ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Problemi dell’informazione (Special Issue)

Deadline: January 31, 2026

Guest editors: Gaia Peruzzi & Raffaele Lombardi

Description

Disability Media Studies is an emerging disciplinary field situated at the intersection of Disability Studies and Media Studies. Its common ground lies in the critique of essentialist conceptions of the concept of disability: the constructivist approach of Disability Studies merges with the critical spirit of Cultural Studies and with theories that emphasise the role of media narratives in the social construction of reality, in order to deconstruct the perception of disability as a purely material issue.

The intersectional orientation of the field, together with its focus on everyday and popular experience - whether physically lived (as emphasised by Disability Studies) or mediated (as examined within Media Studies) - are other elements that strengthen the convergence between the two strands. 

Over the past two decades, Disability Media Studies has thus consolidated a critical and interdisciplinary approach to the study of the relationship between media representations and conditions of disability, helping to challenge traditional deficit-oriented frameworks, i.e. those perspectives that describe disability solely as a lack, deficiency or deviation from a presumed norm of full functionality (Ellcessor, 2016). Such traditional approaches reduce the person with disabilities to their clinical or biological condition, obscuring the social, cultural and political dimensions of the disabling experience. In contrast, this strand of scholarship promotes perspectives grounded in diversity rights and social participation (Ellis et al., 2025; Ellis et al., 2021; Shakespeare, 2018).

In the meantime, the evolution of sensitivities and mentalities, the erosion of the sharp boundaries between presumed normality and disability by new vulnerabilities (neurodivergences, attention disorders, etc.), the spread of inclusion policies, and above all the demographic transformations, which with the ageing of the population have made it clear that frailty and disability are universal and not exceptional conditions, have made the issue a social priority.

Today, Disability Media Studies, far from considering the media as mere channels of representation, investigates how journalistic practices, audiovisual productions, social media and digital platforms contribute to the construction of collective representations and imaginaries and, at the same time, influence inclusion and exclusion policies (Barden, 2018; Peruzzi, Battisti and Lombardi, 2024; Umar et al., 2024;). In particular, with the rise of digital media and participatory platforms, reflection has expanded to the active role of people with disabilities in the production of alternative content and narratives, capable of challenging dominant stereotypes and giving visibility to marginalised experiences (Jones et al., 2021; Baumgartner et al., 2021). Recent research highlights, for instance, how TikTok, YouTube or Instagram become spaces of self-representation and online communities where practices of cultural resistance and forms of digital activism emerge (Ellcessor & Kirkpatrick, 2017; Bitman, 2022). At the same time, it is pointed out that the platforms themselves are crossed by technological and algorithmic accessibility barriers that risk reproducing pre-existing inequalities (Alper, 2021; Holland et al., 2023). Furthermore, the presence of disabled activists and influencers on the Web, while obviously read as an opportunity for popularity of the topic, raises specific questions about the subjectivity-objectivity tension in professional journalism (Battisti, Bruno and Peruzzi, 2025).

In this perspective, Disability Media Studies is today a constantly evolving line of research, attentive to both the criticalities and the opportunities offered by the contemporary media ecosystem, and capable of interweaving cultural, sociological and political analysis of disability in the digital era (Pacheco & Burgess, 2024).

This monographic issue aims to bring together contributions that explore the state of Disabilities Media Studies, also from an international perspective.  We welcome contributions that offer perspectives and methods to analyse how disability shapes media narratives and technologies, as well as how media represent and construct disabled bodies and subjects - and the world that surrounding them (caregivers, institutions and disability policies). Both a theoretical and empirical contributions are invited, provided they offer original insights for advancing reflection within the field.

This issue aims to contribute to a critical debate that refuses to separate the study of media from the cultural and political transformations shaping our societies. Within this framework, disability should be understood not as a marginal category but as a lens through which to reflect on the relationships between media, vulnerability, and social justice.

Below we outline a non-exhaustive set of possible thematic directions, which may also intersect with one another:

1. disability and Critical Media Studies: theoretical and methodological perspectives, approaches, methods of study, intersectionality;

2. frames and representations of the world of disability in information, mainstream journalism and social journalism;

3. frames and representations of the world of disability in mass-media narratives: literature, cinema, radio, theatre, etc.;

4. representations and narrative practices on disability in the platforms and "conversations" of online networks;

5. mainstream and specialist journalism on disability, disability influencers, editorial practices, disability-led media practices;

6. disability and social, institutional and political communication: disability campaigns, representation of people with disabilities and disability in diversity and inclusion policies, advocacy strategies, etc.;

7. disability and visual representations: problems and strategies of visual representation of disabilities, physical and cognitive;

8. disability and accessibility: inclusive communication practices; accessibility technologies and policies; social justice and medial citizenship processes.

Key dates:

• Deadline for abstract submissions: January 31, 2026
  
• Decision by issue editors sent by: February 15, 2026
  
• Full paper submissions: May 30, 2026
  
• First round of reviews completed by: July 20, 2026
  
• Resubmissions of papers: September 20, 2026
  
• Second round of reviews completed by: October 30, 2026
  
• Submission of final manuscripts: December 15, 2026
  

Abstracts (300-500 words plus references) in English or Italian should be submitted at: https://submission.rivisteweb.it/index.php/pdi

Abstracts should be proposed for the section “Saggi”. Please indicate that the proposal is for the special issue edited by Peruzzi and Lombardi in the box “Comments for the editor”.

For further information about the submission process, please contact: gaia.peruzzi@uniroma1.it, r.lombardi5@lumsa.it   

There are no APC (article processing charge) for authors.

About the venue

Established in 1976, Problemi dell’Informazione (PdI) has been the first Italian scientific journal focusing specifically on journalism and communication studies. Since then, PdI has represented a dedicated venue for the development of a vivid debate on these topics, fueled both by academic research and by contributions from professionals. More recently PdI has expanded its aims and scope by broadly considering all forms of communication, also to keep pace with the latest transformations in the field of journalism and of journalism studies. PdI publishes contributions in Italian and English after a rigorous double-blind peer review process.

Principal Editor: Carlo Sorrentino.

Here: https://www.mulino.it/riviste/issn/0390-5195 its national and international board.

Problemi dell'Informazione is A-class rated journal by ANVUR (Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of the University and Research Systems) in Sociology of culture and communication

Deadline: May 15, 2026

I am pleased to announce a call for papers for the first edited volume devoted to the Netflix limited series Ripley (Zaillian, 2024). Perspectives on Netflix’s Ripley seeks to explore the myriad ways in which this striking adaptation reimagines Patricia Highsmith’s iconic character for a new era of streaming television. I invite proposals from scholars, practitioners, and critics whose work engages with adaptation, media studies, sexuality, and screen cultures.

About the Volume

Ripley, based on Highsmith’s celebrated novel, offers a noir-inflected meditation on duplicity, queerness, and identity within the seductive landscapes of mid-century Italy. Written and directed by Steven Zaillian and starring Andrew Scott in the titular role, the series stands at the crossroads of literary adaptation and the shifting aesthetics of contemporary streaming television. Its monochrome palette, deliberate pacing, and psychological intensity invite viewers to re-examine not only the figure of Tom Ripley, but also the very structures that define contemporary television.

This edited volume aims to situate Ripley within broader conversations about adaptation in the age of streaming, the affordances and limitations of new media, and the cultural, political, and psychological dimensions of the titular character. The volume seeks to foster interdisciplinary dialogue, and I welcome contributions from established and emerging voices. Join us in interrogating the darkness and allure of Ripley.

The aim is for a proposal for this collection to be submitted to Intellect, which has expressed an interest. It is designed for their Television Studies series. 

Possible Themes and Topics

I encourage authors to engage with Ripley broadly and creatively. Submissions might address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Adaptation and remediation in the Streaming Age: How does Ripley rework Highsmith’s novel and remediate earlier screen versions (notably Anthony Minghella’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, René Clément’s Plein Soleil, and Claude Chabrol’s Les Biches)? What does adaptation mean within the context of Netflix’s transnational audience and algorithmic reach?
  
• Streaming Television’s Affordances: In what ways does the streaming format—bingeability, episodic structure, global accessibility—shape the series’ narrative, formal, and thematic choices?
  
• Sexuality and Queerness: How is desire, intimacy, and queer identity articulated in Ripley? How do the series’ visual, narrative and representational strategies encode or obfuscate sexual tension, power, and repression?
  
• Visual Style: What is the significance of the show’s black-and-white cinematography, its painterly compositions, and its interplay with previous cinematic intertexts or the visual arts?
  
• Soundscape and Score: How does the series’ musical score and sound design contribute to the construction of suspense, affect, and atmosphere?
  
• Transnationalism and Locale: How does the series portray Italy and Italians? How does it portray émigrés living in Italy? What are the implications of setting and place for character and genre? How is Ripley situated in terms of Netflix’s transnational co-production output? What are the implications for its transnational microaudiences?
  
• Class, Mobility, and Social Performance: In what ways does Ripley interrogate questions of class, aspiration, and the performance of identity?
  
• Reception, Fandom, and Critique: How has Ripley been received by critics and audiences? What discourses have emerged on social media, in reviews, and among fans?
  

Aim and Scope

This book aims to assemble a diverse array of perspectives that illuminate the aesthetic, political, and cultural resonances of Netflix’s Ripley. By gathering essays that traverse disciplinary boundaries, I hope to offer a comprehensive account of how this adaptation both reflects and reframes the enduring fascination with Highsmith’s enigmatic antihero.

The collection will be of interest to:

• Scholars of film, television, adaptation, and media studies
  
• Researchers in gender, sexuality, and queer studies
  
• Students and educators seeking new approaches to intermedial adaptation and remediation, and Highsmith’s work
  
• Cultural critics and practitioners interested in streaming media’s impact on narrative
  
• Fans of Highsmith, noir, and prestige television drama
  

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts should be no longer than 500 words, outlining the proposed chapter’s title, contents, argument, approach, and significance.

Please include

• Up to 5 key words outlining the proposed chapter’s focus.
  
• A brief author biography (up to 150 words), including institutional affiliation and relevant publications.
  
• An acknowledgement of use of AI in preparation of the abstract, if applicable, including the AI tool/s used, the extent of their use, and the prompts used. (up to 150 words).
  

Deadline: 15 May 2026

Please use the following webform for submissions: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe2ON1aS110iv43gcEsqO2paSkt3ccQcWiAWcm9FStsBjvdyQ/viewform?usp=heade

About the Editor

The volume will be edited by Joy McEntee, author of the first monograph on the Ripley: Netflix’s Ripley: Television Antiheroes, Difficult Empathy, and the Aesthetics of Forgery (forthcoming). She is also co-editor of Kubrick and Race (2025) and author of Kubrick and Women (forthcoming).

Contact and Further Information

For all queries, please direct correspondence to joy.mcentee@adelaide.edu.au 

Updates regarding the project will be posted to those who submit in due course.

Acknowledgement of AI

I acknowledge the use of CoPilot to generate this Call for Papers.

Deadline: January 15, 2026

Editors: Ufuoma Akpojivi, Job Mwaura, Teke Ngomba & Jimmy Ochieng 

Focus of Study:

A growing body of scholarship has interrogated the dynamics of electoral politics in Africa with a particular emphasis on the implications of democratic backsliding, the resurgence of coups, and the shifting landscape of citizen engagement (see Ndlela and Mano 2020, Lilleker and Mutsvairo 2026). The electoral cycles of 2022 to 2025 have seen a significant number of African states, such as South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya, amongst others, conduct elections, revealing a salient and often underestimated actor:  Generation Z (Gen Z). According to Afrobarometer, 60% of Africa’s population consists of individuals aged 25 and below, most of whom fall within the Gen Z category (born between 1997-2012), and are considered to be digitally native (BBC n/d).  This means that these Gen Zs are not only the future generation that will (re)shape politics and democratic processes in the continent, but their voices cannot be silenced or ignored in the democratic process, as their actions have a broader implication on democracy and democratic sustenance. 

Rice and Moffet (2021) argue that Gen Z’s political behaviour stands apart from that of older generations. While the older generation of voters may tend towards caution and compromise,  Gen Zs, on the other hand, are less willing to accept poor governance or systemic failure quietly. These inclinations described above are at the heart of recent varied forms of demonstration in countries such as Madagascar, Cameroon, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria, where these groups of young Africans have demanded good governance.   Their constant exposure and access to information shape the forms and manner of their political engagement and participation. Their expressions are grounded in their critique of political and economic failures of African states, as these factors have formed the catalyst of their engagement (Mbugua 2025). 

In light of the above, this proposed edited collection seeks to understand how Gen Zs are influencing political participation, electoral behaviours and democratic transformation across the African continent. We are interested in the broader questions of how Gen Z is (re)shaping political participation and elections in Africa? Are there structural or socio-economic barriers to Gen Z’s political participation? If there are, what are these and in what form do they exist? How is Gen Z’s voting behaviour different from other generations, and what is the broader impact of their voting behaviour on the electioneering process? What role, if any, do social media influencers and activists play in shaping the electioneering process and in influencing the political awareness of Gen Zs?  Ultimately, this volume seeks to place Gen Zs at the centre of the current debates about democracy in Africa, not as future citizens, but as active political agents in the present.

We welcome submissions that address but are not limited to the following themes related to Gen Zs in Africa:

• Political participation and everyday engagement with the state
  
• Psychological factors that influence political participation and engagement (i.e. political interests, efficacy and agency)
  
• Generational shifts in political behaviours, especially concerning electoral choices
  
• Online and offline activism and protest cultures
  
• Civic trust and policy influence
  
• Trust, disillusionment, and civic withdrawal
  
• Misinformation, disinformation and their impact on Gen Z’s political behaviour
  
• Influencer politics, micro-celebrities, and youth mobilisation
  
• Surveillance, voter suppression and politics of fear
  
• Youth-State relations and the reimagining of political accountability
  
• Informal political spaces and alternative forms of organising

Submission details:

Please, email a chapter proposal of up to 400 words and brief author’s biographical information and affiliations to the editors at ufuoma.akpojivi@gmail.com,  job.mwaura@lmu.de  and jochieng@iu.edu. Decisions on chapter proposals will be communicated to the authors by February 16, 2026. This proposed edited volume is earmarked for publication with a university press. 

Note: We do not require an article publishing charge (APC)

Tentative Timelines: 

January 15, 2026: Abstract submission deadline

February 16, 2026: Notification of decision

May 15, 2026: Deadline for the submission of the full draft

August 31, 2026: Feedback from peer reviewers

November 2, 2026:  Deadline for submission of revised chapter

December 7,  2026: Final decision on chapter submission

February 1, : 2027: Submission of book manuscript to the publisher 

References:

Afrobarometer (2023).  Understanding the Youth’s Perspectives: Highlights of Afrobarometer R9 Findings. Online: https://www.afrobarometer.org/articles/understanding-the-youths-perspective-highlights-of-afrobarometer-r9-findings/#:~:text=Findings%20from%20the%20joint%20webinar,engagement%20with%20the%20youth%20demographic.

BBC (n/d). What is the Gen Z Stare? Online: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zf8kfdm#zvjw3qt,

Lilleker, D. and Mutsvairo, B. (2026). Election Campaigning in Sub-Saharan Africa: Democracy, Societal Cleavages and Social Media.  London: Palgrave

Mbugua, J. (2025). Why Kenyan’s Gen Z Has Taken to the Streets. Journal of Democracy, Online: https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusive/why-kenyas-gen-z-has-taken-to-the-streets/#:~:text=Over%20the%20past%20year%2C%20the%20nation%20has,however%2C%20the%20state%20has%20responded%20with%20force.

Ndela,  M. and Mano, W. (2020). Social Media and Elections in Africa, Volume 1: Theoretical Perspective and Election Campaigns. London: Palgrave.

Rice, L and Moffet, K. (2021). The Political Voices of Generation Z. New York: Routledge.

imec-SMIT, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

The research group SMIT (Studies in Media, Innovation and Technology) is a research centre at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. It is part of the Faculty of Social Sciences & Solvay Business School, department Communication Sciences. It is also part of imec, Flanders leading strategic research institute for nano-technology and ICT innovation. For over 30 years, SMIT has been specializing in social scientific research on media and ICT, with an emphasis on innovation, policy and socio-economic questions.

The Media Economics and Policy (MEP) unit focuses on analyzing and ensuring the economic and cultural viability of content production, aggregation, and consumption. Researchers in the MEP unit work on fundamental and applied research tracks seeking to advance knowledge on how digitalization, internationalization, and platformisation are impacting the business models of traditional media players, how these media players innovate and interact with new players, and how governments contribute to sustaining or strengthening local media ecosystems. Our research projects cover both market and policy aspects for a multitude of creative sectors, from publishing and cultural heritage to broadcasting, film, video games, music, and documentary filmmaking.

Position description

More concretely your work package, for the preparation of a doctorate, contains:

StreamSCAPES is an EU / Horizon Europe-funded initiative that aims at analyzing and driving sustainable climate transition of video-on-demand platforms. The VUB is one of the research partners involved in this European interdisciplinary project, through its SMIT research centre.

You will conduct research and innovation activities to analyse carbon footprint in video streaming activities and support VOD services in their efforts to assess and reduce such footprint, in particular in their production and distribution activities. You will take an active participation in, and eventually lead, “sustainable business clinics” where you will provide practical guidance and support to small companies, fostering the improvement of their business models in alignment with environmental and economic sustainability goals. You will contribute to:

• Guideline development;   
  
• Coaching sessions: implement coaching sessions within the sustainable business clinics. The focus is on assessing and reducing the companies’ carbon footprint while taking into account the business and market conditions;
  
• Individual strategies and roadmaps: utilise the coaching sessions to identify various options for stakeholders and develop individual strategies and roadmaps for each partner. This personalised approach ensures practical and actionable steps for realising the potential of sustainable business practices.
  

During the sustainable business clinics, we will use the Green Producers Tool, the carbon calculator developed by one of the StreamSCAPES partner, the Green Producers Club. Therefore, the sustainable business clinics also provide the opportunity for the Green Producers Club to test their calculator prototypes, providing valuable feedback for continuous refinement.

Besides, you will contribute to an analysis of the value network of VOD services, to provide a high-level analysis of how they insert in audiovisual ecosystems, considering both economic and environmental aspects.

Your tasks will include

• Business models and value network analysis
• Lead or proactively contribute to the sustainable business clinics
• Literature review and desk research
• Daily project management and reporting to coordinator
• Working on publications (peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters) and presenting research findings internally and to a broader academic community

Profile

What do we expect from you?

• Master’s degree in management, economics, communication/media studies, engineering (industrial ecology, environmental/sustainability, computer science/ICT/network), data science/analytics, or a closely related field. You can proof you finished your studies with outstanding academic results.
  
• Good knowledge of video-on-demand from a business and/or technical perspective is a strong asset
  
• Experience with business modelling and company coaching is another strong asset
  
• Ability to work independently, good self-management and planning skills
  
• Teamwork skills
  
• Flexible attitude when working in a dynamic environment with a variety of professional interlocutors
  
• Interdisciplinary mindset
  
• Analytical thinking and strong communication skills in English (including academic writing skills)

We Offer

• A dynamic and stimulating work environment with enterprising young scientists and experienced senior research staff in an international setting;
• High-quality innovative research on future-oriented services;
• Support and guidance by and experience team of senior researchers;
• Attractive VUB salary with extralegal benefits
• A full-time contract: the position is initially for a duration 12 months that can be prolonged. There are opportunities for future funding acquisition which can lead to PhD opportunities and an academic career at SMIT.

Interested?

Deadline to respond: December 12, 2025

Do you have questions about the job content?

Contact Heritiana Ranaivoson at hranaivo@vub.be or Kitty Van der Schraelen at Kitty.Van.der.Schraelen@vub.be

Please provide a CV and if applicable, track record of publications including reports and academic publications to smit.jobs@vub.be.

June 4, 2026 (8:30-12:00)

Cape Town, South Africa (in person only)

Deadline: December 15, 2025

Keynote speaker:  

Ann Skelton, Professor, University of Pretoria and University of Leiden, and former Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child 

About the pre-conference 

The Digital Futures for Children centre is pleased to announce the call for applications for the ICA 2026 pre-conference “Children’s rights under pressure in a digital world” organised in association with the ICA divisions Children, Adolescence and Media and Communication Law and Policy. 

Children and young people are often the early adopters, the ‘canaries in the coalmine’ of digital innovation around the world. We are long past the early optimism that digital technologies would spur development and close global inequalities. Instead, today’s concerns focus on how dominant digital business models are fuelling societal transformations that increasingly undermine children’s rights. As digital connectivity expands across the global South, countries in the region are beginning to grapple with the same adverse effects of digital inclusion on children’s wellbeing that have already prompted concern in the global North. Growing evidence also shows that different groups of children experience these impacts unevenly, with new research highlighting the distinct challenges faced by indigenous children as connectivity reaches their communities. 

Education and awareness-raising for a digital world are crucial, but they are insufficient on their own. Many now call for stronger regulation to rein in the power of big tech to commodify and reshape all aspects of everyday life in the interests of profit.

 This is proving contentious, with key rights – safety, speech, privacy, participation – appearing to conflict and with stakeholders debating the respective responsibilities of government, industry, civil society, families, and educators in safeguarding children’s rights within a fast-moving and complex digital landscape.  

Call for submissions 

This pre-conference brings together scholars and practitioners to explore how research can inform policy, regulation and design, and how global South perspectives can inform and shape international debates. The discussions will combine different perspectives, expertise and approaches under the umbrella of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s General comment No. 25 on Children’s Rights in Relation to the Digital Environment.  

Possible topics include: 

• Artificial intelligence, governance, privacy and safety 
  
• Child rights-respecting AI design 
  
• Intersectional perspectives on children’s digital lives 
  
• Children’s participation in digital environments 
  
• Children’s digital labour and the platform economy 
  
• Commercial exploitation and children’s data 
  
• Children’s activism online 
  
• Children’s participation in digital governance 
  
• Algorithmic childhoods 
  
• EdTech and the right to education 
  
• Child rights by design 
  
• Age restrictions and age-appropriate design 
  
• Measures for protecting children in digital environments  
  
• Digital childhoods, parenting and rights 
  

Submission guidelines 

We welcome original research studies addressing the theme of children’s rights in the digital environment, from all disciplines, employing empirical methods, relevant theory, and contributing to children’s rights in the digital environment. We invite extended abstracts of up to 1500 words (excluding references and tables). Each abstract must include the following subheadings: research questions, theoretical framework, empirical method, key findings and a description of how the work relates to children’s rights.

Six keywords should be identified. Submissions should include two files – one anonymous with author information removed throughout, and the second with all author information (name/s, institution/s, contact details).  

Submission deadline:  

Extended abstract (up to 1500 words) deadline: 15 December 2025 (12:00 CET), sent to info@dfc-centre.net 

Notification of acceptance: 15 January 2026 

Publication: Following the pre-conference, DFC will publish the extended abstracts on its website, accessible via LSE Research Online repository, with authors’ permission. 

Registration fee: $35, fees will be waived for students and participants from UN third-tier countries. Note: you do not have to be an ICA member or register for the main conference to attend this pre-conference.  

This pre-conference is co-organised by: 

• Sonia Livingstone and Kim Sylwander, DFC, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (UK) 
  
• Patrick Burton (South Africa) 
  
• Magdalena Claro Tagle, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (Chile) 
  
• Matías Dodel, Universidad Católica del Uruguay (Uruguay) 
  
• Jennifer Kaberi, Mtoto News (Kenya)  
  
• Admark Moyo, Faculty of Law, Stellenbosch (South Africa) 
  
• Julian Sefton-Green, Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, Deakin University (Australia) 
  
• Fabio Senne, Cetic.br (Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society) (Brazil) 
  

Queries are welcome, addressed to s.livingstone@lse.ac.uk  

More about the pre-conference: bit.ly/preICA  

May 27-28, 2025

Online

Deadline: January 20, 2026

Scholars and practitioners at all career levels are invited to join the inaugural virtual summer intensive on Theorizing Communication in, of, and from the Balkans, May 27-28, 2026.

Responding to the academic dominance of Western theorizing of communication, this summer intensive aims to “come back to basics” and activate Balkan place-based knowledges to wonder together: What counts as communication in the first place and in this place? Who and what communicates? What forms of communication feel un/familiar and un/necessary? How is communication shaped by and how does it shape creative, educational, civic and political activities and processes, difference and belonging, community building and resilience, and (responses to) local and global crises and conflicts? 

This summer intensive will welcome participants to inhabit together the in-betweens of the Balkans as a rich borderlands locale for communication theorizing, so that we can chart new place-based questions and paths for exploring them. We hope to foster a multinational, interdisciplinary, and intercultural scholarly community around shared interests in questions of communication in the region. We think of communication very broadly and welcome scholars and practitioners of any academic background who are actively engaged in analyzing, creating, and/or theorizing from and with Balkan (Southeastern European) perspectives and experiences.  

In this two-day intensive, participants will first learn about culture-centered approaches (CCAs) and borderlands theorizing as models to elevate context-specific ways of knowing and being and how they are expressed and negotiated with/in communication. Workshops during the first day will focus on methodologies for culture-centered theorizing, such as ethnography, narrative and arts-based research, and critical realist analysis of media. During the second day, we will gather in participatory working groups to further explore how such approaches can be adapted or redefined in and from Balkan contexts. Participants will be able to connect with fellow academics regarding ongoing or future research projects and submit work emerging from the intensive to upcoming publications, including an edited volume. 

Who Should Attend?

This summer school is open to scholars and practitioners, including graduate students, curious about and working on advancing communication theorizing with place-based Balkan perspectives and in relation to the varied socio-historic legacies and specifics of the region. Participants at any career level and from any academic field are welcome since communication is necessarily interdisciplinary: we think of it as paying attention to how symbols and signs function socially to make and negotiate meanings, identities, relationships, cultures, and historic and contemporary “wicked problems.” Thus, we particularly invite those interested in communication-related questions and theories relevant to the following themes and their intersections:

• (Post-)Conflict experiences and representations 
  
• Creativities, imaginations, activism, and (resilient) communities
  
• Identities and belonging (ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, race, etc.; dis/unifications)
  
• Literacies and learning (e.g., mis/dis-information, critical media literacy, cultural forms and culturally-sustaining pedagogies)
  
• Crises, risks, and violence (cultural, structural, direct)
  
• Borderlands, liminalities, transitions, and knowledge decolonization 
  

Registration

To be considered for the summer school, please submit your application no later than January 20, 2026 using the form linked here (opens in a new window). Please include the following two documents in English:

• A brief statement of interest (maximum 500 words) detailing your academic background and why you are interested in this topic. What questions of communication in, of and from the Balkans interest you? What do you hope to gain from participation in the Summer Intensive? How do you envision your engagement with and contributions to the TCB Summer Intensive?
  
• A current curriculum vitae (CV) or resume (maximum 5 pages).
  

The above information will be used to form preliminary working groups and focus the sessions of the summer intensive. Because of the number of facilitators, we are able to register no more than 40 participants total for this inaugural gathering. Should interest exceed this number, the organizers may have to exercise discretion in selecting participants. 

Practical Information and Dates to Remember

• Interest form due (linked here, opens in a new window): Jan. 20, 2026
  
• Confirmation of participation sent: End of March, 2026
  
• Dates of the TCB Summer Intensive: May 27 and May 28, 2026
  
• Location: Virtual, over Zoom
  
• Language: English
  
• Registration fee: NONE

Confirmed Facilitators:

• Dr. Lily Herakova, Communication and Journalism, University of Maine, Orono, USA
  
• Deniza Mulaj, Mass Communication, Ohio University, Ohio, USA & Development Manager, Teach of Kosova, Pristina, Kosova
  
• Dr. Senem Konedareva, Cultural Studies, American University in Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
  
• Dr. Jennifer A. Zenovich, Communication, California State University, East Bay
  
• Dr. Marta N. Lukacovic, Communication and Mass Media, Angelo State University, USA
  
• Dr. Ian MacMillen, Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies and Music, Yale University, USA
  

Contact

Dr. Lily Herakova, liliana.herakova@maine.edu 

May 11, 2026

Lisbon, Portugal

Deadline (for extended abstracts): January 12, 2026

As digital tools, especially machine learning and artificial intelligence, have come to play a greater role in journalism practices, journalists and researchers have begun to reconsider the value of the human in journalism, whether the human touch in reporting, human connection, or a greater acknowledgement of the humanity of journalists and audiences. In this vein, researchers in journalism studies at the Research Centre for Communication and Culture (CECC) at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbon, invite submissions of extended abstracts for the symposium, “Journalism Studies: Connecting to the Human” to be held on May 11, 2026, with a keynote address by Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, professor at the Cardiff University School of Journalism. 

This symposium aims to bring together researchers, students, and journalists who are thinking about how journalists can connect or re-connect with the people and communities they are meant to serve, what aspects of journalistic work require a human element, and how journalists as human beings are affected by the work they do. The symposium is open to researchers who wish to present on topics relating to these and other issues related to the human/humanity in journalism.

Please submit an anonymized abstract of no more than 750 words (not including references) to journsymposium@gmail.com by January 12, 2026. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by mid-February 2026. Submissions may also be considered for inclusion in a poster session. Please note that the symposium will be held in person, and we cannot accommodate remote participation. Submissions from early-career researchers and Ph.D. and M.A. students are especially welcome. In the spirit of the theme of the symposium, we would like to emphasize that all abstracts should be original and human-authored.

Abstracts may address a number of topics within journalism studies, including, but not limited to:

- Humanitarian journalism

- Solutions journalism

- Journalism and human story-telling

- Human-machine connections

- Journalism and communities

- Mental health and well-being of journalists

- The role of empathy in journalism

- Journalism and humanity

- Local journalism

- Civic and participatory media

- Journalism and artificial intelligence and its rejection/backlash

- Misinformation, disinformation, junk news, and its effects

- Contemporary news audiences

- Genres and styles of journalistic writing

- Human judgement in journalism

- AI (slop) and human perceptions

The Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) 

The Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) funds innovative research on the societal impact of digital transformation. We support individual researchers (fellows) and collaborative projects (working groups).

Fellowships: Time and Space for Focus and Inspiration

A fellowship at CAIS provides the freedom to dedicate yourself to your research and the opportunity to become part of a vibrant interdisciplinary community. Step away from daily work routines to gain new perspectives and build lasting connections.

As a fellow, you can spend either six or three months in Bochum, Germany. During this time, we will cover your sabbatical leave from work through financial compensation (e.g. for a teaching substitute) or provide grants of up to 2.000 € per month. In addition, we will provide a fully furnished apartment free of charge. You can invite guests for collaboration and receive financial support for research expenses. Private offices and meeting rooms with modern facilities offer optimal working conditions.

Find out more: https://www.cais-research.de/en/cais-college/fellowships/

Working Groups: Boost Your Research Collaboration

A working group at CAIS enables you to assemble your own team of experts from different locations to collaborate in a stimulating environment.

We provide modern meeting facilities and catering for groups of up to ten members. In addition, we will cover travel and accommodation expenses. You can spend up to three weeks in Bochum or get together for several shorter meetings.  

Find out more: https://www.cais-research.de/en/cais-college/working-groups/

Application

The next deadline for applications is 19 December 2025. You can currently apply for a fellowship taking place between April and September 2027, or for working group meetings in 2027. Please use the application forms provided on our website.

The funding program is open to excellent scholars and practitioners at all career stages and from all disciplines. Both fundamental research and applied projects are welcome.

Questions? Please contact esther.laufer@cais-research.de.

Journal of Interactive Narrative (Special Issue)

Deadline: January 19, 2026

This special issue is an initiative and sponsored by the Digital Storytelling and Innovation Network (DSIN), a research cluster hosted by the Leeds School of Arts.

Scope of the Special Issue

Building on previous work in the disciplines of art, design, communications and media —i.e. on open cultural production (Velkova, 2016b), the interactive digital narrative field (Murray, 2018; Rouse & Koenitz, 2018), interactive documentary production (Dubois, 2021), and autonomous art schools (Hudson-Miles and Goodman, 2024)— this special issue seeks contributions that raise questions of autonomy in and through interactive digital storytelling.

Recent scholarship has highlighted the need for negotiation of “human-machine co-creativity” (Fisher, 2023; McCormack et al., 2020) and distributed cognition (Taffel, 2019; Hayles, 1999).

We are particularly (but not exclusively) interested in surfacing complexity and ambiguities around maker agency and authorship within cooperative or independent interactive digital narrative (IDN) production arrangements. Communication and social interactions among makers in various human/nonhuman assemblages (Romic, 2022; Zylinska, 2020) and engagement with generative AI software in particular are of key interest.

The use and détournement (de Certeau & Rendall, 2004) of technological tools can lead to more or less creative autonomy (Banks, 2010) or craft autonomy (Velkova, 2016) in media making. This is particularly true in autonomous media (Langlois & Dubois, 2005) settings, where the final work and the process are intrinsically aligned with the very empowerment of makers of media.

Interactive digital storytelling practices —e.g. interactive film, narrative-based computer games (Buckles, 1985), digital and participatory theatre (influenced by Laurel, 2013), narrative virtual reality, or augmented reality stories— have seen practitioners share their autonomy together with increasingly interdisciplinary teams on the one hand, and end users on the other (as the limits of what is internal or external to production teams has become malleable at best). Put differently, Koenitz (2023) points to IDNs being ‘incomplete’, as long as the user is not interacting with it:  “The designer of an IDN work no longer produces a finished object in the sense of a printed book or the theatrical release of a movie. Instead, they create artifacts that can be considered purposefully incomplete, as they require the active engagement by an audience to be fully realized.“ (p. 101)

In parallel, technological infrastructures such as big data, cloud computing, blockchain, and large language models have percolated production cultures to a point where the lines between what is maker-driven and what is algorithm-driven have started to blur. This in turn provokes questions of various forms of shared agency between human and nonhuman actors (Spierling & Szilas, 2009; Zylinska, 2020).

It is in this context of organisational and technological innovation in interactive digital storytelling production that we are asking how autonomy can be defined, as part of the shifting maker culture and where it is found/negotiated.

We are also interested, following the scepticism of writers such as Goldsmith and Wu (2007), about philosophical conceptualisations of the term ‘autonomy’ (see, for example: Coeckelbergh, 2004), including its manifestations in various niche contexts of interactive digital storytelling, such as Hakim Bey’s ‘temporary autonomous zones’ (1985). 

We welcome research-creation scholars, reflective practitioners, critical and analytical scholars to participate in the special issue. Please submit one of three options by 19 January 2026 at:  https://journal.ardin.online/index.php/jin/about/submissions 

You can choose between:

1) a scholarly essay or paper of 6,000-8,000 words (excluding abstract, reference list, and meta information), 

2) a 20-minute audiovisual-essay, or

3) a 12-minute IDN in combination with a short paper (between 2,400 and 3,200 words).

For any inquiry related to the special issue, don’t hesitate to contact us via autonomy@filmschule.de

Guest editors

Frédéric Dubois, Department of Digital Narratives, ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln

Bojana Romic, School of Arts and Communication (K3), Malmö University

Important dates

20 October 2026: Publication of the call for papers

19 January 2026: Deadline for submission of draft manuscripts

2 February 2026: Desk-selection sent to authors

13 April 2026: Combined peer review and editorial review back to authors

15 June 2026: Deadline for submission of full advanced manuscripts

20 July 2026: Second and final review

21 September 2026: Deadline for submission of final manuscripts

1 November 2026: Papers are published as they are readied. They are bundled into a special issue post-publication.

References: 

Banks, M. (2010). Autonomy Guaranteed? Cultural Work and the “Art–Commerce Relation.” Journal for Cultural Research, 14(3), pp. 251–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/14797581003791487

Bey, H. (1985). 'The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism', Available <https://hermetic.com/bey/taz_cont>.

Buckles, M. A. (1985). Interactive Fiction: The Computer Storygame “Adventure”. Ph.D. Thesis, University of California, San Diego. https://www.proquest.com/openview/c7864197158c0dc9cf96c199b4c9963e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Coeckelbergh, M. (2004) The Metaphysics of Autonomy: The Reconciliation of the Ancient and Modern Idea of a Person. Palgrave Macmillan.

De Certeau, M., & Rendall, S. F. (2004). From the practice of everyday life (1984). The city cultures reader, 3(2004), p. 266.

Dubois, F. (2021). Interactive Documentary Production and Societal Impact: The Case of Field Trip. Doctoral thesis. Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF.

Fisher, J.A. (2023). “Centering the Human: Digital Humanism and the Practice of Using Generative AI in the Authoring of Interactive Digital Narratives.” In: Holloway-Attaway, L. & Murray, J.T. (eds.) Interactive Storytelling. 16th International Conference of Interactive Digital Storytelling, ICIDS 2023, Kobe, Japan, Proceedings, Part I. pp.73-88.

Goldsmith, J., and Wu, T. (2007). Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Hargood, C., Millard, D., Mitchell, A., & Spierling, U. (Eds.). (2022). The Authoring Problem. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05214-9

Hayles, K. (1999) How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature, and Informatics, Chicago, University of Chicago Press

Hudson-Miles, R., and Goodman, J. eds. (2024). Cooperative Education, Politics, and Art, London and New York: Routledge.

Koenitz, H. (2023). Understanding Interactive Digital Narrative. Immersive Expressions for a Complex Time. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003106425)

Langlois, A., Dubois, F. eds. (2005). Autonomous Media: Activating Resistance and Dissent. Montreal: Cumulus Press.

Laurel, B. (2013). Computers as theatre. Addison-Wesley.

McCormack, J.,  Hutchings, P., Gifford, T., Yee-King, M., Llano, M.T., D’Iverno, M. (2020). Design Considerations for Real-Time Collaboration with Creative Artificial Intelligence. Organised Sound 25(1), pp. 41–52

Murray, Janet. (2018). Research into Interactive Digital Narrative: A Kaleidoscopic View: 11th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, ICIDS 2018, Dublin, Ireland, December 5–8, 2018, Proceedings. 10.1007/978-3-030-04028-4_1.

Romic, B. (2022) ‘It’s in the Name: Technical Nonhumans and Artistic Production’. Transformations, issue #36. pp. 1-16. ISSN 1444-3775

Rouse, R., & Koenitz, H. (2018). “Preface: Authoring Our Own Disciplinary Identity as the Interactive Digital Narrative Field Matures.” In: Rouse, R., Koenitz, H., Haahr, M. (eds.). Interactive Storytelling: Lecture Notes In Computer Science. Proceedings of ICIDS 11th Interactional Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, Dublin Ireland, December 5-8, 2018, Springer Verlag.

Taffel, S. (2019). Automating Creativity - Artificial Intelligence and Distributed Cognition. Spheres: Journal for Digital Cultures. Spectres of AI #5. pp. 1-9. ISSN 2363-8621.

Spierling, U., & Szilas, N. (2009). Authoring issues beyond tools. In Interactive storytelling: Second joint international conference on interactive digital storytelling, ICIDS 2009, guimarães, portugal, december 9-11, 2009, proceedings (pp. 50–61). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10643-9_9

Velkova, J. (2016). Free Software Beyond Radical Politics: Negotiations of Creative and Craft Autonomy in Digital Visual Media Production. Media and Communication, 4(4), pp. 43-52. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v4i4.693

Velkova, J. (2016b). Open cultural production and the online gift economy: The case of Blender. First Monday, 21(10). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v21i10.6944

Zylinska, J. (2020) AI Art: Machine Visions and Warped Dreams. Open Humanities Press.

April 7-10, 2026

University of Innsbruck, Austria

Deadline: December 10, 2025

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to invite paper proposals for my workshop at the ECPR Joint Sessions of Workshops 2026: The Interplay of Physical and Digital Authoritarianism: Methodological and Theoretical Challenges and Approaches

Endorsed by the ECPR Research Network on Digital Authoritarianism, the workshop explores how offline (physical) and online (digital) forms of authoritarianism intersect and mutually reinforce each other across regime types. While there is a rich literature on traditional repression and a rapidly growing body of work on digital authoritarianism, we still know relatively little about how these domains are connected in practice and how to study such hybrid campaigns systematically.

We welcome theoretical, methodological, and empirical papers that address (among others) the following themes:

• Conceptualising the nexus of physical and digital authoritarianism, including links between long-standing offline practices and their digitally mediated adaptations
  
• Methodological challenges of researching repression and control across online/offline spaces (e.g. access, risk, ethics, data limitations) and innovative solutions using digital, traditional, or mixed methods
  
• Empirical studies of hybrid repressive campaigns (e.g. surveillance, censorship, disinformation, intimidation, carceral practices) spanning streets, institutions, and platforms
  
• Cross-platform and cross-country analyses of digital authoritarianism and its entanglement with offline coercion in both authoritarian and democratic settings
  
• The role of platform algorithms, AI, and data infrastructures in shaping authoritarian practices and their connections to physical repression
  

The Joint Sessions format is designed for intensive, small-group discussion: each workshop typically hosts 15–20 papers, giving participants the opportunity to receive detailed feedback and develop collaborative projects over several days.

Submission details

Where to submit: via the ECPR website (MyECPR account required) – click on “Propose a Paper” on the workshop page: The Interplay of Physical and Digital Authoritarianism: Methodological and Theoretical Challenges and Approaches

What to submit: paper title, abstract (up to 500 words), and 3–8 keywords

Call for Papers window: 5 November – 10 December 2025 (midnight UK time)

We particularly encourage submissions from early-career scholars and those working in or on constrained research environments. Interdisciplinary contributions (political communication, IR, sociology, area studies, media studies, etc.) are very welcome.

Please feel free to circulate this call within your departments, institutes, and networks, and to share it with PhD students and early-career colleagues who may be interested.

I look forward to receiving your proposals and to an engaging workshop in Innsbruck.

With best wishes,

Hossein Kermani

University of Vienna

Chair, ECPR Research Network on Digital Authoritarianism