ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

October 9-10, 2025

Vilnius University, Lithuania

Deadline: March 31, 2025

Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.

George Orwell’s dystopian vision has only gained in relevance since 1984 was published in 1949. With the spread of digital communications technologies, states and individuals are increasingly able to manipulate the population with tendentious narratives of the past.

However, the aim of shaping the future through representations of the past needs not be nefarious. The German Institute for the History of the National Socialist Era was mandated in 1949 to document, analyse and educate the public about Nazism and its crimes, so they would never be repeated. Based on the German model, institutes of contemporary history spread rapidly, helping to consolidate the postwar democracies of Western Europe.

Established with the aim of consolidating postcommunist democratic development and European integration, the "memory institutions" of East Central Europe have sometimes been associated with the politicisation of historical research, non-inclusive approaches to commemoration, and outdated methods and practices of research. Meanwhile the House of European History was established in Brussels to implement the idea of European remembrance.

The conference The Past and Future of Public History invites participants to consider the establishment of institutes of "contemporary history" after the Second World War, "national memory" after the Cold War and "European Remembrance" after the eastward expansion of the EU as three waves of public history activism, and to consider what the next wave might entail.

Approaches to public history have varied considerably over time and across space, but they are joined by the key concerns of communicating the past while encouraging the participation and engagement of various constituencies.

The conference will take place on 9–10 October 2025. It will be held at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University. We invite you to submit proposals for both individual papers and panels. Please submit your abstract (up to 250 words) along with a short bio (up to 250 words) by completing this survey by 31 March 2025:

Link to the form

Selected presenters will be notified on 19 May 2025. We strongly encourage on-site participation, but online participation will be possible in individual cases. In the survey, please indicate your preferred mode of participation. The conference language is English. For further information, please contact us at info@europast.vu.lt.

September 11-12, 2025

Cardiff University, UK

Deadline: February 14, 2025

Cardiff University invites submissions of abstracts of papers on all aspects of journalism to be considered for presentations at the 10th biennial Future of Journalism conference. The event is hosted by the School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC), and it takes place at Cardiff University on the 11th & 12th of September, 2025.

The organisers especially encourage contributions addressing the theme of:

“Conflicting Journalisms: Resistance, Struggle, and Prospects.”

This includes, but is not limited to, papers addressing themes such as:

• The role of journalists and journalism in covering conflict, including war, repression, and political violence
  
• New forms of journalism used in covering conflict, such as open source intelligence
  
• The challenges created in reporting on authoritarian and populist political movements
  
• The difficulties of covering elections in polarised news environments
  
• Conflict in journalism created by the development and introduction of generative artificial intelligence
  
• The threat to journalism’s standards, normative behaviours, and the compromises to journalistic values in covering populism/authoritarianism
  
• Conflict as a news value
  
• The aesthetic of conflict in photojournalism
  
• The challenges created by reporting on and/or for minority communities
  
• The challenges of reporting systemic or existential changes, such as climate change
  
• The accommodations made by legacy news institutions under pressure and the impact on ideals of journalistic objectivity, quality, and fairness
  
• The impact of both online and physical abuse and threat to journalistic challenge to authority
  
• Journalists work environment: conflicts in the newsroom
  
• Ongoing conflict around the gendering of journalism and news
  
• Conflicting ethical frameworks
  
• The struggle between opposing forces as a rhetorical trope in journalism
  
• Beyond blame: using compassion and empathy to address conflicts
  
• The future of the field of journalism studies and conflicts over its value and values
  
• The implications for improving journalism education associated with these developments
  

Confirmed keynote speakers include Professor Seth Lewis, the Shirley Papé Chair in Emerging Media at the University of Oregon, and Jodie Ginsberg, Chief Executive of the Committee for the Protection of Journalists.

The deadline for abstracts (300 words maximum) is Friday, 14th February, 2025. Abstracts should be submitted online via the link: https://auth.oxfordabstracts.com/?redirect=/stages/77035/submitter

Should you have any questions, please contact us at foj2025@cardiff.ac.uk

September 18-19, 2025

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium

Deadline: March 15, 2025

The “Communication Law and Policy” Section of the European Communications Research and Education Association (ECREA) invites abstracts for theoretical and empirical papers to be presented at its next workshop Media Freedom and Pluralism in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Platforms: A New Era for Media Policy/Regulation? This two-day workshop will be a unique opportunity to bring together those researchers investigating the processes of regulating media sectors under the influence of online platforms in Europe and beyond. The workshop will take place in Brussels, Belgium, on 18-19 September 2025. It is hosted by the imec-SMIT research centre and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

The workshop invites contributions dealing with media and communication law and policy, and its implementation. This includes submissions from political economy, policy and govern-ance studies, media and communication law, among others. We welcome theoretical, methodological and empirical submissions, case studies and comparative work. Innovative use of methods, and in particular interdisciplinary approaches, are encouraged. See the full call for papers here: https://smit.research.vub.be/en/ecrea-communication-law-and-policy-conference-at-vub-brussels-on-18-19-september-2025

Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted for blind peer review in DOCX or ODT directly to the organizers of the conference by March 15th, 2025 at the following e-mail address CLPBrussels2025@vub.be.

Deadline: April 14, 2025

Editors: Dr. Emma Heywood, Dr. Richard Berry, Prof. Tanja Bosch and Prof. Kim Fox

Publisher: Peter Lang

This edited volume seeks to explore the evolving landscape of global audio production and use, with a particular focus on moving beyond Western-centric narratives. The book will bring together contributions from academics, practitioners, and organizations to highlight diverse perspectives on the theory and practice of radio, podcasting, and other audio media. It aims to foster a dialogue between practice and theory, engaging voices from the Global North and South and showcasing underrepresented practices, technologies, and cultures.

Call for Contributions

We invite submissions from scholars, practitioners, and organizations to contribute original chapters that reflect on the production, use, and impact of audio media globally. Contributions may explore the intersections of practice and theory, offer case studies, or provide evidence-based insights into audio production in diverse contexts.

Chapters may be theoretical (5,000–6,000 words) or shorter reflections by practitioners or organizations (1,000–3,000 words). Submissions from underrepresented regions, particularly the majority world, are highly encouraged.

Themes and Topics

We welcome proposals on (but not limited to) the following themes:

The Universality of Listening:

• How is audio experienced, produced, and consumed globally?
  
• Cross-cutting themes including culture, technology, gender, language, and community.
  

Global Perspectives on Production and Technology:

• Audio production in resource-limited settings (e.g., solar-powered devices, limited internet access).
  
• Innovations and adaptations in audio technologies across regions.
  
• Ethical questions and applications of AI in audio production: Is AI a Western obsession or globally relevant?
  

The Producer:

• Diverse roles and practices of audio producers, from community radio broadcasters to DIY creators and AI-generated content.
  
• Challenges and opportunities faced by local and community organizations.
  

The Place:

• The influence of geographic and cultural contexts on audio production and consumption.
  
• Case studies from the Global South, conflict zones, and areas with limited connectivity.
  

The User:

• Audiences and their evolving engagement with audio content.
  
• Radio as a tool for advocacy, education, and democracy—or propaganda and control.
  
• Generational perspectives: Is youth radio dead, and if so, who killed it?
  

The Purpose:

• Exploring the role of audio across organizational types: public service broadcasters, commercial media, community radio, and alternative platforms.
  
• State vs. public service broadcasting: tensions and challenges.
  

Audio and Podcasts in Global Markets:

• Podcasting as a cultural phenomenon and its industrial practices.
  
• How audio formats are converging with other media.

Submission Process

Please submit an abstract of 300–500 words along with a brief bio (150 words) detailing your background and expertise. Abstracts should clearly state the chapter’s objectives, methodology, and contribution to the field.

Deadlines

• Abstract Submission Deadline:  Monday 14th April 2025
  
• Notification of Acceptance:  Monday 12th May 2025
  
• Deadline for submission of first draft:  Monday 6th October 2025
  
• Full Chapter Submission Deadline:  Monday 8th January 2026

Contact Information

Please send your submissions and any inquiries to theglobalaudiobook@gmail.com.

About the Editors

The book is edited by Dr. Emma Heywood, a senior lecturer and researcher at the University of Sheffield with expertise in radio journalism in conflict and humanitarian settings; Dr. Richard Berry, a scholar specialising in radio and podcasting as audio media; Prof Tanja Bosch, National Research Foundation Chair in the Digital Humanities at the University of Cape Town; and Prof Kim Fox who is an award-winning professor of practice in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication in the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at The American University in Cairo. 

We look forward to your contributions to this exciting exploration of global audio practices!

Book proposal for Palgrave by the TWG Affect, Emotion & Media

Deadline: March 3, 2025

We live in an era of victimhood, real or imagined, in which many identify or are being identified as victims. The book aims to add to our understanding of how vulnerability, suffering, empathy and indignation are expressed and develop societal impact through mediated communication. The editors welcome chapters on how (perceived) victimhood identities are elicited, reinforced and represented through emotionally arousing and infused narratives, performances and activities in the context of legacy and social media, popular culture, media practices and political communication.

READ MORE

Deadline: 4 April 2025

Nominations are invited for the annual International Journal of Press/Politics Hazel Gaudet-Erskine Best Book Award, to be received no later than 4 April 2025.

Rationale

The International Journal of Press/Politics Hazel Gaudet-Erskine Best Book Award honors internationally oriented books that advance our theoretical and empirical understanding of the linkages between news media and politics in a globalized world in a significant way. It is given annually by the International Journal of Press/Politics and sponsored by SAGE Publications.

The award committee will judge each nominated book based on the following criteria: 

• the extent to which the book contributes to internationally relevant knowledge; 

• the significance of the problems addressed; 

• conceptual and theoretical innovation;

• strength of evidence; 

• clarity of writing; 

• ability to link journalism studies, political communication research, and other relevant fields of intellectual and scholarly inquiry.

Eligibility

Books written in English and published within the last ten years will be considered. Monographs as well as edited volumes of exceptional quality and coherence will be considered for the award. Books by current members of the award committee are ineligible and committee members will recuse themselves from discussion of books that may entail conflicts of interest, such as books authored by members of their own department or published in a series they edit. Books nominated for previous editions of the award may be nominated again as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.

Award committee

The award committee consists of Taberez A. Neyazi (Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Press/Politics), Kate Kenski (chair of the Political Communication Division of ICA), and Edson C. Tandoc Jr. (chair of the Journalism Studies Division of ICA).

Nominations

Nominations should be emailed to Taberez A. Neyazi (taberez@nus.edu.sg)  by 4 April 2025. Self-nominations are accepted. Nominations should be accompanied by a rationale of 300-500 words, authored by a researcher, that clearly specifies why the book meets the criteria listed above. Please include links to or copies of relevant reviews in scholarly journals if applicable.

Arrangements should be made with the publishers of nominated books to send one hard copy to Taberez A. Neyazi and Edson C. Tandoc Jr., and either one hard copy or an e-book (i.e., the full book in PDF format) to Kate Kenski. All copies should be sent to the respective committee members at the following addresses by 4 April:

• Taberez A. Neyazi, Department of Communications and New Media, National University of Singapore, 11 Computing Drive, AS6, 03-11, Singapore 117416. Email: taberez@nus.edu.sg. 

• Kate Kenski, Department of Communication and School of Government and Public Policy, University of Arizona, 1103 E. University Blvd., Communication Building #25, Room 211, Tucson, AZ  85721-0025. Email: kkenski@email.arizona.edu 

• Edson C. Tandoc Jr., Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, 02-39, 31 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637718. Email: edson@ntu.edu.sg.

Presentation

The award will be presented at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association and will be announced on the IJPP website. 

Past winners of the award

2024: Erin Baggott Carter, Brett L. Carter, Propaganda in Autocracies: Institutions, Information, and the Politics of Belief (Cambridge University Press 2023).

2023: Gadi Wolfsfeld, Tamir Sheafer, and Scott Althaus, Building Theory in Political Communication: The Politics-Media-Politics Approach (Oxford University Press 2022).

2022: Nikki Usher, News for the Rich, White, and Blue: How Place and Power Distort American Journalism (Columbia University Press 2021).

2021: Allissa V. Richardson, Bearing Witness While Black: African Americans, Smartphones, and the New Protest #Journalism (Oxford University Press 2020).

2020: Thomas Hanitzsch, Folker Hanusch, Jyotika Ramaprasad, and Arnold S. de Beer (Editors), Worlds of Journalism: Journalistic Cultures Around the Globe (Columbia University Press, 2019).

2019: Maria Repnikova, Media Politics in China: Improvising Power Under Authoritarianism (Cambridge University Press, 2017).

2018: Erik Albæk, Arjen van Dalen, Nael Jebril, and Claes H. de Vreese, Political Journalism in Comparative Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2014). 

2017: Katrin Voltmer, The Media in Transitional Democracies (Polity Press, 2013).

2016: Andrew Chadwick, The Hybrid Media System: Politics and Power (Oxford University Press, 1st edition 2013).

2015: Rodney Benson, Shaping Immigration News (Cambridge University Press, 2014).

Special issue of the Journal of Language and Politics 24:1 (2025)

Editors

• Benjamin De Cleen | Vrije Universiteit Brussel
  
• Nico Carpentier | Charles University in Prague
  
• Jason Glynos | University of Essex
  
• Jana Goyvaerts | Vrije Universiteit Brussel
  
• Maximilian Grönegräs | Vrije Universiteit Brussel
  
• Yannis Stavrakakis | Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
  

https://benjamins.com/catalog/jlp.24.1

Damian Guzek

Series: Religion and the Social Order, Volume: 29

In a decade, Francis has transformed Catholicism into a dynamic institution that openly deliberates on urgent questions of society and religion, standing at the forefront of digitally driven public opinion. With this in mind, Portrayals of Pope Francis’s Authority in the Digital Age: Flicks and Media Discourses, and User Perspectives explores the digital portraits of Pope Francis in various types of media content and productions. It investigates how digital Catholic users articulate and negotiate papal authority and through which media they do so.

Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies (Special issue)

https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/cona/30/6

Edited By: Karolina Koc-Michalska, Darren Lilleker, Christian Baden, Damian Guzek, Márton Bene, Larissa Doroshenko, Miloš Gregor, Marko M. Skoric

Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have faced significant political, economic, social, and technological transformations over the last four decades. Democratic processes, after relative stabilisation, have begun to tremble again around polarizing values, populist leaders, or nationalistic ideologies. Online communication, especially social media platforms, play a vital role in shaping how citizens interact with the state, political actors, media, and other citizens.

This book focuses on some of the challenges democratic institutions in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries face in transforming and sustaining civil society and captures how the digital media environments mitigate or exacerbate those challenges. The chapters in this book focus on the role that online platforms play in shaping satisfaction with democracy in the CEE region, the interactions between journalists and political actors, the strategic media coverage of elections, affective polarisation and political antagonism, and discursive attempts to discourage young people from civic engagement. The first section of the book looks at CEE countries from a comparative perspective, and the second section examines specific case studies within different CEE countries such as Albania and Kosovo, Czechia and Hungary, Poland and Ukraine.

This volume will be a key resource for scholars and researchers of Communication Studies, Politics, Media Studies, Sociology and Central and Eastern European studies. The chapters in this book were originally published in the Journal of Information, Technology & Politics. 

https://www.routledge.com/Citizens-Participation-and-Media-in-Central-and-Eastern-European-Nations/Koc-Michalska-Lilleker-Baden-Guzek-Bene-Doroshenko-Gregor-Skoric/p/book/9781032852317?srsltid=AfmBOooAlc65341-soABCIpWWfp-brhfP-2cn3L5rOueg4JWr5yA4dWk