ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

April 12-14, 2019

High Point University, USA

Deadline for submissions: February 22, 2019

contact email: shall@highpoint.edu

Keynote Speaker: Rachel Noel Williams (Narrative Designer at Obsidian Entertainment, Lead Narrative Designer at Telltale Games, and Narrative Writer at Riot Games)

Over the history of game design, a fundamental consideration for creators is the inclusion of narrative. Some might consider the introduction of narrative in game design as radical as the introduction of sound into film. Not all games require, or even benefit from, a narrative. For those games that involve narrative – from merely situating a player to deeply involving the player in the creation of a narrative experience – this inclusion can influence the games in a multitude of ways. Through the interrelation of interactivity principles, game mechanics, and narrative elements, games can tell stories in a way no other medium can. The success of recent games such as Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead, Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn, and Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us delivered narratively immersive experiences for their players. Long-running franchises from Zork to King’s Quest to The Legend of Zelda have narratives that not only span multiple games but also other media such as novels, comic books, and televisual productions.

To celebrate all the ways that games incorporate, create, and advance narrative, the Game & Interactive Media Design Program at High Point University (High Point, NC) is hosting a conference on narrative games. Soliciting a wide variety of perspectives on all types of narrative games – not just video games but tabletop games, board games, card games, wargaming, and more – this conference aims to both interrogate and celebrate the interplay of games and narrative.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Balancing player agency within a narrative-driven game
  
• Franchise reboots and the impact on narrative history (such as Gears of War IV (2016) or God of War (2018))
  
• Player Reception
  
• Players’ interpretation co-construction of interactive narratives
  
• Physical and cognitive aspects of narrative interactivity
  
• Game worlds and cultures
  
• Game narratives in larger society
  
• Casual games, interactive text-based narratives, exploration and walking simulators, and other narrative-driven games outside of mainstream deployment/reception
  
• Story-telling through environment and asset design
  
• Transmedia storytelling, particularly engagement with game narrative across multiple media platforms (e.g. The Walking Dead as part of a large franchise)
  
• Intersectional discussions of representation of characters and cultures
  
• Encouraging values through narrative design
  

Abstracts should range from 250-500 words and include a sample bibliography.

Abstracts should be directed to any of the four members of the conference committee:

• Dr. Stefan Hall – shall@highpoint.edu
  
• Dr. Kris Bell – kbell@highpoint.edu
  
• Dr. Kelly Tran – ktran@highpoint.edu
  
• Mr. Brian Heagney – bheagney@highpoint.edu
  

Please indicate “Narrative Game Conference 2019” in the email header.

Conference presentations should be 20 minutes in length. Please note any AV needs in your abstract submission.

Deadline for submissions: Friday, February 22nd

Acceptance notifications: Friday, March 1st

Conference: Friday-Sunday, April 12-14th

Registration fee: $40 for faculty, $20 for students (payable on site)

The Game & Interactive Media Design program is housed within the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication at High Point University (HPU). The program was named a Top 50 Game Design program in 2017 by the Princeton Review. HPU is located in High Point, NC, which is part of the Piedmont Triad including Greensboro and Winston-Salem. High Point is a short ride from the Piedmont Triad International airport (GSO) in Greensboro, the city is directly serviced by Amtrak, and is easily accessible from I-40 by car. The program also benefits from its close proximity to the Research Triangle which houses major development studios including Epic Games, Red Storm Entertainment, and Insomniac East.

April 15-20, 2019

Dubrovnik, Croatia

ECREA CEE Network supported 8th Graduate Spring School & Research conference on Comparative Media Systems: 100 Years of Media Systems in Southeast Europe – the legacy of Yugoslavia, Inter University Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 15-20 April 2019

In October/December 2018 a 100 year anniversary of the first Yugoslavia passed with hardly any examination of its impact in its successor countries. In this research conference and graduate spring school we wish to examine the legacy of Yugoslavia in the present day media systems in the countries of the region. How can we explain their divergent media systems trajectories in the countries which spent 70-ish years in a shared state? Why is it that the freedom of expression, independence and autonomy of the media in the countries in the region exhibit consistently lower scores then in the countries of Central Europe, almost 30 years after the beginning of post-communist democratic transition? How do these post-communist media systems compare to media systems in western democracies, and can commonalities be found in sufficient degree so that they might be included in the same typology? Or, are these media systems so marked by their communist antecedents that they merit the special type of “post-communist media system”?

If we wished to explore the influence of socialism/communism, the likelihood of a single model of media system is most likely in southeastern Europe as these countries, having been part of one common state, would be expected to have had the most similar socialist experience. The differences in the historical and political development of the constituent states prior to the common Yugoslavian experience, and the political developments after the dissolution of the socialist Yugoslavia in 1990s, however, speak more to the contrary. The course & research conference will explore the influences from a historical institutionalist perspective (Peruško 2016). Present day media systems in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia will be analyzed with this comparative longitudinal optics.

A special focus will be put on the socialist experience with the media in Yugoslavia, the differences or similarities of media agendas and strategies within different republics. The examples and cases of dissent in the media and popular culture will also be examined. The course will examine comparative examples from other European regions that at one time in the past 100 years were at the periphery of Europe, especially the Mediterranean countries.

The course includes a one day hands-on methodological workshop on the design and implementation of fuzzy set QCA and the accompanying statistical analysis.

Course organization & keynote lecturers

The course is organized by course directors from 6 European universities:

• Carmen Ciller, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
  
• Steffen Lepa, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany
  
• Paolo Mancini, Università di Perugia, Italy
  
• Snježana Milivojević, University of Belgrade, Serbia
  
• Zrinjka Peruško, University of Zagreb, Croatia
  
• Slavko Splichal, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
  

Confirmed keynotes include Paolo Mancini, University of Perugia, Zrinjka Peruško, University of Zagreb, Antonija Čuvalo, University of Zagreb, Dina Vozab, University of Zagreb, Snježana Milivojević, University of Belgrade, Slavko Splichal, University of Ljubljana, Tarik Jusić, Analitika Sarajevo, Snezana Trpevska, Institute of Communication Studies, Skopje, Kaarle Nordestreng, University of Tampere (tbc). Other key note speakers will be announced shortly.

This eight “slow science” IUC-CMS is an interdisciplinary research conference & post-graduate course open to academics, doctoral and post-doctoral students in media, communication and related fields engaged with the issue of media and media systems, that wish to discuss their current work with established and emerging scholars and get relevant feedback.

Invited research conference participants will deliver keynote lectures with ample discussion opportunities. In this unique academic format, student course attendees will have extended opportunity to present and discuss their current own work with the course directors and other lecturers and participants in seminar form (English language) and in further informal meetings around the beautiful old-town of Dubrovnik (UNESCO World Heritage) over 5 full working days (Monday to Saturday).

The working language is English.

Participation in the course for graduate (master and doctoral) students brings 3,5 ECTS credits, and for doctoral students who present their thesis research 6 ECTS. The course is accredited and the ECTS are awarded by the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb (www.fpzg.unizg.hr). All participants will also receive a certificate of attendance from the IUC.

Enrollment

To apply, send a CV and a motivation letter to zrinjka.perusko@gmail.com. Doctoral students who wish to present their research should also send a 300 word abstract. The course can accept 20 students, and the applications are received on a rolling basis. After notification of acceptance you need to register also on this website

The IUC requires a small enrollment fee from student participants. Participants are responsible for organizing their own lodging and travel. Affordable housing is available for IUC participants. Stipends are available from IUC for eligible participants, further information at https://www.iuc.hr/iuc-support.php. For information on these matters please contact the IUC secretariat at iuc@iuc.hr.

Venue Information

The Inter-University Centre was founded in Dubrovnik in 1972 as an independent, autonomous academic institution with the aim of promoting international co-operation between academic institutions throughout the world. Courses are held in all scientific disciplines around the year, with participation of member and affiliated universities.

Additional Information

For further information about academic matters please contact the organizing course director: professor Zrinjka Peruško zrinjka.perusko@gmail.com, Centre for Media and Communication Research (www.cim.fpzg.unizg.hr), Department of Media and Communication, Faculty of Political Science (www.fpzg.unizg.hr), University of Zagreb (www.unizg.hr).

September 12-13, 2019

University of Bremen, Germany

Deadline for submissions: January 31, 2019

With increasingly globalized digital infrastructures and a global digital political economy, we face new concentrations of power, leading to new inequalities and insecurities with respect to data ownership, data geographies and different data-related practices. It is not only a concentration of power by a few corporations, but also a concentration of the availability of data in individual regions of the world. This includes (exerting) power about data (infra)structures and processes of data creation, data collection, data access, data processing, data interpretation, data storing, data visualisations.

The Global in/securities theme of the 2019 Data Power conference attends to questions around these phenomena, asking: How does data power further or contest global in/securities? How are global in/securities constructed through or against data? How do civil society actors, government, people engage with societal and individual in/securities through and with data? What are appropriate ontologies to think about data and persons? How may we envisage a just data society? And what does decolonizing data in/securities look like?

This conference creates a space to reflect on these and other critical issues relating to data’s in/security and its decolonizing. Confirmed keynote speakers are:

• Virginia Eubanks, University at Albany, USA;
  
• Jack Linchuan Qiu, Chinese University Hongkong;
  
• Seeta Peña Gangadaran, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK;
  
• Nimmi Rangaswamy, Indian Institute of Information Technology, IIIT, Hyderabad, India.
  

Papers and panels are invited on the following – and other relevant – topics:

• Big data and humanitarianism
  
• Big/open data, corruption and public debt
  
• ‘Good’ data, data justice and well-being
  
• Critical, theoretical and feminist approaches to data in/securities
  
• Data activism, citizen engagement, indigenous data sovereignty and open data
  
• Data journalism and rhetorics of data visualization in a global perspective
  
• Data-driven governance and open data
  
• Securitization and militarization of data infrastructures
  
• Data, discrimination and inequality
  
• Emerging in/securities through algorithms and automated decision-making
  
• Forensic data, human rights and refugees
  
• Decolonizing data in/securities and data labor
  
• Machine learning, developmentalism and human security
  

To propose a panel, please select "Other" in the submission system and ensure that all submitted papers that should be considered for the proposed panel include the same headline with the panel title in the abstracts. Please note that - if a proposed panel is selected by the conference committee - all panels will be open for other selected submissions.

Information/details

Please submit 250-word-paper proposals, using the online submission system at https://portal.smart-abstract.com/data-power

The deadline for paper proposals is January 31, 2019.

The conference fee is 200 Euro, and 100 Euro for students. There will be travel grants for participants from the global south and PhD student fee waivers (please indicate the need when applying)

The organising committee will select papers for a special theme proposal to be submitted to the peer reviewed journals Big Data & Society and International Communication Gazette.

For information on travel visa, please visit the webpage.

Deadline: February 11, 2019

YECREA is proud to announce the first ever task force in its history, which will be dealing with Open Access from a young scholar’s perspective. Our ambition is to inform about different Open Access models and the pitfalls or opportunities they might entail, to help navigate the messy landscape of Open Access publishing, to educate about predatory publishing and to raise awareness for the sustainability of Open Access. We are making young scholar voices heard in the strategic move towards Open Access and Open Science within Media and Communication Studies in Europe.

So please come and join us – we need your help in raising awareness for If you feel like contributing and giving something back to the great community of young scholars that YECREA represents or if you have any question about the task force, please get in touch with Anne Mollen (a.mollen@uni-muenster.de) by February 11, 2019. The YECREA task force will then start its work.

Gamevironments (special issue) by Lisa Kienzl and Kathrin Trattner

Deadline: March 1, 2019

Although video games can be seen as a prime example of a globalized media culture, questions of nation and identity have been the subject of increasing scholarly as well as public discussion in recent years. In 2018, two games in particular sparked controversy around gaming and nationalism, though in very different ways: The USAmerican first-person-shooter, Far Cry 5, and the Czech role-playing game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The former caused debates by creating a dystopian vision of American ultra-nationalism and fanatic religiosity, the latter was critically discussed for consolidating narratives of national romanticism.

Yet, such debates do not only concern game content: Entanglements between nation(alism), identity and gaming can also be found on the levels of video game production as well as gamer discourse. To further explore the multilayered socio-cultural and political contexts of video games and gaming, the international peer-reviewed journal gamevironments is calling for submissions for a special issue on nation(alism), identity and video gaming. We encourage reflection on the socio-political contexts, as well as on cultural influences on different types and aspects of video games and gaming culture, including educational games, the gaming industry, esports, gaming communities, etc. We particularly invite non-Western perspectives and postcolonial approaches to questions of nation(alism), identity and video gaming, as well as the role of religion within this framework.

What are the specific relationships between national political contexts and game development? Do nation building and nationalism influence various forms of representation within video games? What is the relationship between national identity building processes and religious systems in video games? What socio-political discourses accompany such representations? (How) do national(ist) discourses influence gamers’ self-identification and in-game-choices?

In this issue, we want to approach these and other questions on the levels of video game production, in-game-representation, as well as negotiations through gamers.

Topics for further investigation may include, but are not limited to, nation(alism), identity and gaming, in the specific contexts of / regarding:

• theoretical approaches
  
• postcolonial approaches
  
• gender theoretical and queer perspectives
  
• actor-centered approaches
  
• onstructions of identity/otherness
  
• national video game cultures
  
• identity building and nation(alism)
  
• history and nation building
  
• race and nation(alism)
  
• cultural heritage
  
• religion and nation(alism)
  
• museum education and/or educational games
  
• global and/or national aspects of esports, video game industries or game development
  

Guidelines

Submit a title and 300-word abstract to Lisa Kienzl (kienzl@uni-bremen.de) and Kathrin Trattner (kathrin.trattner@uni-graz.at) by 01.03.2019.

Possible formats for submission include:

a) regular academic articles

b) interviews

c) research reports

d) book reviews

e) game reviews

All articles submitted will be subject to double-blind peer-review.

For more on submission formats and guidelines see:

http://www.gamevironments.uni-bremen.de/submission-guideline/

https://www.gamevironments.uni-bremen.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/gvstylesheet.

Timeline

• Title and abstract submission: 01.03.2019
  
• Full text submission: 01.07.2019
  
• Review results returned: 01.09.2019
  
• Revised text submission: 15.10.2019
  
• Online publication: December 2019
  

University of Liverpool (UK)

Deadline: February 8, 2019

The Department of Communication and Media is seeking to appoint a 1.0FTE Post-Doctoral Research Associate to work on the Nuffield Foundation Funded Project “Me and my big data: developing citizens’ data literacies” led by Professor Simeon Yates. This project seeks to understand the levels of and variations in UK citizens data literacy, and to develop policy and educational materials to support improving this.

This project will examine and address these issues in four broad ways:

• explore through survey data and citizen workshops the extent of citizens data literacy
  
• analyse the social basis of variations and inequalities in data literacy across a range of factors
  
• develop training and support materials for schools, universities and third sector groups in order to enhance citizen’s data literacy
  
• develop policy recommendations for stakeholders on enhancing citizen data literacy.
  

This project forms part of a wider set of research on the social impacts of digital media including issues of digital inclusion and digital culture. This may include working with external organisations such as the government Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the GoodThings charity and Liverpool city region Mayor’s Office.

You should have a degree (or equivalent qualification or relevant professional experience). The post is available for 12 months from February 2019.

£34,188 - £39,610 

Job Ref: 010780 Closing Date: 8 February 2019

https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BPL006/post-doctoral-research-associate-grade-7

University of Glasgow

Deadline: Feburary 18, 2019

The Centre for Cultural Policy Research (CCPR) at the University of Glasgowoffers a vibrant and supportive research-led work environment in one of the UK’s oldest and most inspiring universities. We are currentl  seeking to recruit a Senior Lecturer in International Media in order to strengthen the Centre’s reputation for research on media and communications and to support our PG teaching.

Further details of this post, for which the closing date is Monday 18 February 2019, can be found (Ref: 024028) here

Job Details

• Reference Number: 024028
  
• Location: Gilmorehill Campus / Main Building
  
• College / Service: COLLEGE OF ARTS
  
• Department: SCHOOL OF CULTURE & CREATIVE ARTS
  
• Job Family: Research And Teaching
  
• Position Type: Full Time
  
• Salary Range: £51,630 - £58,089
  

Job Purpose: Policy Research (CCPR) at the University of Glasgow has forged a reputation for its rigorous, high-impact research and analysis of media and cultural industries and policies and also for its internationally leading Masters provision. Based in CCPR, the purpose of this post is to strengthen the Centre’s research in relation to international media, cultural and creative industries with a particular focus on media and communications, and to support CCPR’s teaching. The appointee will play a vital role in leading a research agenda in the Centre and the College of Arts, in line with the University, College and School and CCPR strategic objectives.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. To lead and sustain high–quality research activity through a portfolio of individual, joint and/or network research projects, and to secure external funding for the same through successful grant applications to Research Councils and other funding bodies.

2. To provide research leadership in the relevant Unit of Assessment and to contribute effectively to enhancing that UoA’s research profile in future national research assessment exercises, including maintaining a track record of high quality publications and attending and participating in appropriate research seminars/conferences.

3. To contribute proactively to research in CCPR and to enhancing the Centre’s research profile; and to take a leading role in the School and the College of Arts in developing interdisciplinary research and teaching.

4. To develop links with relevant national and international bodies inside and outside academia with a view to enhancing research, teaching and impact.

5. To provide research direction for more junior staff and, where possible, engage in collaborative research, thereby promoting the development of the University’s research base.

6. To attract and be responsible for supervision and training of postgraduate students, supporting these students to produce high quality scholarship and to successfully complete studies in line with University (and where relevant) funder guidelines.

7. To contribute to all aspects of the design, review, organisation, delivery and assessment of existing teaching programmes and courses in CCPR.

8. To contribute to the School’s ongoing development and review of the curriculum, in a manner that supports a research-led approach to student learning and employability.

9. To participate within the Centre, School and/or College in administrative and other activities as directed by the Director of CCPR, Head of School or VP Head of College, including mentoring of junior staff, in accordance with the School/College strategy.

10. To foster collaboration in research and teaching with other units of the University.

11. To work effectively in co-operation with colleagues in the School, College and University as a whole.

12. To develop and lead research and where appropriate teaching initiatives, which support the School and College Knowledge Exchange agendas.

13. To engage in professional development as appropriate.

14. To contribute to the enhancement of the University’s international profile in line with the University’s Strategic Plan, Inspiring People Changing The World.

http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_180610_en.pdf

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

• A1 A PhD in a relevant area.
  
• A2 Outstanding knowledge of research within relevant areas which
  
• enhances and expands existing areas of expertise within the Centre
  
• A3 An international research profile.
  

Desirable:

• B1 Knowledge of international/global media
  

Skills

Essential:

• C1 Excellent academic leadership skills.
  
• C2 Substantial evidence of carrying out and sustaining research at the highest level.
  
• C3 Experience of working both independently and as part of a team.
  
• C4 Extensive track record of seeking and acquiring external research funding.
  
• C5 Excellent collaborative skills, both in an interdisciplinary context and beyond academia
  
• C6 Excellent organisational skills, including time/project management skills.
  
• C7 Ability to increase the number of students coming to the University to undertake postgraduate study.
  
• C8 Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  
• C9 Excellent interpersonal skills.
  
• C10 Ability to demonstrate originality and innovation in research and scholarship
  
• C11 Capacity to lead, enthuse and motivate students and colleagues
  

Experience

Essential:

• E1 Typically 5-7 years postdoctoral experience.
  
• E2 Outstanding international publication record and research profile which can significantly enhance the subject area’s standing internationally and which would significantly enhance any future University submission to national research assessment exercise(s) with demonstrable performance at 4* level.
  
• E3 A significant track record of attracting external research funding.
  
• E4 Extensive experience of teaching in relevant subject area(s) and the ability to teach across disciplines.
  
• E5 Extensive experience of postgraduate, Masters and PhD supervision. Where academic experience is gained outside of the UK the ability to demonstrate equivalent experience may be consider.
  
• E7 A demonstrable commitment to Knowledge Exchange, public engagement and the broader impact of research.
  
• E8 An established international academic network.
  

Desirable:

F1 Track record of research and teaching on international/global aspects of media

Job Features

• Planning and Organising
  
• Participating fully in a team of research-active staff.
  
• Researching and publishing work of the highest quality in appropriate outlets
  
• Preparing and presenting applications for research funding
  
• Planning and organising research meetings, seminars and conferences
  
• Supervising, where appropriate, postdoctoral research assistants
  
• Supervising postgraduate, Masters and doctoral students
  
• Actively contributing to University/College/School research strategy
  
• Contributing to international and national research developments
  
• Providing leadership in strategic planning of research, teaching and
  
• administration at all levels within and beyond the School, including the identification of new initiatives.
  
• Providing leadership in designing programmes and courses, and in delivering teaching to undergraduate and postgraduate students
  
• Undertaking assessment and delivering feedback to undergraduate and postgraduate students
  
• Participating in University/College/School planning
  
• Organising knowledge exchange and outreach activities as appropriate
  
• Decision Making
  
• Decisions on research methodology and submission of grant applications
  
• Decisions on placement of research output
  
• Decisions on programme/course content and teaching and assessment methods
  
• Decisions on short-term and longer-term research objectives for
  
• postgraduate students
  
• Mentoring of new research and/or teaching staff
  
• Contributing to University/College/School decision-making on research
  
• and teaching
  
• Prioritising workload in accordance with agreed School/College strategy.
  
• Taking responsibility for organisation of resources, as appropriate.
  

Internal/External Relationships

Internal

• Director of CCPR, Head of School, Head of College and University officers to ensure that strategic objectives are met Academic colleagues for information exchange to facilitate effective research and teaching.
  
• Research students/postdoctoral researchers to oversee and advise on research
  
• Undergraduate and postgraduate students to optimise their learning
  
• Administrative staff for exchange of information relating to delivery of research and teaching
  

External

• Key researchers in the field
  
• Key practitioners
  
• Relevant governmental and non-governmental organisations
  
• Research Councils, charitable bodies and other external sources of
  
• research funding
  
• General public/media
  
• Problem Solving
  
• World-class research is a key aspect of this post, including solving research problems at the forefront of the field and the development of new ideas, methods and research projects
  
• Resolving issues regarding research funding
  
• Resolving issues arising in pursuit of research objectives
  
• Assisting research students to resolve problems regarding their research
  
• Assisting postgraduate students to resolve problems regarding their studies
  
• Resolving issues arising in performance of administrative functions
  
• Proposing, imaginatively, strategies and negotiating alternative arrangements in response to strategic challenges in research, teaching and service
  

Standard Terms & Conditions

The salary will be on the Research and Teaching Grade 9 , £51,630 - £58,089 per annum.

The post is full time and open ended.

The successful applicant will be eligible to join the Universities' Superannuation Scheme. Further information regarding the scheme is available from the Superannuation Officer, who is also prepared to advise on questions relating to the transfer of Superannuation benefits.

Relocation assistance will be provided where appropriate.

New entrants to the University will be required to serve a probationary period of 6 months.

Vacancy reference: 024028, Closing date: 19 February 2019

It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment.

We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity

Application deadline:  February 6, 2019

University of West Scotland (UK)

Direct and indirect contribution of developing creative industries, cultural sector and events as a core of Paisley’s economy; inclusive economic growth in Paisley and environs Applications are invited for a PhD Scholarship examining the economic impact of developing the creative economy as an important dimension of the overall local economy through a diverse range of creative industries, culture and heritage projects and programmes.

The research aims to investigate, evidence and analyse the direct and indirect effects on the local economy of Paisley, of cultural regeneration programmes and the stimulation of the local creative industries sector.

The objectives are to:

• Explore and contextualise the economic contribution of the culture sector and event programmes delivered by public, private and third sector organisations in the area.

• Identify the economic and social contribution of and opportunities for creative industries in Paisley, and where relevant, wider Renfrewshire.

• Evaluate and demonstrate the impact of investing in cultural and creative industries development alongside other investment made to support economic growth in Paisley and Renfrewshire in pursuit of an inclusive economy.

Candidates with a first degree and/or Master’s degree with a component of economics or, an urban geography, creative industries or culture/heritage studies background are encouraged to apply. Candidates should be familiar with cost-benefit analysis and the tools of project appraisal as applied in an urban context. Some knowledge of statisticalor econometric software packages (SPSS, E-Views, or STATA) will be advantageous though further training will be provided. Demonstrable understanding of the creative industries and the roles of culture and heritage in regeneration is required, alongside the ability to work effectively in academic and non-academic environments.

This fully-funded studentship includes tuition fees and stipend for three years of full-time study. The researcher will be based at the new Centre for Culture, Sport and Events (CCSE) at UWS Paisley campus and will spend some of their time with Renfrewshire Council Regeneration Service.

CCSE was established in partnership with Renfrewshire Council during Paisley’s UK City of Culture bid process. CCSE ensures that collaborative research and evaluation are fundamental to Paisley’s approach to cultural regeneration, informing continued learning and improvement, establishing Paisley as a centre for excellence in cultural regeneration. CCSE has four key themes:

• place-focused cultural regeneration; arts, cultural diplomacy, and soft power

• sport, cultural events and festivals

• media, communication and digital cultures.

The first and fourth themes support activity connected to five step changes identified by Renfrewshire Council, which aim to build from the

UK City of Culture bid:

1. Grow creativity as a significant new dimension to Paisley’s economy;

2. Radically change Paisley’s image and reputation in Scotland, the UK and internationally

3. Paisley will be recognised for its cultural excellence

4. Lift Paisley’s communities out of poverty

5. Transform

Paisley into a vibrant cultural town centre These step changes aim to support local inclusive growth and development, benefitting the town and wider Renfrewshire region.

To apply for the studentship, applicants should send a two-page proposal and a short CV. Interviews will be held in early February 2019. The studentship will start as soon as possible thereafter. Informal enquiries can be made to Professor John Struthers in the School of Business and Enterprise: john.struthers@uws.ac.uk

Funding Notes

We are looking for enthusiastic and outstanding candidates with a degree relevant to this project, an excellent attitude to collaborative research, attention to detail, ability to withstand a fast learning curve, good communication skills and most importantly, creative enthusiasm. The scholarship is available to students from the UK and EU.

The studentship offers an annual stipend of £14,777 per annum for three years and payment of the tuition fees.

Read more

Ilija Tomanić Trivundža

Press Photography and Visual Framing of News presents an argument for the necessity of taking images seriously within the field of media and communication studies. The argument, although not new, is worth repeating, since regardless of the (over)saturation of contemporary communication with visuals, the field has still not come to terms with the image.

The book presents key theoretical debates on news framing and the specifics of the visual framing of news, which are reconsidered within the norms and conventions of the specific cultural apparatus within which photography is put to work – journalism. The book provides a tentative typology of visual framing and outlines the general trend of the visual framing of news as a move towards a more iconic 

and symbolic representation. This move on the one hand increases the role of images in news reporting by exposing their ability to condense the events into easily recognisable and culturally shared symbols. On the other, it can lead to the impoverishment of visual communication through the overt reduction of particular events into typical occurrences, transforming photogr

aphs into mere illustrations and generic visual cues.

The book also

 points to the important future challenges of visual framing research, namely the need to be able to explain the increasingly convoluted ways in which photographs are used within the convergent media environment to make sense of on-going events and the need to address the changes within the medium of photography itself, namely the fact that in the converged and increasingly surveilled communication environment, the primacy of the representational value of images has been both challenged and instrumentalised.

Discount code PRESS2019 for 30% is valid until June 30, 2019

For more information see the website.

The Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia invites applications for an Associate or Full Professor of Media Studies. The position begins in August 2019. Specialty is open, including global media, critical perspectives on reception research, media and race, sex, class, & gender inequality, screen studies, labor research.

A PhD in media studies or a related field is required. In addition, the successful candidate must have an international research reputation in their field and a record of proven teaching excellence at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Experience in program development is preferred.

Apply online here by attaching a cover letter indicating your research plans, curriculum vitae, one piece of representative research, and contact information for three people who can provide professional reference letters.

For full consideration please submit an application by February 25, 2019; however the position will remain open until filled.

For questions about the application process, please contact Nicole Robinson, Faculty Search Advisor,nr7f@virginia.edu.

UVA assists faculty spouses and partners seeking employment in the Charlottesville area. To learn more please visit http://provost.virginia.edu/dual-career.

For more information about UVA and the surrounding area, visit http://uvacharge.virginia.edu/guide.html.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System and the University Physician’s Group are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.

https://uva.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UVAJobs/job/Charlottesville-VA/Associate-or-Full-Professor-of-Media-Studies_R0001988-1