ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Aarhus University

Apply HERE

The Department of Media and Journalism Studies within the School of Communication and Culture at Aarhus University invites applications for a postdoctoral position in monetisation, governance, and the creator economy. The postdoctoral position is part of the research project ‘New Media Monetisation’ funded by the Aarhus University Research Foundation (AUFF).

The postdoc is a full-time, 2.5-year fixed-term position. It begins on 1 March 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The School of Communication and Culture is committed to diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their personal background.        

Project

The New Media Monetisation project investigates the governance of new funding models for creators and influencers, including subscriptions, donations, and the purchase of products and services. The project approaches governance holistically, encompassing the social norms around fan-creator interactions, the rules codified in platform policies, the expectations built into the design of platform tools, and state regulatory initiatives. Subscription platforms like Patreon or OnlyFans, fundraising platforms like Kickstarter, or donation tools built into video platforms like YouTube or TikTok reconfigure the relationship between creators, audiences, and platforms. Creators are less dependent on traditional intermediaries but must engage in significant audience management. Audiences have unprecedented influence on cultural production but struggle to define appropriate boundaries around parasocial relationships. Platforms draw significant revenue from transactions but face growing pressure from regulators, venture capital, and competitors. Together, these factors monetisation an ideal site to investigate and shape the future of work, cultural production, and the platform society.

The New Media Monetisation position is situated within the CREATOR:GOV Lab, providing opportunities for collaboration, and the working language is English. The postdoc will develop their own project within the framework of New Media Monetisation and collaborate with the PI on related studies. While the postdoctoral project needs to address issues related to creators, monetisation, and governance, the context, methods, and disciplinary orientation are relatively open. Regarding context, projects can address any industrial sector or geographic region of the creator economy. Regarding methods, projects must involve empirical research but can employ qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. Regarding disciplinary orientation, the postdoctoral researcher should be comfortable working in an interdisciplinary environment but can target the research they lead toward relevant disciplinary audiences, conferences, and publication venues. The flexibility in focus is meant to attract innovative and impactful research proposals.

Postdoctoral position

The postdoc position involves 80% research, 20% teaching and departmental service, following the principles formulated in relation to the Independent Research Foundation of Denmark. The working hours (excluding holidays) are 1643 hours, which means that 20% of working hours corresponds to 328 hours annually. This typically means that the postdoctoral fellow will teach one major course annually, as well as perform other work tasks related to teaching, including supervision and exams.

Regarding research, the successful applicant will be expected to:

• design research, in coordination with PI, that investigates the governance of new funding models for creators and influencers,
  
• collect and analyse empirical data (flexible, but please specify),
  
• present research at national and/or international events,
  
• lead the publication of at least two articles for international journals or conference proceedings,
  
• participate in the CREATOR:GOV Lab’s collaborative research environment through, for example, attending lab meetings, discussing relevant literature, and co-authoring papers.
  

Teaching and supervision

As postdoctoral researcher, your position is primarily research-based, but it will also involve a small degree of teaching and supervision. To that end, the successful applicant will be expected to take part in the department’s teaching and supervision activities related to BA courses like “Analysis of Digital Media” and “Media Systems Analysis” or MA courses like “Digital Media and Societal Transformations” and “Research Design and Method: Case Studies.” The successful applicant will be able to teach in English or Danish.

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

• PhD degree or equivalent qualifications in a field relevant to the study of digital platforms, such as media studies, communication, information science, or sociology
  
• expertise in the domains of platform governance, the creator economy, or platform labour, as documented by the dissertation and/or published research
  
• publications in international journals or conference proceedings, including at least one lead or sole-authored article
  
• ability to speak and write in English at an academic level, as documented by publications, conference presentations, and/or teaching experience in English.

Desired qualifications:

• theoretical sophistication, reflected in the argumentation and conceptualisation of prior work and/or the proposed research
  
• innovative approach to platform governance (including social norms, content moderation, or legislation), reflected in the writing samples and/or proposed research
  
• experience with collaborative, interdisciplinary, and/or international research
  
• strong communication and interpersonal skills to engage with the research team and external stakeholders.
  

Application

Interested candidates should submit the following material:

• a cover letter explaining your qualifications for the position (1-2 pages)
  
• a short proposal for the research you would lead under the ‘New Media Monetisation’ framework, indicating the type of questions, data, and analytic methods involved (1 page)
  
• a CV
  
• official documentation of a PhD degree or its equivalent
  
• a full list of publications
  
• two writing samples, at least one of which should be published
  
• a teaching portfolio demonstrating your qualifications and approach to teaching
  

Please note that although the application process can be completed on the Aarhus University system without uploading publications, applications that do not include up to two uploaded writing samples will not be considered.

Additionally, please do not include letters of recommendation or references with the application. Applicants who are invited to an interview may be asked to provide references.

Work environment

We respect the balance between work and private life and strive to create a work environment in which that balance can be maintained. You can read more about family and work-life balance in Denmark.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU.

International applicants

International applicants are encouraged to read about the attractive working conditions and other benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a wide variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a relocation service and an AU Expat Partner Programme. You can also find information about the taxation aspects of international researchers’ employment by AU.

The department

The place of employment is Department of Media and Journalism Studies, Helsingforsgade 14, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.

Prospective applicants are invited to view the department’s website.

School of Communication and Culture

The school is a part of the Faculty of Arts. You will find information about the school and its research programmes, departments, and diverse activities on its website.

Contact

For further information about the position, please contact the principal investigator (PI), Blake Hallinan by e-mail: bhallinan@cc.au.dk

If you need help uploading your application or have questions about the recruitment process, please contact Arts HR support by email: hsi@au.dk.

Qualification requirements

Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.

Formalities

The Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).

• Appointments shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
  
• Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.
  
• Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Application Guidelines.
  
• The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio, a complete list of published works, copies of degree certificates and examples of academic production (mandatory, but no more than two examples). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.
  

Aarhus University also offers a junior researcher development programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here: https://talent.au.dk/junior-researcher-development-programme/

If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. The application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting

Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts is one of five main academic areas at Aarhus University.

The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.

With its 700 academic staff members, 200 PhD students, 9,000 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.

The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society and the Danish School of Education. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.

The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.

Read more at arts.au.dk/en

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.

Dear colleagues,

As part of a project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), we are conducting a survey to better understand research practices in Computational Communication Science. We invite you to participate in a short survey focusing on researchers’ attitudes, experiences, and intentions regarding the reassessment of prior research and the reliability of scholarly work in the field.

If you have conducted or are currently conducting research in the area of Computational Communication Science, we kindly invite you to participate. Your insights will contribute to a broader understanding of current practices, challenges, and opportunities in the field. We expect the survey to take approximately 10-15 minutes.

Link to the survey: https://www.soscisurvey.de/AutoFrontCCS/

Participation is anonymous and voluntary. The study has been reviewed and approved by the IRB at LMU Munich. If you’ve already received this invitation via another channel, please disregard this message to avoid duplicate responses. 

Please feel free to distribute the survey invitation to any colleagues who might be interested!

If you have any questions about the study, please feel free to contact us at philipp.knoepfle@ifkw.lmu.de or Xinyue.Zhao@cais-research.de.

Thank you for your time and contribution!

Best regards,

Philipp Knöpfle, M.Sc. (LMU Munich)

Xinyue Zhao, M.A. (Center for Advanced Internet Studies)

Prof. Dr. Mario Haim (LMU Munich)

Prof. Dr. Johannes Breuer (Center for Advanced Internet Studies & University of Duisburg-Essen)

June 22-26, 2026

Gränna Campus, Jönköping University

https://ju.se/academicwritersretreat

Writing Retreat Theme: Research Spices

Annette Hill and Joke Hermes

What kinds of savoury and sweet spices do you add to your research practice? This academic writers’ retreat takes the metaphor of spices to explore research craft.

We consider the seeds, roots, bark and fruits in our writing and analysis. And we reflect on layering of empirical and conceptual thinking, from whole to ground spices, toasted and roasted spices, and subtle and strong fragrances.

The retreat starts with a choice of spices and then we try out, write and reflect on the flavours and fragrances we want to create in our research craft. Each day we spend time in workshops, private writing time, go on walks by the lake and mountainside, and we cook together.

To find out more about registration, fees and the programme go here: https://ju.se/academicwritersretreat

November 21, 2025

Online

We are inviting you to the launch of the book Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence and Beyond: Theorising Society and Culture of the 21st Century (Routledge 2025). 

The meeting, organised by the Theory Study Group of British Sociological Association, will take place online on November 21st from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

More information about the event can be found HERE.

Registration is possible via the website: https://www.britsoc.co.uk/events/key-bsa-events/book-launch-algorithms-artificial-intelligence-and-beyond-theorising-society-and-culture-of-the-21st-century-routledge-2025/

April 7-10, 2026

University of Innsbruck, Austria

Deadline: December 3, 2025

at the ECPR Joint Sessions

The Workshop will examine how emerging digital platforms, practices, and policies help entrench authoritarianism, or exacerbate democratic backsliding, across the Global South and East — including Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America. It aims to map the transforming terrain of digital authoritarianism, from internet shutdowns and online censorship to surveillance, disinformation, and participatory propaganda.

Read more: https://ecpr.eu/Events/Event/WorkshopDetails/16786

The Media Change & Innovation Division at the Department of Communication and Media Research (IKMZ) of the University of Zurich published 4 new representative survey reports from the World Internet Project – Switzerland 2025 (WIP-CH) last Thursday. 

The main take away: generative AI deepens the digital divide in Switzerland and is increasingly becoming part of everyday life. In addition to the short summary below, you can explore the executive summary of the findings (English/German), the full reports (German), and various infographics (English/German) at mediachange.ch/news/187.

Short summary:

AI deepens the digital divide between generations

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of everyday life. Most people in Switzerland are concerned about AI and the next generation of technology, but those who use AI regularly are more optimistic. While younger people spend more time online than they would like, older people and those with low digital literacy are falling behind. These are the latest findings from a representative long-term study by the University of Zurich.

In 2025, people in Switzerland spend an average of 5.7 hours online each day – three times more than in 2011 (1.8 hours) and two hours more than before the Covid pandemic in 2019 (3.6 hours). Among 20- to 29-year-olds, daily internet usage time reaches 8.4 hours. "For this age group, the internet has for the first time become more important than personal contacts – both for information and entertainment", says study leader Michael Latzer, Professor of Media Change & Innovation at the University of Zurich.

Social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram play a central role in the daily lives of young people (used by 95% of 20- to 29-year-olds), and their use is also increasing among older generations (58% among those aged 70+). The digitalization of everyday life is progressing rapidly: two out of three transactions are cashless, 39% of products are purchased online, and a third of work that can be done remotely is carried out from home.

Almost half of Switzerland uses generative AI regularly

Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, the share of the population that has used generative AI has risen sharply – from 37% in 2023 to 54% in 2024 and 73% in 2025. What began as one-time experimentation has turned into regular use: almost half of the people in Switzerland now use generative AI at least once a month (weekly: 21%, daily: 17%), and among 14- to 19-year-olds, the figure is as high as 84%. "Actual AI use is considerably higher, as AI is increasingly integrated into everyday services such as search engines and chatbots," says Latzer. 

Generative AI is most commonly used in education and work (53%), with two-thirds of 20- to 29-year-olds doing so. Three in ten 14- to 19-year-olds say they use AI to create content they were actually supposed to produce themselves. For regular users, AI has also become an important advisor in everyday decisions, for example, regarding finances and career choices (21% each). However, compared to traditional sources, the overall importance of generative AI and influencers remains low: when it comes to political decisions, only 7% consider AI-generated information important, compared to 27% who rely on classic internet sources.

Surveillance, loss of control, and job fears – a call for AI regulation

Despite widespread use, skepticism and concern about potential risks remain high: while a clear majority (71%) of regular users believe AI helps them complete tasks more efficiently, only one in three thinks it will improve life overall. Six in ten people in Switzerland fear increased surveillance, and one in three worries that generative AI could spiral out of control or lead to mass unemployment. Accordingly, the demand for regulation is strong: one in two calls for stricter rules on generative AI – significantly more than for the internet in general (36%).

Artificial General Intelligence" is coming – with negative consequences 

Almost half of Swiss internet users believe that generative AI will soon evolve into "Artificial General Intelligence" – a general-purpose application that surpasses humans in nearly all areas of life. More than half of them expect this to happen already within the next five years. Those who use AI regularly are more likely to believe in the emergence of such "Artificial General Intelligence". However, this belief is accompanied by growing concerns about consequences: 60% of the population and 49% of AI users expect "Artificial General Intelligence" to have mostly negative effects on humanity. In contrast, attitudes toward the internet remain far more positive: 60% believe it is good for society.

Skepticism toward cyborg technologies prevails

The next generation of technology combines internet-, bio-, and nanotechnologies with the aim of enhancing human abilities and overcoming biological limits – for example, through so-called cyborg products. While Silicon Valley has high hopes for such future technologies, the Swiss population remains skeptical: only one-fifth believes in their potential, rising to 30% among AI users. The majority, however, see mainly risks, such as new forms of cybercrime (78%), privacy violations (67%), and social inequality (64%).

AI fuels divides between young and old

Social divides in digitalization follow age and internet skills, reinforced by the use of AI. While 91% of 20- to 29-year-olds in Switzerland rate their internet skills as good to excellent, this applies to only 59% of those aged 70 and above. The difference is even more pronounced when it comes to generative AI: almost half of 14- to 19-year-olds feel comfortable using it, but only 20% of those aged 70 or older do. These differences are reflected in the sense of belonging to the information society. Only 34% of the population feel part of it, 25 percentage points less than in 2015. The sense of inclusion is particularly low among older people (19% among those 70+) and those with lower internet skills (14%), while 20- to 29-year-olds and people with high internet skills feel significantly more integrated (54% each).

While older people and those who do not use AI are falling behind, younger people and AI users are struggling with digital overconsumption. More and more people are spending more time online than they would like (38% vs. 2019: 24%). 82% of 14- to 19-year-olds and 58% of AI users want to reduce their usage time.

Authors: Michael Latzer, Noemi Festic, Céline Odermatt & Alena Birrer

October 20-23, 2026

Taipei, Taiwan

Deadline: February 28, 2026

https://iapmr.media/category/ripe/

The 13th biennial RIPE conference is sponsored by the Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation (PTS) and hosted by the School of Communication at National Chengchi University in Taipei. Our theme focuses on the politics and politicization of public service media (PSM). The organizers welcome proposals for papers analyzing how political forces, trends, processes, and influences affect PSM structures, operations, and performance. There is particular interest in challenges for maintaining independence and ensuring sustainability in a shifting policy and technological environment. RIPE@2026 will convene experts and scholars from around the world, especially including the Global South, in a collaboration to advance understandings that matter for theorization and practice.

Elaboration of the Theme

Many have observed that politics are an inevitable aspect of public service media policy with significant implications for practice. PSB was established partly on a political foundation in the early decades of 20th century, mainly in Europe, with a mission to serve people as citizens rather than consumers, to preserve and promote cultural diversity, to care about the interests of disadvantaged and minority groups, and above all to maintain an independent stance vis a vis both the state and market. Today, PSB has become PSM and is challenged by digitalization, platformization, international media companies, escalating costs for content rights, especially in sports, public value testing requirements, and uneven competitive performance. Promoting cultural diversity and encouraging tolerance across sociocultural aspects are under attack by far-right political movements. 

In the Asia-Pacific region, public broadcasting is navigating development challenges in a context of shifting geopolitical dynamics. Lacking European traditions, Taiwan PTS confronts unprecedented challenge to its budget, its international news role, the intended purposes of the Taiwanese Language Channel, and neo-colonialism dispute over some historical related programs. The Conservative party has been especially active in holding PSM accountable. The rise of commercialization and digitalization has been complicated and complex.

For the first time, the RIPE@2026 conference will focus attention on the politics of PSB/PSM, a critical area of contemporary discourse in a globally inclusive dialogue. The conference welcomes paper proposals relevant to six aspects of crucial importance that although distinct are interconnected. 

Topics of specified interest

1. Political Dynamics, Media Capture, and PSM Autonomy

The conference welcomes empirical and theoretical exploration of the complex and often fraught relationship between PSM and the political sphere. Topics of interest include but aren’t limited to:

• Critical examination of the diversity of political actors—including governments, political parties, and civil society organizations—and their interactions that affect PSM. 
  
• Research about negotiations, challenges, and the defense of PSM autonomy that clarify broader power dynamics related to threats of political interference and state capture. This matters greatly for safeguarding journalistic integrity and maintaining independence.
  
• Political challenges to funding and how PSM organisations are coping. 
  
• Governance and relations: legislative frameworks, appointments to governing and bodies and managerial roles, best practices in governance, and the nature of state interventions.
  
• Understanding how regional bodies like ASEA (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) contribute to or influence national media policy discussions.
  
• The role and practices of civil society organizations and public advocacy in both defending and challenging PSM independence.
  

2: Geopolitics, Global Power Shifts, and the Evolution of PSM

The conference welcomes papers that analyze overarching global trends, pressures, and influences that are shaping the establishment, funding, and developmental trajectories of PSM in countries around the world. Topics of interest include but aren’t limited to:

• Examination of the complex interplay of power and politics over time, especially illustrating how global forces transcend national borders to influence the domestic media landscape’s fundamental architecture.
  
• Legacies of colonial broadcasting and how they have been adapted or repurposed. This may relate to the geopolitical experience of decolonization and the Cold War that have influenced the establishment and subsequent evolution of PSB / PSM in newly independent states. 
  
• The role of international regulations, standards, and control over digital infrastructure (e.g., internet cables, satellite frequencies) for enabling and constraining PSM's ability to operate across borders.
  
• Case studies of the impacts of foreign aid, technical assistance, and ideological alignment from major powers that have shaped PSM infrastructure, training, and content priorities.
  

3. Policy-Making and Regulatory Regimes in a Shifting Media Environment

The conference welcomes papers investigating how media policies are formulated and implemented across varying political systems in time and space. Topics of interest include but aren’t limited to:

• Examination of media-government relations to understand how media institutions are conceptualized as partners in national development and operate under varying degrees of state control.
  
• Comparative analysis of public media policy frameworks across different countries and regions, especially in Asia and countries of the Global South.
  
• The role of various stakeholders in policy-making: governments, regulators, industry, civil society, and political parties.
  
• Challenges and trends in media regulation: content standards, market competition, and accountability in the digital environment.
  
• Technological convergence and its implications for traditional regulatory boundaries and PSM operational models.
  

4. PSM in the Digital Age: Navigating Disinformation and Platform Power

The conference welcomes papers focused on advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) that are fundamentally reshaping the public sphere, creating an “algorithmic era” where information flows, content curation, and public discourse are increasingly influenced by automated systems. Topics of interest include but aren’t limited to:

• Research on PSM’s proactive and reactive strategies for combating AI-empowered information manipulation.
  
• The political implications of algorithmic bias, transparency deficits, and content moderation practices (often driven by proprietary AI) for PSM impartiality, pluralism, and ability to foster informed public debate.
  
• Ethical frameworks, internal governance models, and professional standards for AI use within PSM organizations.
  
• Research on beneficial developments for PSM in harnessing AI. 
  
• Political implications of algorithmic curation and content moderation for PSM’s visibility and impartiality.
  
• Understanding how various nations, particularly those in the diverse and technologically advanced Global South and Indo-Pacific regions, grapple with these challenges and opportunities.
  

5. Trust, Neutrality, and Public Legitimacy: The Political Battleground

The conference welcomes papers on public trust, the perceived neutrality, and PSM legitimacy and effectiveness that are increasingly contested in politically polarized societies. Topics of interest include but aren’t limited to:

• Work on conceptualizing and achieving political neutrality and impartiality in diverse political contexts.
  
• Factors contributing to the erosion of public trust in PSM, including perceived political bias or capture.
  
• Factors accounting for higher trust in PSM news and information than media in the commercial sector where trust has remained strong or increased.
  
• The role of PSM in fostering media pluralism and providing diverse perspectives in fragmented information environments.
  
• Accountability mechanisms for PSM: transparency, public complaints, and independent oversight.
  
• Case studies of PSM navigating political attacks and efforts to delegitimize its public service mission.
  

6. Emerging Agendas: Sustainability, DEI, and the Future Mandate of PSM

The conference welcomes papers focused on how developments in sustainability goals (environmental, social, and economic) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies are increasingly integral to PSM contemporary mandates and challenged on ideological grounds. Topic of interest include but aren’t limited to:

• Integrating environmental and social sustainability goals into PSM operational practices and content strategies.
  
• DEI policies and practices in PSM: representation in content, workforce diversity, and inclusive governance.
  
• Political challenges to sustainability and DEI mandates.
  
• PSM’s role in fostering civic engagement and public discourse on climate change, social justice, and other issues of critical importance, especially for countries in the Global South.
  
• Future proofing PSM: adapting mandates to address emerging and evolving societal needs to maintain both political and popular support. 

Submission Requirements

Abstracts for RIPE conferences are submitted through the RIPE Ex Ordo Platform. Each submission should include two parts: 

A title page listing the working title, author name(s), job title(s), organizational affiliation(s) with location, and the corresponding author’s email address; and

A main document containing the working title, an abstract of no more than 600 words, two relevant conference themes, and up to six keywords.

To ensure an impartial review process, please do not include any identifying information (such as names or affiliations) in the main document. All submissions will undergo a double-blind peer review conducted by the conference’s scientific committee.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 28 February 2026. Review decisions will be finalized in March, and notifications of acceptance will be sent on 1 April 2026. Accepted authors are expected to submit their full papers by 1 August 2026.

The conference website will be launched in the beginning of December 2025, and the link to RIPE Ex Ordo Platform for submitting the abstracts will announce same here in January 2026. 

Selection Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Relevance: The abstract’s alignment with the overall conference theme and its fit within one or more of the six designated themes.
  
• Scholarly Quality: For empirical studies, the soundness of the theoretical framework and methodological rigor; for conceptual papers, the originality and significance of the concepts and arguments presented.
  
• Practical Contribution: The extent to which the paper offers implications or insights for public service media (PSM) practice.
  
• Presentation Quality: The overall clarity, coherence, and quality of the abstract.
  
• Diversity of Perspective: Special consideration will be given to papers addressing PSM issues in the Global South.
  

Approximately 60 papers will be selected for presentation at the conference. The conference language is English.

Registration and Fees

Conference registration website will open in April 2026, including the information of participation fees. Please note that RIPE does not provide financial support for personal travel expenses, except for invited keynote speakers. The conference registration fee will include two dinners (welcome reception and gala dinner), 3-day lunches, coffee breaks, and all conference sessions and materials.

Conference Schedule

The RIPE 2026 Conference will span two and a half days, from October 21 to 23, 2026. A welcome reception will be held on the evening of October 20, prior to the start of the conference.

Day 1 (October 21) will take place at Public Television Service (PTS), Taiwan, while Days 2 and 3 (October 22–23) will be hosted by National Chengchi University (NCCU). A gala dinner will be held on October 22. The afternoon of the final day will feature a guided city tour for all participants. Depending on interest, an optional social program will be offered on October 24, the day following the conference, at an additional cost for those who wish to participate.

Contacts:

For answers to questions related to logistics or other practical matters not addressed here, you can send an email to either of the following addresses:

The Conference organizer’s email address: ripe2026nccu@gmail.com

For information about the International Association of Public Media Researchers (IAPMR), please email: contact@iapmr.media

Founded on 25 November 2005 in Amsterdam, ECREA has grown into a lively community of communication scholars across Europe and beyond. Throughout November, we are celebrating this anniversary by sharing memories and reflections from our community in each weekly issue of the ECREA Digest.

You can check the memories HERE.

We are still collecting contributions — if you have a memorable moment to share, please write to info@ecrea.eu.

Join us in celebrating!

Deadline: November 15, 2025

The Young Scholars Network (YECREA) of the ECREA seeks early-career researchers to serve as section representatives. We have 3 vacant positions, offering opportunities for emerging scholars to help shape their field while gaining international leadership experience.

Available Positions

We are seeking representatives for the following Sections, Temporary Working Groups (TWG), and Networks:

• Central and East-European Network
  
• Science and Environment Communication
  
• Organizational and Strategic Communication
  

We recommend applying to the section where you typically present your research and whose scholarly conversations you wish to join more actively. 

Position Overview

The role of a YECREA representative involves working closely with the section leadership to advance research and support early-career scholars in their respective fields. Key responsibilities include:

• Collaborating with section management teams on academic events
  
• Organizing pre-conference workshops and meetings
  
• Facilitating networking opportunities for young scholars
  
• Disseminating information about field-specific opportunities
  
• Contributing to YECREA’s strategic initiatives
  

The position of YECREA representative requires approximately 5-8 hours per month on average, depending on the activity of the section and your own initiative.

While this is currently an unpaid volunteer position, it provides valuable opportunities for professional development. Representatives gain hands-on experience organizing academic events while building an international network in their field. Through active

involvement in section activities, the role offers a platform to develop leadership capabilities and increase visibility within the research community.

Eligibility and Requirements

• PhD candidates and post-doctoral researchers in non-tenure positions
  
• ECREA membership (required upon acceptance)
  
• Minimum one-year commitment (ideally two)
  
• Fluent English communication skills
  

Application Process

Submit a single PDF document (max. 500 words) containing:

• A heading with your name and the specific position you are applying for
  
• Details on your current university, position, and career progression (1 paragraph)
  
• A brief description of your research + a brief statement on your work’s connection to the specific section, TWG, or network (1 paragraph)
  
• A brief statement on your aspirations for improving early-career research/experiences (1 paragraph). For this point, please acquaint yourself with the YECREA website and our strategic initiatives.
  
• A short CV (max. 2 pages, not included in the word count).
  
• Team applications (two people) are welcome. We encourage applications from researchers of all backgrounds and institutions across Europe.

Submit applications and/or questions to: yecreanetwork@gmail.com 

Timeline

Deadline: 15 November 2025, 23:59 CET

Results notification: 15 December 2025

On-boarding: late January 2026

The YECREA managing committee will evaluate applications based on research alignment, motivation, and commitment to supporting emerging scholars. 

For section details: https://www.ecrea.eu/Sections

April 22-23, 2026

Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm & Uppsala University

Deadline: December 1, 2025

steering committee:

Jan Baetens, Jaqueline Berndt, Jan von Bonsdorff, Gareth Brookes, Benoît Crucifix, Björn-Olav Dozo, Anna Foka, Isabelle Gribomont, Andre Holzapfel, Per Israelson, Gaëtan Le Coarer, Ilan Manouach, Pedro Moura, Everardo Reyes, Keith Tillford, Ray Whitcher

Today, the field of comics is undergoing a profound transformation marked by a growing heterogeneity of forms, formats, and production processes. From synthetic comics, operational images, data-driven visualization to embodied, non-visual comics, comics are expanding beyond the conceptual and historical frameworks that have traditionally defined it. Existing models in research— grounded in the artisanal craft traditions, narratology, text-image correlation, and human-centered authorship— are struggling to account for this rapidly diversifying landscape. Craft-based approaches might appear resistant or inadequate in the face of new technological practices that recombine production, circulation, and reception through computational logics.The current moment compels a broader redefinition of comics as fundamentally technical objects. The boundaries that once separated comics from technical and operational systems are dissolving. To grasp the full scope of these developments, we must account for comics as sites where technological processes are not external influences but internal engines — where creation is entangled with computation, standardization, and new modes of mediation. As computational processes— from machine learning to synthetic image generation and communication systems powered by computer vision— increasingly shape the creation, distribution, and experience of comics, it is no longer sufficient to understand the medium solely through the lenses of narrative, visual storytelling, or artisanal craft. Recognizing comics as engineered configurations of information, relational diagrams, and experimental knowledge structures is not a speculative gesture; it is a necessary step for understanding the profound transformation underway in the medium’s ontology, practice, and future potential.

Within this expanded computational landscape, comics increasingly function as sites of artistic research— experimental configurations that generate knowledge through making rather than merely representing it. As comics engage with computational systems, they become laboratories for investigating the material conditions of contemporary media production. These research-oriented practices extend beyond traditional academic boundaries. Rather than simply illustrating research findings, comics-as-research deploys their unique capacity for relational thinking— the medium’s inherent ability to orchestrate temporal, spatial, and conceptual relationships — to investigate how technical systems reshape creative labor, audience relations, and the very possibility of narrative meaning. This artistic research dimension positions comics not as objects of study but as active investigative tools, capable of generating insights about computational culture that emerge specifically through the medium’s hybrid technical-aesthetic operations.

We are pleased to announce a two-day international conference on April 22-23, 2026 at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and at Uppsala University dedicated to examining the rapidly evolving landscape of comics. Rather than framing this transformation solely as a rupture, the conference seeks to situate it within a longer history of computational rationality— a lineage in which the medium has continuously negotiated the demands of efficiency, scalability, and technical constraint. Our aim is to critically rethink comics not as passive recipients of technological change, but as active computational configurations: media fundamentally entangled with systems of automation, standardization, and information processing.

We welcome submissions addressing the following areas (among others):

• Histories of automation and engineering in comics production and distribution
  
• Transformations in formats and workflows driven by technological change
  
• Comics as data: informatization, discretization, and database design
  
• Human-machine collaborations in past, present, and speculative comics practice
  
• Audience and user labor in automated platforms and circulation systems
  
• Data-mining and recirculation techniques in digital comics ecologies
  
• Machine subjectivities: authorship, intention, and expression in machinic agents
  
• Computational archiving practices: scraping, clustering, and vectorization
  
• Speculative and critical practices addressing automation and machinic mediation
  
• Industrial logics in comics: international and comparative perspectives
  
• Resistance to automation: sabotage, slow media, and disobedient design
  
• Operational aesthetics: the visual and affective languages of automation
  
• Speculative histories and alternative futures of comics as technical media
  
• Comics as simulations: diagrams, blueprints, and procedural environments
  
• Comics as artistic research methodologies: practice-based inquiry and knowledge production where comics are used to interrogate emerging technologies and social systems

We invite submissions for the following presentation formats:

• Research Papers (20 minutes + 10 minutes discussion): Traditional academic presentations suitable for theoretical, historical, or analytical work 
  
• Practice-Based Presentations (15 minutes + 15 minutes discussion): Presentations by creators, artists, and practitioners demonstrating work and reflecting on process 
  
• Interactive Demonstrations (30 minutes): Hands-on sessions showcasing new tools, platforms, or methodologies 
  
• Panel Discussions (90 minutes): Collaborative sessions bringing together multiple perspectives on specific themes 
  
• Lightning Talks (5 minutes): Brief presentations ideal for work-in-progress, provocations, or preliminary findings 
  
• Workshop Sessions (3 hours): Extended collaborative sessions for skill-sharing and collective exploration of tools and methods

Abstract length : 250 words

Short bio: 150 words

Deadline for abstracts: 1st December 2025

Notifications of acceptance: 30th December 2025

Send to: conference@echochamber.be