ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Tobias Eberwein, Susanne Fengler, Matthias Karmasin

Bringing together both leading international scholars and emerging academic talent, Media Accountability in the Era of Post-Truth Politics maps the current state of media accountability in Europe and provides fresh perspectives for future developments in media and communication fields.

As the integrity of the international media landscape is challenged by far-reaching transformations and the rise of “fake news,” the need for a functional system of media regulation is greater than ever. This book addresses the pressing need to re-evaluate and redefine the notion of accountability in the fast-changing field of journalism and “information provision.” Using comparative research and empirical data, the book’s case studies address the notion of media accountability from various perspectives, considering political and societal change, economic, organisational and technological factors, and the changing role of media audiences. By collecting and juxtaposing these studies, the book provides a new discussion for the old question of how we can safeguard free and responsible media in Europe – a question that seems more urgent than ever.

Media Accountability in the Era of Post-Truth Politics is an essential read for students and researchers in journalism, media and communication studies.

ECREA members can get 20% off and free shipping - more info can be found on ECREA intranet.

Purchase here.

University of Tartu

Deadline: September 16, 2019

ORGANISATION/COMPANY: University of Tartu

RESEARCH FIELD:

• Cultural studies
• Geography › Economic geography
• History › Economic history
• Sociology › Macrosociology

RESEARCHER PROFILE: Recognised Researcher (R2)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 16/09/2019 23:00 - Europe/Athens

LOCATION: Estonia › Tartu

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Temporary

JOB STATUS: Full-time

HOURS PER WEEK: 40

OFFER STARTING DATE: 01/11/2019

Measuring Industrial Modernity (1900-2018)

A research group in a University of Tartu, Estonia, is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join us in studying the evolution of industrial modernity. The project is based on the Deep Transitions framework (Schot & Kanger, 2018; Kanger & Schot, 2018) that aims to conceptualize the 250-year developmental trajectory of industrial societies through the co-evolution of socio-technical systems. The key questions our team seeks to answer are as follows: 1) What are the foundational features of industrial modernity, characterizing almost every industrial society to date, that have shaped its evolution? 2) Do we see some significant ruptures along these dimensions in recent decades?

The candidate will be a part of the team tasked with measuring long-term trends in the historical evolution of industrial societies along multiple dimensions (ideas, institutions, and practices) and on multiple scales (national, global). The project seeks to combine data from existing databases with analysis of digitized text corpora. Therefore, we are looking for a candidate with 1) competence in data analysis skills applicable to the analysis of large historical text collections; 2) methodological creativity in finding ways to utilize text corpora for tracking long-term societal trends.

The research group is highly interdisciplinary, involving (among others) experts from sustainability transitions studies, digital humanities, history and environmental sociology. As such applicants from diverse backgrounds are welcome to apply.

The position is funded by the Estonian Science Council and is part of the project “Reshaping Estonian energy, mobility and telecommunications systems on the verge of the Second Deep Transition”. 

The researcher is expected to engage in the following tasks, some of which involve close collaboration with other team members:

• Operationalizing the features of industrial modernity in order to track them in historical data
• Extracting text corpora from public sources, organizing and storing them
• Cleaning and processing historical OCR texts and preparing them for analysis
• Assisting in designing and formulating collaborative procedures and workflows to study the representations of industrial modernity in historical texts utilizing the interdisciplinary domain expertise in the group
• Conducting data analysis and text mining on historical corpora through various techniques, interpreting and integrating the results
• Representing the findings in thematic conferences and participating in the write-up of the results for journal submission.

See also the general job requierements for the University of Tartu (Research Fellow, pages 6 and Annex 8, page 20).

Benefits

By offering a comprehensive and multi-dimensional assessment of the evolution of industrial modernity the results of the project will be of interest to multiple research communities (e.g. sustainability transitions studies, sustainability science, sociology, cultural evolution). Therefore, the successful applicant will have the possibility to engage in cutting-edge research on the long-term dynamics of industrial societies, enabling to build a substantive skill and publication portfolio boosting further career development. The project also foresees annual funding for participation in international conferences. The research team at the University of Tartu provides a vibrant and supportive work atmosphere.

Selection process

In order to be considered for the position, the candidate must submit to the UT Human Resources Office (email: personal@ut.ee) following documents (in English, pdf format)):

• a letter of application to the Rector,
• academic CV, including a list of publications (including both accepted and under review)
• a copy of a document (including its annexes) which shows the candidate to hold the required qualification (authorized translation into Estonian, English or Russian if the credential is not in one of these languages). A candidate can be required to submit the original or a certified copy of the document (including its annexes) showing the candidate to hold the required qualification. If the candidate has acquired the higher education in question abroad, he or she may be required to submit an assessment issued by the Academic Recognition Information Centre (the Estonian ENIC/NARIC) of his or her qualification in respect of the qualification requirements for the position;
• Contact information of at least two references
• a 2-3 page research statement on past research and future research interests, including the envisioned contribution to the project.

Candidates will be contacted after September 16 and Skype interviews will be conducted. Final selection will be made by October 10 and work is envisioned to start from Nov 1, 2019.

Additional comments

The successful applicant will be employed by the University of Tartu which has been ranked as the top university in New Europe (Times Higher Education New Europe Ranking 2018). The Institute of Social Studies is an interdisciplinary research and teaching unit comprising areas from sociology to information science and communication studies. For additional information about the university see https://www.ut.ee/en/welcome.

Required Research Experiences

RESEARCH FIELD: Sociology › Macrosociology

YEARS OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: 4 - 10

RESEARCH FIELD: Cultural studies

YEARS OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: 4 - 10

RESEARCH FIELD: History › Economic history

YEARS OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: 4 - 10

RESEARCH FIELD: Geography › Economic geography

YEARS OF RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: 4 - 10

Offer Requirements

REQUIRED LANGUAGES

ENGLISH: Excellent

Skills/Qualifications

Essential

Experience in at least two of the following areas:

• Gathering and maintaining large digital corpora for text mining
• Applying NLP on historical OCR texts
• Keyword extraction, topic modeling, sentiment analysis
• Automatic content extraction and text classification
• Time series analysis of large text collections
• Cultural analytic studies based on large text collection

In addition:

• Readiness to learn new techniques as needed
• Excellent oral and written proficiency in English
• Independent, creative and critical thinking, capability to cope with uncertainty.

Desirable but not essential

• Prior experience in studying long-term trends with quantitative tools
• Disciplinary background in fields that have engaged in long-term and macro-level research (e.g. cultural evolution, digital humanities, historical macro-sociology, economic history, economic geography, computational history)
• Disciplinary background in fields that have focused on the study of technology and society (e.g. history of science and technology, Science and Technology Studies, media and communication studies, innovation studies)
• Working knowledge in sustainability transitions and long wave literature.

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)
• 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.

October 25, 2019

University of Nottingham Ningbo China

Deadline: September 20, 2019

From fake news to the deepfake, the digital era’sexpanded possibilities for fabrication and falsehood are bedevilling the fourth estate as its parameters expand to include a host of new and often concealed sources, spreading via manipulable social media algorithms.

Media scholars have called on us all to reject the pejorative term “fake,” which is used to conduct mistrust and accusations toward institutions that we have traditionally relied upon to shine a light on powerful interests. However, we are at the same time being ushered into a more generalised media-critical thought, as unreliable reportage proliferates in many of the places we turn to for trustworthy information. How do we balance acknowledgement of media fakery with our need for reasonable information that we can trust?

This one-day symposium aims to address some of the more urgent philosophical issues arising in an era marked by proliferating resources for media fakery.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

* fake news

* the deepfake

* post-truth politics

* public trust in journalism and politics

* social media and journalism

* Facebook and Twitter bots

* emotions, cognitive biases and media psychology

* satirical news websites

* hoaxes and literary fraud

* identity theft, catfishing and online identities

* “truthiness,” pseudoscience and pseudo-communications

* astroturfing and front organisations

* advertorial

* public relations and propaganda

* authenticity

* data mining and targeted content

* algorithmic aggregators and generators of news

Confirmed keynote speaker: Professor Terry Flew, Queensland University of Technology

Please send the following to the symposium organisers Drs Filippo Gilardi (Filippo.gilardi@nottingham.edu.cn), Celia Lam (celia.lam@nottingham.edu.cn) and Wyatt Moss-Wellington (wyatt.moss-wellington@nottingham.edu.cn) by Friday 20 September 2019.

• 250 word abstract
• 50-100 word biography
• Contact email address

Successful abstracts will be considered for inclusion in a Special Issue proposal to be submitted to /C//ontinuum Journal of Media and Cultural Studies/(TBC)

Key dates:

• Abstract submission: 20 September 2019
• Notifications: 30 September 2019
• Registrations open: 15 October 2019
• Submission of extended abstracts: 30 November 2019
• Submission to Continuum: Early/mid 2020

Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Geography, Media and Communication

Deadline: August 18, 2019

The successful candidate will primarily teach subject courses, courses on study programmes, as well as commissioned courses, if applicable. The position includes teaching, supervision, examination, course coordination and course development, as well as active participation in the development work done at the discipline and department in the areas of teaching and community cooperation. According to the working hours agreement, senior lecturers are allotted 20% for professional development, which may be used for research and may be extended through external funding.

Why choose Karlstad University?

Karlstad University is forward-looking, and this is evident in everything we do. We always provide space for ideas and enthusiasm. Our high-regarded teaching and research are characterised by close community cooperation. The university is international and here you will meet staff, students and guests from around the world. The university is engaged in systematically promoting socially, financially and environmentally sustainable development. A position at Karlstad University offers many benefits, such as lunch training at the on-campus gym. For further information, see https://www.kau.se/en/work-us/jobb/benefits. If you want to work in a young and exciting university environment, Karlstad University is ideal!

Qualification requirements

The eligibility requirement for appointment as senior lecturer is a doctorate in Media and Communication Studies or a related area applicable to the advertised position, and documented teaching expertise. A completed course in higher education pedagogy, or an equivalent qualification, is required for appointment as senior lecturer. Under special circumstances, this course may be completed within two years of employment as part of the professional development commitment.

Assessment criteria

Special weight is given to broad and specialised knowledge as well as documented teaching experience of Media and Communication Studies. The successful applicant is expected to teach and supervise on many different course at bachelor and master levels. Special weight is further given to theoretical and practical knowledge of computer-assisted digital analysis of media contents and use. Special weight is also given to good ability to cooperate, since many duties are performed in different teams.

Considerable weight is given to a research profile related to the area digital media and analysis or related areas such as information systems, digital humanities, or science and technology studies, as well as ability to teach on digital cultures, social media and web production. Considerable weight is further given to experience of independently using qualitative and quantitative research methods, as well as knowledge of and playing a role in current methodological developments in the areas of data collection and analysis in digital environments (e.g. automated content analysis, data visualisation, network analysis and digital ethnography).

Considerable weight is also given to teaching expertise and experience of participation in pedagogical development work. Since teaching is offered in Swedish and English, considerable weight is also given to good written and spoken skills as well as teaching experience in these languages.

Considerable weight is further given to experience of successfully applying for external research funding as well as participation in national and international networks.

Weight is given to the ability to work independently and take own initiative.

Weight is further given to:

• experience of development and leadership
• teaching experience at master and bachelor levels
• international experience
• experience of course development and web-based teaching
• experience of community cooperation.

If applicants have similar qualifications, those who can teach in Swedish will be ranker higher.

Terms of employment

This is a full-time, non-fixed-term position with starting date at the earliest convenience, as per agreement. A probationary period may be required.

Application

Applications are submitted via Karlstad University’s web-based recruitment system Varbi and should include:

* documented CV with the contact details of two references

* descriptive account of teaching and research experience

* certificate of course in higher education pedagogy, or account of equivalent qualification

* account of other experience, and experience of leadership, cooperation and administration

* future research and teaching plans

* list of publications (indicate your own role in cases of co-authorship)

* copies of degree certificates and other transcripts and certificates documenting qualifications

* a maximum of ten academic publications, as well as five works designed to convey knowledge, such as textbooks, educational software or popular science articles.

All documents and publications should be attached to the electronic application (do not provide links only). More information is available in the document “Application Guidelines” on our homepage (https://www.kau.se/en/about-university/working-karlstad-university/work-here/jobs-and-vacancies) where Karlstad University’s Regulations for the Appointment and Promotion of Teaching Staff also may be found.

Three copies of each document that cannot be submitted electronically, such as books and publications, should be sent to:

Karlstads universitet, Registrator, 651 88 KARLSTAD, Sweden.

State ref. no REK2019/151

Application deadline: 18 August 2019

We look forward to receiving your application.

Further information: https://kau.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:276357

Special issue on Cultural Literacies in Transition

Deadline: August 31, 2019

Guest editor: Kris Rutten (Ghent University)

On-going public and academic debate has focused on the importance of knowledge about culture and the arts, what is generally referred to as “cultural literacy”. Often the debate focuses on an alleged “lack” of such knowledge. Whereas traditional approaches to cultural literacy emphasized the importance of a shared national culture, the reading of books and the literary canon, in recent years there has been an increasing focus on what cultural “literacies” can imply within our current globalised, pluralized and media saturated societies. While the conception that the arts constitute (Western) High Culture has for a long time already been strongly criticized from a broad range of perspectives, this idea is still reflected in more traditional approaches to the importance and functions of culture and the arts.

However, contemporary societal transitions raise a number of important questions about the specific content of cultural literacies (i.e. what is still considered to be relevant and valuable knowledge about culture and the arts?), about the potential functions of culture and the arts for society (i.e. what is considered to be the societal and educational value of knowledge about and engagement with the arts?) and about the specific role of cultural institutions today (i.e. how do cultural institutions address their roles as mediator and go-between of knowledge about the arts?).

For this special issue, we therefore seek contributions that explore how cultural literacies are currently defined, practiced, contested and negotiated in relation to different contexts by focusing on the following discussions:

• What is currently considered to be valuable knowledge about culture, art and aesthetics? How is this knowledge being challenged and how is it redefined? What does this imply for art education and for the curriculum in general?
• How are the societal functions of culture and the arts framed in the public and academic debate? What are the societal and educational values that are attributed to knowledge about and engagement with the arts?
• How is the role of cultural and art institutions changing as traditional mediators of knowledge about culture and the arts? What new forms of art mediation are emerging or how can such new forms be conceptualized?

Submission guidelines:

Deadline for abstracts: Please send your abstracts of 300 words by August 31st 2019 to Kris.Rutten@UGent.be .

Notification of selected abstracts by: September 15th 2019.

Deadline for article submission: based on the selection of the abstracts full papers will need to be submitted by: *December 15th 2019.

Information and instructions for authors: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/RCRC

All completed manuscripts MUST be uploaded onto the online manuscript portal Scholar One. Go to Critical Arts on the Taylor and Francis site. There is an option on the top left pane of the screen that says ‘submit’, select this then click ‘submit online’ and follow the prompts.

Further inquiries about the special issue: Kris.Rutten@UGent.be

Alternatively, contact the Critical Arts editorial office at criticalarts@ukzn.ac.za or the editor-in-chief, Keyan Tomaselli at keyant@uj.ac.za

Critical Arts prides itself in publishing original, readable, and theoretically cutting edge articles. For more information on the history and the orientation of the journal, as well as guidelines for authors, and legal and editorial procedures, please visit: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/authors/rcrcauth.asp

Critical Arts is now published six times annually and is indexed in the International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS) and the ISI Social Science Index and Arts & Humanities Citation Index and other indexes.

Saint Paul University

Deadline: September 3, 2019

Administrative Unit : Faculty of Human Sciences

Supervisor : Dean

Hours : 35.00

Functions :

Established in 1848, Saint Paul University is the founding college of the University of Ottawa, with which it has been federated since 1965. Bilingual and on a human scale, it offers programs in canon law, conflict studies, counselling and psychotherapy, human relations, philosophy, public ethics, social communication, social innovation, and theology. Saint Paul University seeks to promote excellence in teaching, research and professional formation at the international, national, and local levels.

The Faculty of Human Sciences is seeking an assistant professor in a tenure-track position in the School of Social Communication, beginning January 2020.

Saint Paul University's School of Social Communication’s programs aim to develop competent communicators and critical thinkers for a wide range of organizations, through a blend of theoretical and practical courses.

Nature of the position:

• Teaching in both official languages;
• Supporting students from a variety of backgrounds in their academic journey;
• Active research program; and
• Participation in meetings of Faculty Council and other committees at the Faculty and University level.

Experience :

Required qualifications:

• A doctorate (Ph.D.) in communication or a related field, preferably with a specialization in media and communication studies or strategic communications;
• Academic publications and a research program in the areas of media studies and communication studies and/or strategic communications;
• Bilingualism (written/oral) - ability to teach in English and French at the undergraduate level;
• For media and communication specialist, demonstrated ability to teach in some of the following areas: Communications for Sustainable Development;

• Media and Great Social Debates; Conceptions of Society; Mass Communication; Communication Research and Methodology;
• For strategic communication specialist, demonstrated ability to teach in some of the following areas: Communication and Organizations; Public relations; Social marketing; Organizational Communication; Argumentation and Persuasion; Interpersonal Communication; Strategic Communication Tools; and
• An asset: have professional experience in one or both related fields.

Salary:

Salary and promotion are based on the current Collective Agreement.

Starting date: January 1, 2020.

Application deadline: September 3, 2019 or until position is filled

This announcement is directed primarily but not exclusively to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada. Saint Paul University encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including women, members of visible and ethnic minorities, native peoples, and persons with disabilities.

Applicants should send a cover letter addressing how they meet the requirements for the position, a curriculum vitae, the names of three persons who can provide references upon request, and three samples of their publications to: humansciences@ustpaul.ca

Inquiries regarding the position should be directed to Dr. Sheenagh Pietrobruno, Director, School of Social Communications (spietrobruno@ustpaul.ca). Review of applications will begin on September 4, 2019 and will continue until the position is filled. Only applicants who have been shortlisted will be contacted.

MeCCSA 2020, Supplemental Call For Papers

January 8-10, 2020

University of Brighton, UK

Deadline: August 31, 2019

The Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association are pleased to invite the submission of practice-based contributions for the MeCCSA 2020 Conference, to be held from 8-10 January 2020 at the University of Brighton. The theme of the conference is Media Interactions and Environments. We actively support the presentation of practice-as-research and have a flexible approach to practice papers, presentations and the exhibition of work.

To complement the MeCCSA presentations, panels, roundtables and screenings, a dedicated exhibition space has been set up in the School of Media’s foyer gallery, to exhibit film and video, photography, sound and other media-based work. This is a light space with ample daylight, which has flexible walls for hanging of works, which can also accommodate moving image work. We also have a cinema-style screening room which can be used for short films, videos and digital work.

Contributors are invited to submit work for the gallery as part of their presentation. This may be still or moving image, projected or monitor-based work, which creatively addresses the theme of Media Interactions and Environments. This exhibition will seek to explore how mediation, screen performance, sound and photography contribute to a reconfiguration of contemporary relations and environments. All set-ups need to be simple and adaptable to existing facilities, and all delivery/transportation of work is at the cost and risk of the exhibitor.

Practice-based research proposals may take many forms. Contributors may present papers and screenings in the same sessions or as part of a separate screening strand. We also welcome shorter papers in association with short screenings. For displaying practice work, please include specific technical data (e.g. duration, format) and a URL pointing to any support material when submitting your abstract. We expect delegates who are showing work to be present at the conference.

Timeline of submissions and reviews

• Submission deadline: 31 August 2019
• Review decision: September 2019

Submit proposals to: meccsa2020@brighton.ac.uk

Website: http://www.meccsabrighton2020.co.uk

Twitter: @MeCCSA2020

April 6-7, 2020

School of Economics, Cape Town, South Africa

Deadline: December 1, 2019

https://www.monssa.org/its2020

Digital Transformation in Africa

The 3rd African International Telecommunications Society (ITS) Conference will take place at the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town on 6-7 April, 2020. The previous two African editions of the conference were hosted in Lusaka (Zambia) in 2018 and Accra (Ghana) in 2016.

The International Telecommunications Society (ITS) is an association of about 400 professionals in the information, communications, and technology sectors. The ITS Conferences provide a forum where academic, private sector, and government communities can meet to identify pressing new problems and issues, share research results, and form new relationships and approaches to address outstanding issues.

The ITS Conference in Cape Town will bring together experts, academicians, policy makers and sector regulators from South Africa and other countries in Africa, and worldwide. During 2-days conference, the participants will discuss a broad range of issues related to investments in telecommunications and Internet infrastructure, competition dynamics and regulation of digital markets, emergence of global information society and many others.

We welcome submissions on a range of topics as outlined below:

• Infrastructure investment strategies in both fixed and mobile markets
• Consolidation in mobile markets
• Digital divides – their changing nature and how they can be overcome
• Monopolisation within high-technology markets – e.g., how can markets be defined and monopolisation measured
• The socio-economic impact of new technologies – e.g., 5G, IoT, AI, blockchain
• Operator strategies – bundling, content and convergence
• The impact of OTT on the telecommunications sector
• The adoption of ICT in other sectors – manufacturing, transportation etc.
• Platforms – their scope, regulation and impact
• Encouraging ICT innovation in Africa

Submissions addressing any other subject relating to telecommunication systems and markets are also welcome. Theoretical and empirical papers are welcome, as are methodologically qualitative and quantitative papers.

Important dates

• Abstract submission open : August 1, 2019
• Deadline for abstracts : December 1, 2019
• Notification of acceptance : December 15, 2019
• Registration open: October 1, 2019
• Early registration deadline : December 31, 2019
• Deadline for final papers : January 31, 2020
• Late registration deadline: January 31, 2020

Contact

• Lukasz Grzybowski - lukasz.grzybowski@uct.ac.za
• Anders Henten – henten@cmi.aau.dk

Website of ITS: https://www.itsworld.org

Loughborough University, UK

Deadline: September 26, 2019

The Department of Communication and Media in the School of Social Sciences at Loughborough University, UK, is seeking to appoint a Research Associate to work with Dr Vaclav Stetka (PI) and Professor Sabina Mihelj (Co-I) on the ESRC-funded research project "The Illiberal Turn? News Consumption, Political Polarization, and Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe". Combining survey data, digital tracking of media consumption, as well as media diaries and qualitative interviews, the project will carry out a systematic study of news consumption and political polarization in Poland, Czechia, Hungary and Serbia, at a key point in time when the region is witnessing the rise of populist leaders, resurgence of illiberal nationalism, and a shift towards authoritarian forms of government.

This Research Associate will assist with qualitative data collection, analysis and management. Apart from taking an active part in designing interviews and media diaries, the successful candidate will collect the data from one of the four countries covered by the project and assist the Co-I with the comparative analysis of qualitative data from all four countries. The researcher will also support the PI and the Co-I with the integrative analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, co-author some of the publications, and contribute to impact activities and events. Proficiency in English and one of the local languages (Czech, Polish, Hungarian, Serbian) is essential.

The successful applicant for this post will be an experienced researcher with postgraduate training in sociology, media/communication studies, cultural studies, anthropology or another related social science or humanities discipline, (PhD, or very close to completion), and with experience in qualitative social science methodologies, such as interviews and/or diaries. Demonstrable knowledge of media, politics and society in one or more Central and Eastern European countries covered by the project is also expected.

IMPORTANT: Shortlisted applicants for this post who are not selected may be offered a short-term (4-5 months) research position. Please indicate in your application/cover letter if you are interested in this.

Informal enquiries should be made by email to Professor Sabina Mihelj, S.Mihelj@lboro.ac.uk

Application Closing Date: 26 September 2019

Interviews (including presentation) will be held on: 7 October 2019

Start date: 1 January 2020

For more information on the project see our project website: https://www.illiberal-turn.eu/

For further details on the job see: https://vacancies.lboro.ac.uk/jobdesc/REQ190622.pdf.