ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

 May 9 – 11, 2019

Piran (Slovenia)

Deadline: February 28, 2019

Today, algorithms are present everywhere, from the most basic functions of the biggest search engines and social networking sites, to the ways formerly laborious operations are fully automatized. Even though the omnipresence of algorithms increasingly shapes and defines relations at both individual and social levels of our lives, their quasi-autonomous logic and practice remains largely opaque. Practices performed by algorithms are often seen as if they were neutral and objective, even though their logic often merely confirms and reproduces the existing contradictions, inequalities and biases. Moreover, algorithms may strengthen mechanisms of surveillance and oppression, as they are silently taking over functions that in democratic societies ought to be subjected to public scrutiny.

To provide a better understanding of how algorithms influence social relations in the wider field of communication studies, we invite proposals for presentations on a variety of topics connected to algorithms. We seek both empirical and theoretical studies, but the research should be critical in its nature and have strong theoretical foundations. Possible topics for the colloquium include, but are not limited to the issues more narrowly connected to algorithmization of journalistic and media practices, such as:

• Automatization of journalistic labour and robot-journalism,
• Transformations in news and media production,
• News credibility and professional journalistic norms in automated journalism,
• Propaganda,
• Journalistic responsibility and ethics,
• Personalisation of news production, social polarisation and divisions within society,
• Changes in funding of journalism,
• Media politics and regulation,

or to the wider issues in which algorithms are related to social communication:

• Ideology, logic and power of/in algorithms,
• Global news-flows and new types of communication inequalities,
• Search engine algorithms,
• Pitfalls of algorithmization for democratic societies,
• Political economy of algorithms (e.g. advertising, digital labour, market concentration),
• Liquefaction of the publicness/privateness divide,
• Big data and data monopolies,
• Automated inequality,
• Recent technological developments,
• Human decisions in construction of algorithms,
• Communication imperialism and platform imperialism.

EURICOM Colloquia are traditionally small-scale intellectual events with approx. 20-25 participants. This gives participants ample opportunities for in-depth discussions and presentations of research projects. The organisers welcome proposals for papers addressing any aspect of the subject and do not intend to prioritise any particular approach, method or attitude towards the issues under consideration.

In keeping with the established practice of the Colloquia, a special issue of the journal Javnost-The Public will be published containing a selection of the papers presented at the Colloquium.

Interested scholars are invited to submit abstracts for presentation at the 34th EURICOM Colloquium (approximately 250 words) to the editor of Javnost-The Public editor@javnost-thepublic.org by February 28, 2019.

Deadline for abstract submission: 28 February 2018.

Confirmation of abstract acceptance: 20 March 2019.

Deadline for draft paper submission: 6 May 2019.

Deadline: March 1, 2019

Edited by Christina Lee and Erik Champion (Curtin University)

We are soliciting contributions for an edited book that will explore the affective landscapes – both real and imaginary – in screen tourism. Screen tourism is a burgeoning global industry whereby tourists visit locations that are featured in or are associated with film and television texts (e.g. filming locations, theme parks, the creator’s former abode). This simultaneously niche yet mainstream market has now extended the bucket list of travel destinations to include the likes of Westeros (Dubrovnik, Game of Thrones), Middle-earth (New Zealand, The Lord of the Rings), and Platform 9¾ (London, Harry Potter).

The book will explore how affective landscapes in screen tourism are sights/sites of transformation, play and possibility. It will broach a spectrum of topics, ranging from the tourist’s/fan’s affective response to place, to the strategic design of ventures to enhance the experiential through creating senses of place and narrative. The book will further advance discussions of the future potential of the industry (e.g. use of mixed/augmented reality).

'Screen Tourism and Affective Landscapes' will be a comprehensive collection of essays by international scholars and screen tourism practitioners, opening up a space for dialogue between the academy and industry. This interdisciplinary book will be informed by fields including cultural studies, tourism studies, media studies, cultural heritage and visualisation studies.

Possible areas of research include (but are not limited to):

• narrative and affective landscapes
  
• liminal spaces
  
• embodied experiences
  
• themed experiences and places
  
• augmenting place through technology
  
• modes of reality
  
• (popular) cultural heritage and authenticity
  
• the screen tourist’s gaze
  
• fandom communities and engagement
  

Chapters are expected to be approximately 6000–7500 words.

Proposals should be sent by email (in a Word document) to the Editors by March 1, 2019. This should include an abstract (250 words) and a short contributor bio (one paragraph including institutional affiliation, position and recent publications). Please note that the submission date for accepted papers is October 4, 2019.

Contributors, please address all inquiries and proposals to: Dr Christina Lee (c.lee@curtin.edu.au)

Media Mutations 11 Conference

May 20-21, 2019

University of Bologna (Italy)

Deadline: January 20, 2019

Confirmed keynote speakers

• Rachel Dwyer (SOAS University of London)
  
• Stanley Rosen (University of Southern California)
  

Organized by Marco Cucco (University of Bologna), Gertjan Willems (University of Antwerp) and Zhan Zhang (Università della Svizzera italiana)

Media products, in particular audiovisual works, have always been used both as soft power tools for shaping or branding the image and reputation of their producing countries, and as a diplomatic platform for facilitating international relations and trade. Soft power strategies involve public and private stakeholders working in different areas within a wide, complex and well-orchestrated plan. However, due to the fundamental role of culture, media always play a crucial role in any plan of soft power and strategic marketing.

The conference aims at understanding how media products serve for diplomatic and soft power purposes, with a focus on emerging markets. While traditional flows of communication moved from the Western world to other regions (as in the case of Hollywood films), nowadays the most sophisticated and innovative soft power plans are going in the opposite direction: from developing countries to Western Europe and the United States. Not only do countries like China, India, South Korea and Mexico have more and more skillful and powerful media companies and professionals, they are also intensively working and negotiating to spread their media products and brands abroad and to create international co-productions and new media ventures. Within these collaborations and expansion strategies, Western Europe and the United States also became their targeted markets.

Investigating these dynamics is very challenging for scholars. Soft power strategies are often based on “unwritten” political decisions; they usually aim at reaching intangible goals, and their analysis requires expertise from several research areas (political sciences, economics, media studies, etc.). In light of these challenges, the conference aims at a better understanding of the role played by media products in international diplomacy and as soft power tools of developing countries favoring a dialogue between scholars from different research fields and geographic areas. In line with its founding purposes, the Media Mutations conference series aims to serve as a platform for discussing methodologies, sharing expertise and promoting a multi-disciplinary approach.

The 11th edition of Media Mutations encourages submissions that cover the following subjects and topics:

• Mapping of public and private stakeholders involved in soft power strategies of emerging markets, with a focus on creative industries
  
• The role of media within soft power strategies of emerging markets
  
• Case studies of single countries (economic and cultural goals policies; international agreements; development and performance of media products, etc.)
  
• Case studies of particular media companies/organizations for their success/failure (corporate strategy, output, markets, economic results, etc.)
  
• Case studies of particular media products for their success/failure (content design; financing; international distribution/circulation; reception in the national market and in foreign markets)
  
• Soft power and national branding
  
• The implementation of soft power into media practices
  
• The places of networking for diplomatic and soft power purposes (fairs, markets at festivals, etc.)
  
• Relations between developing countries and international organizations (e.g. European Union, World Trade Organization, etc.) in the field of media
  
• Methodological approaches for investigating soft power strategies and their tangible/intangible results
  

The official language of the conference is English. Abstracts (300-500 words for 20-minute talks) should be sent to mediamutations.org@gmail.com by January 20th , 2019. Please attach a brief biography (maximum 150 words) and an optional selected bibliography (up to five references). Notification of acceptance will be sent by February 18 th . A registration fee will be requested after notification of paper acceptance (€60 for speakers and professionalattendants; free conference admission for students).

This Conference is financially supported by Centro Dipartimentale La Soffitta and Dipartimento delle Arti, Università di Bologna, and sponsored by the ECREA Film Studies Section.

The CFP is also available on the Media Mutations web site: https://www.mediamutations.org/about/902-2/

Deadline: February 25

The Department of Information Studies, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, invites applications for two 3-year fully funded PhD scholarships.

The candidates are expected to begin on September 1, 2019 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The PhD scholarships are open-area; we are looking for applications in all of the department’s areas of strength (read more about the department here: www.ischool.ku.dk ). We are especially interested in PhD project proposals that augment the department’s strong, international research profile in new ways and areas.

It is expected that the PhD scholars will take active part in the department’s research activities and it is a plus if the proposed research project is situated between multiple areas of research within the department’s research profile. As a minimum we expect that the proposed research project is clearly situated within the department’s research strengths and activities, and that it is clearly connected to the expertise or interest of individual faculty members or research groups in the department.

Qualification Requirements

Applicants are expected to have a strong educational background. The successful candidates will be part of a dynamic department that spans several disciplines, and the candidates must thrive in such an interdisciplinary environment. It is expected that the successful candidates take part in the department’s daily life and activities, and contribute to the development of the overall research milieu at the department.

The applicant’s qualifications for the scholarship are evaluated by taking into account the applicant’s general educational and academic background such as the applicant’s grade average, thesis grade, language competencies, publications and other academic activities given by the curriculum vitae as well as the duration of study especially during the applicant’s MA programme.

In addition, the proposed PhD project and study plan will be evaluated by taking the following into consideration; originality, choice of theory and method, disciplinary relevance, and prospects for completion within the required timeframe of 36 months.

Furthermore, applicants are encouraged to reflect on how their project relates to the research activities and the academic profile at the department.

Applications must be submitted electronically no later than February 25, 2019 at 23.59 (11.59 pm) (CET).

See full description and guidelines for application here: https://employment.ku.dk/phd/?show=148628 

ZeMKI, Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research, University of Bremen

Application deadline: February 17, 2019 (23:59 CET)

Duration: 1 month (either between April and June 2019 or between October and December 2019)

Salary: 3,000 euro + 1,500 euro budget for direct costs

Contract: Fee contract

The ZeMKI, Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research, University of Bremen, offers a thriving interdisciplinary research environment in the areas of media, communication and information. Involved disciplines include communication and media studies, computer science, cultural studies, educational science, studies in religion, and history. The ZeMKI invites applications from excellent researchers in the field of media, communication, and information.

As a ZeMKI Visiting Research Fellow, the selected candidate will delve into the versatile research activities at the interdisciplinary centre with over 60 members. Applicants should demonstrate experiences and a strong interest in collaborative research which is embraced at the ZeMKI in various ways and contexts. The selected candidate is expected to contribute to these research activities in the area of media change and transforming communications in the form of a research paper submitted to the peer-reviewed “Communicative Figurations” working paper series and a lecture in the ZeMKI Research Seminar.

Applicants must have a PhD or other doctoral degree in a relevant discipline by the application date.

We offer a lump sum allowance of 3,000 Euros plus up to 1,500 Euros for research related expenses.

To apply for this post, please send your application documents via e-mail to andreas.hepp@uni-bremen.de. The closing date for receipt of applications is February 17, 2019 (23:59 CET). We are unfortunately unable to accept any late applications.

Website: http://www.zemki.uni-bremen.de/en/research/zemki-visiting-research-fellowship.html

Deadline: January 25, 2019

The Digital Media Research Centre at QUT is seeking applications for PhD students (on stipend) to commence research in 2019 allied to one of two projects.

Internet-distributed television: Cultural, industrial and policy dynamics

Supervisor: Distinguished Professor Stuart Cunningham (s.cunningham@qut.edu.au)

This project investigates the impact of global subscription video-on-demand platforms on national television markets. As U.S.-based services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video open up these markets to unprecedented competition, the project will provide much-needed comparative analysis of how governments are responding and what the implications are for debates about local content, local screen production, and media diversity. Analysis of original production and programming strategies will identify new forms of transnational media flow. Conceptually, the project aims to advance our understanding of an emerging paradigm of globalising, multiterritory television.

The PhD project sits within a wider Australian Research Council-funded project (conducted by Ramon Lobato (RMIT University), Amanda Lotz and Stuart Cunningham (QUT)). You are invited to propose an area of focus, for example, on a particular streaming service, institution, national context, production practice, policy issue.

The Platform Governance Project: Rethinking Internet regulation as media policy

Supervisor: Professor Terry Flew (t.flew@qut.edu.au)

The Platform Governance Project is an Australian Research Council (ARC) funded project that investigates the regulatory and policy implications of understanding global digital platforms as media companies. Responding to ongoing public concern about these companies’ self-management of online communication and social media, this project will address these concerns by developing detailed recommendation for reform based on international case studies, enabling media policy makers to more effectively regulate digital media platforms to better align with contemporary public interest rationales. As part of a research a team led by Professor Terry Flew (QUT), and working with Nicolas Suzor (QUT), Fiona Martin (Sydney) and Tim Dwyer (Sydney), the PhD candidate will conduct research on the changing political economy of digital platforms, the value ecology of content distributed online through these platforms, and the shifting relationship of media and communications policy to such challenges. It would be advantageous to have a research background in media and creative industries, and an interest in media law and policy.

Applications must contain the following

• A two page research proposal demonstrating alignment to the selected project including proposed project title, project outline, research question or problem statement, a brief overview of previous relevant research, objectives of the program of research and investigation, research methods/methodologies and plan including references to key literature/contextual sources.
  
• Full Curriculum Vitae including three referees (two referees must be academic).
  
• Academic Transcripts from previous undergraduate and postgraduate study.
  

Applications close midnight (ADST) January 25, 2019.

Applicants will be notified of outcome by February 15 2019.

Applications are to be sent as a single pdf to the QUT Digital Media Research Centre Coordinator at dmrc@qut.edu.au

For further information about the projects please contact the listed project supervisor directly via email.

Eligibility

To apply for this scholarship, you must meet the entry requirements for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at QUT, including any English language requirements for international students.

You must also

• have completed a first-class Honours degree, a research Masters degree, or a coursework Masters degree with a significant research component from a recognised institution and in a cognate discipline
  
• be able to take up the scholarship and begin full-time study no later than July 2019 and enrol full-time
  
• develop a research proposal that responds to and aligns with the aims of either the Internet-distributed television or Platform Governance Project
  
• demonstrate excellent capacity and potential for research
  

May 7-8, 2019

Bydgoszcz (Poland)

Deadline: March 31, 2019

Organized by the Department of Journalism, New Media and Communication, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

The international conference The Future of Media, Mediatization, Journalism and Communication will be part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the University and the 500th anniversary of the heritage of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). The founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, after the acquisition in 1994 (for over $ 30 million) of this Renaissance genius’ notes ("Codex Leicester"), said the computer is a reflection of ​​Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas. The special panel on the first day of the conference is to be devoted to the heritage of Leonardo and other geniuses whose minds were ahead of the ages in which they lived. Thanks to the inventions of Edison, Marconi, Tesla and many others, including those living today, like the mentioned Bill Gates or Tim Berners-Lee (the inventor of the World Wide Web), people today use technologies that enable fast, efficient, interactive communication, and the works of Leonardo and others geniuses are now easily available in the global Network, in digital form, being an inspiration for further activities for the development of civilization. Using this inspiration, the conference is organized to exchange ideas, opinions, results of research and predictions related to the development of media, journalism, various forms of communication and mediatization of social life in various dimensions.The conference panels are to concern in particular (but not limited to):

the future of media, including:

public, local/regional and community media

printed press in the face of proliferation of the Internet sources of information

radio and television in the era of digitalization and multimedia communication

the future of mediatization of social life and gamification, including:

mediatization of politics on a local, national and international scale

mediatization of sports and Olympic Games, including e-sport

mediatization of culture, gamification, robotics, cyborgs and VR

the future of journalism, including:

online and data journalism

investigative journalism (also international)

specialist journalism (political, cultural, sports reporting etc.)

the future of various forms of communication, including:

communication in social networks

political communication in the cyberspace

global communication, environmental communication etc.

The event accompanying the conference will be the pre-premiere of an educational computer game devoted to overcoming the spiral of violence as part of the project (co-funded by the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union) #Again Never Again: Teaching Transmission of Trauma and Remembrance Through Experiential Learning. The project's participants, led by scientists from the University of Turku (Finland), are partners from 7 other countries, including Poland (see the project’s website: https://againneveragain.eu).

The conference is free (no conference fee) and addressed to experts in media and communication studies, information science, game studies, sociology, political science, law, cultural studies and other specialists whose research is related to the topic of the conference.

We are waiting for your proposals till 31 March 2019.

We are planning to publish the papers as chapters of an edited peer-reviewed book (as an e-book or in a printed version).

More about the event on the conference website: http://www.futureofmedia.ukw.edu.pl

The conference is free (no conference fee) and addressed to experts in media and communication studies, information science, game studies, sociology, political science, law, cultural studies and other specialists whose research is related to the topic of the conference.

Head of the conference organizing committee:

Dr hab. Radoslaw Sajna – e-mail: r.sajna@ukw.edu.pl

For more information, visit the conference website: http://www.futureofmedia.ukw.edu.pl

Conference in comparative political communication

July 1-2, 2019

Nice (France)

Deadline: February 27, 2019

Elections to the European Parliament have long been considered "second class" elections (Reif & Schmitt, 1980). Two main factors have been put forward in order to justify this assessment: the persistent low level of participation in this election in most of the European Union countries and the weakness of the European Parliament in regard to the capabilities and powers of the different national parliaments. As a result, mainstream political parties - in office locally sooner or later - have somewhat neglected these elections, often perceived by the public at large as a "sideline" for politicians having lost momentum or at the end of their careers. However, marginal political parties, or those representing the extremes of the political spectrum, have benefited from the weak investment of mainstream parties, making their voices heard and advancing their ideas.

While the 2014 European elections did not directly change the situation, the influence of this vote is far from negligible. Indeed, the political communication of the marginal and extreme parties during this election has influenced the opinion of its tone even more demagogic and populist than before, with speeches attacking the European Union and its Brussels institutions, or those opposed to immigration or advocating a return to national borders, sometimes with some violence unheard since the first half of the 20th century. More than ever, mainstream parties have been blamed as "complicit" in this surrender of sovereignty.

With this frontal denunciation of mainstream parties, but also with the rebuttal of the ideas of political consensus inherent to the usual democratic debates, the political communication of the 2014 European elections has become the testing ground of several demagogic parties, frequently characterized as "populists". They took advantage of this platform to make their voices heard, and then grasped power in several countries of the European Union. One can also glimpse in this movement the birth of the idea of "clearing off" (politicians and parties), which made the later happiness of some newcomers on the political chess boards of several countries of the Union, with notably the 2017 "party-less" victory Emmanuel Macron in France in 2017.

Looking at the political communication flows of the 2014 European elections thus made it possible to show that their "second-order" status had become questionable: if their immediate result - the composition of the European Parliament - did not change very much, the influence of these elections on the internal votes that followed in the EU countries is far from negligible.

This conference proposes to its contributors to draw up an initial assessment of the political communication of the 2019 European elections by particularly exploring three points:

• a comparative analysis of the political communication strategies and tactics of the campaign in the European Union, through all the communication tools and methods, including possible subversive uses of social networks and the deliberate use of fake news;
  
• linking content and programs with the political evolution of many EU countries since the previous European elections, which will lead to consider the balance between national issues and European issues, some seemingly becoming crucial for politicians in office (starting with France);
  
• finally, the evaluation of the "disruptive" or, on the contrary, more classical feature of political communication at the European level; will we be witnessing a banal practice of political communication across the countries of the Union? Or will the diversity and fragmentation of political landscapes and the increased growth of social networks spark innovation and creativity?
  

These central questions will be the subject of the international conference on Comparative Political Communication to be held in Nice on July 1st and 2nd, 2019, in the framework of cooperation between the "Sic.Lab Méditerranée" laboratory of the Côte d'Azur University (www.siclab.fr) and the Center for Comparative Studies in Political and Public Communication (www.ceccopop.eu). This scientific event will bring together researchers and communication professionals on the Carlone Campus of the LASH Faculty of the Côte d'Azur University and at the Mediterranean University Center, located on the "Promenade des Anglais".

The conference is organized by Philippe J. Maarek, Professor specialized in Political Communication at the Paris Est Créteil University (UPEC), former president of the Political Communication Research Sections of IPSA and IAMCR, associate member of the Sic.Lab and head of CECCOPOP. He ensures its scientific coordination with Nicolas Pelissier, Professor of Information Sciences and Communication at the University of Côte d'Azur and Head of Sic.Lab Méditerranée (EA 3280).

The event will be bilingual, French-English. Colleagues wishing to present a paper are invited to send a request to participate before February 27, 2019, to the following email address: ceccopop@gmail.com.

Proposals must include an abstract of 250 to 500 words (one or two sheets) and a one-page Vitae. They will be subject to a double-blind evaluation by the Scientific Board. Proposals must include an abstract of 250 to 500 words (one or two sheets) and a one-page Vitae. They will be subject to a double-blind evaluation by the Scientific Board

• Françoise Albertini, Université de Corse, France
  
• Paul Baines, Cranfield University, Royaume-Uni/United Kingdom
  
• Camelia Beciu, Université de Bucarest, Roumanie/Romania
  
• Donatella Campus, Università di Bologna, Italie/Italy
  
• Maria-José Canel, Université Complutense, Espagne/Spain
  
• Eric Dacheux, Université de Clermont Auvergne, France
  
• Alex Frame, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
  
• Lutz Hagen, Université Technique de Dresde, Allemagne/Germany
  
• Denisa Hejlova, Charles University, République Tchèque/Czech Republic
  
• Christina Holtz-Bacha, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Allemagne/Germany
  
• Karolina Kok-Michalska, Audiencia, France
  
• Darren Lilleker, Bournemouth University, Royaume-Uni/United Kingdom
  
• Eric Maigret, Université Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle, France
  
• Pascal Marchand, Université de Toulouse 3, France
  
• Anna Matušková-Shavit, Charles University, République Tchèque/Czech Republic
  
• Lars Nord, Midwestern University, Suède/Sweden
  
• Paul Rasse, Université Côte d’Azur, France
  
• Jordi Rodriguez Virgili, University of Navarra in Pamplona, Espagne/Spain
  
• Brigitte Sebbah, Université de Toulouse 3, France
  
• James Stanyer, University of Loughborough, Royaume-Uni/United Kingdom
  
• Ioanna Vovou, Panteion University, Grèce/Greece
  
• Claes de Vreese, University of Amsterdam, Pays-Bas/Netherland
  
• Małgorzata Winiarska-Brodowska, Jagellon University, Pologne/Poland

Deadline: March 1, 2019

The Media Change & Innovation Division (Prof. Michael Latzer, http://www.mediachange.ch) at the IKMZ – Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland invites applications for:

Postdoc (initially 2 years but can be renewed) in the field of Internet, Algorithms and Society

Please send your application including a letter of motivation, CV, transcripts and a written scientific contribution (e.g., publication, excerpt from the dissertation) in a single PDF file via email to Valeria Rieser (v.rieser@ikmz.uzh.ch) by March 1, 2019.

The selection process will begin in March 2019. However, the job offer remains open until qualified candidates are found.

The University of Zurich strives to increase the proportion of women in academic positions and therefore particularly invites applications by qualified female researchers.

Job specifications

Algorithmic selection, e.g., current project on The Significance of Algorithmic Selection for Everyday Life including survey, tracking and interviews in the domains of information seeking and opinion formation, consumption and commercial transactions, social communication and entertainment on the Internet and/or

Internet use, longitudinal World Internet Project – Switzerland, representative survey on Internet use and attitudes towards issues such as privacy online, participation, digital well-being etc. in the Swiss population and/or

Governance and regulation, ethics and business model analysis in relation to the impact of digitization, artificial intelligence and algorithmic selection in communication processes.

Further academic qualification along the lines of the division’s research and teaching areas.

We offer

Excellent conditions for research on highly topical issues, integration into a highly motivated and globally connected team at a leading institute for communication sciences in Europe, opportunity for additional training in theory and also in qualitative as well as quantitative methods, opportunity to deepen didactical skills, and adequate pay.

Job requirements

• PhD in communication studies or a related discipline
  
• Expertise in quantitative methods
  
• Passive knowledge of German
  

More information can be found here

Contact: Dr. Moritz Büchi (m.buechi@ikmz.uzh.ch)

Starting date: May 2019 or as agreed upon

Deadline: April 7

Applications are now being received for the 2019 IAMCR Urban Communication Research Grant. The grant is worth USD 1,750 and supports communication and media research that advances understanding of the growing complexity of the urban environment.

Hosted by the International Association for Media and Communication Research and funded by the Urban Communication Foundation, this grant supports communication and media research that advances our understanding of the growing complexity of the urban environment. It is predicated on the assumption that communication scholars have a valuable contribution to make to an understanding of the urban landscape. The grant is open to all IAMCR members in good standing.

The USD 1,750 grant is designed to support research already in progress or in the beginning stages. It gives priority to projects that feature innovative, inter-disciplinary, applied, and creative approaches to studying the central role of communication in the transformation of urban cultures and communities.

A 6-person committee consisting of five IAMCR members and two Urban Communication Foundation representatives will judge the proposals. IAMCR representatives in the committee are Nico Carpentier (Chair), Cees Hamelink, Janet Wasko and Olesya Venger. Urban Communication Foundation representatives are Gary Gumpert and Susan Drucker.

The grant is awarded each year at the annual IAMCR Conference, this year scheduled for Madrid, Spain from July 7-11, 2019. Grant winners are expected to attend the conference and present a paper related to urban communication. They must also report to IAMCR and the UCF on the progress of their research at the following year's conference, and submit a paper for this conference.

Application Procedure

Submit the application electronically to UrbanCommunication2019@iamcr.org. Applications will be accepted until April 7, 2019.

The complete application must include:

• A letter of application, not exceeding two pages, that describes the proposed research or research already in progress, the significance of the work to urban communication, and the methodology to be employed. A description of any special funding needs is also welcome (e.g. travel, research assistants, technical support).
  
• A current CV
  
• A sample of applicant's work relevant to the proposed research
  

NOTE: Your email application must have "Urban Communication" in the subject line

The grant winner will be announced by May 1, 2019.