ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Deadline: October 25, 2019

Editors: Sara Bannerman (McMaster University) and James Meese (University of Technology Sydney)

In January 2018, Facebook declared that it would no longer prioritise news content in its NewsFeed. Instead, it would surface posts from ‘friends and family’, with the goal of bringing ‘people closer together’ (Mosseri, 2018). Facebook had stopped promoting particular forms of news before (like clickbait headlines) but they had always retained a broad commitment to distributing news content. However, the change in 2018 represented a major pivot for a platform that had increasingly become a central intermediary for online news distribution. In response, digital-first publications, who had staked their business model on Facebook’s ability to surface news to audiences, started to lay off staff in significant numbers. These new disruptive news enterprises (like Buzzfeed and Mic) were supposed to usher in a new future for news. However, it appeared that their business models were as unstable as those of their print predecessors.

These recent developments have not gone unnoticed by governments. Policymakers and politicians across the world are starting to examine the role that platforms and algorithms play in the distribution of news. Inquiries in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and elsewhere have explored the consequences of the algorithmic distribution of news. Alongside these national inquiries, a broader international discussion has focused on the apparent rise in disinformation and the increasingly partisan nature of political discourse. This discussion has intensified recently, leading to the formation of an International Grand Committee on Big Data, Privacy and Democracy composed of elected officials from governments around the world.

This edited collection will respond to this international policy moment and examine the challenges posed by the algorithmic distribution of news. It will critically assess recent media policy developments in this space and explore the broader economic, political and industrial transformations associated with algorithmic distribution. In doing so, we aim to offer a comprehensive account of this moment of institutional change, which has significantly altered the distribution and consumption of news (see Nielsen 2018).

The book will be split into two sections. The first section will consist of thematic chapters (5 - 6,000 words) and the second section will feature shorter case studies (3 - 4,000 words) describing and analysing recent policy developments related to algorithmic distribution in particular countries. We are currently in discussions with interested publishers and seeking contributions for both sections.

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

• International governance of the algorithmic distribution of news, including the formation and operation of the International Grand Committee;
• Measures to support media diversity in light of algorithmic distribution, including measures to support local, Indigenous, alternative, independent, ethnic, women’s and minority news media;
• Case studies of countries (for section two): how have particular countries approached regulatory problems in light of the algorithmic distribution of news?
• Subsidies and tax exemptions that respond to the algorithmic distribution of news;
• Discussions of regulations intended to ensure the objectivity and/or transparency of search and recommendation algorithms;
• Regulatory measures that respond to layoffs and closures of news outlets;
• Intersections between copyright law and news aggregation (such as the EU’s Article 11, the ‘Google News tax;’
• The relationship between news, platforms, and competition law;
• Regulation of targeted advertising in relation to news;
• Histories of early forays into online (or social) news distribution;
• Analyses of innovative forms of news distribution;
• Civic risks associated with algorithmic distribution (or online engagement);and
• Detailed analyses of relevant inquiries or reform proposals.

If you are interested in contributing to either section, please send a short chapter or case study proposal (of about 400 words) and a biography (150 words) by the 25th of October 2019 to james.meese@uts.edu.au and banners@mcmaster.ca. 

Journal of Information Technology and Politics

Deadline: September 16, 2019

This message announces a search for the Editor-in Chief of the Journal of Information Technology and Politics (JITP) for a 5-year term. JITP is the official journal of the Organized Section on Information Technology & Politics in the American Political Science Association. It is published by the Taylor & Francis Group.

The new Editor-in-Chief will serve a renewable five-year term, beginning with the production of Volume 17 of the journal. Candidates for the Editorship are expected to receive some support from their home institution for the editorial process. This ideally would include a partial release from teaching responsibilities plus graduate research assistant and administrative staff support.

Additional support, in the form of a yearly stipend, is provided by the publisher.

The members of the Search Committee are:

• Christine Williams (chair)
• Filippo Trevisan
• Leticia Bode

The Search Committee seeks nominations and applications for the Editorship. Both individual and team candidacies are equally eligible for consideration. Among other duties, the Editor or

Editors will be expected to:

• Sustain and build JITP’s current high stature as one of the preeminent publication outlets for scholarship within the important subfield of information technology and politics.
• Ensure that JITP be open to submissions from all areas within the subfield and to innovative work that may span traditional disciplinary boundaries.
• Be discerning, fair, and equitable in all aspects of the review process.
• Handle publication decisions in a manner that is reasonable, timely, and open but preserving confidentiality.
• Work with available resources to maintain journal operations and the editorial office.

Applications for the position of Editor-in-Chief of JITP should be sent to the Search Committee Chair, Dr. Christine Williams (cwilliams@bentley.edu). A complete application for the JITP

Editorship should consist of the following elements:

1. Application Letter: The candidate or team should provide a letter indicating willingness to be considered for the position of JITP and their willingness to serve as Editor if selected. This application letter should discuss professional and scholarly experiences that make each candidate uniquely suited and well-qualified for the position. It would be helpful to highlight and explain prior experience in an editorial capacity.

2. Vita: A complete CV should be provided by each candidate, including separate CVs for all members of any proposed editorial team.

3. Support Plan: Candidates should outline their plan to support JITP while it is housed at their institution(s). This outline should include a listing of the resources that will cover the various aspects of managing the Journal. It also should explain who will provide these resources.

4. Management Plan: The application should include a formal statement from the candidate or team, laying out plans for managing JITP. Candidates should feel free to discuss any issues they believe to be relevant to the intellectual content and/or management of the Journal.

An effective management plan may address questions such as the following:

• In what directions do you wish to take the Journal? For example, are there new or additional areas of interest within the subfield of information technology and politics you would like to develop, perhaps through new features? Are there new or additional editorial policies or a different specification of editorial positions, functions or roles you would like to propose?
• How will you manage reviewers and the review process to ensure quality and timeliness? Specifically, one of the biggest challenges of editing a journal is finding sufficient number of quality reviewers and ensuring timely reviews. How will you manage the process in such a way that will overcome these challenges?

• How do you foresee interacting with the journal’s internal and external constituencies including Associate Editors, Editorial Assistants, members of the Senior Editorial Board and the Full Editorial Board, the Organized Section on Information Technology & Politics in the American Political Science Association, and the publisher?

• What plans do you have to increase communication about and visibility of the journal and its publications?

• At the end of your tenure as Editor-in-Chief, what contributions would you like to have made?

• If you are proposing an Editorial team, what would be the division of labor and decisionmaking among the individuals comprising the team?

Please submit final proposals to the Search Committee as a single PDF or MS Word file by September 16, 2019. We intend to select the new Editor-in-Chief no later than October 15, 2019.

Applications should be made as soon as possible, so that ample time can be given to the selection process for this important position.

Ryerson University, FCAD, Prof. Communication

Deadline: August 30, 2019

Ryerson University is strongly committed to fostering diversity within our community. We welcome those who would contribute to the further diversification of our staff, our faculty and its scholarship including, but not limited to, women, visible minorities, Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply but applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Located in downtown Toronto, Ryerson University is a distinctly urban, culturally diverse teaching and research institution offering more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs, distinguished by a strong commitment to excellence in teaching, research and creative activities, to over 45,000 students. Ryerson is known for its culture of entrepreneurship and innovation and is recognized as a city builder, as it continues its growth through award-winning architecture and expansion of its campus.

The Opportunity:

The School of Professional Communication (http://procom.ryerson.ca/) in the Faculty of Communication and Design (FCAD) at Ryerson University invites applications for a full-time tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the area of Digital Audiences. The appointment will be effective January 1, 2020 subject to final budgetary approval.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the School of Professional Communication (“ProCom”), and will have their service and teaching responsibilities shared with the Graduate Program in Communication & Culture (“ComCult”), our joint MA/PhD program with York University (https://www.ryerson.ca/graduate/programs/comcult/). This is an exciting and unique opportunity to contribute directly to graduate education.

The successful candidate will approach digital audience studies in ways that are innovative, interdisciplinary and informed by theoretical perspectives from critical data science, infrastructure and platform studies, game studies and related fields. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from candidates whose work focuses on one or more of the following areas: big data and audience studies; artificial intelligence and machine learning in scholarly, policy and organizational contexts; audience and social network analysis in mobile, locative and emerging media contexts; data visualization, mapping and storytelling by and for marginalized populations; and/or computational methods in security, privacy and data regulation contexts. We are looking for candidates with strong and innovative methodological approaches. Knowledge of and ability to teach digital methods and/or quantitative analysis would be an asset.

The School of Professional Communication consists of 18 tenure-stream faculty members. ProCom offers innovative Bachelor and Master’s programs that integrate theory and practice. As an interdisciplinary School, ProCom focuses on teaching and research that bring creative and critical communication approaches into industries, organizations, and communities. Our students and faculty investigate the intersections of text, sound, and image in an array of digital, discursive, and social contexts. Our faculty prides itself on the excellence of its research and on the quality of its teaching. We are interested in candidates that will contribute to our existing research and teaching strengths by bringing innovative and diverse perspectives and experiences to the work.

Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will engage in a combination of teaching, research and service duties. Half of the candidate’s teaching will be in ProCom and half will be in ComCult. The candidate will be expected to teach a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, including core courses in communication theory, history and methodology, and will supervise graduate students in the ProCom master’s program as well as MA and PhD students in Communication and Culture.The candidate will be expected to pursue innovative and independent research or scholarly research-creation in the field of communication that is externally funded, cutting-edge, and of the highest quality. The candidate will also participate in administrative activities in ProCom and ComCult. The candidate will engage in maintaining an inclusive, equitable, and collegial work environment in all areas.

Qualifications:

Candidates must hold an earned Ph.D. in Communication Studies or a closely related field by the appointment date.

The successful candidate must present strong emerging scholarly research or creative projects that are active, innovative and impactful, resulting in achievements such as peer reviewed publications, working papers, book chapters, public policy contributions, presentations at significant conferences, awards and accolades, strong endorsements/recommendations by referees of top international stature, studies, writings or creative productions disseminated by other suitable means and other noteworthy activities that contribute to the visibility and prominence of the discipline.

Evidence of excellence in teaching must be provided through a teaching dossier that outlines the teaching philosophy, teaching accomplishments, including experience with course/curriculum review/development, excellent pedagogical practice, sample syllabi and teaching evaluations. Teaching philosophy statements should address approaches to both undergraduate and graduate level teaching. Evidence of strong communication skills and a demonstrated ability to supervise undergraduate and graduate students should also be highlighted. Previous experience supervising graduate students would be considered as an asset.

Candidates must have a demonstrated commitment to our values of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion as it pertains to service, teaching, and scholarly research or creative activities, including a demonstrated ability to make learning accessible and inclusive for a diverse student

The successful candidate must demonstrate the ability to contribute to the life of the School and the University through collegial service and would have a proven track record of collaborating across university departments, partners and with the wider community.

Equity at Ryerson

At the intersection of mind and action, Ryerson is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Ryerson University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

As an employer, we are working towards a people first culture and are proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and a Greater Toronto’s Top Employer for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. To learn more about our work environment, colleagues, leaders, students and innovative educational environment, visit www.ryerson.ca, check out @RyersonU, @RyersonHR and @RyersonECI on Twitter, and visit our LinkedIn company page.

How to Apply:

Applicants must submit their application online via the Faculty Recruitment Portal (click on “Start Application Process” to begin) by August 30, 2019

The application must contain a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests, teaching dossier, results of teaching evaluations and names of three individuals who may be contacted for reference letters.

In order for the University to comply with the Government of Canada’s reporting requirements, candidates must indicate in their application if they are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident by including one of the following statements in reference to their status: “I am a permanent resident or citizen of Canada”OR “I am not a permanent resident or citizen of Canada”. Candidates are not required to specify their country of origin or citizenship in their application.

Applications and any confidential inquiries can be directed to the DHC Chair, Dr. John Shiga at jshiga@ryerson.ca.

Any inquiries regarding accessing the Faculty Recruitment Portal can be sent to Sumentha D’Souza at sumentha@ryerson.ca . Aboriginal candidates who would like to learn more about working at Ryerson University are welcome to contact Ms. Tracey King, M.Ed., Aboriginal HR Consultant, Aboriginal Recruitment and Retention Initiative, at t26king@ryerson.ca.

This position falls under the jurisdiction of the Ryerson Faculty Association (RFA) and relevant information can be found as follows:

RFA Website: /www.rfanet.ca.

RFA Collective Agreement: https://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/faculty-affairs/rfa-collective-agreement/RFA_CA_2015_to_2018.pdf

RFA Benefits: https://www.ryerson.ca/hr/employee-resources/rfa/full-time-LTF/benefits/

International Journal of Public Relations, Vol. IX, No. 18

Deadline: October 15, 2019

With the present letter we wish to announce the Call for Papers for Issue No 18 of The International Journal of Public Relations (Revista Internacional de Relaciones Públicas). The forthcoming issue is about Public Relations in Politics, this new issue is coordinated by Ana Belén Fernández-Souto (University of Vigo, Spain) and Ivone de Lourdes Oliveira (University of Puc-Minas Gerais, Brazil).

In today's society, political communication has acquired great importance. To the traditional actors, such as institutions or political parties, new issuers are joined and they are linked to activism, cyberdemocracy or citizen participation. These areas are of great importance and in which public relations are decisive for the achievement of their objectives.

The deadline for papers is open from July 15, 2019 until October 15, 2019. We would like to remind authors that the proposals (articles and book reviews) should be submitted via the Journal’s application system with the following link: http://revistarelacionespublicas.uma.es/index.php/revrrpp/user/register.

Papers can be submitted in any of the following languages: Spanish, English, French and Portuguese.

Texts written entirely in Spanish, French or Portuguese should include an extended abstract in English between 500 and 700 words. In order to have a revision of your paper, it is necessary to follow the guidelines and norms of the journal that can be consulted in the following link: http://revistarelacionespublicas.uma.es/index.php/revrrpp/about/submissions#onlineSu%20%20bmissions.

The International Journal of Public Relations has been included in the Emerging Source Citation Index, Latindex Catalogue, DICE, RESH, CIRC, ISOC, Dialnet, ULRICH, EBSCO, DOAJ, REBIU, MIAR. This fact brings an extra value to all authors interested since the published paper may be recognized by the corresponding authorities for further career development. More information under http://revistarelacionespublicas.uma.es/index.php/revrrpp/announcement/view/28.

Read here: http://revistarelacionespublicas.uma.es/index.php/revrrpp/index

Flinders University

•  Career defining opportunity to lead and contribute to our world class academic team.
• Flinders University is committed to innovation, excellence and student success.
• Be a part of an internationally recognised world leader in research and an innovator in contemporary education.

Flinders University is seeking an experienced Professor– Research Academic in Film, Television and Digital Media for a continuing full-time opportunity.

The Position

The Professor will lead and undertake research in the field of Film, Television and Digital Media on behalf of the College. The position will provide leadership and vision in setting the strategic research directions and goals for the area, expanding the research area through the attraction of external funding and contract income and establishing its reputation on an international scale in alignment with the strategic directions of the College and University.

The position will be responsible for engaging with industry, government and other external organisations, strengthening research collaborations internally and externally and supporting recruitment of international and domestic higher degree research students and externally funded research fellows.

The University

Flinders University is a globally focused, locally engaged institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research. Flinders is ranked the number one South Australian university for teaching quality, learning engagement and student support. 90% of our assessed research has been ranked at or above world standard.

Flinders’ commitment to making a positive impact is reflected in our strategic plan /Making a Difference: the 2025 Agenda/. To achieve the University’s 2025 Agenda the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences is looking to appoint outstanding academics across a range of discipline areas and levels of seniority.

The College

The College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences enjoys a well-justified reputation for excellence in teaching and research. Encompassing teaching and research activities within languages, culture and communication, social sciences, performing and creative arts, and history and archaeology, we aim to bring together high profile interdisciplinary and disciplinary projects dedicated to major cultural, environmental, geographical, historical and social challenges of our time.

Creative Arts at Flinders

Flinders University has a long-standing history and excellent reputation as a national and international leader in the creative arts. As the first-choice provider of creative arts in SA, the Flinders creative arts program combines traditional conceptions of artistic excellence with contemporary notions of creative industry.

Flinders creative arts enjoys a world class reputation in research excellence as evidenced by the recent Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) rating of 4, recognising Flinders as the only non-Go8 university ‘Above World Class’ in Performing Arts and Creative Writing. Our Visual Effects and Entertainment Design degree is world-class, having won The Rookies award for best digital illustration school in the world in 2017 and 2018.

If you’re excited by change, if you have a passion for excellence and innovation, and if you want to work in an organisation dedicated to student success and outstanding research, this is your opportunity to make an impact.

Click "Apply Now" to be taken to our website where you can find out more, read the full position description, essential capabilities and Applicant information pack.

* Available on a full-time continuing basis

* Level E $181,307 pa

* Plus 17% employer superannuation

Please note: Pursuant to the Children’s Protection Act 1993 (SA) this position has been deemed prescribed. It is an inherent requirement of the position that the successful candidate maintains a current Child Related Employment Screening which is satisfactory to the University./

We are seeking to increase the diversity within the college, to improve equal opportunity outcomes for employees, therefore we encourage women and people from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent to apply.

How to Apply

Full details including how to apply on-line can be found at our Jobs@Flinders website: https://www.flinders.edu.au/employment/college-humanities-arts-social-sciences-jobs

Michigan State University

The world-renowned Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences invites applications to its top-rated Information and Media (I&M) doctoral program. We anticipate 12 student positions for the 2020-2021 student cohort, with a stipend of $18,500 per academic year, an 18-credit tuition waiver (worth $27,292), student health insurance and $1000 travel support to conferences. Students accepted into the I&M program are guaranteed 3 years of funding.

For information about how to apply see https://comartsci.msu.edu/information-media-phd or contact Dr. Patricia Huddleston at huddles2@msu.edu.

Three highly ranked academic units of MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences participate: the Department of Advertising + Public Relations, the School of Journalism and the Department of Media and Information. This interdisciplinary program integrates the social sciences, media and socio-technical systems. The faculty represent specializations in communication, advertising, public relations, journalism, economics, information studies, sociology, law, marketing and computer science. The faculty and alumni of the College include more Fellows in the International Communication Association than any other program.

Students learn how to generate independent hypotheses and research designs, the critical importance of real-world relevancy in framing esearch studies and the art of working with multidisciplinary research teams. The I&M Ph.D. prepares students to become scholars, teachers and leaders. Graduates of the I&M PhD become leaders in academia, government, and industry.

Examples of the three doctoral research foci include:

Advertising + Public Relations

• Media psychology and persuasion
• Neuroscience and social influence
• International advertising and public relations
• Effects of media on child and family development

Journalism

• Journalism Studies
• News processing and effects
• Freedom of speech and press

Media and Information

• Social media and social computing
• Human-computer interaction, games and meaningful play
• Management information systems (policy and economics)
• Health (media, interactive computer technology, and development

January 8-10 ,2020

Brighton, UK

Deadline: August 27, 2019

ECREA Section on Science and Environmental Communication workshop at the MeCCSA

A re-occurring theme in public debates is how to understand and talk about controversies pertaining to science and the environment. As climate change is pushed further forward on the international political agenda and as new technologies emerge, dilemmas of how humans interact with nature, technologies, capital and each other once again become ever more present in public debate. This puts well-known as well as new dilemmas on the current and future role of science in society into question. On the one hand, political actors rely on science to produce the facts and evidence required as inputs in decision-making. On the other hand, the privileged position of science to provide the answers is increasingly challenged in the public domain in the face of scientific uncertainty, complexity and disagreement.

Recent developments in relation to social and digital media have in particular raised the issue of factuality and truths in public debate. Particularly questions on how to maintain scientific integrity in an increasingly politicized environment are brought forward and accentuated by social and digital media. Moreover, media technologies increasingly invade the small-scale choices of everyday lives as well as larger societal and political questions on our interaction with the environment, technologies, health, risks etc. While authors in the field either endorse or take issue with the notion of post-truth, the question still remains how to make sense of the circulations of conflicting facts in current public debates on climate-change, pollution, vaccination, food safety and many other areas. This calls for a need to understand the role of media in conveying, spreading, contesting and constructing facts and truths about science and the environment.

In two connected workshops we will address the question of how facts are presented and constructed in the media, or other public fora, in relation to environmental and scientific controversies. We welcome theoretical, methodological or empirical papers, extended abstracts and case studies presenting new knowledge concerning all aspects of the circulation, construction and contestation of facts and truths in relation to science and the environment including but not limited to:

• Analysis of the construction of truths and facts in all kinds of media and public debate
• The role of social media in constructing facts within digital networks of communication
• Visualisations of science and environmental information, debates and facts
• Public contestations of scientific doxa
• The role played by facts and the presentations of truths in deliberative or radical democratic processes relating to decisions on science and the environment
• Issues of public trust in and the legitimization of key actors (eg. public authorities, industry, media) in fact-making processes
• The role of digital literacy and journalists as educators for increasing public environmental engagement

Participating papers of a high academic standard will be considered for publication in an anthology under the workshop headline. For more information on the MeCCSA Conference see: http://www.meccsabrighton2020.co.uk

Please send your 200 word abstract to Mette Marie Roslyng by 27. August 2019: mmroslyng@hum.aau.dk

February 21, 2020

London School of Economics and Political Science

Deadline: August 31, 2019

A European Communication Research and Education Association conference co-sponsored by the ECREA Organisational and Strategic Communication section; the Department of Media and Communications, LSE; and the School of Media, Communication and Sociology, University of Leicester.

Date/Time: Friday 21 February 2020, 09:30-17:30

Venue: The Silverstone Room, Department of Media and Communications, Fawcett House (7th floor), London School of Economics and Political Science, London WC2A 2AE

We live in a time characterised by uncertainty, hybridity and complexity, when the powerful dualisms that characterised the post-Enlightenment era (nature/society, human/machine, male/female, etc.) are being problematised in a fundamental way. This conference explores how we research the promotional cultures that have become central to the liminal times in which we live. What strategies do we use to explore and attempt to understand the assemblage of technologies, texts, networks, and actors in contemporary promotion?

The moniker ‘promotional culture’ is now well-established as a way of describing the ubiquitous presence of promotional work – whether public relations, branding, advertising or other forms - in all aspects of our lives (Davis, 2013). It is enacted by organisations working in all sectors, from politics to the arts, in non-profit and commercial environments, while individuals also adopt promotional techniques in the ways they present themselves and their lives to others. However, the singularity of the term ‘culture’ belies the fluid and complex worlds that promotion is built on, engages with, and perpetuates. Organisations that use promotional tools in their strategic communication can be implicated in the worst excesses of persuasion and propaganda, yet can also contribute to positive social change (Demetrious, 2013; Miller & Dinan, 2007). Communication campaigns track, survey and instrumentalise our lives through their endless appetite for data, yet ensure organisations can deliver convenience and interest precisely because they know us so well (Turow, 2006). Mainstream public relations and advertising tactics are used to sell us cars, face creams and holidays, but are deployed to greenwash environmental damage, whitewash corporate corruption, woke-wash social causes, and frame political opportunism as strategic thinking. Promotional culture cannot be pinned down to one form, process or purpose, so how do we account for its complex modes of production and deployment in our research questions, methods and sites?

To talk about promotional /culture/ is to acknowledge the deep embeddedness of promotion in quotidian life and the importance of its circulatory dynamics (Aronczyk, 2013). Just as Williams argued that culture is a ‘whole way of life’ rather than an elite set of activities (Williams, 1981), when individuals use promotional tools and tactics on their own terms, those tools are transformed from being a mechanism of elite power and repurposed to serve our own agency. Agentic power circulates through promotional work, via digital and analogue channels, and with unpredictable outcomes (Collister, 2016; Hutchins & Tindall, 2016). In this sense, promotional culture is a continually emergent manifestation of the struggle between agency and structure, a hybrid form of power of which the outcome is never certain. Can research adequately address the tensions and power struggles that underpin all promotional work, including inequalities within and between nations and regions, whether in the Global North and the Global South? To what extent do we incorporate a wide range of sites, voices and articulations of its effects, and where are the gaps in our current practice?

This ECREA interim conference invites submissions that address the challenges of researching the complex, hybrid and liminal nature of promotion in a range of ways. Submissions may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• Structures of promotion – platforms, suppliers, industry structures, networked movements, industry hybridity and blurred boundaries between professional territory in theory and practice;
• Technologies of promotion – modes of production for promotional work, including digital technologies (data, AI, algorithms, bots) as well as old (but still current) techniques such as press releases, events and sponsorships, display advertising, and their effects on the development of promotional work; the power of promotional industries and the diffusion or limitation of promotional culture;
• Agents of promotion – ‘good’ and ‘bad’ practitioners and organisations; producers and/as audiences; non-human agents and their effects on promotional campaigns, circulation, and impact;
• Representations of promotion – practice, practitioners, organisations, industries and professional fields as good, bad, inevitable, normal, deficient, diverse, or a matter of professional pride, and their continuity and change over time.
• Effects of promotion – from populism in politics to excessive or ethical consumption, to social and political activism and change; from racialised, gendered and classed audiences, messages and images to subaltern discourses and representations that reassert the power of the ‘other’ on a local, national and global scale;
• Ethics of promotion – from deontological, teleological or virtue ethics, to an ethics of practice, feminist ethics, globalised ethics, or, alternatively, contractual ethics, ethics in the digital sphere, and their effects on practice;
• Methods of promotional research – challenges of researching the digital, excavating promotional ideologies, confronting professions, engaging audiences through academic work, and the risks and realities of research that can equally promote change or speak into a vacuum.

To submit to the conference, abstracts of 500 words should be submitted by 31 August 2019 to the conference organisers, at the following email: media.promotion2020@lse.ac.uk .

Decisions on papers will be made by 30 September 2019.

Full papers should be submitted by 15 January 2020, to give time for them to be circulated to conference participants.

The Department of Media and Communications at the LSE and the School of Media, Communication and Sociology at the University of Leicester are making travel stipends available for a small number of PhD students, to support their attendance at the conference. The application process for the stipends will be publicised closer to the conference date.

If you have any further questions please contact the conference organisers Lee Edwards (l.edwards2@lse.ac.uk ) or Ian Somerville (ijas1@le.ac.uk). 

November 9-10, 2019

Peking University, Beijing, China

Deadline: September 15, 2019

Medicine, Humanity and Media (MHM 2019)

The MHM 2019 International Conference on “Healthy China” and Health Communication will be held on Nov 9 and 10, 2019 at Peking University, Beijing, China. Over the past three years, MHM has become a leading venue for health communication scholarship in China attracting international and domestic scholars. MHM promises to be a highly selective and premier international forum on health communication. In 2019, we aim to accept 30 papers with highest quality. The MHM 2019 conference will include keynote speeches, panels for paper presentations, a workshop on publishing, and a roundtable on health communication curriculum development. The organizing committee is excited to invite you to participate in MHM 2019.

MHM is a multidisciplinary conference. Therefore, the conference welcomes, but does not limit to, the following topics:

1. Communication in Medical Encounters

2. Communication for Health Care Organizations

3. Social Health Campaigns and Community Health Initiatives

4. Mass Media and Health

5. Aging and Health Communication

6. New Technologies and Health Communication

7. International and Intercultural Health Communication

8. Other health communication related topics

Paper Submission

1. Submission can be in Chinese or English. This year we are accepting both full paper and abstract submissions. Full papers should be no longer than 25 pages and use a 12-point font size; double-spaced; 1 inch margins (abstract, references, tables, and figures are not included in the 25-page limit). Papers must conform to APA 6th Edition guidelines for style and formatting. Abstracts should be no longer than 500 words in length.

2. The submissions must not be previously published anywhere; and must not be submitted to any other conferences before and during the MHM 2019 review process. For any accepted paper / abstract, at least one author must register and attend the conference to present the paper.

3. All submissions should be emailed to: zengyp@pku.edu.cn

Acceptance

All submissions will be reviewed by experts in the field and judged on problem significance, originality, quality of research, quality of presentation, and value to conference attendees.

Publication

Submissions will be invited for publication in conference proceedings. Authors must submit the full paper by Oct 25, 2019 to be included in it.

Important Dates

• Paper / Abstract submission due: Sept 15, 2019
• Notification of acceptance: Sept 25, 2019
• Registration Due: Oct 10, 2019
• Full paper (if interested in publication) due: Oct 25, 2019
• Conference dates: Nov 9 and 10, 2019

Organizing committee and confirmed keynote speakers:

• Organizer: School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University, China
• Sponsor: The George Institute China
• Registration Fee: Free (participants responsible for own travel and accommodation)

Academic Committee:

• Dr. Jing XU, xujing@pku.edu.cn, (School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University, China)
• Dr. Xin-ying SUN, xysun@bjmu.edu.cn (Health Science Center, Peking University, China)
• Dr. Xiaoquan ZHAO, xzhao3@gmu.edu (George Mason University, U.S.A.)
• Dr. Zhenyi LI, Zhenyi.li@royalroads.ca (Royal Roads University, Canada)
• Dr. Shaohai JIANG, cnmjs@nus.edu.sg (National University of Singapore

Confirmed keynote speakers:

• Gary Kreps, George Mason University, USA
• Xiaoquan Zhao, George Mason University, USA
• Teresa Thompson, University of Dayton, USA; Editor-in-Chief, Health Communication

All inquiries should be sent to: zengyp@pku.edu.cn

Deadline: October 15, 2019

Editors - Dr Joshua Gulam (Liverpool Hope University), Dr Sarah Feinstein (University of Leeds), and Dr Fraser Elliott (University of Salford)

We are seeking chapter proposals for an edited collection on The Fast and the Furious films.

With its ninth instalment set to arrive in cinemas this summer, and two more films slated for release by 2021, The Fast and the Furious is one of the most popular and prolific movie franchises of the twenty-first century. Indeed, the eight films in the series to date have earned a combined total of $5.1 billion at the box office, placing it ninth in the list of the highest-grossing movie franchises of all time. However, despite its immense commercial success, little has been written about The Fast and the Furious from an academic perspective (exceptions include Beltrán 2005, 2013). This lack of scholarly attention is surprising given just how representative the series is of recent cinematic trends. Few franchises better capture the excesses of the contemporary action genre than The Fast and the Furious, for example, with its outrageous set pieces, growing cast of global megastars, and increasing reliance on overseas markets.

When Universal released the first film in the series in 2001 - a mid-budget crime/action movie featuring a relatively unknown cast of actors - few could have predicted just how big the brand would become, to the point where The Fast and the Furious now has its own theme park ride, live stage show, and animated TV programme. Often dismissed as 'dumb' or 'mindless' entertainment by critics, this collection will argue that The Fast and the Furious warrants serious attention for more than just its longevity; and that close scrutiny of the series provides a valuable platform for exploring key forces and currents within the contemporary film industry: from franchise culture and global box office trends, to crossover stardom and debates around on- and off-screen diversity.

This collection would be the first book to offer an in-depth critical analysis of The Fast and the Furious, bringing together a range of scholars to explore not only the style and themes of the franchise, but also its broader cultural impact and industry legacy. As such, we envision that the book would serve as a valuable introduction for film scholars, students, and fans alike.

The book will be interdisciplinary in scope and we are open to chapters from a variety of theoretical or methodological approaches. Possible topics include but are not limited to:

• The evolution of the franchise, including changes in style, themes, and personnel across the nine films
• The role and importance of racial, national, class, and gender identity within the films
• Stardom and performance in the franchise (e.g., chapters on Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Paul Walker, and others)
• Fandom and reception (of individual films in the series, the franchise as a whole, or particular members of the cast and crew)
• The Fast and the Furious as action cinema (e.g., car stunts, fight sequences, the use of CGI, and crossover with other genres such as the heist and spy films)
• The Fast and the Furious as business and brand, including analysis of its budgeting, marketing, and distribution in North America and overseas
• Spinoffs and adaptations (e.g., Hobbs & Shaw (2019), the Universal Studios theme park ride, Fast & Furious Live, the Netflix TV show, and associated video games)

Bloomsbury have expressed an interest in the collection, and, once the abstracts are collected, a formal proposal will be submitted to the publisher in November 2019.

Please send 300-word abstracts and a short biography, or direct any enquiries, to furiousbook@gmail.com by 15th October 2019. Notifications of acceptance will be sent no later than 30th October 2019. Chapters of 6,000 words will be due by 30th July 2020.