ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Istanbul University Press

Chapter Proposals: December 1, 2020

Chapter Drafts: June 1, 2021

New Media / New Society? will focus effects of new media on social relations. This volume has a question: Can we describe our society as a new media society? It intends to open new discussions on new media and social relations. The volume interrogates the question of whether (or not), and to what extent, new media have spawned new varieties of social organization, new practices of social interaction and identity, and new structures of material or symbolic social relations. There have been so many claims regarding how postmodern/postindustrial media modalities are contributing to various iterations of utopian and anti-utopian futures, beyond those traditional views of Orwell, Huxley, Marx, and Weber, for example. In the past decades, we have heard academic claims about a variety of effects, for example, including (but not limited to) simulation, misinformation, balkanization, intersectionality, assemblages, affordances, liquification, disruption, fragmentization, saturation/distraction, propaganda, mediatization, culture wars, (de/post/neo)colonization, modes of signification, gamification, crowdsourcing, participatory media, hypertextualization, assimilation, chaos, spectacles, virtuality, augmented reality, digitization, disconnection, mass surveillance, and cyborgology. On the other hand, there have been so many descriptions of society, for example including (but not limited to) information society, post-emotional society, consumption society, network society, internet society, cyber society, new media society, post-modernism, post-humanism, the Anthropocene, and digital society.

The volume New Media / New Society?  interrogates these claims from the perspective of the long view, meaning it looks at such changes over the last half-century (since 1970), and for the same period moving forward (until 2070). Also, there are methodological questions within sociology regarding the examination of new media forms and their relation to the social construction of reality. How media studies/social theory can explain the nature and nuance of new social relations under new media forms, if such new social realities exist?

This volume will be an “agenda for new media and new society discussions,” in that it will clarify the effect of new media on social relations, including specific recommendations for action by researchers, policy makers, and the public. The volume will provide new topics for our projects and books.

This work is tentatively to be published in electronic format by Istanbul University Press, an academic publisher at the Istanbul University, Turkey (https://iupress.istanbul.edu.tr/en/). As a project in academic sociology, the volume will cover important national-level and international-level new media and society.

We ask you, individually or with colleagues, to consider submitting a brief proposal (500 words max.) identifying a significant idea/trend from media studies/social theory, to include the following items:

1.Clarify the emergence and development of one or more key concepts from media studies/social theory.

2.Clarify key media technologies and techniques which are interwoven in such dynamics.

3.Explore conceptual and/or empirical aspects of the concept and media practices over the last half century (since 1970).

4.Take stock of the development at the present moment (year 2020).

5.Offer insight into future directions foreseen for the next half century (until 2070).

6.Assess whether (or to what extent) these new media dynamics have resulted in new social forms. That is, clarify if new media leads to new society or vice versa.

We invite researchers to prepare draft statements for proposed contributions to this volume. Please submit a copy of your 1- to 2-page proposal via email to each of the editors by December 1, 2020. Final contributions will be limited to 5000 words maximum (or roughly twenty double-spaced manuscript pages). Chapter drafts will be due June 1, 2021, and final manuscripts will be due November 1, 2021. The e-volume is expected to launch in February 2021.

Papers could address, but are not limited to, the following subjects:

• Alienation
• Authority
• Communities
• Crime, Violence
• Drugs, Alcohol, Addictions
• Economy, Work
• Education
• Environment, Technology
• Ethics
• Family, Marriage
• Globalization
• Health Care, Mental Health
• Inequality, Poverty, Wealth
• Law, Justice
• Media, Communications
• Methods
• Modernity
• Politics
• Pop Culture, Sport, Leisure
• Population, Migration
• Privacy / Surveillance
• Race, Ethnicity
• Religion, Cultural Issues
• Secularization
• Social Conflict, Social Change
• Social Movements
• Social Welfare
• Theoretical Perspectives
• Urban Issues, Rural Issues
• Youth, Aging, Life Course

Important Dates

• 5 October 2020: Call for Chapter Proposals Sent Out to Contributors for
• Books.
• 1 December 2020: Proposed Abstracts Due for Chapters.
• 1 January 2021: Invitations to Contribute & Author Guidelines Distributed.
• 1 June 2021: Full Manuscripts Due / Begin Review Process.
• 1 September 2021: First Round of Reviews Completed / Revisions Start.
• 1 November 2021: Revised Manuscripts Due.
• 1 December 2021: Submission of Book to Publisher.
• 1 February 2022: Publication

Editors

Murat Şentürk, Istanbul University, Turkey, murat.senturk@istanbul.edu.tr

Massimo Ragnedda, Northumbria Universtiy, UK, massimo.ragnedda@northumbria.ac.uk

Glenn W. Muschert, Khalifa University, UAE, glenn.muschert@ku.ac.ae

Managing Editor

Hamdüsena Eşrefoğlu, Istanbul University, Turkey, hamdusenaesrefoglu@istanbul.edu.tr

Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany

The newly formed European Training Network (ETN) "G-VERSITY - Achieving Gender Diversity" will determine how significant background factors affect educational and professional pathways of women and men, including sexual and gender minorities, and produce scientifically based interventions for use in the workplace-including workshops, guidelines, and training materials, to be applied by employers to attain gender diversity.

G-Versity will provide 15 PhD positions for international early career researchers who demonstrate a high motivation to do research on gender diversity and a strong desire to work in a trans-disciplinary research environment. Please check all formal eligibility criteria here: https://gversity-2020.eu/…tml

Two of them are related to communication studies and will be located at Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany, supervised by Prof. Margreth Luenenborg and Prof. Carola Richter.

Project 3: Acting out gender identity - Self-portrayal in digital media

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Carola Richter, Freie Universitaet Berlin/Germany

http://www.polsoz.fu-berlin.de/…tml

Social media are changing the techniques for the social and cultural construction of gender. Social media have transformed both the private discourses of adolescents with their peers and the presentation of adolescents' developing professional identities. The aims of this PhD project are to identify how adolescents communicate their gender and professional aspirations in digital media and to assess the relation between (de-)gendered self-portrayals in digital media and professional aspirations.

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with . a strong interest and relevant past experience in research on gender diversity and/or social media.

• .a very good university master's degree in communication studies, media pedagogy or in a related discipline.
• relevant empirical research experiences (e.g., setting up research designs, scientific writing skills, etc.). . very good methodological skills (e.g., social media data mining, content analysis).
• .very good English skills. . ability to work independently and to collaborate in teams. . organizational talent and project management skills.

Project 8: What's on TV? The role of gender and social status in media representation

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Margreth Luenenborg, Freie Universitaet Berlin/Germany

https://www.polsoz.fu-berlin.de/…tml

Media coverage strongly relies on gendered patterns of representation and addresses the audience with well-known stereotypes, contributing to gender-imbalanced representation of women and men in certain professions. The aims of this PhD project are to identify gendered forms of media representation depending on social status on public television and to assess differences in gendered media representations between privileged and disadvantaged social groups in public television.

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with . a strong interest and relevant past experience in research on gender diversity and media research.

• a very good university master's degree in communication studies, journalism or in a related discipline of social sciences.
• relevant empirical research experiences (e.g., setting up research designs , scientific writing skills, etc.). . very good methodological skills (e.g., content analysis, interviews, focus groups).
• very good German skills, good English skills. . ability to work independently and to collaborate in teams. . organizational talent and project management skills.

Doctoral positions in the network are still open until November 15, 2020. Submissions can be made through the website: https://gversity-2020.eu/…tml

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 953326.

University of Stirling

Full time, Open ended

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 25 October 2020

Interviews are expected to take place on Wednesday 4 November 2020

Start date is expected to be on the 01February 2021, or by mutual arrangement

The Post

Communications, Media & Culture (CMC) wishes to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced Lecturer (Teaching & Research) with specialist interests in the Creative and Cultural Industries to expand the Division’s teaching, research and knowledge exchange partnerships with local, national and international organisations operating across the creative sector.

The successful candidate will make a contribution to the strategic direction of CMC by contributing to research, teaching and impact activities, and developing and extending partnership opportunities. The successful candidate will have specialist knowledge and experience in the Cultural and Creative Industries and particular skills or interests in one or more of the following areas:

• Creative enterprise and digital creative economies
• Global creative and media industries
• Creative -led economic, social and cultural regeneration
• Skills, talent and (in)equalities in creative or digital work
• Creative and digital economy policy and practice
• Cultural policy and tourism / heritage
• Digital creativity

The successful candidate will foster existing and develop new relationships with academic, cultural and commercial institutions that will enhance CMC’s strategic partnerships. They will engage effectively with external stakeholders to pursue opportunities for collaboration, income generation and enhancing CMC’s regional, national, and international profile. They will have the ability to disseminate conceptual and complex ideas to a wide variety of audiences to promote understanding. They will have had some experience teaching and managing international students and will be prepared to travel internationally for short periods where required. They will also have the skills and know-how to contribute to the Division’s highly regarded postgraduate and undergraduate programmes, including the MSc Media Management, MSc Digital Media and Communication, BA Hons Digital Media as well as offering short-course and CPD training across creative and digital industries.

Informal enquiries can be made to Dr William Dinan, Head of the Division of Communications, Media & Culture: william.dinan1@stir.ac.uk

Description of Duties

• Engage in individual and collaborative research, which aligns to the strategic direction of the University, establish a distinctive programme of research and disseminate results through regular publication in high impact journals, books and conference proceedings and undertake knowledge exchange activities
• Identify appropriate sources of funding for research, consultancy, and impact generating activity; prepare research proposals for funding bodies; project manage research activities, and manage grants awarded
• Supervise and mentor research students and staff as required, providing direction, support and guidance
• Design, deliver, assess and evaluate a range of teaching and learning, supervision and assessment activities across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes including online/digital programmes, where required
• Contribute to curriculum review and enhancement, in a manner that supports a research-led approach to student learning and enhances student experience and employability
• Participate in the Faculty’s local, national and international impact and engagement activities as required e.g. delivering teaching & CPD, contributing to joint programmes and recruitment of students. This is likely to require occasional short periods of international travel
• Participate in, and develop, networks and collaborations both internally and externally to the Division/Faculty/University
• Participate in the administrative processes of the Division/Faculty/University including committee membership, quality assurance procedures and recruitment and admission of students
• Engage in continuing professional development activities as appropriate

Any other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

• PhD in relevant discipline or equivalent professional experience

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Established track record of high-quality published research in Cultural and Creative Industries
• A record of involvement in applications for external funding for research and/or knowledge exchange projects
• Experience of supervising dissertation projects across the range of undergraduate/ postgraduate and of supervising doctoral students
• Experience of providing high quality teaching, including teaching innovation, across a range of programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level preferably including online/digital/international programmes
• Experience of designing and delivering course modules, developing effective learning environments, and approaches to enhance the student experience
• Evidence of successful co-ordination, support, supervision, management and/or mentoring of others
• Evidence of engaging in and developing external networks
• Ability to disseminate conceptual and complex ideas to a wide variety of audiences to promote understanding

Desirable Criteria

Qualification

• Higher Education teaching qualification or equivalent e.g. PGCert and/or holding an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and be working towards Fellowship

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Evidence of collaborative research/policy with other institutions and interdisciplinary work and/or partners in the Cultural or Creative Industries
• Demonstrates a thorough understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as a key contribution to high quality student learning
• Evidence of programme innovation and development
• Evidence or knowledge to support international and impact generating activities
• Evidence or knowledge of the Higher Education context and regulatory framework
• Experience of designing and delivering CPD and training across creative and digital industries
• Evidence of successful incorporation of subject research within design and delivery of learning activities and programme development as part of an integrated approach to academic practice

Behaviours and Competencies

The role holder will be required to evidence that they can meet the qualities associated with the following behavioural competencies, as detailed within the AUA Competency Framework.

• Managing self and personal skills

Being aware of your own behaviour and mindful of how it impacts on others, enhancing personal skills to adapt professional practice accordingly.

• Delivering excellent service

Providing the best quality service to external and internal clients. Building genuine and open long-term relationships in order to drive up service standards.

• Finding solutions

Taking a holistic view and working enthusiastically to analyse problems and to develop workable solutions. Identifying opportunities for innovation.

• Embracing change

Being open to and engaging with new ideas and ways of working. Adjusting to unfamiliar situations, shifting demands and changing roles.

• Using resources effectively

Identifying and making the most productive use of resources including people, time, information, networks and budgets.

• Engaging with the wider context

Enhancing your contribution to the organisation through an understanding of the bigger picture and showing commitment to organisational values.

• Developing self and others

Showing commitment to own ongoing professional development. Supporting and encouraging others to develop their professional knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to reach their full potential.

• Working together

Working collaboratively with others in order to achieve objectives. Recognising and valuing the different contributions people bring to this process.

• Achieving Results

Consistently meeting agreed objectives and success criteria. Taking personal responsibility for getting things done.

About Us

Arts and Humanities

The University of Stirling’s largest faculty has earned a reputation for delivering some of the most highly-rated Arts and Humanities courses in the country. With a focus on innovation, exploration and creativity, you’ll be part of a vibrant environment defined by world-class teaching and research.

Staff thrive in a dynamic culture where collaboration is key, international links abound and the desire to make a meaningful contribution to society is always at the forefront of our minds.

The Division of Communications, Media and Culture (CMC) at Stirling is an internationally renowned centre for research and teaching. Ranked top in Scotland for Journalism (NSS 2020), the Division consistently draws high ratings for its teaching across digital media, production and journalism at all levels. Our students frequently win awards at major national competitions and many go on to become successful practitioners, entrepreneurs and executives in the media, creative and communications industries globally.

CMC research expertise spans the humanities, social sciences and management. We have long been recognised for our research in screen studies, media and cultural policy and in recent years our research has increasingly focused on digital communications and technologies. Our expansion strategy has seen the arrival of a group of talented new colleagues with diverse interests including data journalism and analytics, the creative economy, branding and promotional communications, design, animation, interactive media, sound and digital publishing. The Division now offers a wide choice of options in taught postgraduate and undergraduate programmes, and in doctoral research, spanning mass and digital media, creative industries and cultural policy, political and promotional communications.

CMC is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to being an inclusive workplace. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from different backgrounds. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

The University

The University of Stirling is a leading UK teaching and research-intensive university, created by Royal Charter in 1967. Since its foundation, the University has embraced its role as an innovative, intellectual and cultural institution with a pioneering spirit and a passion for excellence in all that it does.

In 2016, the University launched its current Strategic Plan https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/our-vision/our-strategy/ (2016-2021), with targets to: be one of the top 25 universities in the UK; increase income by £50 million; enhance its research profile by 100 per cent; and ensure internationalisation is at the heart of everything it does.

With three-quarters of its research ranked world-leading and internationally-excellent (Research Excellence Framework 2014), the University’s groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research makes a difference to society and has a positive impact on communities worldwide. Stirling’s research is making a positive impact on people’s health, education and wellbeing, with key strengths across our research themes of: Cultures, Communities and Society; Global Security and Resilience; and Living Well. The University collaborates with international governments and policymakers, businesses, industry, and charitable organisations, to tackle and provide solutions to some of the toughest global societal challenges.

For more information on working at Stirling, please visit https://www.stir.ac.uk/about/work-at-stirling/.

The University offers great benefits such as generous annual leave and membership of the Universities Superannuation Scheme. Additionally staff can benefit from a reduced membership rate at the University's excellent Sport Centre facilities.

A full list of FAQs can be found here, we recommend you read these before making your application.

Please ensure that you check your email account junk folder as your email provider may flag emails sent to you as suspected spam.

Terms and conditions of this post can be found here.

After the closing date, this job advert will no longer be available on the University of Stirling website therefore please keep a copy for your records.

Carleton University

Field of Specialization: Racism and Digital Media

Academic Unit: Journalism and Communication (Communication and Media Studies)

Category of Appointment: Preliminary (Tenure-track)

Rank/Position Title: Assistant Professor

Start Date: July 1, 2021

Closing Date: November 27, 2020

About the Position:

The School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University invites applications from qualified candidates for a preliminary, tenure track appointment in Racism and Digital Media at the rank of Assistant Professor beginning July 1, 2021.

Waves of anti-carceral and racial justice protests are illuminating the crisis of systemic racism and inequality in Canada and the United States. Although digital media platforms have enabled rapid and successful organization of social movements pushing for racial equality, they have also helped uphold hate, intolerance and white supremacy. We seek a talented, publicly engaged scholar whose research provokes challenging and necessary conversations about the linkages between racism and digital media. Candidates whose scholarship is situated in either historical or contemporary contexts, and those working in any of the discipline’s theoretical and methodological traditions, are encouraged to apply.

Preference will be given to those doing research in any of the following areas:

• media and communication campaigns by anti-carceral and racial justice movements;
• anti-oppression, decolonial and intersectional theories of media and communication, including the study of race’s intersectionality with gender, sexuality, immigrant status, religion, etc.;
• algorithmic surveillance and control of Black, Indigenous and/or other racialized people and communities;
• toxic media ecosystems and racist discourse; and/or
• the creation by multinational media corporations of a racialized precariat labour class.

Carleton University’s Strategic Integrated Plan highlights the importance of place and convergence in pursuing, mobilizing and sharing knowledge. The traditions that inform the successful candidate’s scholarship and teaching will allow for contributions to scholarly and public conversations about the complicated histories of racism that inform the “placeness” of Ottawa, Canada and Carleton, and the role of media in reflecting, shaping and providing spaces for resisting racializing structures and cultural practices.

About the Academic Unit:

Communication and Media Studies (COMS) is one of Canada’s top research-intensive programs in the field. Faculty members are leaders in their areas of scholarship and are committed to a progressive intellectual agenda.

Qualifications:

Candidates must possess a Ph.D. in Communication or a related discipline by the start of the appointment. Exceptional ABD candidates may be considered. Qualified candidates will possess an emerging record of high-quality research that demonstrates potential for excellence and leadership, and those who can demonstrate strong potential for outstanding teaching contributions at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Application Instructions:

Qualified applicants are asked to submit in one single PDF document:

• A cover letter that summarizes their research program and teaching experience, how they envision contributing to the intellectual life of the COMS program, and how equity, inclusion and diversity informs their scholarship and pedagogy. Candidates are asked to identify if they are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
• Current curriculum vitae
• One writing sample, which may include sole- or lead-authored journal articles or book chapters, or other examples of scholarly writing that demonstrate the applicant’s research and writing abilities.
• A teaching dossier that includes a brief statement of teaching philosophy, as well as evidence of university teaching experience and effectiveness.

Please email your application package to Melanie Leblanc, Administrator, School of Journalism and Communication at melanie.leblanc@carleton.ca by no later than November 27, 2020. Questions should be directed to Dr. Joshua Greenberg, Director, School of Journalism and Communication: joshua.greenberg@carleton.ca.

Candidates selected to proceed to the next phase of the search process will be asked to provide 3 letters of reference and should plan for this possibility.

To see the full posting for this position, please visit https://carleton.ca/provost/jobs/academics/.

About Carleton University:

Carleton University is a dynamic and innovative research and teaching institution with a national and international reputation as a leader in collaborative teaching and learning, research and governance. To learn more about our university, please visit www.carleton.ca/about.

Carleton University is committed to fostering diversity within its community as a source of excellence, cultural enrichment, and social strength. We welcome those who would contribute to the further diversification of our university including, but not limited to: women; visible minorities; First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples; persons with disabilities; and persons of any sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression. Carleton understands that career paths vary. Legitimate career interruptions will in no way prejudice the assessment process and their impact will be carefully considered.

Applicants selected for an interview are asked to contact the Chair as soon as possible to discuss any accommodation requirements. Arrangements will be made in a timely manner.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. All positions are subject to budgetary approval.

November 2-4, 2020

Online

We are pleased to invite you to the "Mediating Sexualities. The Sexual Politics of Media Production and Regulation" international conference, which will take place *online, on November 2nd, 3rd and 4th 2020.

Access to the pre-recorded papers and participation in live discussions is free of charge, upon registration: https://mediasex2020.univ-lille.fr.

All pre-recorded content will be available in English and French. Depending on the panels, it will be possible to ask questions to the speakers in French and/or English.

By bringing together about thirty researchers working from five different countries, this conference aims to answer questions such as:

• How are "pornography" and "hate" regulated on social media?
• How is platform capitalism changing pornography and sex work?
• What representations of sexuality are considered acceptable on the billboards of French cities?

• How is sexuality scripted for cinema and television?
• How has the #MeToo movement changed the journalistic coverage of sexuality and the gender dynamics inside press newsrooms?

Mediating Sexualities also aims to show how much feminist and queer approaches are important to understand the media ecosystems that organize our public experiences.

This conference is supported by the Arènes and Gériico research units, and by the University of Lille.

Béatrice Damian-Gaillard & Florian Vörös for the conference team

Contact: mediasexlille@gmail.com | Twitter: @mediasex2020 #mediasex2020

Tools and Transformations series (HammerOn Press)

Deadline: April 1, 2021

COVID-19 is a global crisis that has affected everyone. As we recover from the pandemic, there is an opportunity to ensure that justice, sustainability and care are rebuilt into the fabric of our societies.

Articulating bold visions and sharing practical knowledge can help catalyse meaningful and lasting change.

Tools and Transformations, a new series from HammerOn Press, will publish books to further this agenda.

We welcome proposals for single authored or edited collections exploring, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Building caring economies
• Centring Black Lives
• Environmental and multi-species justice
• Regenerative finance and business
• Queer and Trans World Making
• Social enterprise and co-operation
• Health and Disability politics
• Histories of radical organisations
• Pedagogy and social transformation
• Listening and community building
• Anti-carceral feminism and restorative practices
• Storytelling and new political imaginaries
• Digital literacy and data activism
• Building alternative institutions

Books in the Tools and Transformations series will be affordable, grounded in rigorous research, be between 40,000-80,000 words and written in accessible language. The deadline for proposals is 1 April 2021.

For initial enquiries about proposing a book for the series, email D-M Withers at hammeron@intellectbooks.com or Jelena Stanovnik at jelena@intellectbooks.com .

HammerOn Press is now an imprint of Intellect Books.

For information about Intellect, and how to propose a book for Tools and

Transformations visit: https://www.intellectbooks.com/…-us

June 1 - 4, 2021

Deadline: December 6, 2020

Canadian Communication Association (CCA) Annual Conference 2021

In collaboration with the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

We are very pleased to announce our Call for papers for the next annual conference of the Canadian Communication Association, which will be held from June 1-4, 2021 as part of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences (CFHSS) 2021 Congress. This year’s theme is “Northern Relations." Congress 2021 is organized this year in partnership with the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Proposal Submission Deadline: December 6, 2020.

Please visit the CCA’s website for detailed information in both French and English, including the format of the conference during the pandemic, student funding, how to submit your proposals and CCA’s list of prizes: https://acc-cca.ca/index.php/conference/2021-conference/

Les présentations en français sont aussi les bienvenues.

We hope you will join us for this annual conference,

Ghislain Thibault, Université de Montréal, Canada, CCA Vice-President and Conference Chair, ghislain.thibault@umontreal.ca

Gordon Gow, University of Alberta, Canada, Local Area Coordinator

UCLouvain

UCLouvain invites applications for a tenure-track or tenured full-time position in Information and Communication

Context

UCLouvain is a comprehensive university offering, in the context of the present position, the opportunity of cross-disciplinary research and teaching collaborations. Within the Social sciences and humanities sector, the position is attached to the Faculty of Economic, Social and Political Sciences and Communication and to the Institute of Language and Communication that offer opportunities for diverse and stimulating teaching as well as an environment to carry out ambitious research. The Louvain-la-Neuve site offers a unique living environment conveniently located at the heart of Europe.

Mission

Teaching

The successful candidate will have teaching assignments in the field of organizational communication and global communication. He or she should be able to intervene in the following teaching areas:

• Theories of organizational and strategic Information and communication (companies, non-profit organizations, NGOs, institutions, cultural industries, etc.)
• International communication strategies
• Strategic planning and branding strategies
• Advertising formats (e.g. storytelling), including on the web

The successful candidate will be based on the campus of Louvain-la-Neuve but he or she may also have teaching assignments on the campus of Mons.

Research

The successful candidate will develop and drive a cutting-edge research program in communication studies looking at formats and strategies of communication for profit and non-profit organizations in an international context.

He or she will firstly contribute to The Communication Systems Analysis Laboratory of Organizations research program (https://lasco.comu.ucl.ac.be), within the Langage & Communication Institute.

The successful candidate will also participate in the transversal research dynamics around the Media innovation and intelligibility Lab platform (MiiL), as well as other research groups in the Communication Research Pole.

Function

• Be responsible for teaching courses at all study levels (i.e. undergraduate and postgraduate), as well as in programmes of continuing education;
• Supervise the final diploma research (i.e. theses) of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as PhD theses;
• Be involved in (and/or supervise, promote) research programmes;
• Be available to carry out, in the long term, different service activities and take on responsibilities within the University and its entities;
• Contribute to the international visibility of the University through teaching and research excellence;
• Contribute to activities of the University with a societal impact in the fields of the economy, socio-cultural changes or cooperation with developing countries.

General conditions

Required Qualifications : the applicant must have

• A PhD degree in Communication sciences or any comparable discipline;
• Either studied abroad for an extensive period or have had substantial experience outside his or her university of origin;
• A significant scientific record with international publications;
• Experience in and the aptitude for teaching at university level, demonstrated if possible by formal assessments;
• The capacity to work within a team of teachers and to integrate research findings into teaching;
• Creativity and must be open to teaching innovation and interdisciplinarity;
• The capacities required to undertake high-level academic research: capacity to raise research funds, to supervise projects, to animate and lead a research team;
• Team management and communication skills, including if possible fluency in French and English, spoken and written. Otherwise, the applicant will be asked to acquire them within two years after taking office, in order to be able to communicate and teach in these languages. Knowledge of other languages is an additional asset.

Specific Qualification

Knowledge of different qualitative and/or quantitative methods research is required.

Offer

The level of recruitment (appointment to the rank of lecturer or professor) will be discussed if a proposal is made to you, in connection with your previous academic experience. For more information, see: jobs.uclouvain.be.

Our HR policy supports equal opportunities and diversity including in the academic career. Attention is also paid to reconciliation of private life and professional life.

Practical Information

Application deadline: Monday, November 16, 2020 at noon

Starting date: 1st September, 2021

Further information :

Prof. Olivier Servais, Dean ESPO – doyen-espo@uclouvain.be

Prof. Fanny Meunier, President ILC – president-ilc@uclouvain.be

Localization: Social sciences and humanities sector

Faculty of Economic, Social and Political Sciences and Communication (ESPO) (https://uclouvain.be/en/faculties/espo)

Institute for Language and Communication (ILC) (https://uclouvain.be/fr/instituts-recherche/ilc)

New Media & Society, special issue

Abstract Deadline: November 1, 2020

Edited by: Karin Fast (Karlstad University/University of Oslo); Pablo Abend (University of Siegen)

Overview

There has been an increased interest in the process of place-making by means of technology. Spurred by the spatial turn in the humanities and social sciences, and the appearance of new location-aware technologies, the nexus between geography and media came into focus of media and communication studies. While the majority of work within the field of geography and media focus on contemporary developments, this volume wants to address the nexus of geography and media from a historical perspective. Such a perspective serves to counterbalance dominant discourses - produced not least by ICT companies and policy makers but also by academics - about the “revolutionary” traits of new location-aware media.

The objects of study are geomedia (e.g. Thielmann, 2010; Lapenta, 2011; McQuire, 2016; Abend, 2017; Fast et al, 2018). The term is used for a wide variety of phenomena in many contexts. In geography and adjacent fields, for example, geomedia refers dominantly to visual media used to communicate geographic knowledge about the earth like (digital) maps and globes. Within media and communication studies a wider definition has been developed. Here, geomedia qualifies as an umbrella term used for assemblages of technologies, processes, operations and practices that socio-technologically reorganize our encounter with space and place (Döring/Thielmann, 2009). This includes localizing technologies, augmented-reality applications and data practices.

In addition, geomedia can be used as a concept for describing the state which media is currently entering. Seen this way, geomedia is not referring to a bundle of specific types of media, but rather serves as a label for the particular condition(s) brought about by location-aware and location-based technologies in interplay with wider social, economic, cultural or political trends. Certain trajectories such as convergence, ubiquity, location-awareness, and real-time feedback can be followed, with geomedia sitting at the intersection of these developments (McQuire, 2016). Therefore, the volume is interested in investigations into the starting points of these trajectories.

With this in mind, geomedia can be understood in the double sense of media that is situated - its use being bound to a specific place - and media that situates - producing and altering space and place. In order to account for this productive dimension of geomedia, one has to move away from the representational qualities of media and attend to its placemaking powers. Space gets continually socio-technically re-organized through processes of mediatization. But this re-organization is not only the work of circulating representations of space – e.g. in the sense of a power of maps. It is also, and perhaps to an even greater extent, the result of our concrete interactions with technology. Technology is not only a tool to discover and understand the world, but also a productive force that is granted a certain agency in the production of space and the making of place. Methodologically, this can be translated into a call to de-center the media by looking at the practices and operations surrounding geomedia technologies rather than concentrate on representations, since representations are not the start but an intermediate outcome of these processes. This poses additional challenges for historical research. The volume welcomes research that engages in questions pertaining to geomedia histories, such as, for example:

- What is the historical backdrop of today’s place-aware geomedia technologies?

• What are the historical equivalents to contemporary geomedia affordances?
• Where can we look for the starting points of various socio-technological trajectories that are constitutive of today’s geomedia condition (e.g. convergence, ubiquity, location-awareness, real-time feedback, etc.)?
• How can we trace past geomedia uses and practices?
• Who were the “early adopters” of geomedia?
• How can we account for past changes in power structures introduced or sustained by geomedia?
• Who were the early geomedia producers, advocates or stakeholders? (e.g. foundational industries, authorities, organizations, etc.).
• If you have any other perspectives on geomedia histories, share them with us in your paper proposal.

References

Abend, P. (2017). From map reading to geobrowsing: Methodological reconsiderations for geomedia. In Felgenhauer, T. & Gäbler, K. (Eds.). Geographies of Digital Culture. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Döring, J., Thielmann, T. (Eds.) (2009). Mediengeographie: Theorie - Analyse – Diskussion. Bielefeld: transcript.

Fast, K., Jansson, A., Lindell, J., Bengtsson, L.R. & Tesfahuney, M. (Eds.) (2018). Geomedia Studies: Spaces and Mobilities in Mediatized Worlds. London: Routledge.

Lapenta, F. (2011). Geomedia: on location-based media, the changing status of collective image production and the emergence of social navigation systems. Visual Studies, 26(1), 14-24.

McQuire, S. (2016). Geomedia: Networked Cities and the Future of Public Space. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

Thielmann, T. (2010). Locative media and mediated localities. Aether: The Journal of Media Geography, 5(1), 1-17.

Research Areas

We welcome contributions by scholars of Science and Technology Studies, Media and Communication Studies, History of Computing, Media History, Communication Geography, Media Geography, Geomedia Studies, or from adjacent fields of research.

Deadlines and contact information

Please send your abstract (maximum 250 words) and a short biographical note (maximum 50 words) to karin.fast@kau.se and pablo.abend@uni-siegen.de until November 1st, 2020. Based on the abstracts, the editors will pre-select authors that will be invited to submit a full paper. The first drafts of the full manuscripts are due on May 31st, 2021. All full papers will be double-blind peer reviewed, which means that we cannot guarantee that your paper gets accepted even if your abstract is.

Contact (corresponding editor)

Karin Fast (PhD)

Associate Professor in Media and Communication Studies

Department of Geography, Media and Communication

Karlstad University

Sweden

Karin.fast@kau.se

Call for Book Chapters

Deadline: November 30, 2020

Editors

• Tendai Chari (PhD), Senior Lecturer, University of Venda, South Africa
• Martin N. Ndlela (PhD), Associate Professor, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway & Northwestern University-Qatar

The mass media have an enormous responsibility to disseminate truthful, accurate and up-to- date information to the public during pandemics. Yet, pandemics pose serious ethical conundrums to the media in that their informational role can easily be undermined by their tilt towards sensational reporting and scare-mongering, thereby undermining public trust (Thomas & Senkpeni, 2020). Pandemics are in great measure evolving, highly unpredictable, and in most cases panic inducing. This makes the media’s capacity to disseminate balanced and credible information timely more compelling than ever. Covid 19 has reawakened the media to their ethical responsibilities by bringing to the fore unique ethical issues, challenges and dilemmas, and has also reincarnated ethical debates associated with reporting of previous pandemics such as negative stereotypes, stigmatisation, protecting the confidentiality of sources, dealing with bereavement, privacy issues, thus underscoring the fact that pandemics are not just health crises, but information crises as well. While the media have played a positive role in helping shape positive public health behavior, and by extension promoting human security, there has been fear that media reporting of pandemics is fueling “infodemic” epitomized by fake news, conspiracy theories and apocalyptic prophecies, misinformation, disinformation, thus posing a threat to human security. In the age of social media networks whereby information spreads very fast, the deluge of information may make it difficult for citizens to separate reliable information from false information.

Centralization of information about the pandemic by governments and international bodies and the concomitant over-dependence on ‘expert analysis’ have opened the floodgates for patriotic discourses and appeals for ‘collective action’ mantras which impinge on media independence. In addition, health protocols constrain the media from accessing critical information, thus predisposing journalists to politically correct ‘accredited’ sources while jettisoning unpalatable voices from the news agenda. As the media become more embedded in official narratives, journalism may be reduced to a public relations exercise, resulting in the proverbial echo chamber. Pandemics predispose the media to overt and covert influence and control, yet the ability to obtain and disseminate information without external interference are two fundamental tenets of media ethics (Hooker, Leask & King, 2012). As Covid 19 has demonstrated, nature of ethical dilemmas confronting the media during global pandemics, relating to both media content and the professional conduct of media practitioners are becoming more complex and have elicited diverse responses using different philosophical lenses in different contexts. As the contours of ethics shift during pandemics, it is necessary to critically reflect on existing ethical norms, issues, practices, challenges and dilemmas confronted by the media during global pandemics. This proposed edited volume explores ethical issues confronted by the media during global pandemics. The aim is to enhance the media’s capacity to report pandemics and similar emergence situations ethically by drawing lessons from the current and previous pandemics. What ethical challenges have confronted the media during health pandemics? What dilemmas have the media faced? To what extent have these impacted on the media’s role? What philosophical approaches can be used to address these challenges and dilemmas? What lessons can be drawn for reporting future pandemics? How can the media be better equipped to deal with ethical issues during pandemics?

We are looking for innovative original works which critically engage with different aspects of ethical issues in the context of global pandemics using different theoretical and methodological approaches.

Contributions can focus on, but are not limited to the following topics:

• Ethical Issues in the representation of pandemics
• News Sourcing and Ethics
• Fabrications, Falsehoods
• Confidentiality and protection of sources
• Privacy and the Public Interest
• Ethical Dilemmas
• Trauma reporting during pandemics
• Health protocols, government restrictions and journalism ethics
• Language and Reporting Pandemics
• Pandemics, Racism and Hate speech
• Sensationalism and propaganda
• Journalism ethics and “infodemics”
• Conspiracy theories, misinformation and fake news
• Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping
• Patriotic Journalism
• Social Media
• Medical remedies, Advertising
• Ethical philosophies, media and pandemics
• Media law and ethics during pandemics

Articles should not be more than 7000 words, including references

Important Dates

• Deadline for Accepted Abstracts: 30 November 2020
• Deadline for Full Papers: 31 March 2021
• Deadline for Submitting Revised Chapters: 30 May 2021
• Expected Date of Publication: 31 September 2021

Targeted Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Interested contributors are invited to submit a 500-word proposal and a short biography by 30 November 2020, to Tendai Chari, tendai.chari@univen.ac.za and Martin Ndlela, martin.ndlela@inn.no.

Final chapters of approximately 5000-7000 words will be due by 31 March 2021.

Please note that all submissions will be peer-reviewed. Abstracts must clearly state the aim and objectives of the study, the theoretical and methodological approaches contemplated in the study.