ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University

Scholarship code: PS2020_033

About the Project 

The Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) is a research institute within Western Sydney University, that champions collaborative engaged research in the humanities and social sciences as the largest dedicated research concentration of its kind in Australia. We are now offering a research scholarship to highly motivated Indigenous PhD candidates to work in an innovative project looking at the social and technological imaginaries of outer space, in Australia and internationally.

The project is funded through the Australian Research Council and investigates the challenges, opportunities and implications of outer space as a site of economic, political, environmental and cultural interest. Combining ethnography, science and technology studies, and creative practice, the project analyses how a range of imaginaries of outer space are produced through a series of case studies including: the development of Australia’s National Space Agency; the role of new venture capital firms; scientific research on alien life in terrestrial analogue sites; and Indigenous imaginaries of outer space.

The project will be based at ICS with the opportunity to work with a number of experienced supervisors in both the Institute and the School of Humanities and Communication Arts.

What does the Scholarship provide?

Domestic candidates will receive a tax-free stipend of $50,000(AUD) per annum for up to 3 years to support living costs, supported by the Research Training Program (RTP) Fee Offset.

Up to $7,000(AUD) support for training, conference attendance, fieldwork and additional research costs as approved by the Institute. International applicants are not eligible to apply for this scholarship.

How to Apply

For details on how to apply, and for more information including the eligibility criteria, please visit: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/schools/grs/scholarships/current_scholarships/current_scholarships/ics_australia_a_space-faring_nation_imaginaries_and_practices_of_space_futures_yarramundi?fbclid=IwAR0wMWzrMrmbNR-Bjic6BGHpe6szbCldm7Ht_Ovo6uxF3ESVz3iuCn9buKU

Please contact the Graduate Research School via email atgrs.scholarships@westernsydney.edu.au for more information.

Applications close 31 May 2020, at 11:59pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).

Deadline: May 8, 2020

The editors of an upcoming, interdisciplinary collection onthe future of journalism, Ville Manninen, Mari K. Niemiand Anthony Ridge-Newman, seek abstracts for chapter contributions.

Since the advent ofthe internet, the rapid development of emerging technologies has posed significant challenges and opportunities for journalism. Many of the implications, driven by a digital revolution, have been complex, latent and unforeseen. Rigorously researched and well-argued predictions can contribute to the planning and development of journalistic practice and output.

Arguably, the most crucial locus of change is the journalism-audience relationship. Or as more contemporary parlance would have it: the relationship between journalism and the “people formerly known as the audience” (Rosen 2006). The past few decades have already brought about seismic shifts of power in this relationship. Further technological advancements are likely to continue impacting on an increasingly fluid status quo.

We invite scholars from diversedisciplinary backgroundstoauthor chapters forming empirical, theoretical, critical, practice-reflections and policy-based contributions to an edited collection that aims to predict future trends in journalism. The focus isto offer a range of disciplinary perspectives that analyze technological interfaces that connect the practice of journalism to publics (audiences/user engagement/content producers).The underlying question the edited collection seeks to answer is:

How will journalism-audience-relationships be reconfigured in new technological environments?

Potential topics might include (but are not limited to):

• Social and cultural impactsof new journalism technologies
• Role of VR, iDocs, immersive documentary and AI in changing journalism
• Future of big data, social media and journalism
• Market implications of journalism and new user-interfaces
• Immersive technologies and journalistic user experience
• Enhanced audience/prosumer agency
• New, technology-enabled monetization models
• Role of camera drones and satellite data in future journalism
• Audience trust in introducing novel journalistic technologies
• Future of journalism and the digital economy
• Role of new technology in reporting national and international crises
• Future of handheld devices and interactive and converging tech in journalism

We especially encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration,including scholars offering perspectives across journalism,media,policy, business, information technology, computer science and future studies. The editors are willing to help facilitate cross-fertilization forauthors seeking suitable cowriters.

Chapter proposals, in the form of short abstracts (maximum 400 words), should be sent to ville.manninen@uwasa.fi by May 8th 2020. The abstracts should clearly outline the content of the chapter, including methodology and data where applicable. The submission should also include a brief introduction tothe author(s) (excluded from word limit).

Acceptance will be communicated to prospective authors by the end of May.

Full chapters, approximately 4000 words each,are due by January 2021. The anticipated publication date of the book is early 2022.

The book will be edited by Dr Ville Manninen,Dr Mari K. Niemi, both of University of Vaasa, and Dr Anthony Ridge-Newmanof Liverpool Hope University.It is part of a Helsingin Sanomat Foundation funded project, Disrupting the media scene, jointly conducted by University of Vaasa and Åbo Akademi’s Experience Lab.

Twitter: @Media_Futures

Editors:

Dr Ville Manninenis a researcher at University of Vaasa’s InnoLab. His previous work has focused on the journalism-audience relationship in online journalism. Currently he is working on two research projects, one on disruptive technologies in journalism, and one on the use of drones and satellite imagery in Finnish newspapers. Villehas also worked as a journalist in seven Finnish newspapers.

Dr (Docent) Mari K. Niemi is the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship InnoLab, which is an open, multidisciplinary research platform part of the University of Vaasa. Both the platform and Maripersonally are engaged with numerous research projects on novel technologies (e.g. blockchains and satellites) and their business applications. Mari’s earlier work also encompasses studies on political communication, media and populism.

Dr Anthony Ridge-Newmanis a Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication at Liverpool Hope University. His interdisciplinary interests include new media and emerging technologies, and their impact on organizations, society and culture. He has published three books, including 'Cameron's Conservatives and the Internet' (2014)and ‘Reporting the Road to Brexit’ (2018). In 2019, he gave invited talks at Oxford, Melbourne and Australian National universities. Anthony has industry experience as a former journalist and news editor.

Abstract submission deadline: April 15, 2020

Full chapters due: October 15, 2020

Editors: Ehab Galal, Mostafa Shehata and Claus Valling Pedersen

The pace of immigration from the Middle East has accelerated over the past decade, and for many reasons. The most notable of these is the political instability triggered by the failure of the 2011 Arab uprisings. The region has also seen significant political transformations in addition to these pivotal uprisings, such as the 2009 Iranian Green revolution, the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, and the continuing Kurdish and Palestinian struggles for independence.

2019 presents the rebirth of Arab uprisings in some other countries (Sudan, Algeria, Lebanon and Iraq), and the acceleration of political and economic oppression in others. There are many Iranian towns which are experiencing new waves of demonstrations, and, in Turkey, new laws have been passed to stabilise the regime after the coup d'état attempt. The possibility of yet another rise in immigration to Western countries and elsewhere has therefore increased, adding to the importance of diasporic communities. Based on this premise, we invite researchers to examine the role and influence of Middle Eastern diasporic communities on the political developments in their countries of heritage and of residence.

These diasporic communities, in light of post-uprising authoritarianism, have acted as opposition groups which seek to support a democratic transition in their countries of heritage. The role of digital media has consequently been with their countries of heritage and of residence. The political role of digital media in the Middle Eastern diaspora, however, has become increasingly ambivalent. Contesting the authoritarian rule of Middle East countries, on the one hand, and the rise of fake news, misinformation, and digital authoritarianism on the other, has had an impact on the oppositional role of digital media.

The impending new decade presents the need for an empirical-based theorisation of how political communication works in diaspora, and its influence on transnational mobilisation has become more urgent. The importance of this work increases in light of four significant considerations:

(i) The change of digital media’s political role within the last few years, compared to its intense role in the early 2010s.

(ii) The rise of new voices calling for democracy in the Middle East in the so-called second wave of the Arab uprisings.

(iii) The lack of holistic works that theorise political communication in diaspora, and its transnational influence. The diaspora has mainly been investigated from an inter-cultural communication perspective, focusing on globalisation, hybridity, integration, belonging, and so on. An embodied political communication perspective has, however, been disregarded. This perspective would be unique if followed, to handle the diaspora’s transnational political participation, contentious politics, political campaigns, voting behaviour, and so on.

(iv) The transformations of global immigration policies that have led to a conflict between pro-and-anti-immigration positions.

We invite authors to suggest chapters for two kinds of contributions:

• Theoretical chapters addressing one or more of the following concepts: Mediatisation, Diaspora, Multimodality, Contentious Action Formation, and how each of these concepts relates to political communication among (Middle East) diasporas.
• Empirically-based chapters that examine one or more Middle East diasporas, and how these diasporas use traditional and (or) digital media to politically mobilise and transnationally connect.

Research questions

This book asks fundamental and critical questions about media (both traditional and new) and politics in the diaspora, such as:

• What is diasporic political communication?
• How political communication comes closer with intercultural communication and organisational communication in the diaspora?
• What is the role of media technology in diaspora’s contentious politics?
• How do media politically disconnect or re-connect users to their countries of heritage?
• How do media shape a diasporic political identity?
• How do misinformation and digital authoritarianism affect the political role of diaspora?
• How might digital media change the collective identity of diasporic communities?
• How do media facilitate connection with their countries of heritage and of residence?
• How do diasporic media activities empower or disempower democratic actors residing in the Middle East?
• How do media facilitate the diaspora’s participation in the politics of the country of residence?
• How do diasporic communities contribute to their countries of heritage during a crisis?
• Why are diasporic communities interested in matters of their countries of heritage, regardless of whether they have or have not lived in or visited those countries (second and subsequent generations)?

Topics

Contributions include but are not limited to the following topics:

• Conceptualising diasporic political communication.
• Political communication in relation to inter-cultural and organisational communication in diaspora.
• Media and diasporic empowerment.
• Media and diasporic contentious actions.
• Media and diasporic political identity.
• Media and integration into the country of residence, and sense of belonging to their country of heritage.
• Transnational digital authoritarianism.

Format

This edited book will be a combination of invited contributions and chapters from this open call.

The book will be published, subject to peer reviews with no author fees.

TIMETABLE

• 15 April 2020: Deadline for abstracts (approx. 500 words).
• 1 May 2020: Editors’ response to abstracts.
• 15 October 2020: Deadline for full chapters (8,000 words).
• 15 December 2020: Authors receive reviews.
• 15 January 2021: Deadline for revised chapters.
• Summer 2021: Publication of edited book.

MORE INFORMATION & CONTACT DETAILS

Please send your abstract of approx. 500 words to this email: mediasp@hum.ku.dk

by 15 April 2020.

Book editors

1. Dr. Ehab Galal

Ehab is an Associate Professor at the department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, Copenhagen University. He has approached research questions from a cross-disciplinary perspective inspired by media as well as ethnographic, cultural, and religious studies. He has been leading a research team working on a project (Mediatised Diaspora) since 2018. This research investigates transnational media and contentious politics among the Arab diaspora in Europe. For more information about Ehab, please follow this link: https://ccrs.ku.dk/staff/?pure=en/persons/164164

2. Dr. Mostafa Shehata

Mostafa is an Associate Researcher with the University of Copenhagen, and an Assistant Professor at Menoufia University. He holds both a Master’s and Ph.D. degree in mass communication. His research addresses a broad spectrum of issues in political communication and diaspora, such as contentious politics, collective action and mediatisation. His current research within the project of Mediatised Diaspora focuses on the transnational media and contentious politics among Tunisians in Europe. For more information about Mostafa, please follow this link: https://ccrs.ku.dk/staff/?pure=en/persons/644713

3. Dr. Claus Valling Pedersen

Claus is an Associate Professor in Persian Studies at the department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, Copenhagen University. He specialises in Persian language and literature. Claus is currently conducting research on literature written by the Iranian diaspora in Europe and the U.S. The literature is written in both Persian and the language of the country of residence. For more information about Claus, please follow this link: https://ccrs.ku.dk/staff/?pure=en/persons/165592

University of Nottingham in Ningbo China

Apply here: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BZS993/assistant-professor-lecturer-in-mobile-studies

Location: Ningbo - China

Salary: £36,914 to £49,553 per annum depending on skills and experience (salary progression beyond these scales is subject to performance)

Closing Date: Sunday, 10 May 2020

Reference: 181028

Opportunities at the University of Nottingham in Ningbo China

Join a unique British University in China. The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) was the first Sino-foreign University to open its doors in China. This award-winning campus offering a UK style education has grown to establish a student body of over 8,000 in just 15 years.

A pioneer in Sino-foreign tertiary education, UNNC is rapidly expanding as part of the University of Nottingham’s Global University. The institution seeks ambitious, talented academics with a flair for research and a passion for teaching to join its team of experts, offering unique teaching and research opportunities in a highly dynamic economy.

The School of International Communications is the largest school in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and is affiliated to the Department of Culture, Media and Visual Studies at the Nottingham UK campus. Our BA (Hons) in International Communications is a provincial level accredited degree which includes a dedicated programme of study for a European or East Asian language. Its sister programme, BA (Hons) in International Communications with Chinese, has proved successful in attracting high quality international students to the school. We currently run an MA programme in International Communications and also have one of the most successful PhD programmes in the university.

The post-holder will be expected to teach across the full range of our programmes, undertake supervision of BA and MA dissertation students and PGR students, and conduct research and external engagement in the school’s main research areas. More details of the school and its teaching and research activities can be found here:

https://www.nottingham.edu.cn/en/internationalcommunications/about-the-school.aspx

Candidates will need to have a PhD in a discipline relevant to the post and a demonstrable ability to teach in the area of mobile studies and media and communication studies. Some experience of teaching/tutorial work in relevant subjects at undergraduate or postgraduate level in an international English-speaking institution, as well as evidence of peer-reviewed research outputs in media and communication studies and/or cultural studies are also essential requirements of this post.

Salary will be within the range of £36,914 - £ 49,553 per annum depending on skills and experience (salary progression beyond these scales is subject to performance). In addition, an attractive package including accommodation allowance, travel allowance and insurance will be provided for international appointments.

The post is expected to be in the post from 1 September 2020 and will initially be offered on a fixed-term contract with the University of Nottingham Ningbo China for a period of up to five years. This contract may be extended on an indefinite basis by mutual agreement, subject to revised terms and conditions.

All applicants are required to formally apply online for the position.

Informal enquires may be addressed to Dr Filippo Gilardi, Head of School of International Communications, email: filippo.gilardi@nottingham.edu.cn. Please note that applications sent directly to this address will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted on-line.

Interviews will take place in Ningbo, China and will be held likely in June, but they are subject to change.

Please be advised that your referees will be contacted prior to interview.

For more details and/or to apply on-line please access: https://hrms.nottingham.edu.cn/psc/PRDHCM/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=181028&PostingSeq=1

If you are unable to apply on-line please contact the Human Resources Department, Tel: +86 (0)574 8818 0000 (Ext. 8854). Email: Job@nottingham.edu.cn.

Please quote ref: 181028 Closing date: 10 May 2020

To learn more about working and living in China, please visit: www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/country-profiles/china

University of Nottingham Ningbo China

Apply here: https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BZS998/assistant-associate-professor-in-digital-humanities

Location: Ningbo - China

Salary: £36,914 to £62,727 per annum depending on skills and experience (salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance)

Closing Date: Sunday, 10 May 2020

Reference: 181025

Contract Status: This post is available from 1 September 2020 or thereafter, and will be initially offered on a fixed-term contract with the University of Nottingham Ningbo China for a period of up to five years. This contract may be extended on an indefinite basis by mutual agreement.

Hours of Work: Full-time

Salary: Salary will be within the range of £36,914 - £62,727 per annum depending on skills and experience (salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance). In addition, an attractive package including accommodation allowance, travel allowance and insurance will be provided for international appointments.

Responsible to: The Head of the School of International Communications

Job Outline:

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the dynamic and growing School of International Communications (IC) at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, the largest and fastest growing school in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. With a high research-output and close partnerships with local industry, IC represents a significant career development opportunity for an ambitious academic seeking to develop their career globally. After recruiting a number of high-level academics over the past 2 years and with the significant growth of both UG and PG programmes, IC seeks to add to this pool and so develop the international reputation of the school.

The successful candidate will conduct research and teaching broadly in the area of Digital Humanities on our BA and MA International Communications programmes. Developing this area as a core part of the IC degree is part of an overarching strategy over the 2019-2022 period. This may also involve developing and conducting research as part of the newly established Digital Heritage Centre or the AHRC Centre for Digital Copyright and IP Research in China. In addition, the candidate will be required to teach on the module ‘Web and Social Media’ which consists of a series of workshops in which students will learn basic coding skills. Candidates should therefore have a specialism in Digital Humanities, knowledge and experience in digital technologies and must be able to conduct technical research as well as teach basic programming. They will be involved in teaching, research, grantsmanship, School administration, and will work in a cooperative and collegial manner with fellow staff at all levels of seniority.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Research

• To undertake research in Digital Humanities
• To publish research in peer-reviewed publications
• To seek internal and external research funding
• To produce research suitable for dissemination to conferences, workshops and seminars (both national and international)
• To forge collaborative research links within and outside the University
• To work collaboratively within research teams and centres
• To contribute fully to the University’s research activities

Teaching

• To prepare and deliver lectures, seminars, tutorials and dissertation supervision at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in modules in the discipline of Digital Humanities.
• To support and comply with the University’s teaching quality assurance standards and procedures.
• To participate in the assessments for initial and higher degrees and diplomas of the University and to act as invigilator in such examinations as required.
• To supervise PhD students.

Administration

• To participate in the administration of the School of International Communications. This may include membership of relevant committees and working groups
• To liaise, as appropriate, with academic and administrative colleagues in Nottingham, UK
• To act as a personal tutor for both undergraduate and postgraduate students
• To take part in and contribute to staff development activities consistent with continuing professional development
• To ensure compliance with health and safety requirements in all aspects of work
• Any other duties appropriate to the post and the seniority of the person appointed

This job description may be subject to revision following discussion with the person appointed and forms part of the contract of employment.

Person Specification:

Qualifications/ Education

Essential: A PhD in an area relevant to the post;

Desirable

• Membership of relevant professional bodies;
• Working towards a Postgraduate qualification in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education or equivalent;
• Facility with quantitative and/or qualitative research methods in media and communication studies;

Skills/Training

Essential

• Ability to teach and conduct technical research in Digital Humanities;
• Research skills;
• Experience of coding skills necessary in Digital Humanities research and development;
• Excellent communication and presentation skills in English.
• Demonstrated ability to attract internal and external funding;
• The ability to develop and run new academic programmes;

Desirable

• Ability to teach one of the following other specific disciplines: game studies; digital media; creative industries; subjects core to web and social media
• Basic knowledge in data analytics and audience research
• Evidence of completion of Digital Humanities/Digital Heritage projects
• Team-working skills;

Experience

Essential

• Some experience of teaching/tutorial work in relevant subjects at undergraduate or postgraduate level in an international English speaking institution;
• Research interests and activities in line with, and complementing, the department’s research activities;
• Evidence of peer-reviewed research outputs in Digital Humanities;

Desirable

• Leadership of academic programmes and research;
• Evidence of successfully working with internal and/or external partners, and the GLAM sector;
• Experience of PhD supervision/completion;
• Knowledge of or practical experience in media production
• Contacts in Chinese media industries or with academics who specialize in research on Chinese media and communications;
• Evidence of success in a key leadership role within a university

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Personal enthusiasm to develop links between academic and professional/industry bodies;
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment;
• Ability to work to deadlines and to prioritise tasks.

Desirable

• Evidence of working collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams;
• An understanding of the higher education context in the UK and China.

An attractive package, including accommodation allowance, flights and insurance, will be provided to all successfully appointed candidates.

All posts will be based in Ningbo and contracts will be with the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr. Filippo GILARDI, head of School of International Comunications email: Filippo.Gilardi@nottingham.edu.cn.Please note that applications sent directly to these email addresses will not be accepted.

To learn more about working and living in China, please visit: www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/country-profiles/china

Special Issue in Studies in Communication and Media (Issue 4/2020)

Ddeadline: May 31, 2020

Peter Gentzel, Sigrid Kannengießer, Cornelia Wallner & Jeffrey Wimmer

The social function, legitimacy and consequently the meaning of social science research is undoubtedly closely tied to the ability to criticize. In the present early 21st century, this critical dimension of social science research is confronted not only with the familiar but also with new challenges that need to be addressed.

Social science critique, in the sense of evaluating phenomena and processes, always requires the reflection and classification of ideas and values contained in the social phenomena and processes to be analysed. In order to achieve this, critique itself needs concepts, theories, socially accepted norms and ideals, which underlie analysis and guide interpretation. Necessary conditions for social science criticism have long ceased to be self-evident, due to a multitude of competing offers of knowledge and interpretation. In particular, databased strategies of optimisation oriented towards the ideal of economic efficiency – for the individual self, the entrepreneurial organisation or the efficient society – seem to be widely accepted socio-culturally and shape, e.g., public discourses as well as the objectives of organisational or institutionalisation processes. Additionally, the pluralisation of interpretation frames, and the knowledge of evaluation and orientation also goes hand in hand with their devaluation, e.g., in the form of the shortening of their half-life as part of social acceleration processes (e.g., Rosa, 2005).

For critical research not only are plurality and devaluation problematic, but these processes also disavow the (supposedly) historically stable norms and transcultural standards that form its foundation. Consequently, in the face of digitalisation, datafication and metrification, big data, algorithmic data processing and AI, scientists or journalists are seduced to proclaim the “end of theory” (e.g., M. Graham, C. Anderson) and critique (Latour, 2004) or less fatalistically, to propose a fundamental revision of understanding and the meaning of critique (e.g., Boltanski, 2011).

The social loss of significance of social science criticism can also be interpreted in another respect: as a consequence of processes of digitalisation and datafication. These contribute significantly to the transformation of the basic structures and rules of discourses and public communication. Critical scientists must therefore find new ways in postfactual times to make themselves heard in a fragmented and segmented public sphere; in a digital media world consisting of indignation, echo chambers and filter bubbles. Critique does not necessarily fall silent, but the “speechlessness of critique” in the sense of a lack of a critical social narrative leads to the fact that it is hardly heard (Voswinkel & Wagner, 2011).

Above all, communication science, which sees itself as an integrative (Kunczik & Zipfel, 2005, p. 20) and a cross-sectional science (Krotz, Hepp, & Winter, 2009, p. 5), is called upon to engage in the communicative negotiation process, both in the social sciences and in society, about the potentials and capabilities of social scientific criticism. As a discipline that deals with the “social conditions, consequences and meanings of media, public and interpersonal communication” (DGPuK, 2008), it is therefore necessary to reflect on, and further develop, one's own theoretical and analytical tools in the mutual relationship to the transformation of the disciplinary material objects communication, the public sphere and media outlined at the beginning.

Against this background, submissions are invited for the SCM 2020 Special Issue, which deal, in particular but not only, with the following topics and questions.

Topics & questions

1. Communication and media theories

Theories provide the frame of reference for scientific criticism because they deliver a normative framework; a certain perspective from which the phenomena studied are viewed. Critical reflection begins where it is questioned why which theories are used and not others, what normative perspectives a theory contains, and what this means for the results and their interpretation. The critical reflection of the explanatory power of existing theories is also necessary, especially in order to test their suitability for contemporary phenomena. In this context, the following questions, for example, are relevant:

• What (implicit) normative reference points does contemporary research in communication science contain?
• How can the approach of Cultural Studies be applied to datafication processes?
• What does historical materialism say about the data economy of the present?
• How can the alienation thesis of the Critical School be extended to communicative practices of a mediatized culture and society?
• What critical potential can be tapped with actor network theories?

2. Empirical methods and analysis data

Evidence-based research statements as a central justification argument for social relevance also means that the applied methods and underlying data sources must be subjected to critical reflection – from a methodological, a research economical or a research ethical perspective, and on a meta-level. In this context, the following questions, for example, are relevant:

• What potential does quantitative communications research have in fundamentally data-based, economic media environments? How can this compare to the potential of large Internet corporations and market research (?) companies (direct access to large amounts of data, enormous research and development departments)?
• How is the development of buying large amounts of digital data from Internet companies for social science research to be assessed?
• Are automated Big Data analyses (and their visualization forms) self-evident or is their significance negotiated in discourses? How transparent are these discourses and who conducts them?
• Which phenomena are researched with which methods and what is not empirically researched for which reasons? What does this say about current communication science?

3. Critical media practices and media criticism

Media criticism in the sense of evaluating media content, appropriation and production is a traditional research interest of communication and media studies: content analyses criticise media content and look at criticism as media content itself. Media appropriation studies criticise people's media dealings or look at critical, “alternative” media dealings; the production of media technologies is critically questioned, or the alternative production of media technologies investigated. At present, critical research focuses, in particular, on digitalisation phenomena such as self-measurement, Smart City, Big Data and datafication. In addition, diachronic and synchronous analyses of media-critical practices are addressed which explore current instances of critical counter-publicity and question the self-understanding of partial public spheres. In this context, the following questions, for example, are relevant:

• Which public discourses shape media criticism and criticism of the social role of media?
• Which critical media practices can we currently perceive? Who are the actors and against whom or what is the criticism directed?
• What are the media-critical findings on the symbolic, discursive and social role of ubiquitous global media infrastructures owned by global media corporations?
• What role does media criticism play in modern media society and what is the relationship between media criticism and social criticism?
• What are the consequences of the findings of critical research, in particular for media policy, journalism or media education?

4. Understanding of science

At present, several and different efforts can be observed to assign communication science research an active role in society. Be it in the form of collaborative co-creation of media content or technologies, or in the form of a readjustment of self-understanding.

The metrification of scientific expertise on digital platforms such as ResearchGate, Academia or Mendeley is also important for the understanding, form and significance of disciplinary research. On the one hand, this can be interpreted as a gain in transparency and an increase in the quality and comparability of scientific research. On the other hand, it also involves standardisation and classification processes, which may have negative effects on pluralism, diversity and the overall success of scientific research. In this context following questions, for example, are relevant:

• What does society criticize about communication science, and what does communication science criticize – with what yield – about itself?
• Should communication science, in the sense of an open and/or transformative science, play an active role in shaping processes of change? Or should it analyse its objects at a distance?
• Is the increasing metrification of scientific expertise (citation index, research scores etc.) an effect of data-based, economic optimisation processes in science or does it contribute to quality assurance, transparency, equality and comparability? What influence does this have on scientific creativity and quality?

Manuscript submissions

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

• https://www.scm.nomos.de/fileadmin/scm/doc/Autorenhinweise_und_Checkliste.pdf (German)
• https://www.scm.nomos.de/fileadmin/scm/doc/Autorenhinweise_Checkliste_english_pdf (English)

Manuscripts should be submitted to jeffrey.wimmer@phil.uni-augsburg.de. Deadline for submissions will be May 31st, 2020 (Corona extension). The special issue will be published in December 2020 (SCM issue 4/2020).

References

Boltanski, L. (2011). On critique: A sociology of emancipation. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

DGPuK (2008). Kommunikation und Medien in der Gesellschaft: Leistungen und Perspektiven der Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft [Communication and media in society: Services and perspectives in communication and media studies]. Lugano, CH: DGPuK. Retrieved from https://www.dgpuk.de/de/selbstverst%C3%A4ndnis-der-dgpuk.html

Krotz, F., Hepp, A., & Winter, C. (2008). Einleitung: Theorien der Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft [Introduction: Theories in communication and media studies]. In Winter, C., Hepp, A., & Krotz, F. (Eds.), Theorien der Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft. Grundlegende Diskussionen, Forschungsfelder und Theorienentwicklung (pp. 9–25). Wiesbaden, Germany: Springer VS.

Kunczik, M., & Zipfel, A. (2005): Publizistik. Ein Studienhandbuch [Publizistik. A study manual]. Köln, Germany: Böhlau.

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Rosa, H. (2005). Acceleration. The change of time structures in modernism. Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Suhrkamp.

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Université Laval

Number: 6877

Job posting period: 10-03-2020 to 15-04-2020

Workplace: Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Department of Information and Communication

General information

The Department of Information and Communication of the Faculty of Letters and Humanities at Laval University invites applications for a tenure-track professorship position which includes directing its Chair in science journalism.

Job Description

1. Teach at BSc, MSc, and PhD levels;
2. Assume leadership of the Chair in science journalism and implement its research and training agenda focusing at the science/media interface;
3. Secure the Chair’s role as catalyst in the re-interpretation of the shared challenges facing scientists and journalists in the ongoing mediascape through identification of the best emerging practices, including through its own research laboratory;
4. Participate in the governance and administration of the Department and of the Faculty of Letters and Humanities.

Priorities of the Chair in Science Journalism of Laval University

The Chairholder will need to focus on and develop one or several of the three following research themes:

• Journalism and communication related to science-driven societal issues:
  •  role of the media in the coverage of societal issues that involve science, particularly conflicting science, and in the curation of public debates relating to the environment and climate, public health, big data, privacy and surveillance, artificial intelligence, automation and robots, transhumanism, etc.);
• Interplay of the respective legitimacy of journalism and science in the public sphere:
  • intellectual authority in the public sphere of journalistic and scientific actors as pertaining to credibility, veracity, and authority in matters of information and knowledge;

• Professional and discursive practices in science issues:

• analysis and evaluation of journalistic and scientific discourse and postures in public debates. Development of innovative editorial strategies and journalistic practices as well as communication strategies appropriate to the ongoing contemporary flow of information. 

Selection criterias

1. PhD or PhD near completion in communication or related domain.
2. Specialization in the public communication of science.
3. Specialization in the study of media and the public sphere.
    

Additional information

Career interruptions

 In accordance with its commitment to diversity and equity, Laval University acknowledges that career interruptions like parental leave, extended sick leave, care of a family member, gender transition as well as a handicap situation or other unplanned circumstances can affect productivity and research undertakings, volunteer work, and social commitments.

Candidates are therefore invited to state, where appropriate, such situations as well as evaluate their impact on their career track since the obtention of their PhD, in order that it be accounted for in the evaluation of their candidacy.

As well, adaptation measures can be offered to persons in handicap situations regarding their special needs in the context of this position offer, in complete confidentiality. If you require such adaptation measures, you are welcome to contact the equity personnel of the Faculty of Letters and Humanities: RH@flsh.ulaval.ca (attention: Mr. Nicolas Diotte).

Teaching language requirement

Courses at Laval University are taught in French. The University offers support to its professors to achieve a functional command of spoken and written French.

Candidature

Application must be written in French and formatted as a PDF document, including:

• a cover letter of introduction;
• an up to date CV referencing three to five significant publications;
• a research program outline (six pages maximum, bibliography excluded), with a vision statement outlining structural effects of the Chair at the scale of the Department and University; and
• three letters of recommendation (sent by the respondents directly to direction@com.ulaval.ca).

More information on the Chair can be found at: https://www.cjs.ulaval.ca/

More information on the Information and Communication Department at: http://www.com.ulaval.ca

Applications should reach the Director of the Information and Communication Department, Dr. Thierry Belleguic (direction@com.ulaval.ca) at the latest on April 15th, 2020, 13:00 (Eastern Standard Time Canada).

Starting date: July 1st, 2020.

Valuing equity, diversity and excellence, Université Laval is strongly committed to provide an inclusive work and living environment for all its employees. For Université Laval, diversity is a source of wealth, and we encourage qualified individuals of all origins, sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, as well as persons with disabilities, to apply.

Université Laval also subscribes to an equal access to employment program for women, members of visible or ethnic minorities, Aboriginal persons and persons with disabilities. Adaptation of the selection tools can be offered to persons with disabilities according to their needs and in complete confidentiality. In accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, priority will be given to qualified individuals with Canadian citizenship or permanent residency.

ECREA Visual Cultures Section Pre-Conference

October 2, 2020

Braga, Portugal

Deadline: May 17, 2020

Interest in visual forms of communication is rising, but researchers seldom get insight on how to go about one's research. During the pre-conference 'Visual Work in Progress' we will explicitly focus on ways of working with visual materials, thinking together about the pros and cons of various methodological alternatives.

The pre-conference will focus on our “visual work in progress”, mainly the conceptualization of and methodological approach to visual data in ongoing research projects. **We encourage participants to share some part of their research visual material, so that we can discuss together our 'visual work in progress'.

The workshop will be organised as ‘data sprint’. Data Sprints are inspired by hackathons organised by the open source community, and are workshops in which participants from diverse backgrounds meet physically and collaborate intensively on a pre-determined subject and dataset. The pre-conference will take place on October 2nd, and end right in time for the opening ceremony of the ECREA conference.

Submission process

Please briefly describe (max 3000 characters)

• your project/topic/research question
• the visual data that you wish to discuss (you are welcome to include examples),
• where and how you obtained it (ethics/ consent?)
• your methods or methodological approach,
• questions and challenges you are currently dealing with and you would like to discuss at the preconference

Please submit your contribution to visualwork_braga@sbg.ac.at

until 17 May 2020

Timeline

• Submission until 17 May
• Registration open in May
• Program live June

With approximately one-fifth of the world’s population currently in ockdown, the novel coronavirus (COVID–19) pandemic has drastically changed many of our lives. According to official statistics, the virus has now infected over one million individuals across 209 countries and territories, and such draconian measures are likely to have saved countless lives. But, the effects of the virus reach far beyond its biological capacity to cause illness. Originating in Wuhan, China, its rapid spread across national boundaries has drawn attention to the porous and interconnected world that we live in. The resulting economic consequences of the lockdown measures highlight the volatility of the global economy and the precarity of those whose labour sustains it. At the same time, it has transformed the way we interact with one another and understand ourselves, as new forms of creativity and solidarity emerge. In the time of coronavirus, both critical cultural analysis and sustained personal reflection are needed more than ever to put these emerging new realities into perspective.

Several leading intellectuals have already published their views on the coronavirus pandemic. Judith Butler, for one, has considered how the pandemic lays bare the radical inequalities inherent to global capitalism, drawing particular attention to the fraught politics of healthcare in the United States. Elsewhere, David Harvey has examined the broader repercussions for the dynamics of global capital accumulation; modes of consumerism that have long underpinned Western economies are now crashing before our very eyes, he says, and with potentially devastating consequences. On the other hand, philosopher Giorgio Agamben has come under criticism for his dismissal of the pandemic as a manufactured “state of exception,” aimed at facilitating a project of total control by governments and corporations, while denying the harsh reality of contagion altogether.

For the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, students at The Lisbon Consortium encourage scholars, artists and other cultural practitioners to reflect further on the multifarious impacts of this bewildering new reality. To facilitate this, we are launching a new website, Culture in Quarantine , through which we hope to publish critical writing, visual essays and other creative responses to the pandemic over the coming weeks. Later, the website will remain online to serve as an archive of our collective thoughts and experiences.

We welcome contributions of any length in the following formats:

• Essays

Personal reflections, cultural critique and analysis, adaptations or excerpts of larger research projects. Please write for a general audience and avoid too much academic jargon.

• Fiction

Creative responses to the coronavirus pandemic, including prose and poetry of all genres.

• Visual essays

All combinations of photography (or other visual material) and text are welcomed. Please indicate any specific layout requirements and we will try to accommodate.

Please also include a short biography of no more than 100 words.

Send your contributions to cultureinquarantine@gmail.com

. Submissions will be accepted and published at www.cultureinquarantine.co on an ongoing basis.

Dublin City University

The School of Communications at Dublin City University is now inviting applications from qualified candidates for up to five 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 €16,000 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:

Photography and new forms of picturing:

Fellowship(s) in this area will ideally focus on the politics of photographic representation. These might include: photographic portraiture through a feminist lens, power relationships, how identity is constructed, undermined or challenged through photography, new approaches to picturing and representing specific communities, psychology around empathy and the portrait. For further information, contact Dr. Dragana Jurišić – dragana.jurisic@dcu.ie

Combatting coordinated online violence against women journalists:

Fellowship(s) in this area will investigate the nature and scale of coordinated violence (bot attacks and other forms of organised online harassment) targeted at women journalists in different countries and culturally appropriate automated responses. Proposals are welcome from applicants with a solid knowledge of digital communications platforms analysis, or experience in tracking mis- and dis-information online. For further information, contact Prof. Colleen Murrell - colleen.murrell@dcu.ie

Music, cultural production and the digital age:

Fellowship(s) in this area will ideally focus on culture, media, and digital technologies. Possible research topics include (but are not limited to), (i) music in the digital age, (ii) the platformisation of cultural production, circulation, and consumption, and (iii) cultural labour in the digital age. Practice-based projects are eligible and a working knowledge of cultural production and related industries is desirable. For further information, contact Dr. Andreas Rauh - andreas.rauh@dcu.ie.

Novel communication of environmental issues:

Fellowship(s) in this area will focus on structural approaches to environmental crisis, focusing on the role of mediated communication in communicating environmental issues within socio-economic and socio-ecological structures. They may also investigate the role of novel and creative approaches to communicating environmental issues. Traditional or practice-based applications are welcome. For further information, contact Dr. Trish Morgan – trish.morgan@dcu.ie

Sport and Media:

Fellowship(s) in this area will ideally focus on the interrelationship of sport and media. Relevant topics include: sports fandom; sports journalism; sport and nation branding; representations of gender, race, and nation in sport; the geopolitics of sport. We also welcome applications from those interested in researching popular culture and new forms of promotion. For further information, contact Dr. Neil O’Boyle – neil.oboyle@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 (eileen.myers@dcu.ie), clearly indicating the theme under which they are applying.

All scholarships are due to commence on 01st October 2020.

Closing date for applications: Friday 08th May 2020