ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Edited by: Mette Mortensen, Christina Neumayer, Thomas Poell

Far from being neutral, social media platforms – such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and WeChat – possess their own material characteristics, which shape how people engage, protest, resist, and struggle. This innovative collection advances the notion of social media materialities to draw attention to the ways in which the wires and silicon, data streams and algorithms, user and programming interfaces, business models and terms of service steer contentious practices and, inversely, how technologies and economic models are handled and performed by users. The key question is how the tension between social media’s techno-commercial infrastructures and activist agency plays out in protest. Addressing this, the volume goes beyond singular empirical examples and focuses on the characteristics of protest and social media materialities, offering further conceptualizations and guidance for this emerging field of research. The various contributions explore a wide variety of activist projects, protests, and regions, ranging from Occupy in the USA to environmental protests in China, and from the Mexican Barrio Nómada to the Copenhagen-based activist television channel TV Stop (1987–2005).

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University of Münster

Deadline: April 14, 2019

The Department of Communication (IfK) at the University of Münster seeks to fill two positions, commencing on 1 October 2019 (or as agreed upon):

• Post Doc position (Akademische Rätin/ Akademischer Rat auf Zeit) (f/m/d) (100 %): https://www.uni-muenster.de/Rektorat/Stellen/ausschreibungen/st_20192002_tb2.html
• PhD Student/ Research Assistant (f/m/d): https://www.uni-muenster.de/Rektorat/Stellen/ausschreibungen/st_20192002_tb2.html

The positions are part of Prof. Dr. Julia Metag’s team. Research and teaching of the team focuses on political communication, science communication and implications of media change and digitalization for these fields. Deadline for applications is April 14, 2019. For further information about the positions, please contact Prof. Dr. Julia Metag: julia.metag@unifr.ch

Ulster University, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Communication and Media

Deadline: March 29, 2019

£51,660-£59,862

Ulster University (Belfast) would like to appoint a Senior Lecturer in Screen Production to lead in the development and delivery of screen production programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and contribute to an outstanding student experience in preparation for industry relevant specialisation and progression into professional life. The ideal candidate would also contribute to the school’s research outputs and environment in Panel 34 in Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management.

Ulster prides itself on its award winning, industry engaged and research led teaching in media. With the launch of the Creative Industries Institute, and the recent success of the AHRC Funded Future Screens NI project, Ulster has confirmed its position as a sector leader within the broadly defined creative industries. As part of the newly formed Ulster Screen Academy, the School of Communication and Media seeks to expand undergraduate and postgraduate provision in both traditional and emerging screen production.

This post offers an exciting opportunity to lead the development of new curriculum that brings together academic scholarship, creative practice and professional skills development. The successful candidate will lead the new degree in Screen Production, and work alongside internationally recognized researchers to design and deliver a screen production curriculum which focuses on television production but also stretches across platforms and addresses both traditional storytelling and narratives for emerging televisual platforms. In particular, they will be teaching professional industry-level practice in broadcasting within various environments – e.g. outside broadcasting, TV studio production, and live television. A strong industrial background is essential.

Closing Date: March 29, 2019

For more information on the post please visit the website

On April 14-15, 2019

European Humanities Universtiry (EHU), Vilnius

Deadline: March 15, 2019

The event is organized by Games & Scholars (Vilnius) in partnership with the Laboratory for Computer Games at the Research Center for Mediaphilosophy (Saint Petersburg) and the Laboratory of Studies of Visual Culture and Contemporary Art (European Humanities University, Vilnius). The conference became possible thanks to support from the EHU Department of Social Sciences.

The conference is a 2 day event aimed at students and young scholars of media studies, cultural studies and other areas of humanities and social sciences. The conference invites game researchers, critics and designers to talk about violence in games on a higher conceptual level than the usual media discourse.

We invite you to discuss the following topics and cases:

• The game is broken: glitch in media studies,
• Difficulty level: impossible (tortureware, exploitationware, masocore games),
• Gamer theory: violent games vs. real world oppression,
• The good, the bad and the ugly: provocative aesthetics of indie games,
• Horror and the non-human: the violent Other,
• Exploitative game design and its moral implications, and other related topics.

We are particularly interested in cases when the game takes the initiative from players and makes them do, see or feel things they would not consent to in a different context. Violence, in this case, is understood as an uncontrollable disruption of the player’s experience. The simplest example, as mundane as it could be, is Flappy Bird, which wobbly controls reportedly made its players smash their phones. That Dragon, Cancer is a more elaborate example of gameplay violence: game’s deceptive affordances frustrate the player in dramatic situations when manipulations with available objects do not produce any results. On the storyline level, disturbing and baffling Doki Doki Literature Club is a violently subversive example. Finally, visual violence comes in many forms in video games, from hyperrealistic gore in horror games to the intricate art of glitch. In the latter case, the game as an automated medium goes rogue and accidentally creates situations which the human practice fails to control.

The question is: why does the game go on, even if it abuses the player? And even deeper: how violence in games produce the epistemological rupture in the playing process? What analytical perspectives can we apply to such cases? Who is being violent, and why? Is it media technology at large, or should we look for violence in the player’s gaze? How can we compare the horror of video games to the horror of other media (to say nothing about horrors of the real world and human existence in general)? May we suggest that all games are violent when they punish players for not following their rules? We will discuss this, and similar questions, after the talks and during panel discussions.

Submission for abstracts will be open on February 19, 2019, via an online form.

Registration will be closed on March 15 for those participants who need a visa to travel to Lithuania. The deadline may be extended until March 31 for those participants who don’t need a visa to travel to Lithuania. The registration form is available online.

The final decision about the program and submitted talk will be made before April 1, and the authors of all submissions will be notified about the result of reviewing process.

The organizers provide visa support and discount prices on accommodation to the accepted speakers who submitted before March 15 and need help with finding accommodation.

Articles based on presentations at the conference will be recommended for publication in the game studies issue of the EHU academic journal Crossroads. The Crossroads is included into EBSCO-CEEAS (Central & Eastern European Academic Source) and indexed in the MLA International Bibliography.

If you have any questions, please address them to games.and.scholars@gmail.com.

Nordic Production Studies

Deadline: March 31, 2019

Guest editors: Sarah Atkinson (Kings College London), Olof Hedling (Lund University), Mette Hjort (Hong Kong Baptist University) and Pietari Kaapa (University of Warwick).

Production studies has emerged as a vibrant field in contemporary media studies. The work of John Caldwell, Michael Curtin, Toby Miller and Mette Hjort has contributed to developing conceptual and theoretical approaches to the field, working simultaneously on both global and local levels of policy and production management. This work paves the way for a media studies that addresses the internal machinations of an industry often exhibiting egalitarian and liberal values on a textual level while the reality of working conditions tends to diverge considerably from these optimistic projections. While there have been studies of above-, across- and below-the-line labour in the Nordic media industries, these tend to be focused on communicating with highly specialized interest groups (journalists, regulators, film producers, social media marketers, etc.). A much more ‘convergent’ approach to the labour of professionals in the Nordic media industries is clearly required as boundaries between roles and levels of professional specialization are increasingly blurring.

Journal of Scandinavian Cinema has prioritized this emerging field for an upcoming special issue focused on the Nordic creative/media industries. The Nordic countries, especially, pose highly complex challenges for production studies as they continue to be predicated on significant levels of public funding and strict but egalitarian labour regulations. The roles of private capital, competition with imported products, the challenges of digital platforms, as well as an inherently limited scope of the domestic markets of all five countries, translate into a complex media environment where production labour and the constitution of professional roles is constantly revised, or indeed, precarious, as Curtin and Sanson (2015) would argue – this, despite the fact that these countries are often promoted as exhibiting some of the more stable and sustainable societal infrastructures globally. This, in turn, provides the issue with a unique angle on production studies in that it highlights the cultural constitution of Nordic production management, labour conditions, cultural policy and, even, the ability to evaluate how these dynamics are eventually reflected in screen content.

The issue encourages submissions on the following themes and also welcomes work outside/combining these areas:

• The role of film institutes
• The centrality of public broadcasting infrastructure in Nordic media environments
• Welfare politics (egalitarian opportunities and educational incentives)
• Gender politics and labour management (Bechdel test and Sweden; rejection of quotas and Denmark)
• ‘Me Too’ and institutional change
• The role of regional film funds
• Film consultants as stakeholders and tastemakers
• The comparative lack of tax incentives in the Nordic countries
• The role of producers in a publically aided production environment
• Film schools and professionalization of media labour
• Digital platforms and DIY attitudes
• Crowdfunding and other prosumer tactics
• Vimeo and ‘unprofessional’ media
• Labour laws and unionization
• Specific technical roles (ie. score composer, line manager, caterer, VFX artist, etc.)
• Diversity (the consolidation of minority cultures professionals – the Sami etc.)

Timeline for contributions:

• Proposals of 500 words maximum – 31 March 2019
• Full article submission (8000 words maximum) – 30 October 2019

All contributions will undergo double-blind peer review with publication planned for July 2020.

Please email the editors to discuss potential contributions (sarah.atkinson@kcl.ac.uk; olof.hedling@litt.lu.se; mettehjort@hkbu.edu.hk, P.Kaapa@warwick.ac.uk).

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Deadline: March 10, 2019

The UOC Research and Innovation Committee has agreed to publish a call for applications for six places for three-year postdoctoral research fellowships. The positions are open to postdoctoral teaching and research staff in any of the fields of study at the University and the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3). The deadline for applications, as indicated in the terms and conditions, is 10 March.

Researchers awarded a doctoral degree – whether at the UOC or elsewhere – before publication of this call for applications may apply. Candidates with a doctoral degree from the UOC must provide proof of having carried out a postdoctoral stay at another university or research centre for a period of at least two years.

Those benefiting from these contracts cannot have been contracted by the UOC in the two years immediately leading up to the publication of this call for applications.

The decision regarding this call will be made public on or after 8 April. Candidates must send the application forms to preaward_osrt@uoc.edu.

Call here

Editors: Hammett-Jamart, Julia, Mitric, Petar, Novrup Redvall, Eva (Eds.)

Palgrave Macmillan

Website here

This volume offers an up-to-date analysis of film and television co-production in Europe. It brings together the voices of policy professionals, industry practitioners and media industry scholars to trace the contours of a complex practice that is of increasing significance in the global media landscape. Analysis of the latest production statistics sits alongside interviews with producers and the critical evaluation of public film policies. The volume incorporates contributions from representatives of major public institutions—Eurimages, the European Audiovisual Observatory and the European Commission—and private production companies including the pan-European Zentropa Group. Policy issues are elucidated through case studies including the Oscar-winning feature film Ida, the BAFTA-winning I am not a Witch and the Danish television serial Ride Upon the Storm. Scholarly articles span co-development, co-distribution and regional cinemas as well as emerging policy challenges such as the digital single market. The combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches, and the juxtaposition of industry and scholarly voices, provides a unique perspective on European co-production that is information-rich, complex and stimulating, making this volume a valuable companion for students, scholars, and industry professionals.

June 25-26, 2019

Middlesex University, London

Deadline: March 15, 2019

Call for papers on Kurdish Migration to be presented at the 3rd International Kurdish Studies Conference, Middlesex University, London, 25-26 June 2019

As part of the 3rd International Kurdish Studies Conference, we also aim to organise several sessions on Kurdish Migration. Therefore we invite papers which are empirically and theoretically grounded and contextualized and examining all aspects of migration from, through and into Kurdistan

Sessions on the Kurdish migration at the 3rd International Kurdish Studies aims to bring together researchers from a range of disciplines working on Kurdish migration to exchange their views and findings about all aspects of migration from, through and into Kurdistan, as well as about the experiences of diasporic Kurdish communities and second generations.

Researchers are kindly encouraged to contribute to and help shape the conference through submissions of their research abstracts. We would welcome abstracts related to Kurdish migration and diaspora.

Topics of interest for submission include, but are not limited to:

• Yazidi genocide and displacement
• Displacement of the Kurds from Afrin, Kirkuk, Sur-Diyarbakir, Cizre, Nuseybin and Şırnak
• Migration, ethnicity, citizenship, belonging and identity politics
• Migration, labour market, entrepreneurship and economic integration
• Migration, gendered experiences, and sexuality
• Family dynamics and intergenerational relationships
• Migrants, media and translocal cultural politics and representations
• Migration, arts, media and culture
• Migration, digital age and technology
• Migration, education and childhood
• Political participation, (digital) networks and organisations
• Transnational ties and/or remittances
• Migration, law, legal status, rights, and undocumented migration
• Internal and international migration, borders and borderlands
• Civil rights, racism and anti-racism, discrimination and xenophobia and diasporic narratives of Kurdish resistance
• Refugee and internal displacement issues
• Refugee camps in Kurdistan, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan
• Migration theories and frameworks
• Research methodology and Kurdish migration
• Statelessness and internally displaced persons
• Migration and refugee policies in the Middle East, Europe, North America and elsewhere

Please submit your abstract of maximum 350 words to KurdishStudies@mdx.ac.uk . Please suggest up to 5 keywords, indicate your institutional affiliation and the stage of your fieldwork, if it is relevant.

The deadline for submission is 15th March 2019. Please include:

• A title for your abstract
• An abstract (max 350 words)
• Your name, affiliation and contact details (email address)

General information about the conference

3rd INTERNATIONAL KURDISH STUDIES CONFERENCE

Shifting Dynamics of the Kurdistan Question in a Changing Middle East

Over 35 million Kurds live under the national jurisdictions of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria where the Kurdish identity, culture, linguistic rights, homeland and own political representation are contested and contained in most cases by the force of arms. Consequently, the combination of authoritarian state ideologies, the systematic and recurrent use of state violence in these countries has led to the rise of Kurdish opposition. In turn, the ruling states have further used the Kurdish resistance as a pretext to reinforce draconian policies of negation, assimilation and elimination of Kurdish national aspirations.

The 20th century has marked the most repressive state policies against the Kurdish quest for self-determination. At the turn of the 21st century, however, various political developments suggest a shift for the Kurds. The regime change in Iraq in 2003, the ongoing civil war in Syria and the emergence of ISIS were among the watershed events that have not only changed the balance of power in the Middle East but also the perception and position of the Kurds in the global political system.

The establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Kurdistan-Iraq, the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria and the rise of pro-Kurdish political parties in Kurdistan-Turkey have given rise to the political visibility of the Kurds in international politics. The old borders and boundaries that separated the Kurds are becoming increasingly ineffective. These crucial developments have deepened the sovereignty crisis of the oppressive regional states. Simultaneously with this emerging new political geography and visibility of the Kurds, the number of scholarly studies on the “Kurdish Question” and “Kurdistan Question” has rapidly increased in recent years. The “Kurdistan Question” is growing into an international political issue that needs a global response to find a peaceful settlement in the region.

Keynote Speaker: Prof Abbas Vali, Emeritus Professor of Sociology

Call for Abstracts

This interdisciplinary conference aims to bring together researchers from a range of disciplines working on Kurdish history, politics, culture, gender, minority rights and diaspora to examine the ongoing political, social and cultural developments in the lives of the Kurds and Kurdistan. In this context, we seek a broad range of contributions from disciplines of sociology, politics, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, gender studies, cultural studies, history, economics, law, international relations and migration studies.

Researchers are kindly encouraged to contribute to and help shape the conference through submissions of their research abstracts. We also welcome proposals for sessions and are open to suggestions as to what format these take, including panel discussions, roundtables and workshops or book launches. The conference will provide an excellent venue for academics, researchers, students, professionals and policymakers.

How to submit

Please submit your abstract of maximum 350 words to KurdishStudies@mdx.ac.uk. Please suggest up to 5 keywords, indicate your institutional affiliation and the stage of your fieldwork, if it’s relevant.

The Conference Organising Committee

Dr Janroj Yilmaz Keles, Middlesex University

Prof Joshua Castellino, Middlesex University and Minority Rights Group International

Dr Naif Bezwan, University of Innsbruck, Austria, and UCL

Ibrahim Dogus, Centre for Kurdish Progress

Ass.Prof Mehmet Ali Dikerdem, Middlesex University

Dr Tunc Aybak, Middlesex University

Dr Edel Huges, Middlesex University

Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Gülbeyaz Nagasaki University

Dr Arzu Yilmaz

Dr Selim Temo, Associate professor

Dr Umut Erel, Open University

Dr Necla Acik, University of Manchester

Dr Kamal Soleimani, The College of Mexico, Mexico

Dr Mohammed Shareef, University of Exeter

Conference Details

Location: Middlesex University, London, UK

Dates

• Abstract submission deadline March 15th , 2019
• Notification of acceptance April 1st , 2019
• Conference Date June 25-26, 2019

Conference Fee

Registration fee: £ 100

Discount fee for students (postgraduate and doctoral): £ 50

All delegates will be expected to make and pay for their own travel and accommodation arrangements.

Abstract Submission Guidelines

The maximum word limit for the abstract is 350 words. The abstract must contain a brief statement of the objectives, methodology, essential results and the conclusion of the study.

The abstract must also contain the authors’ names, institutional affiliations, contact number, email and postal address. Please submit your abstract to KurdishStudies@mdx.ac.uk email address.

This conference is organised by the Department of Politics and Law, Middlesex University, Minority Rights Group International and Centre for Kurdish Progress.

Contact: For more information, please contact Dr Janroj Yilmaz Keles at J.Keles@mdx.ac.uk

Deadline: April 30, 2019

The Journal of Digital Media & Interaction is an open access journal that addresses research on enhancing user experience in digital media applications in creative, cultural and social contexts. It focuses on the socio-technological challenges seen from a transdisciplinary perspective, grounded in media studies and interaction design, as well as in communication, human–computer interaction, cultural studies, design, psychology, sociology and information sciences. As an international peer-reviewed research journal, it provides an open forum for: the discussion and monitoring of trends and transformations in the digital media landscape; the presentation of new design models and emergent technologies for the innovation of the user experience; the presentation of results from empirical studies and innovative research approaches.

http://revistas.ua.pt/index.php/jdmi

Important Dates for the Issue #3

• Submission of Full Articles & Book Reviews: 30 April 2019
• Notification of acceptance: 30 May 2019
• Revised version: 15 June 2019
• Final version to be reviewed by authors: 30 June 2019
• Publication: 15 July 2019

Guidelines: http://revistas.ua.pt/index.php/jdmi/pages/view/authors

ISSN 2184-3120, Indexation pending

Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies

Deadline: March 22, 2019

To deliver high-quality and research-led teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and contribute to the research record of the School through commitment to carrying out research leading to the publishing of work in high-quality journals. To pursue excellence in research and teaching, and to inspire others to do the same.

This post is full-time and open-ended

8250BR

Salary: £33,199 - £39,609 per annum (Grade 6)

Date advert posted: Wednesday, 20 February 2019

Closing date: Friday, 22 March 2019

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Job Description

Research

• To conduct research within the specialist area of Global Media and Communication, contributing to the overall research performance of the School and University by the production of measurable outputs, including publishing in leading academic journals
• To develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, including research funding proposals
• To give conference/seminar papers at a local and national level
• To participate in School research activities.

Teaching

• To design and deliver teaching provision for courses and contribute to module development as part of a module team
• To carry out other forms of scholarship including work associated with examinations (setting and marking paper and providing constructive feedback to students), administration, participation in committee work, and the pastoral care of students of Cardiff University
• To inspire undergraduate and postgraduate students with excellent teaching, develop skills in assessment methods and in providing constructive feedback to students.
• To supervise the work of students including the supervision of Undergraduate and Master’s students and the co-supervision of PGR’s
• To act as a Personal Tutor and provide pastoral support to students

Other

• To engage effectively with external stakeholders to raise awareness of the School’s profile, to cultivate strategically valuable alliances, and to pursue opportunities for collaboration across a range of activities. These activities are expected to contribute to the School and the enhancement of its regional and national profile.
• To undergo personal and professional development that is appropriate to and which will enhance performance in the role of Lecturer.
• To participate in School administration and activities to promote the School and its work to the wider University and the outside world
• Any other duties not included above, but consistent with the role.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications and Education

1. Postgraduate degree at PhD level in a related subject area or relevant industrial experience

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

2. An established expertise and proven portfolio of research within Global Media and Communication, with the following research areas especially welcome:

• Digital Media Methods
• Media and/or Cultural Policy
• Internet and Data Studies

3. Teaching experience at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level

4. Knowledge of current status of research in specialist field

5. Proven ability to publish in national journals

6. A willingness to be actively involved in competitive research funding bids

7. Ability to contribute to the delivery and continued development of modules consistent with the School’s teaching programmes

Pastoral, Communication and Team Working

8. Proven ability in effective and persuasive communication

9. The ability to provide appropriate pastoral support to students, appreciate the needs of individual students and their circumstances, and to act as a personal tutor

Desirable Criteria

10. Relevant professional qualification(s).

11. Evidence of collaborations with industry and/or external stakeholders.

12. Proven ability to work without close supervision

13. Proven ability to adapt to the changing requirements of the Higher Education community.

14. Evidence of ability to participate in and develop both internal and external networks and utilise them to enhance the teaching and research activities of the School.

15. A willingness to take responsibility for academically related administration.

16. Evidence of ability to participate in and develop both internal and external networks and utilise them to enhance the teaching and research activities of the School.

17. A willingness to take responsibility for academically related administration.

Additional Information

We are a top-rated institution in the UK for media teaching and research that helps to shape international media, journalism and communication landscapes.

We offer a wide range of courses at various levels with postgraduate degrees that range from industry oriented, practice-based training to more academic degrees. We combine a long-standing record of excellence in teaching and training with an outstanding research portfolio, routinely winning awards from a wide range of bodies.

This reputation was recognised in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework where we were ranked 2nd for the quality of our journalism, media and communications research. When compared with 66 other institutions in the UK, 89% of our research was classed as either ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, with both our research environment and the impact of our research receiving a score of 100%.

Our lectures are delivered by a diverse teaching team of established academics and industry leaders who also regularly contribute expert opinion and commentary about research and topical news events to the national media and the school blog.

We are also fully committed to supporting, developing and promoting equality and diversity in all of our practices and activities. We offer an inclusive culture with a range of support services for students with disabilities and learning difficulties.

Our location at No. 2 Central Square places us alongside local and national media companies including broadcaster BBC Cymru/Wales.

Our location helps us build stronger industry links, boosting our students’ employability by providing direct access to major media organisations within journalism as well as the creative and cultural industries.

Our new location features:

• Four lecture theatres including a 300-seat lecture theatre
• Five seminar rooms
• Dedicated library space
• Six newsrooms
• TV and radio studios
• Innovation and computer labs
• Editing suites
• Postgraduate research space
• Social staircase

Salary Range Min.: 33,199

Salary Range Max.: 39,609

Job CategoryAcademic - Teaching & Research

Grade: Grade 6

Apply here