ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Democratic Communiqué, a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to investigating mass media, information, and telecommunication phenomena and issues from critical political economy and policy studies perspectives, invites original, scholarly articles for publication in its Winter 2020 issue (Vol. 29, No.1).

The Communiqué publishes articles exploring any of a wide range of topics, including alternative/community/public media, the internationalization of capital and information flows, media and imperialism, telecommunication industry ownership and consolidation, information society, information technology and surveillance, feminist political economy, environmental political economy, media’s relatedness to social class, labor or social movements, and analyses of cultural artifacts or practices which encompass ideational and material concerns.

While these topics encompass a vast swath of academic inquiry and scholarship, they are united in their critical examination of media and communication as they relate to political economy, individual and societal involvement in these economic systems, and the policies that shape them.

The journal is indexed by Scopus, EBSCO, Google Scholar and the Directory of Open Access Journals, and publishes in both the Notes and Bibliography and Author-Date citation systems presented by TheChicago Manual of Style (15th ed.). Manuscripts should be double-spaced throughout with a detachable title page containing the full contact information of the author(s).

Submissions undergo double-blind peer review, and should not exceed 8,000 words. Please email article submissions to the Communiqué’s editor, Dr. Jeffrey Layne Blevins (Head, Department of Journalism at the University of Cincinnati) at Jeffrey.Blevins@UC.edu.

Revista Lusófona de Estudos Culturais/ Lusophone Journal of Cultural Studies, Vol. 7, nº 1

Deadline: September 15, 2019

Editors: Pedro Andrade (Communication and Society Research Centre, University of Minho) & Mário Caeiro (Superior School of Arts and Design of Caldas da Rainha, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria).

Public art is understood as a hybrid and intercultural art style that, in the context of urban or rural public spaces and times, represents and presents objects or projects, contents or forms, structures or conjunctures, or any other theme or problem, social or individual. Material public art includes monuments, statues, installations, graffiti, stencils, stickers, etc. Immaterial public art exhibits events, performances and content on websites and social networks. Thus, the practice and understanding of public art cannot be separated from its social dimensions: its contexts (public sphere, global and local cultures, cyberspace and cybertime); the respective practices (leisure, citizenship, tourism activities and actions, among others), and the corresponding target public (citizen, tourist, immigrant, etc.)

In other words, how do we communicate public art for different publics, within the city and in its public space? Inside the urban fabric of contemporaneity, everything is on the move: capital, labor, people, ideas, things, social inequalities, to name but a few of these rhythms and societal territories. In particular, within the network society, information and knowledge redefine these structures and conjunctures, by updating their own courses. Therefore, the communication of information and knowledge of public art in the city cannot but be mobile. In this context, diverse mobile cultures emerge, defined as a set of procedures, norms, beliefs, habits and practices that deal with increasingly portable information and knowledge, for example through the use of mobile phones. One of the expressions of mobile cultures is public art, whose works frequently reconstruct those innovative communication courses. And one of the processes that most contributes to the development of public art is cultural tourism. Tourist activities have gradually become a global and local phenomenon, somewhat opposite to the generalized process of immigration from the peripheral countries towards the central ones.

Thus, this issue of Lusophone Journal of Cultural Studies accepts contributions to a deeper debate and knowledge of such themes, through a reflection essentially in the following three major areas, which now hybridize with each other:

• Public art production: innovation for the public communication of urban culture and arts
• Creation of cultural and art works within the urban public space; material public art (monuments, statues, installations, graffiti, stencils, stickers, etc.); immaterial public art (events, performances, content on websites and social networks); hybrid cultures and intercultural / transcultural communication in the city; history and socio-cultural memory of artistic projects in the city, by pioneering authors and actors of classical media or new media.
• Mediation of public art: valorization of urban heritage and promotion of cultural tourism through urban art
• Regulation of public art by central and local state and administrative institutions; local development strategies through public arts; growth of participatory cultural investments linked to the ecology of regions and to the restructuring of urban areas; sustainability of cultural and artistic enterprises promoting public art.; emergence of industries, service mediators (tourist agencies), and creative commerces in the cultural and leisure sector, linked to public art; inclusive employability in the public arts sector and human capital in the local economy; memory institutions and urban artistic archive: museums, art galleries, cultural enterprises, local associations, groups of friends, collectors, etc.; urban public arts, cultural tourism and digital culture.
• Dissemination of public art: urban media, social networks and mobile devices
• Dissemination of cultural heritage through public art; territorial promotion for the quality of life via the urban arts; implementation of public art in Unesco creative cities and smart cities; international affirmation of urban arts localities and non-places as a tourist and counter-tourist destination; central socio-cultural actors in public art networks: artists, curators, collectors, public (citizens, tourists, immigrants, etc.); mobilities of lifestyles and leisure associated with public art: use of mobile telephones in urban telemobilities, mobile companionship, slow tourism, etc.; Public Art in the City 2.0 (through urban, social and digital networks) and in City 3.0 (social-semantic networks, mobile devices, Internet of Things).

KEY DATES

Submission deadline: September 15, 2019.

Notification of acceptance decisions: November 31, 2019.

Deadline for sending the full version and translated: January 31, 2020.

Journal publication date: June 2020.

The Lusophone Journal of Cultural Studies is a peer-reviewed journal that uses a double blind review process. After submission, each paper will be distributed to two reviewers, previously invited to evaluate it, in terms of its academic quality, originality and relevance to the objectives and scope of the theme chosen for the journal’s current issue (www.rlec.pt).

Articles can be submitted in English or Portuguese. After the peer review process, the authors of the selected articles should ensure translation of the respective article, and the editors shall have the final decision on publication of the article.

Originals must be submitted via the journal’s website (www.rlec.pt). If you are accessing the Lusophone Journal of Cultural Studies for the first time, you must register in order to submit your article (indications to register here). The guidelines for authors can be consulted here.

For further information, please contact: rlec@ics.uminho.pt

September 11-13, 2020

Vienna, Austria

Deadline: February 29, 2020

A conference jointly organized by Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism and Journalism Studies in celebration of their 20th anniversaries

Vienna, Austria, September 11-13, 2020. Hosted by the Journalism Studies Center, Department of Communication, University of Vienna

The year 2000 is often considered a watershed moment in the development of the field of journalism studies, as it marks the year that two key academic journals – Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism and Journalism Studies – were first published. To celebrate their twentieth anniversaries, the journals are organizing a three-day conference in 2020 to look back on the evolution of the field, and to critically consider key questions for the field going forward. The conference will include a number of keynote presentations, round-tables, as well as regular paper presentations.

There is no doubt that journalism is impacted by a whole range of threats, many of which go to the core of what journalism is about, whether it is occupational issues that are failing to provide the cues to make journalism viable, politicians who are pulling into question and attempting to curtail journalism’s role, societal actors who are competing with traditional journalists and questioning journalism’s authority, economic developments that are making it harder and harder to find sustainable business models, or technological advances that threaten traditional news selection processes. The conference will engage with all these developments in the journalistic environment, and we call on submissions that deal with the (ir)relevance of journalism and fields including, but not limited to politics, technology, economics, audience, culture, and academia.

We therefore invite papers that address how journalism studies can help to answer crucial questions about journalism’s relevance, but also the relevance of the field of journalism studies itself. We call particularly for thought-provoking papers that develop new theories or methods and push the boundaries of the field. We welcome submissions from all theoretical, epistemological and methodological perspectives.

The conference will feature six keynote presentations on the topics noted above, some round-table discussions, traditional paper presentations, and coherent panels.

*Traditional paper presentations: Traditional paper presentations will take place in panels consisting of four to five papers.

*Coherent panels: A limited number of slots will be available for coherent panels where one topic is addressed in four to five presentations, followed by a respondent. Preference will be given to panels with presenters from diverse backgrounds and affiliations.

Following the conference, we envisage to publish special issues in both journals, as well as a book featuring the best submissions.

How to submit:

Submissions can be sent to journalism2020@univie.ac.at by no later than February 29, 2020. Please include in the email (1) the title of your paper, (2) an abstract of no more than 400 words, (3) names and affiliations of the authors.

To submit a panel proposal, a 300-word rationale should be sent alongside a 150-word explanation per presentation, as well as the names and affiliations of presenters and respondent.

All submissions will undergo scholarly peer-review.

Notifications of acceptance will be issued in early April.

More information can be found on our website: https://journalism2020.univie.ac.at/

Please contact the conference organizing committee with questions at journalism2020@univie.ac.at.

A special issue of Medijske studije / Media Studies Journal to be published in January 2020, MS Vol. 10 (2019) 20

Deadline: October 7, 2019

Edited by

• Maria José Brites (Lusófona University of Porto)
• Inês Amaral (University of Coimbra)
• Antonija Čuvalo (University of Zagreb)

Media generational identities are culturally, socially, economically and historically shaped. A single vision of generational identity is impossible.

This special issue welcomes different approaches to intergenerational and generational perspectives from various geographical landscapes. Moreover, it aims to discuss digital uses and digital competences within intergenerational and generational perspectives. The proposal is to assume as context the current digital media environment, which has shaped media history over the past decades. Non-Western voices covering generations, digital uses and competences are particularly welcome.

Historically, media were mostly considered as reinforcements of the generational gap, mostly in the family context. Though research by Livingstone and Haddon (2009) found that the intergenerational gap is diminishing in time, according to Bolin & Skogerbø (2013), the digital era is contributing to straight the generations. Čuvalo (2017) discerns shared media repertoires among the youngest, so-called digital generation or digital natives and the older generation of digital immigrants (Thomas, 2011). In this sense, there is the need to work closely on life course perspectives as a possible explanation of the diminishing or perpetuating of the generational gap (Amaral & Daniel, 2018). The context of digital literacy reinforced activities by civil society and schools and can bring some light to the discussion of this need (Brites, 2017). Furthermore, a generational perspective in scholar and familiar environments can empower the discussion.

There is a story to tell and gains to conquer from the historical reflection, although the real interconnection between the digital devices and the audiences is a recent issue. Research can benefit from a systematization from the past to the future and also in the current present.

Descriptors:

• A historical and cross-national perspective on generations and the digital environment
• Non-media centric approach to media generations
• Generations and the context of the digital environment
• Generations and digital competences
• Generations and intergenerational approaches
• Digital literacy and generations
• Digital literacy and intergenerational dimensions
• Theoretical discussions on generations, digital uses and competencies
• To define and explore methodologies critically to better understand the audience of digital generations, namely alternative methodologies.
• To consider ethical discussions in researching generations and also intergenerational dynamics.

Questions:

• What can we learn with a historical perspective of generations and the digital, especially in the context of transitional and non-Western societies?
• How does the digital environment may contribute to convergence on generations? Still, what are the differences in using the digital across generations?
• What are the current and future trends that research results are giving to the field?
• Is there a shift in the approach of different generations and the media?
• What is the relevance of life course in the digital uses and competences?
• How to portray the digital evolution uses across generations, considering that the generational context is not a static dimension?
• What are the most appropriate theoretical approaches?
• Is research giving insights about new methodological approaches? What are the methodological challenges?
• What are the most challenging and needed ethical questions of this research field?
• Is there still a generation gap in terms of digital uses and competences?
• What social and cultural issues define generational contexts and condition intergenerationality far beyond competencies or uses?
• How to equate intergenerationality and digital uses in different geographic contexts?

References

Amaral, I., & Daniel, F. (2018). The use of social media among senior citizens in Portugal: active ageing through an intergenerational approach. In International Conference on Human Aspects of IT for the Aged Population. Lecture Notes in Computer Science v. 10926 (pp. 422-434). Springer, Cham. Print ISSN: 0302-9743, Online ISSN: 1611-3349, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92034-4_32

Bolin, G., & Skogerbø, E. (2013). Age, generation and the media. Northern Lights, 11, 3-14. doi:10.1386/nl.11.3_2

Brites, M.J. (Coord.) (2017). Digital Literacy and Education (2014-July 2016), national reports (Portugal, UK, Ireland, Spain, Serbia and Italy), ELN - European Literacy Network, Digital Literacy Team (WG2) https://www.is1401eln.eu/en/gca/index.php?id=149.

Čuvalo, A. (2017). Ritmovi medijskih generacija u Hrvatskoj: istraživanje repertoara medijskih generacija iz sociološke perspektive. Reviza za sociologiju, 47(3): 271-302. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5613/rzs.47.3.2.

Livingstone, Sonia & Haddon, Leslie (2009). EU Kids Online: Final Report. London: London School of Economics and Political Science.

Thomas, M. (2001)(ed.). Deconstructing Digital Natives. Young People, Technology and the New Literacies. New York & London: Routledge.

All manuscripts should be submitted through the Open Journal System.

Submission guidelines can be found here.

The deadline for full articles is October 7, 2019.

University of Toronto

Deadline: October 1, 2019

Job Field: Tenure Stream

Faculty / Division: University of Toronto Mississauga

Department: UTM: Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology

Campus: Mississauga

Apply here.

Description:

The Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology (ICCIT) at the University of Toronto Mississauga invites applications for a full-time tenure-stream appointment in the area of Digital Marketing, at the rank of Assistant Professor. The position start date is July 1, 2020.

Candidates must have a PhD in a related discipline with a curricular emphasis in marketing, management, business administration, communications/media, or information, or a related discipline by the time of appointment (or shortly thereafter). Candidates must have a demonstrated record of excellence in research and teaching. They must demonstrate an active and excellent research program emphasizing the role of technology in marketing; an emerging reputation in a marketing-related field with a demonstrated ability to attract research funding; and a good publication record in top-ranked and field relevant scholarly journals; as well as through strong endorsements from referees of high standing. Excellence in teaching can be demonstrated by the teaching dossier outlining experience and accomplishments, a statement of teaching philosophy, sample syllabi, and teaching evaluations, as well as strong letters of reference is also required. The successful candidate will have a graduate appointment in one of the University of Toronto's tri-campus graduate departments such as the Rotman School of Management or the Faculty of Information's iSchool.

The successful candidate will have experience researching and teaching in the area of digital marketing, including but not limited to, market research, campaign management, strategic planning, brand management, as examples. Candidates should have an active program of research that considers how marketing principles and practices are impacted by emergent technologies giving rise to platforms such as e-commerce, social media, user-generated content, peer-based evaluation systems, and mobile technologies.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

ICCIT focuses on teaching and research excellence in its three undergraduate programs: Communication, Culture, Information and Technology, Digital Enterprise Management and Professional Writing and Communication. ICCIT is building a research complement in the theory and practice of communication, interactive and immersive digital media and culture, new media design, and management in/of technology organizations. The successful applicant will join a vibrant intellectual community of world-class scholars at Canada’s leading university. For information, please visit www.utm.utoronto.ca/iccit

Equity and diversity are among UTM’s core values and are essential to academic excellence. We seek candidates who value diversity and whose research, teaching and service bear out our commitment to equity. Candidates are therefore also asked to submit a 1-2 page statement of contributions to equity and diversity, which might cover topics such as (but not limited to): research or teaching that incorporates a focus on underrepresented communities, the development of inclusive pedagogies, or the mentoring of students from underrepresented groups.

To be considered for this position, all application materials must be submitted online by October 1, 2019. Submission guidelines can be found at http://uoft.me/how-to-apply.

Applications must include the documents listed below, formatted as 3 attachments with naming convention LastnameFirstname_CV_Statement.pdf, LastnameFirstname_Writing.pdf, etc.:

Attachment 1: Cover Letter, CV and Research Statement

Attachment 2: Writing Sample (ONE peer-reviewed, first- or sole-author scholarly work demonstrating significant contribution to the field of Digital Marketing; do not submit entire doctoral theses)

Attachment 3: Teaching Dossier (Max. 20 pages, may include list of courses taught, sample syllabi, course evaluation data summary, statement of teaching philosophy, etc.)

Applicants must have three referees send letters of recommendation directly to Professor Rhonda McEwen, ICCIT Director, University of Toronto Mississauga via email (on letterhead, dated, signed and scanned) to iccit.utm@utoronto.ca by the closing date, October 1, 2019.

The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Candidates are asked, as part of their application, to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information provided is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

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

Aberystwyth University

Closing Date: July 31, 2019

We are very pleased to announce 3 new opportunities in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University. The new roles will support the expanding provision in the area Filmmaking, at both Postgraduate and Undergraduate levels, and will also actively engage with both the Film and Television Studies and Media and Communication Studies schemes. Please find details via the links below.

Lecturer in Filmmaking (Full Time, Grade 7): https://jobs.aber.ac.uk/en/vacancy/lecturer-in-filmmaking-391193.html

Associate Lecturer in Filmmaking (0.5FTE, Grade 6): https://jobs.aber.ac.uk/en/vacancy/associate-lecturer-in-filmmaking-391190.html

Associate Lecturer in Filmmaking – Sound (0.5FTE, Grade 6): https://jobs.aber.ac.uk/en/vacancy/associate-lecturer-in-filmmaking-384902.html

Edited by: Joseph Brennan

Contributors:

Evangeline Aguas, Christoffer Bagger, Bridget Blodgett, Cassie Brummitt, Leyre Carcas, Jessica Carniel, Jennifer Duggan, Monique Franklin, Divya Garg, Danielle S. Girard, Mary Ingram-Waters, Hannah McCann, Michael McDermott, E. J. Nielsen, Emma Nordin, Holly Eva Katherine Randell-Moon, Emily E. Roach, Anastasia Salter, Elisabeth Schneider, Kieran Sellars, Isabela Silva, Guillaume Sirois, Clare Southerton.

In this first-ever comprehensive examination of queerbaiting, fan studies scholar Joseph Brennan and his contributors examine cases that shed light on the sometimes exploitative industry practice of teasing homoerotic possibilities that, while hinted at, never materialize in the program narratives. Through a nuanced approach that accounts for both the history of queer representation and older fan traditions, these essayists examine the phenomenon of queerbaiting across popular TV, video games, children’s programs, and more.

More here.

C. L. Bernardi

"Women and the Digitally-Mediated Revolution in the Middle East" applies digital methods to the study of the impact of digital technologies on the social and political spheres of women in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The author discusses what could be called the silent revolution of these women online. By combining software studies, feminist Quranic revisionism, Actor Network Theory and digital methods, the book explores how 'women's issues' in Egypt and Saudi Arabia arise, transform and manifest in the digital sphere, in English and Arabic. The book is published by Routledge and is part of the Routledge Studies in New Media and Cuberculture.

University of Brighton - School of Sport and Service Management

Deadline: July 24, 2019

Location: Eastbourne

Salary: £35,211 to £42,036 per annum (pro-rata)

Hours: Part Time

Contract Type: Fixed-Term/Contract

Placed On: 5th July 2019

Closes: 24th July 2019

Job Ref: EV3130-19-261

Contract Length: 12 months

Located in Eastbourne, the School of Sport and Service Management draw together a range of disciplines of which Sport Journalism/Journalism plays an integral role. The School is a vibrant and outward facing community of staff and students built on transparency and trust, with the student experience at the heart of everything we do.

This is an exciting opportunity to join an established and proactive team of academics dedicated to the learning and teaching of Sport Journalism/Journalism students. We are looking for an experienced Journalism lecturer who will teach on our undergraduate degree on our Journalism/Sport Journalism courses. You will be required to teach practical components of the syllabus with particular focus on NCTJ delivery.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• An undergraduate degree
• NCTJ qualifications

Experience of working in a related field are essential as well as having up to date knowledge of the subject.

The University of Brighton is committed to equality and embraces diversity in our working, learning, research and teaching environment. We welcome all applicants and are committed to providing a supportive and flexible working environment.

This is a part time contract of 12 months with a 0.5fte.

The School is proud to hold a national Athena Swan award for our work in promoting gender equality in the workplace.

In return, we offer a generous package including annual leave starting at 35 days, paid bank holidays, additional paid leave during the Christmas period, travel loans and pension schemes.

Further details:

The University of Brighton is committed to equality and embraces diversity in our working, learning, research and teaching environment. We welcome all applicants and are committed to providing a supportive and flexible working environment.

Further information about working for us, as well as the wide range of benefits we offer, can be found in the "working here" section of our vacancies page.

Closing Date: Wednesday 24 July 2019

Interview Date: Monday 19 August 2019

Apply here.

October 24-25, 2019

Erich-Brost Institute, Dortmund, Germany

Extended deadline for proposal submission: July 20, 2019

Joint conference of the section International and Intercultural Communication (DGPuK) and the network Media Structures

Affiliation: Institute for Media Studies (IfM), Ruhr-University, Bochum (Germany)

The disruptive transformations of the media ecology are in the focus of media scholars and politicians world-wide. Technological and cultural changes as well as major shifts in audience behaviour are core drivers of these transformations, which can be observed in various sectors, refer to different aspects of media systems, and are based on intertwined, but often contradictory and dialectical dynamics (D'Haenens, Sousa & Trappel 2018). Transformations of the media ecology have to be considered in a wider scope of challenges of democracies in the digital age. The planned conference aims to bring together research that addresses current developments and challenges with regard to four dimensions:

1. Media policy, strategies and regulation are crucially challenged by meta-narratives such as globalization and digitization, since they have historically evolved through national regulatory routines (Holtz-Bacha 1994). Scholars and politicians alike critically assess questions whether the information available to citizens is sufficient to build an informed citizenry and what kind of regulation of digital media contributes to plurality and diversity. Moreover, civil society demands for more involvement and participation in content creation and regulation. Contributions to the planned conference will debate the (re-)formulation of public service media (PSM and the extent to what a „Civic Commons Online“ is necessary. A possible point of discussion is whether public service media (PSM) are in the position to establish such a deliberative space complementing both public sphere and parliamentary debate (e.g. Ramsey 2013; Schweizer 2016).

2. At the economic and innovations level, commercial media in Europe have always been challenged to balance between fulfilling the professional norms of journalism by acting as a watchdog to the government while at the same time making profit. However, with the loss in revenues, this tension became more intense. Many media institutions cut costs and reduced the number of staff, which in consequence limited the ability of the media to act as a watchdog (McChesney & Nichols, 2010; Pickard, 2011; Siles & Boczkowski, 2012; Starkman, 2014). Conference contributions are asked to address commonalities and differences of economic challenges in the private and PSM sector and discuss alternative funding schemes (Kiefer 2011, Schweizer & Puppis 2018). The question to what extent the nexus between economy and media quality is addressed in media strategies will be of interest.

3. At the content level, despite the described crisis in journalism, it has never been easier for the audience to receive and publish information, while at the same time it has never been more difficult to evaluate the quality of information gained. The number of digital media outlets, blogs and social media posts seems to be expanding continuously and technological innovations such as recommender systems allow for personalized user experience, audience interaction and may also foster user participation on the content level.However, the establishment of so called social networks has been accompanied by undesired developments such as the rise of hate speech, an increased influence of populist spin on the formation of public opinion (Sponholz 2018) and disinformation (Report of the High-Level Group on Fake News and online disinformation 2018). Paradoxically, while governments and regulators discuss how to hold social networks accountable, established and publicly funded media have become customers of these companies in the meantime, because they enable, for example, PSM to reach younger audiences in order to fulfil their public remit (Sehl, Cornia & Kleis Nielsen 2018). Conference contributions are asked to assess content innovations, public value and the ethics of journalism in the digital media world. Contributions may inquire in how far gamification or the automatization of journalistic content is in the public interest and address advantages and disadvantages of personalized information. What kind of debates and measures are necessary to tackle the future of the public remit of media in general and PSM in particular?

4. On an international comparative level, it is important to analyze how different media systems adapt to the current changes in the media landscape. In the non-Western world, digitization causes different problems and advantages; e.g. in post-conflict and developing countries well-established regulation structures and strategies do not exist. Comparative research can shed light on the question, in how far the digital era challenges the establishment of regulation patterns in various countries and regions (Sousa et al. 2013). We welcome conference contributions that discuss the most pressing challenges and/or innovations for deliberation, political representation and participation in the media in international comparison. We further invite contributions that aim at identifying patterns of similarities and differences across countries concerning press freedom, media subsidies, and the framework in which media act.

This international conference, hence, aims to bring together scholars and practitioners working on a variety of theoretical, methodological and practical issues arising from the investigation of media policy and regulation in digital environments. Questions to be discussed during the conference should be rooted in theoretical approaches and at the same time inform these approaches to broaden not only the scope of research, but also deliver key factors and messages to media practitioners, policy makers and regulators. The conference especially welcomes international comparative research, but is not limited to it, as case studies may be crucial to understand trends. Also, proposals with a transnational perspective dealing with trends and topics crossing borders are welcome.

The call is open to theoretical contributions as well as various empirical designs.

There will be two lines of submission:

Proposals for individual papers: abstracts of no more than 500 words addressing one of the issues outlined below.

Proposals for panels with 4-5 papers in a panel: abstracts of no more than 1000 words.

Activating formats (i.e. Worldcafe, Workshop) are welcome.

Submissions in English via email to: iic-conference2019@rub.de

Conference organizers:

• Dr. Christine Horz (Ruhr University Bochum),
• Dr. Julia Lönnendonker (Vrije Universiteit Brussels)
• Dr. Florian Meissner (Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf)