ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Far Right Fictions (Special issue)

Deadline: March 15, 2023

As part of the research project ‘Far Right Fictions’, based at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and headed by Professors Joke Bauwens, Benjamin De Cleen and Kevin Smets, we are currently compiling a special issue proposal on ‘The Far Right and Audiovisual Fiction’. A leading journal in the field of media and communication studies has already indicated a keen interest in our idea and we are looking for a number of additional contributors before we submit the final proposal. 

Our special issue looks to close a gap in existing research by looking at the role audiovisual fiction (film, TV series, computer games) plays in the (online) lives of people with far-right leanings. Our proposed special issue will explore the ways in which reactionary, far-right actors engage with audiovisual fiction and the diverse ideological and strategic reasons for doing so. We aim to bring together scholars from critical, media, cultural and far right studies, working with empirical data from diverse geographical locations, to understand the multifaceted ways in which the far right interacts with audiovisual fiction. We are particularly interested in contributions that address one or more of the following topics: 

• The world of far-right influencers and audiovisual fiction; 
  
• The role of audiovisual fiction in online far-right communities;
  
• Far-right critique of audiovisual fiction;
  
• Far-right audiences and far right fandom;
  
• The appropriation of audiovisual motifs and imagery in far-right strategy and campaigning;
  
• The use of audiovisual fiction as a medium to disseminate far-right ideas; 
  
• The use of audiovisual fiction to legitimise far-right ideas and/or delegitimise the status-quo; 
  
• The way in which far right engagement with audiovisual fiction differs from and/or resembles other audiences.
  

We naturally welcome any other ideas that shed light on the role of audiovisual fiction on the far right. Should you be interested in contributing to our proposed special issue, please send a 300-400 word abstract (with references) to omran.shroufi@vub.be by Friday 15 March 2024. Please note we can only accept abstracts that directly engage with audiovisual fiction, rather than with popular culture or digital media more generally.

Once we have selected contributions, we will be submitting a complete proposal to a prominent peer-review journal that has already indicated an interest in our topic.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Omran Shroufi omran.shroufi@vub.be

We look forward to receiving your abstract. 

#TRIPODOS56

Deadline: March 31, 2024

Expected publication: Autumn 2024

Guest editors: Cyril Hovorun

Since February 24th 2022, the global mediatic and political attention is focused in Ukraine. The Russian attack started a war in which both countries are still involved. This conflict, in which NATO members are supporting Ukraine, represents the main step of a new Russian expansionism (Zubok, 2023). However, Vladimir Putin’s plans are not new (Grigas, 2016). Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine have been in conflict since 2014, and it seems that this is not the only objective in the Russian’s president's ideas (Atlantic Council, 2022). Considering the situation, Russia is nowadays in the eye of international relations and international media, as this conflict seems to build a New Iron Curtain in the world (Marcau, 2022).

Tripodos issue 56 aims to delve into the past, present and future of the global situation looking at this new Russian neo-imperialism through the lens of communication but also through a deep international relations’ analysis. For this reason, we invite scholars working in the areas of international politics, conflict analysis, conflict narratives, journalism, digital media, to send their manuscripts. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

- Putin’s geostrategy

- Narratives about the Russia-Ukraine conflict

- Reporting on the War: coverage analysis

- The New Cold War

- Censorship and freedom of press in Russia

- Historical evolution of the Russian geostrategy since the collapse of the USSR

Submission

Papers should be sent by March 31, 2024. In order to submit original papers, authors must be registered with the journal (www.tripodos.com) as authors. Following this step, authors must enter their user name and password, activated in the process of registering, and begin the submission process. In step 1, they must select the section “Monograph”.

Rules and instructions regarding the submission of originals can be downloaded at www.tripodos.com.

For any queries, please contact the editorial team of the journal at tripodos@blanquerna.url.edu. The issue will be entirely in English.

September 24, 2024

University of Ljubljana

Deadline: March 17, 2024

Pre-conference to the 10th European Communication Conference

With the endorsement of the ECREA Journalism Studies Section

Conference Topic

AI, algorithms, and automation are increasingly becoming part of newsrooms, influencing nearly every aspect of journalism (Cools, 2022; Zamith, 2020). Both the pervasiveness (Thurman, Lewis & Kunert, 2019) of these innovative tools and their disruptive potential in restructuring news work and professional roles become central elements worth studying (Lewis et al., 2019). Even more so as the pervasiveness of automation entails new relational dynamics in the newsroom (Wu, Tandoc & Salmon, 2019), but also with the audience (van Dalen, 2012), and other intermediaries and tech companies. This process leads to creating a new hybrid scenario (Porlezza & Di Salvo, 2020), where the boundaries of journalism are increasingly contested, and new skills and competencies are required. In this context, journalists are forced to renegotiate their communicative space as news work is confronted with shifting human-machine relationships that could result in ‘shared decision-making’ between the ‘human’ and ‘the machine’. Similarly, AI, algorithms, and automation also lead to new actor categories and professional roles such as programmers, designers, legal, and cybersecurity experts, both internal and external to media organizations. These changes entail both opportunities and challenges regarding journalistic relevance and authority (Amigo et al., 2023; Carlson, 2015; Wu et al., 2019), the internal organization of newsrooms (Thurman, Dörr & Kunert, 2017), and ethical (Porlezza & Ferri, 2021) as well as governance issues (Porlezza, 2023).

The pre-conference aims to explore new AI actor constellations in the journalism field to identify central players and map new interrelations, power imbalances, new dependencies, potential instances of boundary crossing, or even dissolving boundaries in the wider journalistic field. Overall, the pre-conference aims at overcoming newsroom-centered perspectives on the design and use of AI in journalism by focusing on emerging actors such as tech companies as well as intermediaries, who exert an increasing social and economic influence on journalism and the news industry (Simon, 2022). The pervasiveness of AI in the whole news cycle and the restricted capacity to develop AI systems on their own is likely to increase the news media’s dependence on tech and platform companies, challenging not only journalism’s autonomy, but also the news-making process itself in terms of shifting practices, roles, and an ethical as well as responsible design and adoption of these systems. Such an approach aims at challenging predefined conceptions about the impact of AI in the news while expanding our understanding of how the technology reshapes actor-related questions about autonomy, dependence, and governance:

Submissions may focus on - but are by no means limited to - the following themes and perspectives:

 What kind of actor constellations (within and outside the news organization) deal with AI systems and their development and/or implementation?

Which actors are involved, what kind of roles do they have, and how are they contributing to the development/implementation processes regarding AI systems?

What kind of AI literacy skills and competencies are required to navigate a datafied media environment?

What kind of practices, skills, and knowledge are involved?

How are ethical issues dealt with in such an AI actor constellation?

What kind of governance structures are needed to avoid power imbalances?

Different types of submissions are possible. You can submit a traditional research talk on one of the pre-conference topics, but you can also submit “work-in-progress” contributions on research projects that are still in progress. For those, the conference provides an opportunity to discuss questions about their theoretical and methodological approach, research design, data collection as well as other matters of interest.

The pre-conference would like to bring together researchers from different backgrounds. Experts from outside academia are also welcome, particularly to foster the discussion between scholars and practitioners on central actors when it comes to the implementation of AI in journalism. In addition, we specifically encourage submissions from young and emerging scholars, particularly from the YECREA network.

When submitting, please note

The conference will be held in English.

 Speakers are expected to be present. Virtual presentations are not possible.

Submissions have to be in English and should be submitted as a .pdf file.

Please state whether your contribution is a research talk or a work-in-progress talk.

Please indicate whether the first author is a PhD student.

The abstracts should include the main idea/argument, research questions, theoretical perspectives and/or information on methodology and empirical findings (if relevant).

What, where, and when to submit

• Abstracts of no more than 500 words (references excluded) should be sent to aiactorconstellations@gmail.com by 17 March 2024, 23:59 (Central European Time)
  
• All submitted abstracts will undergo a review. Acceptance notifications will be sent out on March 31, 2024.
  
• Deadline for confirmation of participation is April 10, 2024.
  

The pre-conference will take place on September 24, 2024, at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana. More information can be found at: https://ecrea2024journalismai.wordpress.com/

The conference fee will be kept to a minimum, with lower prices for PhD students in part-time positions. Participants with special needs are kindly asked to get in touch with the organizers.

Conference Organization and Contact

Colin Porlezza, Università della Svizzera italiana; City, University of London

Laura Amigo, Università della Svizzera italiana

Hannes Cools, University of Amsterdam; Georgetown University

Philip Di Salvo, University of St. Gallen

Tomás Dodds, Leiden University; Harvard University

URL: https://ecrea2024journalismai.wordpress.com/

E-Mail: aiactorconstellations@gmail.com 

May 14-16, 2024

Ca’ Foscari University of Venice

Deadline (EXTENDED): February 25, 2024

This multi- and interdisciplinary conference explores cinematic adaptation as a transnational practice between the area formerly known as Mitteleuropa and the US over the last century from different angles and perspectives, with particular emphasis on German- American relations. The conference will examine Hollywood films by expatriate directors, German films based on American literary works, and American films based on German literary works, including remakes and international co-productions from the early twentieth to the twenty-first century. Particular attention will be given to émigré and exiled directors, stars, and crews of the Pre- and Post-World-War years, to the Junger/Neuer Deutscher Film of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, but also to contemporary co-productions and international blockbusters. We welcome proposals addressing the manifold forms that adaptation can take in order to reflect on its discursive effects on both sides of the Atlantic.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

- The “literary canon” of US-Mitteleuropean cinematic adaptation (Eric Maria Remarque, Patricia Highsmith, Vera Caspary, James L. Cain, etc.)

- Adaptation and expatriate directors (Michael Curtiz, Fritz Lang, Ernst Lubitsch, Otto Preminger, Robert Siodmark, Douglas Sirk, Erich von Stroheim, Josef von Sternberg, Billy Wilder, Fred Zinnemann, etc.)

- Adaptation and the Junger/Neuer Deutscher Film (Schlöndorff, Fassbinder, Wenders, etc.)

- Audiovisual translation as adaptation

- Post-adaptation effects: paratexts (book packaging: retitling, book covers, etc.) and reception (book reviews, etc.)

- The mediating role of authors/scriptwriters/producers/actors in the adaptation process

- Adaptation and film genres

- Adaptation and film remakes

- Adaptation and film scores

- Adaptation and place: the double careers of expatriate/international stars

- International co-productions (Wes Anderson, Wolfgang Petersen, Tom Tykwer, etc.)

Proposals should be written in English and sent to all the organizers, simone.francescato@unive.it, ashleymerrill.riggs@unive.it, stefania.sbarra@unive.it, and klaus.benesch@lrz.uni-muenchen.de no later than February 25th, 2024.

Notification of acceptance will be sent no later than March 3rd, 2024.

Selected References

- Haase, Christine. When Heimat meets Hollywood: German filmmakers and America, 1985-2005. Camden House, 2007.

- Koepnick, Lutz. The Dark Mirror: German Cinema Between Hitler and Hollywood. University of California Press, 2002.

- Leitch, Thomas M. Film Adaptation and Its Discontents: From Gone with the Wind to The Passion of the Christ. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007.

- Leitch, Thomas. The History of American Literature on Film. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.

- McFarland, Douglas and Wieland Schwanebeck, eds. Patricia Highsmith on Screen. Springer International Publishing, 2018.

- Murray, Simone. The Adaptation Industry: The Cultural Economy of Contemporary Literary Adaptation. Taylor & Francis, 2012.

- , Claudia, Deniz Göktürk, Erica Carter, Tim Bergfelder. The German Cinema Book. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020.

- Scholz, Anne-Marie. From Fidelity to History: Film Adaptations as Cultural Events in the Twentieth Century. Berghahn Books, 2016.

- Smith, Iain Robert. Transnational Film Remakes.Edinburgh University Press, 2017.

- Vansant, Jacqueline. Austria Made in Hollywood. Boydell & Brewer, 2019.

- Cahir, Linda Costanzo. Literature into film: theory and practical approaches. McFarland, 2014.

- O’Sullivan, Carol. Translating Popular Film. Palgrave MacMillan, 2011.

- Perdikaki, Katerina. “Film adaptation as the interface between creative translation and cultural transformation: The case of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby.” JoSTrans: The Journal of Specialised Translation 29 (2018).

- Pérez-González, Luis (ed.). The Routledge Handbook of Audiovisual Translation. Routledge, 2019. Sandberg

 - Yau, Wai‐Ping. “Translation and film: Dubbing, subtitling, adaptation, and remaking.” A Companion to Translation Studies (2014): 492-503.

August 21-22, 2024

Gothenburg (Sweden)

Deadline: May 31, 2024

Publishing in international journals is a given for researchers. Nevertheless, it can often be difficult to get an overview of the range of journals and to understand the different steps involved in the publication process. There are many pieces that need to be in place before a manuscript reaches its readers. Among other things, there is a review process where you – as a scholar – make sure that another’s manuscript meets the highest standards of scientific quality.  

To help sort things out, Nordicom is organising a workshop on academic journal publishing. The workshop is aimed at doctoral students in journalism, media and communication studies, and related subjects in the Nordic countries, and the goal is to give participants a thorough orientation in the academic publishing process. The main points of the workshop are: 

• The publishing landscape: What does it look like, and how do you select a journal to submit your work to? 
  
• Preparing a manuscript for submission: Why is it essential to be nitty gritty with references, language, formatting, etc., and what can you do to make it less tedious? 
  
• Writing a good review: What makes a good review and how do you succeed in writing one? 
  
• Receiving reviews of your work: How do you make sense of reviews, and how should you respond to them? 

The workshop includes presentations from Nordicom's experienced editors and exercises where participants get feedback from other participants as well as Nordicom’s editors. 

Prior to the workshop, all participants will be given exercises to do on their own, which will then be followed up on during the workshop that takes place 21–22 August in Nordicom's premises in Gothenburg. 

The workshop corresponds to 3 ECTS credits. After completing the workshop, all participants will receive a certificate if they have done the preparatory exercises and participated throughout the workshop. 

Read more about the workshop and how to apply: https://www.nordicom.gu.se/en/latest/news/workshop-academic-publishing-doctoral-students  

Bournemouth University

Bournemouth University is delighted to announce 10 fully-funded PhD studentships. The Faculty of Media and Communication (FMC) is keen to encourage applications across all our research interests.  

FMC is an amazing place to undertake a PhD. We are a world-leading centre for the study of media and communication. You will you be joining a vibrant, rich, and rapidly expanding research community. Ranked number one in the UK for Research Power in Media, Communication and Cultural Studies (UoA34, REF 2021), FMC been awarded around £3,000,000 in research grants in 2023-24. We have 10 research centres, including the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA), the Centre for Excellence in Media Practice (CEMP), the Centre for Comparative Media and Politics Research, the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management (CIPPM) and the Centre for Science, Health and Data Communication Research. All students are linked to a research centre.  

The Faculty has a community of approaching 200 PhD students. We offer a vibrant PhD training program; a PhD Summer School in Digital Methods; and a host of research events, seminars and conferences – including the internationally-recognised Research Process Seminar Series. Students receive up to £3,000 to support their research.   

You can find a searchable list of supervisors here, but it is worth also looking on the staff pages of our four departments: Communication and Journalism, Computer Animation, Humanities and Law, and Media Production.

Please reach out to potential supervisors in the first instance.  

Full details can be found here and in the Fully Funded Studentship Policy. Applicants will be asked to complete a bespoke application form and attach this to their online application.

May 23-24, 2024

University of Bologna (Italy)

Deadline: February 29, 2024

 5th Media Mutations Conference

Organized by Paola Brembilla and Marco Cucco (Università di Bologna), Christopher Meir (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

Confirmed Keynote Speaker: Courtney Brannon Donoghue (University of North Texas) 

In an age defined by digital transformation and the global circulation of cultural products, intellectual property has assumed a central role in shaping the landscape of media industries.  From film and television to music, literature, and beyond, the management and governance of intellectual property are pivotal to the production, distribution, and reception of creative content.

Intellectual property (as expressed and protected by copyrights, trademarks, patents, etc.) encompasses the intangible assets that form the foundation of creative and cultural expression in the media industries. IPs are the driving force behind the economic vitality of media sectors, influencing revenue streams, market dynamics, and business models. Politically, they are subject to complex legal frameworks, international agreements, and debates about access and regulation, making them a powerful instrument for shaping the global media landscape. Narratively, they are the building blocks of captivating stories, beloved characters, and transformative storytelling experiences. Culturally, they define the identity of societies, influence social norms, and play pivotal roles in fostering dialogue, reflecting diversity, and preserving heritage.

The International Conference Media Mutations 15 – The Matter of Intellectual Property invites scholars, researchers, and practitioners to explore and engage with the multifaceted dimensions of intellectual property and specific intellectual properties in media industries. This conference aims to foster a comprehensive dialogue that analyzes both the economic and legal aspects of the concept but that also delves into the political and cultural dimensions of intellectual property management. 

In our pursuit of a deeper understanding of intellectual property management in media industries, we encourage collaboration across diverse academic disciplines. Intellectual property is a multifaceted field, and its management touches upon economics, law, political science, cultural studies, and more. We seek to bring together scholars and researchers from these various disciplines to evaluate how different research methods can be brought together to generate new insights, approaches and collaborations. Through this interdisciplinary exchange, we can address the complex challenges and opportunities that intellectual properties present in media and work collectively toward holistic solutions to the problems found in the media industries.

Acknowledging the global nature of media and cultural exchange, this conference also emphasizes the need to explore intellectual property management practices, policies, and challenges from diverse regions around the world, in order to shed light on the nuances and variations that exist in IP management on a global scale. For instance, we are interested in how global phenomena (such as that of the Korean Wave) exemplify how effective intellectual property management can lead to economic growth, cultural diplomacy, and a global presence for emerging economies. How does the strategic management of IPs contribute to the global recognition and commercial success of these emerging cultural forces?

Media Mutations 15 encourages submissions that use diverse approaches and methodologies, such as:

The Economy of Intellectual Properties:

·   IP management and business models.

·   Monetization strategies, royalties, and revenue distribution.

·   The role of intellectual property in investment and financing.

·   Corporate strategies and ownership.

·   Market trends, consumer behavior, and the economics of content creation.

The Politics of Intellectual Property:

·   Copyright law, trademark, and patent regulation in the media sector.

·   Policy-making, international agreements, and their implications.

·   Intellectual property enforcement.

·   Ethical considerations in IP governance.

·   The politics of open access, open source, and public domain.

The Cultural Aspects of Specific Intellectual Properties:

·  Cultural impact, diversity, and representation in IP management.

· Opportunities and problems of IPs in preserving and promoting cultural heritage.

·  The relationship between IPs and creative freedom.

·  Fan cultures, remix culture, and participatory media in the digital age.

·  Franchise storytelling and IPs in the convergence era.

The official language of the conference is English. Abstracts (300-500 words for 20-minute talks) should be sent to submissions@mediamutations.org by February 29th, 2024. Please attach a short biography (maximum 150 words) and an optional selected bibliography (up to five titles) relevant to the conference theme. The conference will be in person, with no option for remote presentation. Notification of acceptance will be sent by March 18th, 2024. A registration fee will be requested after notification of paper acceptance (€80 for speakers and professional attendants).

This Conference is promoted by the Media Mutations Association and financially supported by DAMSLab, Dipartimento delle Arti, Università di Bologna, the Master in Management del Cinema e dell’Audiovisivo (Università di Bologna), and The Academy of Korean Studies, in collaboration with Centro Dipartimentale La Soffitta.

The Conference is sponsored by the Film Studies Section and the Television Studies Section of ECREA. 

 University of Fribourg 

The Department of Communication and Media Research at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) offers two fully funded PhD positions for graduates with advanced skills in French.

PhD at the Chair in Communication and Media Studies (Prof. Dr. Thilo von Pape)

• qualitative or quantitative methods of social research,
  
• uses, effects, and social issues of media innovations: equal access, everyday appropriation, well-being, privacy, sustainability…
  
• digital communication: social networks, smartphones, artificial intelligence..
  
• Complete job ad: https://www.unifr.ch/dcm/de/assets/public/files/jobs/2402-DiplomassistenzCommMedia.pdf

PhD at the Chair in Political Communication and Media (Prof. Dr. Alexandrea Feddersen)

• political communication,
  
• the functioning of the media and media selection mechanisms,
  
• social media and democratic challenges
  
• Complete job ad: https://www.unifr.ch/dcm/de/assets/public/files/jobs/2402-DiplomassistenzCommPol.pdf

Percentage of employment: 100%

Application deadline: March 15

Start of employment: April 15 or later.

July 17-18, 2023

Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici e del Patrimonio Culturale, Università degli Studi di Udine, Italy

Deadline (EXTENDED): February 14, 2024

Scholarship addressing actors and actresses has traditionally focused on theories and issues of stardom. The centrality of the star as a prominent signifier in film texts, as well as a major asset in the production and commercialisation of film products, has been variously and fruitfully investigated by star and celebrity studies. Stars’ performances and personas have been analysed as the epitome of their actual or perceived national identities, as the expression of their coeval cultural and political context, as well as marketing mainstays for their respective national film industries (e.g., Gundle 1995; Leahy 2003; Reich 2004; Spicer 2022). Less explored has instead been the labour of and around acting. This conference, which originates from the research project funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research titled F-ACTOR. Forms of Contemporary Media Professional Acting. Training, Recruitment and Management, Social Discourses in Italy (2000-2020), therefore wishes to study labour issues in connection not just to stardom, but to screen acting in Europe. In the Old Continent, the ‘fluidity of identities’ (Bergfelder 2005: 329) that characterises the region from a cultural and geo-political standpoint is echoed in the transnationality of many film actors, such as the French Juliette Binoche (Vincendeau 2015), the Italian Ksenia Rappoport (Faleschini Lerner 2012), or the Spanish Daniel Brühl (Vidal 2016). Transnationality is regarded as one the distinctive features of Europe’s predominant mode of film production (Jäckel 2003), as it relies to a great extent on international co-productions, funded through bi- and multi-lateral agreements, supranational schemes like Creative Europe and Eurimages, as well as dedicated film festivals’ initiatives (Iordanova 2015). How does the relationship between film actors, (trans)national identity, policy framework, and production system play out in labour practices and individual decision-making within Europe? If, as Richard Dyer (1986) observes quoting Marx, the star image is an example of ‘“congealed labour”, something that is used with further labour (scripting, acting, directing, managing, filming, editing) to produce another commodity, a film, what are the material and symbolic conditions in which such labour is performed, and by whom? How is the labour of and around screen acting performed within the framework of European cinema produced over the last two decades? How are digital technologies impacting on acting and acting-related practices and labour within Europe? What part, if any, does transnationality play in shaping the values and practices of actors and non-acting professionals in European film industries? 

This conference aims to explore the multiple forms of labour that constitute, inform, and surround contemporary screen acting. In this sense, we are not only interested in the labour of contemporary European screen actors, and how it intersects with individual traits such as gender and age. We also wish to examine the varied forms of labour that prepare, accompany, manage, circulate, manipulate, consume, and evaluate the screen actor’s performance against the backdrop of an increasingly globalized and corporatized European film industry. 

The conference invites proposals for presentations that explore symbolic, social, organizational, economic and/or juridical dimensions of labour performed by and around screen actors in the context of contemporary European film industries (ca 2000-present time). The list of possible topics includes, but is not limited to:

• The labour of acting across national and trans-national production cultures;
  
• Intersectional approaches to screen acting;
  
• Actors and promotional labour: (self-)branding, transmedia persona, digital intimacy;
  
• Actors and the law: labour rights, welfare, contracts;
  
• Labour organizations, unions, and industry associations;
  
• The labour around acting: coaches, casting directors, talent agents, PR professionals;
  
• Training actors: schools and institutions, professions, methods; 
  
• Making up actors: make-up and hairstyling artists, fashion stylists, image consultants;
  
• Voice acting: dubbing professions, cultures and practices across Europe;
  
• Acting and digital technologies;
  
• Acting and film criticism;
  
• Actors and the economy of prestige: Festivals, awards, accolades; 
  
• Actors and fandom.

We invite proposals for individual papers and pre-constituted panels. All proposals should be written in English. Abstracts for 20-minutes individual papers should be of 300 words (max). Panel proposals should include a 300-word (max) description of the panel, including a title, plus a 200-word (max) description of each individual paper (min 3, max 4 papers of 20 minutes each per panel). All proposals should include also a 100-word bio of the presenter(s), 5 keywords descriptive of the proposal, and 3 to 5 key bibliographic references.

The conference will be held in-person. 

Participation in the conference is free, no fee required.

Further details about the conference programme and keynote speakers will follow.

For more information and resources about F-ACTOR. Forms of Contemporary Media Professional Acting. Training, Recruitment and Management, Social Discourses in Italy (2000-2020), please visit https://italianperformers.it/en/

Proposals should be submitted to workandplayuniud@gmail.com no later than 11:59PM (CET) on February 14 , 2024 (EXTENDED).

Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by March 31st, 2024.

For any questions, do not hesitate to contact the conference organizing committee: workandplayuniud@gmail.com 

Edited by: Pedro Jerónimo  

“Local journalism, global challenges: news deserts, infodemic and the vastness in between” is the result of a dialogue which started around these topics at the ECREA 2022 Post Conference “The State of Local Media”, held online, on October 24th of the same year. It continues in this book and in what will come after and from it.

Introduction - Pedro Jerónimo

Part I – Making the local news

Mapping the terrain of journalism: the state of local news in Romania - Carmen Neamţu

Can automated news help local journalism? An exploratory study in Portugal - Adriana Gonçalves & Ricardo Morais

Restoring trust in local media through journalistic collaboration: European Union level iniciatives focused on investigative journalism - David Parra Valcarce, Elvira García de Torres, Pedro Jerónimo & Giovanni Ramos

Lupa NH Project: experimental strategy to combat the scarcity of local coverage in Brazil - Walter Teixeira Lima Junior, Alan Milhomem da Silva, Jéssica de Souza Carneiro & Tiago Eduardo

Part II – Local news in Asian at times of pandemic

Do media attributes determine news production? A comparative study of local and central newsrooms after the easing of pandemic restrictions in China - Carl Zhou, Linyi Gao, Jinao Li, Ranjun Hua

The changing socialized role of Chinese local media in the infodemic: a case study of the Shanghai 2022 pandemic rumours - Hongxu Zhu & Mengyao

The impact of local media on social psychology in an “infodemic” context: take Wenzhou Daily Newspaper Group as an example - Lin Shike & Chuchu Zhao

“The Power of the Civilian Hero”: effective strategies for local media coverage in response to information epidemics - Chuchu Zhao & Rongyi Chen

Available at https://labcomca.ubi.pt/local-journalism-global-challenges-news-deserts-infodemic-and-the-vastness-in-between/