ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

October 28-31, 2024

Lusófona University, CICANT)

Deadline: September 13, 2024

The Media Literacy and Civic Cultures Lab – MeLCi Lab (Lusófona University, CICANT) is organising its IV Autumn School on 28-31 October 2024 in the form of a bootcamp to boost research hands-on skills. The school is designed to provide PhD students and postdocs with practical knowledge of classical and cutting-edge research methods. To this end, the school embraces an interdisciplinary approach by welcoming debate from different theories and methodological integration (qualitative and quantitative). The School will bring together a group of international scholars for workshops and keynotes. 

The upcoming MeLCi Lab Autumn School 2024 specifically aims to introduce PhD students and early research fellows in communication science, social science and related fields to the transformative influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on their field. The focus is on the intersection of AI, media literacy, and civic cultures. Notable scientists such as Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the Web and a leading advocate for data rights, and Yoshua Bengio, a pioneer of Deep Learning, emphasise the criticality of understanding AI in our ever-more digital society.

For example, as social media platforms increasingly use AI and machine learning algorithms to curate content, it is fundamental to understand how these algorithms work and influence online interactions. Authors such as Safiya Noble (2018), author of "Algorithms of Oppression", and Eli Pariser (2011), who coined the term "filter bubble", have shed light on this issue. They highlight the importance of comprehending the biases and assumptions built into these algorithms and how they can inadvertently perpetuate harmful stereotypes or misinformation. Thus, Algorithmic literacy is crucial for future researchers in our field to understand how AI can empower and challenge democratic communication.

Understanding AI is no longer an option; it is necessary, particularly for communication science students. Inspired by works from scholars such as Nick Bostrom and Stuart Russell, this school will provide students with a non-technical understanding of AI, its implications, and its applications in communication science. We aim to demystify AI and illuminate its role in the future of communication.

The school will be held in English.

Call for proposals deadline

Deadline: 13 September 2024

See details about how to submit a proposal at the bottom of this page.

Format

Online

Themes

1.1. Introduction to AI: a non-technical overview

1.2. Role of AI in media: from media production to consumption

1.3. AI and information disorder: understanding AI's role in the spread and detection of the so-called “fake news”

1.4. Algorithms: understanding how to study the roles and effects of algorithmic literacy

1.5. AI in civic cultures: how AI is transforming civic participation

1.6. Ethical considerations: discussing the ethical implications of using AI in media and communication

Sub-themes

2.1. Innovative Methodologies

2.2. Linking big and small data methods

2.3. Qualitative and participatory research

2.4. Social Platforms for Research

2.5. Communication research: scientific writing and dissemination

2.6. Arts-based dissemination

Dates

28 to 31 October 2024 – IV MeLCi Lab Autumn School

Schedule

Check here for details.

How to apply

Interested graduate students and postdocs must send their application  (in English) by 13 September 2024, including,

1. Updated Curriculum Vitae (máx. 3 pages);

2. Candidate’s research statement that includes a description of their doctoral dissertation, research questions and methods (máx. 2 pages);

3. Motivation letter specifying what you bring and expect from the School (indicating explicitly what themes and sub-themes are of your particular interest) máx. 1-2 pages;

Send your application as a ZIP file to melci.lab@ulusofona.pt with the subject “Application for the IV MelCi Lab Autumn School”

Call for Proposals Deadline: 13 September 2024

Notification of Acceptance: 30 September 2024

Target-group

PhD Students

Early Career Researchers (with PhD obtained in the last three years)

Maximum number of participants

20 students

Fee *

• Lusófona University, CICANT PhD Students 70 euros
  
• PhD students from other Institutions 100 euros
  
• Other 150 euros

*The best participant will not pay the fee; one Equity Scholarship to support the fee will also be awarded.

Keynote Speakers

TBD

Organisers

• Ana F. Oliveira
  
• Carla Sousa
  
• Cátia Casimiro
  
• Célia Quico
  
• Lúcia Mesquita
  
• Manuel Marques-Pita
  
• Maria José Brites
  
• Mariana Müller
  
• Rita Grácio
  
• Teresa Sofia Castro
  

Arab Media & Society

Deadline: July 1, 2024

The advent of artificial intelligence has ushered in a new era that promises significant changes in the field of communication and media. As nation-states and organizations invest substantial resources in advancing artificial intelligence, it becomes essential to explore the potential outcomes of this revolutionary digital mechanism. While artificial intelligence is often presented within a utopian framework, there are also cautious voices raising concerns. This call for papers aims to critically analyze the impact of artificial intelligence on media and communication, particularly in the Arab world and its diaspora.

Specifically, we seek to examine how artificial intelligence will contribute to and shape the production of media and communication. Additionally, we aim to investigate the downstream effects of artificial intelligence on media audiences and consumers, as well as the potential alterations in communication dynamics between individuals and entities. This call encourages deep reflection on the opportunities, risks, ethical and moral implications, potentialities, and transformations that may arise in the imminent age of artificial intelligence.

In light of the pressing need to address the complexities presented by artificial intelligence, Arab Media & Society dedicates its upcoming publication, issue 37, to this theme. We welcome diverse submissions on various subtopics related to media and artificial intelligence. Some suggested subtopics include, but are not limited to:

• The role of artificial intelligence in media production and content creation
  
• AI-driven algorithms and their impact on media consumption patterns
  
• Ethical considerations and challenges in introducing artificial intelligence in media and communication
  
• The future of media and its content: journalism, advertising, public relations, strategic communication, broadcast, etc., in an era of artificial intelligence
  
• Journalism and Communication programs in Higher Education in the era of Artificial Intelligence
  
• Digital Divide / (In)equitable access to technologies
  
• Social Media Algorithms and User Behavior
  
• AI and Media Consumption Patterns
  
• AI, Propaganda, and Information Warfare
  
• AI in Entertainment and Creative Industries
  
• Economic Impact of AI on Media Industries
  
• Regulatory and Policy Perspectives on AI in Media
  

Authors interested in submitting their work for peer-review consideration should send their manuscripts by June 15, 2024. Other submissions, including book and conference reviews, shorter research papers, and columns, should be received by July 1, 2024.

All submissions must be in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx), adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style, and have a maximum length of 10,000 words (including footnotes and citations). Please include the author's name (as it will be published), affiliation, and a brief abstract of no more than 150 words.

Please direct your articles and ideas to editor@arabmediasociety.com.

For further information regarding our publishing policies, kindly visit www.arabmediasociety.com/publishing-policies/.

International Journal of Games and Social Impact (IJGSI), special issue

Deadline (EXTENDED): June 10, 2024

Games often offer their players strong emotional experiences. Love is a profound human experience that affects all aspects of our lives. Indeed, many games include love as part of their narrative and/or gameplay. Nevertheless, is this truly love? Unlike other media, in which the audience reads about or watches a love story unfold, in games players take on an active role in the execution of the love story.

This raises concerns as to the ability of games to simulate love. Can a player love a (virtual) character? If not, what does this mean for the capacity of games to afford love? If yes, how does this change our understanding of love? Game Studies have approached the concept of love from multiple perspectives: philosophical inquiries (Leino 2015, Dicken 2018), game design challenges (Grace 2020), feminist and queer analyses (Salter 2020, Youngblood 2015), and sociological studies (Burgess and Jones 2020, Bopp et al. 2019, Karhulahti and Välisalo 2021). Yet, despite the multitude and resonance of the existing scholarship, love in games remains an underexplored and fascinating topic that interests both game players and creators alike.

For this issue of the International Journal of Games and Social Impact (IJGSI), we are accepting full papers that are related, not exclusively, to one or more of the following aspects:

• Meaning of love in games
  
• Love relationships between human players and NPCs
  
• Representation and poetics of love in games
  
• Queer and feminist approaches to game love
  
• Close reading of games featuring love
  
• Love as a mechanics and design challenge
  
• History of love in games
  
• Games as spaces for humans to fall in love
  
• Roleplaying and love in games
  

We welcome submissions relating to any type of game: digital, online, VR, tabletop, board games, LARP, etc.

Full papers must be submitted electronically after registering on the platform, respecting the guidelines established in the Submissions section.

Publication timeline

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere. All manuscripts are referred through a double-blind peer-review process. Dates are indicative – to be confirmed.

• Submission deadline for full-papers: extended until 10-06-2024
  
• Notifications of reviews sent to authors: 30-06-2024
  
• Submission deadline for final full-papers:  15-07-2024
  
• Publication of full-papers in special issue: 01-10-2024
  

Special issue Editor

Renata Ntelia (School of Computer Science, University of Lincoln)

To potential Authors

Please submit your proposals via the IJGSI website, according to the format standards for publication: https://revistas.ulusofona.pt/index.php/ijgsi/about/submissions

About the International Journal of Games and Social Impact

The International Journal of Games and Social Impact (IJGSI) is a semiannual open-access publication for games research and critique on social change, inclusion, education and Human Rights. IJGSI was established in Lusófona University, by the Games and Social Impact Media Research Lab (GLOW) to research, discover, and foster links between games studies in academia and civil society through educational and knowledge exchanges.

This Journal is supported through Hei-Lab (https://hei-lab.ulusofona.pt/; https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/05380/2020) and CICANT (https://cicant.ulusofona.pt/; https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/05260/2020) research units as a strategy to foster multidisciplinary, fundamental, and applied research approaching the intersections between games and human activities. IJGSI is also supported by the FILMEU (https://www.filmeu.eu/) alliance.

Source: https://revistas.ulusofona.pt/index.php/ijgsi/about

January 7-10, 2025

Lisbon (Portugal)

Deadline: September 15, 2024

The 5th Lisbon Winter School for the Study of Communication takes a comparative and global approach to the study of media and fear. Jointly organized by the Faculty of Human Sciences (Universidade Católica Portuguesa) and the Center for Media@Risk (Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania), the Lisbon Winter School offers an opportunity for doctoral students and early career post-doctoral researchers to strategize around the study of media and fear together with senior scholars in the field. It is held in coordination with the Annenberg Schools of the University of Southern California & University of Pennsylvania, the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s School of Journalism and Communication, the University of Helsinki’s Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities, and The Europaeum.

Call for Applications

Fear is a powerful emotion that is thought to obscure, undermine or derationalize decision-making. It can either trigger or paralyze action, inducing irrational behavior, generating moral panics or fostering responses to keep people safe. It abounds in the media coverage of wars, terror, social protests, natural disasters, technological accidents and the radical events associated with climate crisis, migration, poverty, racialized violence, misogyny, settler colonialism and other global inequities. Fear gives high visibility to inflammatory discourses that furnish a central stage across the information environment, creating a loss of control and predictability alongside an intensification of uncertainty, threat, risk and insecurity across different publics. While reports on fear-inducing conditions and events have the potential to induce action and create solidarity for those being effected, the media also instigate hate against marginalized social groups who have become the target of what Ruth Wodak (2015) has called “the normalization of shameless politics.” Today a central ingredient of many videos and posts that go viral on social media, fear can be promoted by a wide range of actors, including those who instigate action against the rule of law. 

The Lisbon Winter School aims to cut across the many discourses driven by fear, considering its weaponization by political, religious and social actors who aim to increase their own power, including leaders of democratic and authoritarian regimes, drug cartels, religious institutions, terrorist groups and protest groups. Topics include power grounded on fear, threat, and compliance; fear as a rhetorical tool to spread hate against the ‘other’; fear as a propaganda technique used throughout history; fear as a feature of contemporary polarized societies that present particular groups as sources of threat. Fear also has positive effects. It can be channeled toward helping people keep safe or avoid danger. Wearing a mask to prevent a viral infection, abandoning a village or a city before it is hit by a typhoon, or seeking refuge during air strikes are examples. 

Regardless of how positively or negatively scholars feel about the invocation of fear in mediated communication, its presence is a clear component of media environments everywhere. But what kind of presence does it have? How is it part of wider strategies designed to discriminate against specific groups of people? How is it used by democratic or authoritarian regimes, terrorist or criminal groups to create compliance and counter resistance? How is fear central to nationalistic discourses in different nations? What parallels can be established between contemporary media environments and earlier regimes in which fear occupied a central stage? And how can people resist feeling threated by messages that attempt to stir it up? These are just some of the questions the Lisbon Winter School aims to discuss. We welcome proposals by doctoral students and early career post-doctoral researchers from all over the world to discuss the intertwined relation between media and fear in different geographies and temporalities. The list below illustrates some topics for possible consideration. Other topics dealing with media and fear are also welcomed: 

• Media and the dissemination of fear
  
• Fear, populism and the media
  
• Terrorism and the media
  
• Moral panics
  
• Reporting war and tragedy
  
• Fear and the democratic process
  
• Communication techniques to create fear
  
• Fear and identity formation
  
• Algorithms, AI and the promotion of fear
  
• Promoting fear against gender, racial and religious minorities
  
• Fear as tool of compliance 
  
• Fake news and disinformation
  
• Fear, anxiety and irrationality
  
• Fear and (self-)censorship
  
• Fear in the public arena in specific national or regional contexts
  
• Climate anxiety
  
• Visual media and fear
  
•  …
  

PAPER PROPOSALS

Proposals should be sent to lisbonwinterschool@gmail.com no later than 15 September 2024 and include a paper title, extended abstract in English (700 words), name, e-mail address, institutional affiliation and a brief bio (max. 100 words) mentioning ongoing research. Applicants will be informed of the result of their submissions by early-October. 

FULL PAPER SUBMISSION 

Presenters will be required to send in full papers (max. 20 pages, 1.5 spacing) by 15 December 2024. 

For more information visit lisbonwinterschool.com

ORGANIZERS

Nelson Ribeiro

Barbie Zelizer

CONVENORS

Sarah Banet-Weiser 

Risto Kunelius

Francis Lee

Deadline: June 14, 2024

About the Book: Sustainability represents a great challenge for companies today. Understanding sustainability management in the luxury industry is necessary to know its implementation considering the stakeholder expectations, and the benefit of society and the environment. Different theories and methodologies to measure their impacts show the contribution of luxury companies to sustainable development through innovative solutions that apply to their value chain. The communication strategy is crucial to increase transparency.

The book aims to provide a theoretical and practical reflection on the various implications of sustainable management in the luxury sector. The guiding thread of this proposal is intended to be the journey from detecting the need to implement a sustainable management strategy in their companies in the luxury sector, to the challenge of measuring all sustainability issues, or how the future of data management is and its usefulness for making better decisions. In this way, the reader is shown the different stages in which a luxury company can find itself in the management of its sustainability, so that it becomes a theoretical-practical manual for those responsible for this discipline.

Aims and Scope: The scope of this book covers an advanced level of theories and development of materials in the field of sustainable luxury management, the strategies, measurements and value of Sustainability to understand the main challenges of sustainability in the luxury industry. The book depends on the following themes (but not limited to):

• Luxury and sustainable management.
  
• Sustainability goals and opportunities for luxury companies.
  
• Implementing goals and opportunities for luxury companies.
  
• Implementing sustainability in luxury business
  
• Impact of regulation on sustainability for luxury companies.
  
• Consumer behavior and Sustainable luxury
  
• Strategies for sustainable supply chain management in luxury.
  
• Collaborating with stakeholders in luxury companies.
  
• Marketing strategies for sustainability in luxury
  
• Strategic communication management to enhance the sustainability of luxury brands.
  
• Differences in sustainable luxury management between conglomerates and small players.
  
• Particularities of the measurement of sustainable luxury management according to the sector, products and services.
  
• Commonly accepted single metrics to measure sustainability issues: global reporting initiative, etc.  Creating value for stakeholders and shareholders of luxury companies.
  
• Measuring sustainable management among the value chain of luxury companies.
  
• Measuring ESG criteria in the luxury industry.
  
• The challenges of measuring sustainability: variables, methodologies and interpretations.
  

Book Editors:

Dr. Celia Rangel-Pérez. Complutense University of Madrid, Avda.Complutense, s/n. 28040, Madrid-Spain. 0034 91 394 2220. cerangel@ucm.es  

Dr. Belén López Vázquez. ESIC University, Avda. Valdenigriales, s/n 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón Madrid, Spain. 0034 91 4524100. belen.lopez@esic.university 

Manuel Fernández Menéndez. Valdenigriales, s/n 2822 ESIC University, Avda. 3 Pozuelo de Alarcón Madrid Spain. 0034 91 4524100. manuel.fernandezmenendez@esic.university

Important Dates:

• Abstract submission: 14th June 2024
  
• Notification of abstract acceptance: 30th June 2024
  
• Full chapter submission: 15th October 2024
  

Notification the first chapter review: 30th November 2024 Revised chapter submission: 15 January 2025 Notification of second chapter review: 1st March 2025 Final submission of full chapter: 1st April 2025 Submission to publisher: 20th June 2025

How to Submit Abstract/Book Chapter and Queries:

Ensure the complete information of authors and co- authors and send an abstract by the scheduled deadline (14th June 2024) following this link: https://forms.office.com/e/ELs74JnRyV?origin=lprLink

For any query, please, send an email to the editors via these email addresses:

• cerangel@ucm.es
  
• belen.lopez@esic.university
  
• manuel.fernandezmenendez@esic.university
  

Edited by: Gaëlle Ouvrein, Ana Jorge, and Hilde Van den Bulck 

Published in May 2024

Audience Interactions in Contemporary Celebrity Culture: Approaches from across Disciplines explores current understandings of celebrity-audience relationships in the context of digitalization and the ongoing celebritization of all aspects of culture and society. Focusing on the themes of celebrity and health, celebrity and identity, and celebrity and scandal, this volume presents chapters authored by experts from across the globe that deal with celebrity-audience relationships in different historical, cultural, and social settings, tackling the topics from social-psychological, critical/cultural, and persuasive perspectives. In doing so, this book highlights the broadening of disciplinary, paradigmatic, theoretical, and methodological approaches to celebrity studies research. By bringing these different approaches together in one book and drawing overall conclusions across chapters, the editors and contributors of this volume promote and facilitate cross-fertilization in ongoing efforts to grasp the fascinating complexity of celebrity-audiences relationships. Scholars of media, pop culture, and celebrity studies will find this collection particularly useful.

Contributions by: Gwen Bouvier, Mihai Coman, Paulien Decorte, Simone Driessen, Olivier Driessens, Regiane Lucas Garcêz, Qiang Geng, David C. Giles, Alexander Jenkins, Gaëlle Ouvrein, Pedro Paixão-Rocha, Samantha Tecson, Hilde Van den Bulck

About the editors: Gaëlle Ouvrein is assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences at the University of Brussels. Ana Jorge is associate professor of media and communications at Lusófona University. Hilde Van den Bulck is professor of communication studies at Drexel University.

Availability:

Audience Interactions in Contemporary Celebrity Culture: Approaches from across Disciplines (Lexington Books) for $105.00 • (£81.00)(Hardcover) and $45.00 • (£35.00)(Ebook). For more information, please visit: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666922448/Audience-Interactions-in-Contemporary-Celebrity-Culture-Approaches-from-across-Disciplines 

September 16 - 20, 2024

University of Bonn, Germany

Deadline: June 30, 2024

Summer School

In times of datafication and the increasing integration of artificial intelligence applications into many areas of society, the debates about human self-determination and technological autonomy can be seen as symptoms of a profound reconfiguration of the relationships between technology, culture, and society. Together we want to explore key issues related to these themes and their consequences for, among others, individuals, institutions, and democracy.

In the course of the ongoing rise of artificial intelligence, digital society unfolds diverse potentials for transforming the relationship between humans and technology. Social robots like Paro, generative language programs (Large Language Models) like ChatGPT, and interactive voice assistant systems (Alexa, Siri) simulate authentic interpersonal interactions, mimic cognitive processes of emotion recognition, present themselves in humanoid forms, and generate evaluative speech and text communication. With the continuously expanding functional spectrum of artificial intelligence, new scenarios are being explored, and algorithmic degrees of freedom beyond human control, surveillance, and intervention are activated and normalized in many areas of society.

The enhanced capabilities of new “social machines” pose serious ethical and political challenges for democracies. Machines are no longer perceived solely within communication processes as media for storing, visualizing, and distributing information, but are conceptualized, utilized, and researched as communication partners. In particular, we need to account for the increasing autonomy of technical artifacts such as robots, voice assistance systems, drones, or so-called autonomous vehicles. What semantics surround their usage? Which are the most crucial and far-reaching implications that different types of autonomous systems have for defense, surveillance, work and care situations as well as for electoral mobilization and political decision making within democratic societies? Are critical methodologies and research perspectives such as “responsible AI” or “platformization”, sufficient to capture the effects of “social machines” on democratic life?

In general, the summer school explores the development of human self-understanding under contemporary technological conditions, the relationship between states and private actors, and specific scenarios of human-technology interaction in medicine, music, art, and politics that confront us with a complicated landscape of risks and constantly evolving challenges for regulation but also with an underexplored variety of chances for creating a better future and enhancing the resilience and vitality of democracies.

Autonomy and Autonomous Systems Workgroup

Cooperative Summer School

The Universities of Bonn and the Technical University of Aachen (RWTH) in collaboration with distinguished professionals, international scholars, and researchers from Europe and the United States, invite you to participate in an in-depth Summer School on “Artificial Intelligence, Social Machines and the Future of Democracy”. This 5-day program is organized to provide individuals and organizations with the knowledge, skills, and practical understanding necessary to address the intricate issues surrounding AI and the future of human-machine relations and democratic governance structures.

This Summer School intends to bring together a variety of disciplines, such as

• philosophy

• media studies

• political science/international relations

• information science

• science and technology studies

• technology and innovation management

• robotics

• psychology

One afternoon will be dedicated to a practical workshop at University of Bonn’s ‘Human Robot Lab’ to offer a hands-on perspective on robot research.

The Summer School is open for a total of 30 PhD, MA, M.Sc candidates with different disciplinary backgrounds. Participants are offered (1) extensive training in discussing current research problems following keynote presentations and in small-group workshops, (2) the opportunity to network with other students and leading scholars, and (3) an inspiring environment to present and discuss their own research work.

Keynote Speakers:

Christian Bauckhage, PhD, Professor of Computer Science (Pattern Recognition), Lead Scientist for Machine Learning at Fraunhofer IAIS, co-director of The Lamarr Institute for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, University of Bonn (Germany).

André Cramer (DT/German Telekom), Innovation Strategy, Strategic Communications and Tech Ethics Advocacy, member of the AI competence Team of the German Telekom.

Autumn Edwards, PhD, Professor, School of Communication; Editor-in-Chief of the Human- Machine Communication Journal, Western Michigan University (USA). Co-editor of the «DeGruyter Handbook of Robots in Society and Culture» (to appear 2024)

Chad Edwards, PhD, Professor of Communication, Co-Director of the Communication and Social Robotics Labs; Associate Editor of the Human-Machine Communication Journal, Western Michigan University, USA

Gabriele Gramelsberger, PhD, Professor for Theory of Science and Technology. Co-Head of the Human Technology Center at RWTH Aachen, Director of the Kate Hamburger Kolleg "Cultures of Research", RWTH Aachen (Germany).

Application:

To apply, MA and PhD students are asked to submit an abstract of 300 words detailing their own research and a short CV. Selection of participants based on following criteria: thematic fit, originality, interdisciplinary approach. Accepted abstracts will be presented in a high- density session including a short presentation and a poster. Please submit your application via email (see below) until June 30th, 2024.

Program

The Summer School will include daily keynote lectures, and practical and theoretical workshops on related topics. Further details will be published soon.

Dates

• Application Deadline: June 30th, 2024
  
• Acceptance Notification: July 15th, 2024
  
• Summer School: September 16th - 20th, 2024
  

Contact address for abstracts:

Anna Maria Böhmer (anna.boehmer@uni-bonn.de)

University of Bonn, Lennéstraße 6, 53113 Bonn/Germany

Fees

Participation at the Summer School will be free. Costs for travel and accommodation will not be covered.

Organizing Team:

• University of Bonn
  
• Secretary: Dagmar Ogon (ogon@uni-bonn.de)
  
• Prof. Dr. Caja Thimm (thimm@uni-bonn.de)
  
• Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer (maximilian.mayer@uni-bonn.de)
  

More information : https://autonomy-research-group.org/en/index-en.html

Communication & Society (2025 Special Issue)

Deadline: October 30, 2024

Guest Editors:

• Josef Trappel, University of Salzburg, Austria
  
• Tales Tomaz, University of Salzburg, Austria Gillian Doyle, University de Glasgow, Scotland
  
• Mercedes Medina, University of Navarra, Spain
  

Recent transformations in media ownership and market concentration have had a considerable impact on the diversity and quality of news and information accessible to the public. After many years of journalism experience, producing and disseminating news continues to be a highly challenging, but necessary endeavor (Ferrucci and Nelson, 2019; Neff et al., 2022; Picard, 2010). In the latest decades, two categories of new entrants are playing a decisive role in this scenario: small-scale businesses characterized by adaptable frameworks and cost-efficient operations (Medina, Breiner & Sánchez-Tabernero, 2023) and technology titans such as Google, Meta, X, and TikTok (Voci et al., 2019; Trappel, 2024). The stability of the information system is jeopardized by the financial instability of traditional media conglomerates or the infiltration of technological platforms with substantial market reach but minimal regard for journalistic standards (Flew et al., 2024; Hendrickx, Smets, & Ballon, 2021).The current discourse centers on expanding the scope of corporations' operations to guarantee income streams that support journalistic endeavors (Vara-Miguel et al., 2023) or resort to public funding to preserve a struggling market (Sjøvaag & Krumsvik, 2018).

In the present call for papers, we invite authors to contribute empirical and theoretical research on how ownership can influence the continuity of news media and its essential role in democracy.

This special issue aims to bring together interdisciplinary research that sheds light on the following topics (not limited to):

● In the digital age, who owns media matters.

● Ownership and strategic management of media companies as sources of competitive advantage.

● Financial sustainability of media companies: solutions to overcoming information market failures.

● Exploring how private and public ownership influences the content of media outlets.

 ● Market concentration and pluralism in the digital era.

● Transparency in media ownership: implications and case studies.

● Editorial independence and media ownership.

● Relationships between media ownership, politics and democracy.

● Influence of media ownership on audience trust.

● Impact of changes in media ownership and ownership on content policies

and strategies.

● The transformation of media companies through technology.

Paper submission deadline: before October 30, 2024.

Articles should be submitted through the OJS before October 30, 2024 for the peer-review process. Authors should indicate in the "author comments" section that this article is for this monograph.

The proposed articles must comply with the journal's guidelines which can be found on the following link: https://www.unav.edu/publicaciones/revistas/index.php/communication-and- society/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

Publication: April 2025.

This special issue is part of the project Resilient Media for Democracy (ReMeD) the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No 101094742.

Call can be found here: https://www.unav.edu/documents/29853/0/CYS_CFP_2025.pdf/3d32359e-4c35-bda9-8cca-e4ecfc7476b2?t=1716894864639 

Edited by: Irina Zakharova (Leibniz University Hannover, Germany) & Juliane Jarke (University of Graz, Austria)

A new Special Issue on “Care-ful Data Studies: or, what do we see, when we look at datafied societies through the lens of care?” edited by Irina Zakharova and Juliane Jarke has been published in Information, Communication & Society, Vol. 27(4): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369118X.2024.2316758

The issue and its nine contributions apply feminist care ethics to the study of datafied societies. The contributions explore socio-digital care arrangements, practices of data work and care, situated modes of knowledge production, politics of vulnerability, and build communities of care in our datafied world.

Medijske studije/Media studies (special issue)

Deadline: June 20, 2024

Medijske studije / Media studies journal announces call for papers for the special issue: New European Media and Platform Policy: Implications for the Political Economy of News

Guest editors:

Tales Tomaz (University of Salzburg), Josef Trappel (University of Salzburg), Mercedes Medina (University of Navarra)

Important dates:

• Extended abstract submission deadline (800-1000 words, excluding references): 20 June 2024
  
• Notification of abstract acceptance: 15 August 2024
  
• Full paper submission deadline: 15 December 2024
  
• Special issue publication date: June 2025

Different economic arrangements of media and technology lead to different outcomes. Publicly funded media with independent governance structures usually provide more accurate and public-oriented coverage, upholding the rights of vulnerable groups (Benson, 2018; Cushion, 2017). Even distinct ownership and governance forms of private media matter: publicly traded companies are more aligned with general capitalist demands than family-owned outlets, or ad-based outlets are more sensitive to corporate interests than subscription-based ones (Dunaway, 2008; Soloski, 2019).

Thinking about these conditions is ever more important as the political economy of news has significantly changed in the recent decades. News has become digital (Newman et al., 2023), platformised (Poell et al., 2023) and produced and distributed by a variety of actors beyond media companies, ranging from big tech platforms to small alternative content producers (Mancini, 2020). In addition, the advertising-based business model of news production does not seem to be sustainable for the demands of democratic societies facing (geo)political, economic, societal and ecological crises, while the pressure on publicly funded media only increases (Sjøvaag & Ohlsson, 2019).

Far from the libertarian fantasy that an economy can be created outside the control or oversight of governments, political bodies are active in shaping the conditions under which all stakeholders operate. This is also true for media and technology (Griffin, 2023). Accordingly, the European Union has followed these developments and created a comprehensive regulatory package to influence the political economy of media and platforms. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the AI Act and the Media Freedom Act (EMFA), among others, have laid down new baselines for the operation of media and digital platforms. To what extent are these changes having a real impact on the political economy of news production, distribution and consumption? Should we expect changes in EU countries in terms of ownership concentration, funding of public interest content or the balance between profit and non-profit news production? Does the new regulatory framework favour the promotion of public interest content? Should we expect EU influence in middle powers, which are often “policy followers”, shaping their regulation and political economy of news as well?

On top of those questions, the governance toolbox is more diverse than the one reflected in this EU regulatory framework. There are options on the table such as stronger antitrust enforcement against platforms (as attempted by the FTC in the US), increasing public subsidies to news media (the Nordic experience) or requiring platforms to fund news media (as represented by the Australian Media Bargaining Code). There is also the proposal to create a fully-fledged public service internet (D’Arma et al., 2021). Would such measures in Europe achieve better results than the current framework? What impact should we expect from different instruments? How to design these alternatives, given the current framework, and how to build the political will to bring them about?

This special issue welcomes proposals on the topics above and related discussions. Submissions can be theoretical, methodological or empirical, case studies or comparative work. Innovative use of methods is encouraged. We expect extended abstracts of 800 to 1.000 words, excluding references, by 20 June 2024.

Abstracts should be sent to tales.tomaz@plus.ac.at, josef.trappel@plus.ac.at, mmedina@unav.es and ms@fpzg.hr.

Manuscripts should be submitted directly through the Media Studies OJS system. The manuscripts will undergo a double-blind peer review, following the standard procedure of the journal. When submitting the manuscript, please make a note that submission is for the special issue New European Media and Platform Policy: Implications for the Political Economy of News.

Manuscripts should be up to 8.000 words, including footnotes and references. Detailed instructions for authors can be found here.

For more information about the special issue, please contact: tales.tomaz@plus.ac.at, josef.trappel@plus.ac.at, mmedina@unav.es or grbesa@fpzg.hr.

Articles published in the Media Studies journal are indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, ProQuest - Social Science Database and Social Science Premium Collection, ERIH PLUS, Hrčak – The Portal of Croatian Scientific Journals and DOAJ – the Directory of Open Access Journals.

For more information about the journal, visit Media Studies.

References

Benson, R. (2018). Rethinking the sociology of media ownership. In L. Grindstaff, M.-C. M. Lo, & J. R. Hall (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Cultural Sociology (pp. 387–396). Routledge.

Cushion, S. (2017). The democratic value of news: Why public service media matter. Bloomsbury Publishing.

D’Arma, A., Fuchs, C., Horowitz, M. A., & Unterberger, K. (2021). The future of public service media and the internet. In C. Fuchs & K. Unterberger (Eds.), The Public Service Media and Public Service Internet Manifesto (pp. 113–127). University of Westminster Press. https://doi.org/10.16997/book60

Dunaway, J. (2008). Markets, ownership, and the quality of campaign news coverage. The Journal of Politics, 70(4), 1193–1202. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381608081140

Griffin, R. (2023). Public and private power in social media governance: Multistakeholderism, the rule of law and democratic accountability. Transnational Legal Theory, 14(1), 46–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/20414005.2023.2203538

Mancini, P. (2020). Comparing media systems and the digital age. International Journal of Communication, 14, 5761–5774.

Newman, N., Fletcher, R., Eddy, K., Robertson, C. T., & Nielsen, R. K. (2023). Digital News Report 2023. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2023

Poell, T., Nieborg, D. B., & Duffy, B. E. (2023). Spaces of negotiation: Analyzing platform power in the news industry. Digital Journalism, 11(8), 1391–1409. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2022.2103011

Sjøvaag, H., & Ohlsson, J. (2019). Media ownership and journalism. In H. Sjøvaag & J. Ohlsson, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.839

Soloski, J. (2019). The murky ownership of the journalistic enterprise. Journalism, 20(1), 159–162. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918809250