favourable tax agreements may apply to non-Dutch applicants
• an appointment on a temporary basis for 4 years.

For more detailed information about working conditions and working for the University of Groningen, please check: https://www.rug.nl/(...)k-with-us/new-staff/

Starting date: 1 August 2021

Application

Applications should include:

• a cover letter which explains the motivation for applying for this position
• a full curriculum vitae including a full list of publications and talks
• a research plan of 1-2 pages that includes future ideas for projects and grant applications
• a teaching statement that outlines your teaching philosophy and contains a description of courses taught and teaching qualifications
• the names and contact details of two academic referees

You can submit your application until 14 March 11:59pm / before 15 March 2021 Dutch local time (CET) by means of the application form (click on "Apply" below on the advertisement on the university website).

Only complete applications submitted by the deadline will be taken into consideration.

The selection interviews will take place in the fourth or final week of March 2021.

We are an equal opportunity employer that values diversity. We have adopted an active policy to increase the number of female scientists across all disciplines of the university. Therefore, women are encouraged to apply. Our selection procedure follows the guidelines of the Recruitment code (NVP), https://www.nvp-hrnetwerk.nl/sollicitatiecode/ and European Commission's European Code of Conduct for recruitment of researchers, https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/charter/code

Unsolicited marketing is not appreciated.

Information

For information you can contact:

Prof. Marcel Broersma, Professor of Media and Journalism Studies, +31 50 3635955, m.j.broersma@rug.nl

Drs. Miralda Meulman, Degree programme coordinator (about the formal procedure), +31 50 3638950, sec.amc@rug.nl

Please do not use the e-mail address(es) above for applications.

Dublin City University

The School of Communications at Dublin City University is now inviting applications from qualified candidates for up to four PhD Scholarships.

The School of Communications at DCU is home to almost 1,000 students at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD levels. With a tradition stretching back almost 40 years, the School is defined by excellence in both teaching and research in journalism, multimedia and communications studies. In the QS global subject rankings in 2020 DCU was in the top 200 of almost 4,500 universities worldwide in the area of communications. DCU is ranked number 1 nationally in Communications & Media Studies.

The School’s academics undertake research that contributes to national and international debates and to public policy formation. They have also led research projects supported by national and international funders.

This cutting-edge research is across a range of (inter)disciplinary fields including (new) media studies, media history, journalism studies, science communication, political communication, social media studies, film and television studies, music industry studies, advertising, and cultural studies. In the past five years, the School has supported approximately 40 doctoral students to achieve PhD awards through this scheme.

The School now has an opening for up to six funded PhD scholarships (across a four-year duration). As well as a tax-free stipend of €16,500 plus fees, we also support our students with funding for conference travel and offer PhD students opportunities to gain teaching experience.

In this call, we invite applications in the following areas / themes:

Online Political Dialogue: Fellowship(s) in this area will focus on understanding online political discussions and especially the communicative processes underlying the speech (both on social media and in more structured environments). The PhD fellow will use quantitative techniques to examine citizens' political dialogue with a particular focus on the use of non-emotional and emotional arguments. There is an opportunity to be part of a new H2020 project with significant networking and other opportunities. Candidates proficient in quantitative research methods, or those interested in learning them are welcome to apply. (For more information, contact Prof. Jane Suiter – jane.suiter@dcu.ie)

Emerging Media Forms: Fellowship(s) in this area will ideally focus on emerging media forms that move beyond traditional screens and linear forms. Possible research topics include (but are not limited to): spatial audio and music (e.g., ambisonics in virtual or physical spaces); embodied or somatic experiences in emerging media forms; emerging media in themed and immersive spaces (e.g. museum/interpretive/heritage centres, tourist attractions and theme parks). Traditional or practice-based applications are welcome. (For further information, contact Dr. Declan Tuite – declan.tuite@dcu.ie)

The Global Music industries: Fellowship(s) in this area will ideally focus on the political economy of the music industries. Possible research topics include (but are not limited to): music and copyright; the music industries in the context of an evolving digital environment; gender dynamics in the music industries; music industries policy; music and the media. (For further information contact Dr. Jim Rogers – jim.rogers@dcu.ie)

The Role of Digital Media in Advancing Twenty-First Century Learning: Fellowship(s) in this area will ideally focus on the role of digital technologies in advancing C21st learning competences in either primary or 2nd level education or both. Possible research topics include (but are not limited to), (i) digital assessment for learning, (ii) mobile learning (iii) augmented Reality/virtual Reality (iv) classroom 2.0, Covid-19 and changing educational practices. The ideal candidate will have a multidisciplinary background in teaching/training and educational technology/multimedia. (For further information, contact Dr. Miriam Judge - miriam.judge@dcu.ie)

NB. Applications should consist of a 2,000 word research proposal as well as a brief CV detailing academic qualifications and professional experience to date.

NB. Applicants must contact the relevant supervisor prior to submitting an application.

NB. All applications should be submitted to Ms. Eileen Myers, Secretary, School of Communications, DCU (eileen.myers@dcu.ie), clearly indicating the theme under which they are applying.

All scholarships are due to commence on 01st October 2021.

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 31st March 2021.

University for the Creative Arts

Qualification Type: PhD

Location: Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Rochester

Funding for: UK Students, EU Students, International Students

Funding amount: The package includes a fee waiver for three years full-time study, and a stipend of £15,285 each year for three years.

Hours: Full Time

Placed On: 9th February 2021

Closes: 31st March 2021

About UCA

UCA is the UK’s highest-ranked creative university (Guardian/Complete University Guides 2021), offering courses in Architecture, Art, Design, Fashion, Film, Performing Arts and Creative Business across Surrey, Kent, and overseas.

But that’s not the whole story.

Creativity makes communities more vibrant, innovative, human. So we support our students to forge their own path and use their creativity to make a difference. Right now, they’re making the creative industries more inclusive and sustainable, changing perspectives, and winning awards – from Golden Globes to Pulitzers. 

Research at UCA

With a vibrant and progressive research community and a wealth of specialist resources for creative research and practice, UCA offers the ideal environment to explore your chosen field and develop unique and impressive doctoral work.

We are a top ten research community for Art & Design, and the second largest provider of creative education in Europe. In REF 2014, 93% of our research was internationally recognised for quality, and 64% to was judged to be world-leading or internationally significant. In our research centres (including the Crafts Study Centre, the International Textiles Research Centre, and the Centre for Sustainable Design), 90% of research produced impacts that were rated world-leading or internationally significant.

Our PhD Studentships

We are currently seeking exceptional applicants to our MPhil/ PhD programme, and have a number of Vice Chancellor’s PhD Studentships on offer for Home, EU or International candidates looking to pursue practice-based or thesis-only research projects. The package includes a fee waiver for three years’ full-time study, and a stipend of £15,285 each year for three years.

Our subjects

To apply, you will need to submit a research proposal that is focused in one of our specialist areas (or spans several of them). These are:

• Crafts (including ceramics and textiles): contemporary textiles, textiles emerging from traditional practice, textiles as spatial intervention; textiles as expressions of cultural specificity, modern and contemporary British studio ceramics and makers, modern craft guilds and societies, topics across the Crafts Study Centre collections.
• Fine art and photography: photography and its practices, performative photography, women in photography, the archive, the artists interview, the photobook, issues around the body, hybridity and appropriation.
• Visual communication and design: the politics of design, contemporary political theory, experimental and speculative design, principles of design, graphic design and typography, archives and design, design history and theory, design for sustainability.
• Fashion: cloth, memory and experience, public and private dress, fashion heritage, fashion and class, gender and thrift, subcultures, experiential retailing, the branded environment, consumer culture and the history of shopping, fashion technology and electronic textiles.
• Music: music technology, improvisation, notation practice and art/science collaboration.
• Film, media and performing arts: artist’s films, film genre and aesthetics, film and space, radical geography, essay cinema, theoretical approaches to film, performance and technology, interactive and immersive art and performance, wearables in performance, embodiment/presence in technology (theory and practice), art-science/technology collaborations and innovations, cyberfeminism and feminist technology in media art.
• Video Games: Indie and Art Games in performance; video games and play, spatiality, interface, and intersections between video games and biopolitics, intermediality in film and games; indie and art game and narrative design, gender representation in video games.
• Animation: archives and animation; experimental, documentary and activist practice; expanded animation, VR and immersive technologies; issues of gender, sexuality, post-colonialism and social inclusion.
• Architecture: activist practices, alternative organizations, architectural education and critical pedagogy, critical spatial practice, ecologies and climate change, ethics, gender, race and class analysis and methodologies, isovistic analysis and space syntax, spatial mapping, architectural history and theory, particularly of the twentieth century.
• Critical Theory: contemporary political theory, racial capitalism, feminism and representation, feminism and technology/ cyberfeminism, post-digital culture, memory, popular culture and mediation practices.
• Business for the creative industries: sustainability for business and design, innovation, technology exchange and business strategy in the arts and creative industries, sustainable development, circular economy, social innovation and wellbeing, entrepreneurship and innovative business models, eco-design, eco-innovation, arts and creative markets, funding for the arts and creative industries, inter-industry and societal creative crossovers.

How to apply

To see our entry requirements, register your interest or apply, please visit www.uca.ac.uk/research/research-degrees

Please note: All our PhD students begin their studies in September, so we recommend that you submit your applications by 31 March 2021. We will consider applications after this date, but early applications may be more likely to be successful, as supervisors’ capacity is limited. All applicants wishing to be considered for a Vice-Chancellor’s Studentship or other funding must apply by 31st March.

IE University’s School of Human Sciences and Technology

IE University’s School of Human Sciences and Technology (https://www.ie.edu/…gy/) invites qualified applicants for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position in Corporate or Marketing Communication beginning September 2021, in Madrid.

The new faculty member will be expected to provide intellectual leadership within HST (and, more broadly, across IE University) in their areas of expertise, and to contribute to a collegial atmosphere and a diverse, inclusive campus life. Applicants with international academic experience are especially encouraged to apply.

Our faculty are expected to present their work in international venues and to publish in peer-reviewed journals. In this case, relevant journals might include, but are not limited to Public Relations Review, Corporate Communications, Journal of Business Communication, Journal of Business Ethics, or Management Communication Quarterly.

Teaching requirements for this position are the standard for research active institutions. The successful candidate will teach and advise students in one or more of the following HST programs:

• Bachelor in Communication and Digital Media. https://www.ie.edu/…on/
• Master in Corporate and Marketing Communication. https://www.ie.edu/…on/
• Master in Visual and Digital Media. https://www.ie.edu/…ia/
• Master in Customer Experience and Innovation. https://www.ie.edu/…on/
• Master in Digital Marketing. https://www.ie.edu/…ng/

IE University (https://www.ie.edu/ ) is an internationally recognized institution originally founded as a business school. The university is comprised of schools of Business, Human Sciences & Technology, Law, Global and Public Affairs, and Architecture & Design.

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

In 2021, we will open the doors to our new undergraduate Learning Tower – a vertical campus which will be one of the 5 towers occupying the skyline of Madrid. Our Segovia campus is located in the historic quarter of this World-Heritage city, 30 minutes by high-speed train from Madrid.

Qualifications:

• The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in Communication or related discipline as well as positively evaluated teaching experience at the university and/or graduate level.
• He/She will have an active research agenda in either corporate communication or marketing, advertising, branding, and public relations.
• HST takes an interdisciplinary, humanistic approach to the study of communication and media.
• A candidate with an interest in cultural approaches to technological platforms and social media, public interest and social change communication, or corporate and media ethics would be a particularly good fit.

Application instructions:

Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, research and teaching statement and three confidential recommendation letters.

Please submit your application by March 24th, 2021 via Interfolio at: http://apply.interfolio.com/…204

For general enquiries about the application, contact Sara Flores, Recruitment Coordinator sara.flores@ie.edu , specific enquiries can be made to Prof. Begoña González-Cuesta begona.gonzalez@ie.edu .

Keele University

Application closing date 08/03/2021

Start date June 2021

Salary: Grade 7, £33,797 -£41,526 per annum

Fixed Term: 24 months full-time

The Research Assistant post is part of an AHRC funded project entitled “#ContestingIslamophobia: Representation and Appropriation in Mediated Activism”. The project aims to investigate the dynamics of online hate speech as well as counter-narratives against Islamophobia, and examine what political potentials and/or limitations they offer. The RA will be involved in the second stage of the project which will be to carry out both quantitative and qualitative content analysis (of both Tweets, mainstream media and activist websites) and semi-structured interviews (with key activists). As the project focuses on Twitter, there may be some liaison with our computer scientist, but the role mainly requires a knowledge and experience of traditional methods in the social sciences, particularly experience of working with media texts. The post holder will also oversee the project website, write blog entries and have the opportunity to contribute to other dissemination activities.

The successful candidate will have a PhD (or close to completion) in an appropriate subject area such as Social Science or Media Studies, and experience of undertaking independent research using quantitative and qualitative methods. Experience of using computer packages in the social sciences, such as SPSS and Nvivo, would also be useful.

This role could be initially undertaken remotely with meetings over the internet, however, the successful candidate would be expected to work on site at Keele once it is safe enough to do so.

Informal enquires can be made to Professor Elizabeth Poole, Principal Investigator on the project via e.a.poole@keele.ac.uk.

Project Lead: Prof. Alexander Gerber

This first in-depth empirical analysis of the research field in science communication was conducted for the German Federal Ministry of Research. Its main parts are published openly here – without any access fees or book charges: E-book download [PDF, 1 MB].

This study of Science Communication Research (SCR) triangulates a bibliometric and content analysis of approx. 3,000 journal papers with a multi-stage panel study and a review of grey literature spanning four decades. Quantitative findings from the journal analysis (e.g. about disciplinary contexts or topics, research methods, data analysis techniques used) were considered by a panel of 36 science communication researchers in a multi-stage series of qualitative interviews. These experts represent the international and disciplinary diversity of the research field, including past and present editors of the most relevant journals of science communication, and the majority of the most often cited science communication scholars.

We are planning to do further deep-dives into specific aspects of this hugely comprehensive material, which includes dozens of expert interviews and thousands of publications content-analysed. For any suggestions about such specific research questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Doxa Comunicación

Deadline: May 31, 2021

Description and Thematic Areas: Research in the field of communication has been characterised by its multidisciplinary approach; resulting in multiple schools, traditions, and approaches, and therefore, in a series of objects of study and research results with great diversity and, on occasion, a high level of dispersion as one of its main features.

On the other hand, there has been a key transformation in this field in recent decades with an exponential increase in scientific production and greater international collaboration between authors. Changes in communication education have had a lot to do with this change, with a highly significant increase in the educational offering together with changes in the regulation of access to teaching careers in Spain, which have influenced, and continue to influence, research development.

Accordingly, this monograph reflects the new challenges and opportunities research is facing in the field of communication and, specifically, the challenge of consolidating a unique identity, which are reflections we consider necessary. This is a panorama in which issues such as education, specialisation, globalisation, gender differences/perspectives, and ethical debates, among others, take on special relevance.

Nor should we lose sight of the structural aspects that determine the evaluation or funding criteria, nor the regulatory framework, which ultimately influence research development in this field. At the same time, this monograph aims to focus on the new trends observed in communication research that aspires to consolidate themselves as objects of study. This approach is carried out from a three-fold perspective: concepts, media and approaches.

Possible topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Scientific publication in communication: Does it have a unique personality, or is it an imitation of other disciplines?
• The role of academic journals in communication research
• Research in specialised areas of communication
• Teaching in the communication field and its investigation
• Ethical debates in communication research
• Communication research beyond the Anglo-Saxon realm: perspectives and contexts from the southern part of the world– Latin America, Africa, and other geographical areas
• Gender differences and perspectives in communication research
• Structural constraints of research. Policy, evaluation, funding and other factors
• Challenges and weaknesses in communication research
• Prospects and emerging approaches in communication research: new concepts, new media, and new theories.

DEADLINE: Article submissions will be due on March 31, 2021, with notifications of acceptance before September 30, 2021. Issue editors: Jesús Díaz (UNIR, Spain), Salvador Gómez (UVa, Spain) and Francisco Segado (UCM, Spain).

Doxa Comunicación is a free, open access scientific journal following the BOAI Declaration. All content is uploaded to freely accessible national and international databases and repositories.

Authors must register and upload their files through the journal platform here: https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/doxacom/information/authors (check to change language)

Submissions by email will not be accepted. Authors must register on the platform and complete all the metadata required in the submission process. Authors must ensure that their manuscripts are anonymous (deletion of the digital traces of authorship that appear in the document properties is recommended.

Information about submission guidelines: https://www.doxacomunicacion.es/pdf/enmonogrnuevastendenciaseninvestigacindelacomunicacin_1.pdf

Problemi dell'Informazione - Italian Journal of Media and Journalism Studies

Deadline: March 31, 2021

Special issue - Marco Bruno e Gaia Peruzzi (editors)

We live in a deeply mediatized world, where public sphere and social and political dialogues are inconceivable, or better inexistent, without media. In democratic systems, the political decision-making processes are somehow tied to the collective perceptions of social issues, therefore the role played by media, in particular news media, has become strategic. Media directly participate not only to the agenda setting and current debates, but, in a deeper perspective, to the construction of social categories and the explanation of social facts. By steadily shaping, framing and giving public visibility to some social groups, media accustom citizens to perceive some distinctions as ordinary, usual, “natural”; thus, they create identities and borders. By emphasizing some distinctions in comparison with “us”, they create the Other. By lighting the fire underneath a kind of diversity and its point of view, they affect social stereotypes and promote the change of mentalities.

In recent years, some relevant studies have provided original and unexpected perspectives useful to understand the power of media in societies by investigating their role in building the categories of minorities, vulnerability and social empathy. In particular, Lynn Hunt has reconstructed the way in which popular media have contributed to the “invention” of the idea of human rights in the passage from the modern age to the contemporary one. According to this author, media stimulated the audience to assume the points of views of the different characters of drama, primarily of the weakest ones, and, consequently, to take in account the human pains of torture and social injustices and to imagine more equal opportunities for all human beings. Another milestone of the literature on this topic is the last work of Roger Silverstone, where is reflect on the role played by media in the formation of the social, civic and moral space. The knowledge of the Other and the relationship with the same increasingly happen inside the mediapolis, the space where people coming from differing places can make a reciprocal appearance.

The construction of the otherness, that is of all the problematic and vulnerable identities, is a completely mediated process, which has completely revolutionized the collective construction of all the categories of morality (proper distance, dignity, respect, hospitality, justice).What is common in these arguments is that media narrations and public dialogues on minorities are recognized as founding steps in the civilizing processes.

To complete this essential review, it is necessary to mention Luc Boltansky and his work Distant Suffering. Morality, Media and Politics. He investigated the change in human morality derived from the new habit of watching scenes of pain and suffering on the media screens, and the ambiguous relationships between these sentiments, human empathy and solidarity policies.

The theoretical framework on media and diversity that we have outlined is the background within which to study information media as well. The role of journalism in the face of diversity has been investigated mainly with respect to the dimension of news content and representations of otherness. Very often the differences taken into consideration are those relating to the different cultural background and the consequences of migratory phenomena. Scientific reflection on other conditions of diversity is rarer, such as those attributable to issues of gender, sexual orientation and disabilities. Similarly, in the studies on journalism and information pluralism has always been understood in a political or at the most cultural sense; less frequently, on the other hand, in terms of a more general tension towards the inclusiveness of the aforementioned diversities and belonging but also, for example, with respect to the multiple forms of social marginality.

Diversity, as a theme for information media, also represents a challenge to professional practices and conditions, starting with pluralism and inclusion policies in editorial offices. In recent times, this debate has found ample space in the US context, also following the MeeToo and Black Lives Matter movements. In this context, another area of investigation, almost unexplored in our country, is the application of inclusion policies and practices to journalistic contexts and professions that are beginning to be widespread in other areas (think of the experiences of diversity management and inclusion in business contexts). Another relevant issue is the issue of the differentiation of contents, authors, themes and languages in relation to different social actors and audiences, which constitutes a significant challenge for journalistic practices undergoing profound change, also in reference to the effects of digitization, hybrid formats and languages, and the economic crisis.

Therefore, in a scenario of uncertainty and accelerated change, diversity is both a challenge and an opportunity for journalistic practice, precisely as a democratic issue, with reference to the pluralization of sensitivities and the need for full participation in the information and communication field of all members of society. Starting from this complex and multidimensional frame of reference, there are many lines of work on which the authors are invited to send contributions; among these we propose, but not exclusively:

• Media and diversity
• The social construction of the /other/ in media information
• Information and gender issues
• News media and sexual orientation minorities
• News media and disabilities
• News media, poverty and social marginalization
• Information and religious pluralism
• Diversity management in information, editorial policies and inclusion of minorities

• Journalistic practices and diversity
• Journalistic language and diversity
• Formats and tools for information and diversity

This issue is therefore open to contributions that address one or more ot these themes (as is more likely, given the “hyper-connected” nature of the crisis and its implications).

Proposals (maximum 750 words excluding bibliography) are required to illustrate the objectives of the paper, the research question and the methodology adopted. They have to be sent to https://submission.rivisteweb.it/…pdi by March 31th, 2021.

The selection of proposals will take place by *April 10th*. The deadline for submitting manuscripts is *June* 20th. Manuscripts will undergo a double blind review system.

No payment or fees are required

July 6–9, 2021

Melbourne Australia 

Deadline: February 26, 2021

Hosted by the Media and Communications Program, School of Culture and Communication, University of Melbourne

Abstract and panel proposal submission for the 2021 Australian and New Zealand Communication Association Annual Conference is now open! The Conference will take place from 6-9 July 2021 at the University of Melbourne, with the option for delegates to attend in person or virtually for those who are unable to travel.

This year’s conference, which begins with a one-day postgraduate pre-conference, will centre on the theme of ‘Community, Authority and Power’, focusing on the wide range of ways in which communication actors, industries, practices and technologies are implicated in how power is exercised, reproduced, resisted and transformed.

We welcome submissions for papers and panels on a wide range of topics in contemporary communication, digital media and cultural studies, as well as related areas such as journalism, political and historical studies, sociology and creative practice. Further information, including speaker details, is available on the ANZCA 2021 website, which will be updated regularly in the lead-up to the conference.

Information on the event can be found here.

To submit an abstract or panel proposal for the Conference, click here.

For abstract and panel submission information, click here.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 26 February 2021.

We look forward to your submission!

ANZCA Conference Team

conference@anzca.org

Co-organized with the ECREA CEE Network

April  12-16, 2021

IUC, Dubrovnik

BLENDEND IN PERSON & ONLINE

In Central and Eastern Europe it is 30 years since the socialist regimes collapsed, and democracy was introduced. The theoretical framework of the “transition” is no longer employed, even the “consolidation” discourse and approach is over. Can we pronounce the media systems in this region of the world to have acquired a settled shape, a form/character that is durable and stable?

The thirty years of transformation have been diverse. The same original critical juncture of the fall of socialism has been differently used and shaped by different actors, countries or institutions, to produce different results. Not only is there a division of CEE into those who are now members of the EU and those who are not, but there is also a division between those who have consolidated some level of democracy and those who have consolidated some degree of authoritarian regimes.

The authoritarian backsliding is a fact that can no longer be treated as a phase in the consolidation of democracy, but must also be recognized as one type of result of the transformations. A new critical juncture will be necessary in order to re-start developments along the road to consolidated democracy.

What shaped these diverse developments? Why did some countries consolidate democracy, and others have hybrid or authoritarian regimes? How do these changes compare to the changes of other European media systems? Should we compare media systems or media cultures? We will in this course and research conference examine conditions and variables of media change from modernization to socialism, and from socialism to post-socialism. We will explore ways to study change in media systems, focusing both on the temporal and spatial frames, and will examine transformations necessary in the political, economic and cultural fields. And we will examine which combination of historical conditions from the longue durée or more recently, are responsible for certain types of outcomes of media systems.

The course includes a one day hands-on methodological workshop on the design and implementation of fuzzy set QCA and the accompanying statistical analysis, held by Dina Vozab and Antonija Čuvalo from the University of Zagreb.

The course is organized by course directors from 7 European universities:

• Zrinjka Peruško, University of Zagreb, Croatia
• Carmen Ciller, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
• Steffen Lepa, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
• Paolo Mancini, Università di Perugia, Italy
• Snježana Milivojević, University of Belgrade, Serbia
• Slavko Splichal, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Miklós Sükösd, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

This year’s lecturers include:

• Carmen Ciller, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
• Steffen Lepa, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
• Paolo Mancini, Università di Perugia, Italy
• Snježana Milivojević, University of Belgrade, Serbia
• Helmut Scherer, Institut für Journalistik und Kommunikationsforschung of the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover
• Zrinjka Peruško, University of Zagreb, Croatia
• Miklós Sükösd, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Lenka Vochocová, Department of Media Studies, Charles University, Prague

This 9th "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/1077

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).