ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Journal of Advertising (Special issue)

Deadline: July 31, 2026

Advertising regulation is becoming increasingly important as governments, industry bodies and international organizations respond to mounting concerns over online harms, misinformation, sustainability, and consumer vulnerability. With the rapid growth of social media, AI-generated content and advanced forms of data tracking, advertising is now woven into the fabric of daily life, often in ways that are not visible or well understood. These technological and market developments have moved faster than the regulatory systems intended to manage them, creating significant gaps in the protection of the public, particularly for children and other vulnerable groups.

Globally, regulators are rethinking how advertising should be governed in the face of a shifting digital landscape and rising pressure for more responsible corporate behavior (Dickinson-Delaporte et al., 2020; Stewart, 2019). The rapid growth of digital advertising has significantly complicated regulatory oversight, as traditional rules struggle to keep pace with real-time, algorithm-driven targeting, cross-border content flows, and platform-mediated ad placements. This complexity is heightened by the opacity of digital advertising supply chains, where intermediaries and platform algorithms operate with limited transparency, highlighting the need for more responsive and accountable regulatory approaches.

Advertising regulatory approaches vary across the globe, and typically include government regulation, where laws and public agencies enforce advertising standards; industry self-regulation, where advertising bodies develop and apply their own codes of practice; media-led regulation, where platforms or publishers set and enforce their own standards of practice; and the laissez-faire approach, which relies on market forces and consumer response to address advertising issues without formal oversight. There is often a hybrid approach in practice, with many countries combining elements of these models to suit regulatory, cultural, and market contexts (see Appendix 1 for advertising regulation models in top 10 ad-spending countries).

Increasingly, there is recognition of the need for stronger mechanisms and greater international coordination (Greer & Thompson, 1985) across different regulatory forms, in order to address the dynamic issues of the contemporary world, such as online safety (Ahmad et al., 2024; Diaz Ruiz, 2025), advertising fraud (Liang et al., 2024), the use of AI (Hardcastle et al., 2025), influencer advertising (Asquith & Fraser, 2020), environmental claims and greenwashing (Parguel et al., 2015; Schmuck et al., 2018), advertising of harmful products (Abernethy & Teel, 1986; Adams et al., 2012), and gender stereotyping (Antoniou & Akrivos, 2020; Knoll et al., 2011) (see Appendix 2 for examples of recent changes in advertising regulation).

At the same time, efforts to enhance consumer protections are meeting resistance. In contexts such as the United Kingdom and the United States, anti-regulatory sentiment is gaining traction, driven by concerns that increased oversight might restrict innovation and economic progress. This push and pull between protecting the public and preserving commercial freedom is making the regulation of advertising a more urgent and contested issue. Public distrust of digital platforms and unease about how personal data is used for advertising only sharpen the need for a re-evaluation of current frameworks. In this context, we highlight the crucial role advertising research plays in informing and shaping such regulatory frameworks (Kees & Andrews, 2019).

With this Special Issue, we focus on the systems that govern advertising, rather than on advertising content or ethical intention alone. Our interest lies in the legal, institutional, and procedural arrangements that support, or fail to support, ethical and socially beneficial advertising. We aim to draw attention to the conditions under which regulation can enable greater transparency, accountability, and harm reduction. Beyond analyzing what regulation currently does, we also seek to develop theory on what advertising regulation could become: how regulatory development might advance social wellbeing, shape markets more ethically, and position advertising as a force for social good. The purpose is not to promote one model of regulation over another, but to build a deeper understanding of how governance - in all its forms - shapes advertising’s societal influence and its capacity to address pressing societal issues.

We encourage submissions that theorize how regulatory approaches effect social change, and conceptual papers that propose new directions for research on advertising governance. We welcome empirical contributions that adopt multidisciplinary perspectives (Rotfeld & Taylor, 2009) and employ diverse methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks, including—but not limited to—work grounded in Transformative Advertising Research (Gurrieri et al., 2022), institutional theory, market shaping, and ethics. We are especially interested in scholarship that explores where regulation is falling short, how new interventions affect both industry and society, and theorizing that can help reimagine advertising regulation in light of contemporary challenges.

Key Themes and topics

We invite submissions that address regulatory questions across the following areas:

• Advertising and Institutional Change: How advertising regulation influences social norms, consumer rights, and the broader role of advertising in shaping public life, which may include examination of the role of consumer advocacy.
  
• Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Accountability: The use of regulation to support sustainable advertising, reduce greenwashing and strengthen corporate responsibility, which may include for example, how different jurisdictions address misleading sustainability advertising.
  
• Risk, Innovation and Regulatory Resilience: The effects of regulation on managing business risk, and how to design adaptable frameworks that remain effective in fast-moving digital environments.
  
• Regulation of Cross-Border Challenges, Geo-socio-political Contexts and Global Disparities: Comparative studies of regulatory approaches to particular challenges, including successful reforms, international coordination, and lessons for different contexts. How governmental structures, socio-political context, or culture influence forms of regulation and prioritization of regulatory issues across different geographical contexts.
  
• Industry Practice, Responsibility and Culture: The impact of regulation on advertising professionals, industry cultures, and legal responsibility for harmful advertising processes or outcomes.
  
• Online Harms and Safety, Surveillance and Algorithmic Systems: Regulatory responses to harmful online advertising practices, particularly concerning vulnerable populations. The role of advertising platforms in spreading or combating harmful content, for example online hate speech and misinformation.
  
• Advertising Fraud: The rise of advertising fraud, including deceptive programmatic ads, click fraud, and misleading financial promotions.
  
• Gender Stereotypes and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG): Evaluating the effectiveness of regulatory interventions in addressing gendered advertising harms.
  
• Social Media Influencers and Digital Advertising: Regulatory gaps in influencer marketing and sponsored content disclosures.
  
• Generative AI and Deepfake Advertising: Ethical and regulatory challenges posed by AI-generated advertising content.
  
• Harmful or Addictive Products: Regulatory approaches to advertising of HFSS foods, alcohol, gambling, and social media addiction.
  
• As advertising continues to shape consumer behavior and societal norms, regulation plays a crucial role in mitigating harm and fostering positive change. This Special Issue seeks to advance discussions on how regulatory frameworks can help to create an advertising ecosystem that prioritizes social good, consumer well-being, and ethical advertising practices.

(please contact Guest Editors for list of references)

Submission Instructions

Submissions should follow the manuscript format guidelines for JA found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?show=instructions&journalCode=ujoa20. The word count should be no longer than 12,000 words for Original Research Articles and Literature Reviews, and 6,000 words for Research Notes (including references, tables, figures, and appendices).

The submission deadline is July 31, 2026

All manuscripts should be submitted through the JA Submission Site. The link to the submission site can be found at this link (“Go to submission site”). Authors should select “Article Type” (e.g., research article, literature review) on the first page of the submission website. On the second page, authors will be asked if this is for a specific special issue or article collection. Select “Yes” and select “Social Change and the Role of Advertising Regulation” from the drop-down menu. Please also note in the cover letter that the submission is for the Special Issue on Social Change and the Role of Advertising Regulation: New Challenges and Opportunities.

All articles will undergo blind peer review by at least two reviewers.

The anticipated date for publication of the Special Issue is June 2027.

Any questions about the Special Issue can be sent to the guest editors: Drs. Karen Middleton, Kristina Auxtova, Lauren Gurrieri & Sean Sands at AdRegulationJA@gmail.com.

ECREA is still deeply concerned about the state's pressure on the academic community in Serbia.

See the updated Public Statement HERE.

Please consider signing a letter in support of Associate Professor Jelena Kleut (University of Novi Sad), ECREA Governing Body member, who was targeted in a campaign recently.

You can sign the letter HERE.

On 2 September 2025, Commissioner Ekatherina Zarahieva clarified that the European Commission (EC) proposal from 16 July 2025 aims at strengthening research on Society within Pillar 2. EASSH welcomes the move and invites legislators to confirm the commitment.

EASSH calls for the European Parliament and the EU member states to support the key issues described in the paper in the EC proposal for a new framework programme (FP10).

EASSH also invites member and related organisations to endorse this position paper. Please send your organisation's contact details and logo to executive.secretary@eassh.eu.

Download paper HERE.

October 16-18, 2025

São Miguel, Azores (Portugal)

Deadline: October 8, 2025

Dear colleagues,

We are delighted to announce the International Forum Citizenship through Aesthetics, to be held in São Miguel, Azores (Portugal), from 16 to 18 October 2025.

The Forum is conceived as a space of gathering, reflection, and action at the intersection of art, politics, imagination, and community. It will bring together artists, scholars, curators, cultural programmers, and civic agents to explore how aesthetic practices can shape processes of active and critical citizenship.

Open Call — Public Speech Acts

We invite proposals for short interventions (max. 15 minutes) designed as speech acts: critical and poetic gestures capable of provoking debate and opening shared space.

• Deadline for submissions: 8 October 2025
  
• Notification of results: 10 October 2025
  
• Public presentations: 16 October 2025 · 17:00–20:00 · Ponta Delgada, São Miguel (Azores)
  

Support offered:

Selected participants will receive travel, accommodation, and meals covered, plus a gift bag and a ticket for the closing performance of the POP Festival (May B, by Maguy Marin). All applicants will benefit from special accommodation and meal conditions during the Forum.

More information and the full programme:

www.aestheticivitas.org

internationalforum@aestheticivitas.org

Policy & Internet Journal

Deadline: November 2, 2025

Policy & Internet Journal has launched a special issue call for papers on the topic of “Shaping the Future of the Information Society: WSIS+20 and Beyond”, edited by Prof. Dr. Jonathon Hutchinson (University of Sydney) and Nadia Tjahja (United Nations University-CRIS and Free University of Brussels):

https://internet-policy-meco.sydney.edu.au/2025/09/specialissuewsis20/

We invite papers that explore:

Governance Modalities and Stakeholder Dynamics

We welcome papers that critically examine the evolving architecture of Internet governance, key questions include:

  *   Modes of Governance and Participation: Analyses of the WSIS+20 Review process, including its modalities, elements and drafts.

  *   Stakeholder Inclusion and Participation Models: Reviewing how the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and WSIS have approached multistakeholderism, inclusion and diversity in its processes.

  *   Meta-participation in Digital Governance: Exploring second-order stakeholder engagement – where stakeholders not only participate in processes, but actively shape the process itself

  *   Norm Development and Frameworks: Studies on the alignment and adoption of the SDGs, Sao Paulo Principles, the GDC Frameworks and ROAM-X as normative anchors.

  *   Multilateralism and Multistakeholderism: Reviewing the interplay between multilateralism and multistakeholderism

  *   Global and regional multistakeholderism: Evaluating tensions, synergies and practical implications in decision-making

Institutional Futures in Internet Governance

We invite contributions that address the evolution and future of key institutions shaping Internet governance:

  *   Preserving and Evolving the IGF: The future of multistakeholder governance through the IGF and its potentially renewed mandate

  *   Developing Institutional Architectures: Reevaluating the changing role of different offices such as the UN Tech Envoy’s office/ODET, and proposals for new bodies for future governance.

  *   Evolving institutions: Reflecting on ICANN’s role in the evolving governance ecosystems and its place in future frameworks.

  *   Governing Artificial Intelligence: Proposals for new spaces or mechanisms to coordinate global AI governance across stakeholders.

User-centric Perspectives in Internet Governance: Exploring Internet use and its socioeconomic consequences

We invite contributions that are user-centric and/or address topics related to the WSIS Action Lines:

  *   Digital Inclusion and Equity

  *   User rights

  *   Behavioural and psychological impacts

  *   Economic and labour transformations

  *   Education

  *   Cultural and language diversity

  *   Data sovereignty

  *   Topics related to the WSIS Action Lines

Submission Guidelines:

Please send through your title and 300-word abstract to Jonathon Hutchinson [jonathon.hutchinson@sydney.edu.au] and Nadia Tjahja [nadia.tjahja@vub.be] with the subject line: “Policy & Internet Special Issue” by 2 November 2025.

  *   Abstracts: up to 300 words

  *   Abstract deadline: 2 November

  *   Full papers: 6000-8000 words

  *   Full paper Deadline: 1 March 2026

Kind regards,

Jonathon (on behalf of Nadia Tjahja).

IE University, Madrid

IE University is hiring at least one tenure-track Assistant Professor of Communication & Media, to begin in September 2026. Applications are due on 24 November. The call is open but some of our areas of interest include Media Studies and Political Communication; Strategic, Corporate, and Visual Communication; and Critical, Cultural, and International Communication.

We are a research-intensive institution with an international student body. Salary is competitive. Courses are taught in English. Spanish proficiency is helpful but not required.

Find the full call here: https://apply.interfolio.com/174413

Please don't hesitate to reach out to search chair Dr. Vincent Doyle at vdoyle@faculty.ie.edu if you have any questions.

December 5-6, 2025

Porto, Portugal

Deadline (extended): October 9, 2025

https://videojogos2025.ipmaia.pt/

The call for full papers, short papers, posters, doctoral consortium papers, workshops, demos, and games is open for the 15th International Conference on Videogame Sciences and Arts (Videojogos 2025), organised by IPMaia (Porto) and Sociedade Portuguesa de Ciências dos Videojogos.

Important update:

The submission deadline has been extended - New date: 09/10/2025

The submission platforms and forms are now fully operational.

Main website: https://videojogos2025.ipmaia.pt

Paper submissions: https://pubreview.maieutica.pt

Games, demos & workshops submissions: https://forms.gle/c4ysRzmAChQvhNgj9

All selected papers (short or full) must be submitted in English to be eligible for international publication. The top 40% of research papers—peer-reviewed and evaluated for originality, relevance, and presentation quality—will be published in the annual Springer proceedings volume (Communications in Computer and Information Science – CCIS series).

The conference will be held on the 4th and 5th of December 2025 in Porto, and more information about keynotes and programme will be available soon.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and to seeing you at Videojogos 2025.

November 7-8, 2025

Istanbul, Turkey

Deadline (extended): October 7, 2025

We are pleased to announce that the submission deadline for Istanbul 2025 – EMMA (European Media Management Association) has been extended to 7 October 2025.

This year’s emmahub workshop in Istanbul will focus on the growing complexities of media production, engagement, and sustainability within polarized media systems. Particular attention will be given to the evolving relationship between legacy media institutions and non-legacy actors, including influencers, content creators, and independent digital platforms. The workshops will be held at Istanbul Bilgi University. 

As part of a program that combines workshops, ignite talks, and roundtables, we invite scholars and practitioners to contribute to discussions around key questions such as:

• How do audiences navigate between legacy and non-legacy media, and what drives their trust and engagement?
  
• In what ways do non-legacy actors challenge or reinforce the authority of traditional institutions?
  
• How are legacy media organizations adapting to decentralized ecosystems and shifting audience behaviors?
  
• What new strategies and business models are emerging at the intersection of legacy and digital-native media?
  
• How do platform dependencies and algorithms shape these dynamics within polarized contexts?
  
• Can collaboration across sectors support depolarization and democratic renewal?
  

We warmly welcome your contributions and participation in shaping these timely discussions in Istanbul.

For more details and submission guidelines, please visit: Istanbul 2025 – EMMA

Please send any questions to:  emmahub@bilgi.edu.tr

We look forward to your proposals and to seeing many of you in Istanbul.

With best regards,

On behalf of the organizing committee

Prof. Dr . Eylem Yanardagoglu

Macromedia University of Applied Sciences |EMMA

Email: e.yanardagoglu@macromedia.de 

Edited by: Carola Richter, Melanie Radue, Christine Horz-Ishak, Anna Litvinenko, Hanan Badr, Anke Fiedler

This volume proposes a “deep internationalization” of media and communication studies by offering insights and guidance on how to integrate a cosmopolitan perspective in a variety of subfields of this discipline. Building on debates on de-Westernization and cosmopolitanism, the contributors advocate for the inclusion of both global and local perspectives and context-led approaches. They argue that acknowledging and incorporating epistemologies, topics, and methodologies from diverse regions, contexts, and backgrounds will enhance the comprehensiveness and relevance of their discipline and foster a more inclusive and meaningful understanding in communication studies.

https://www.transcript-verlag.de/978-3-8376-7677-8/cosmopolitan-communication-studies/?number=978-3-8394-7677-2

The Autumn 2025 list of books available to review in the Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television has been updated on the IAMHIST website: https://iamhist.net/journal/#books-review

Should you be interested in reviewing a particular title, please contact the book review editor at Veronica.Johnson@outlook.ie giving details about your own research and why you are interested in reviewing the book you have chosen.