ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

The International Journal of Communication (SPECIAL SECTION)

Deadline: December 1, 2025

Few technological developments spark more debate today than artificial intelligence. From promises of human advancement to fears of existential risk, AI generates a multitude of visions, conflicts, and societal debates. This “imaginative landscape of AI” goes beyond technical issues, encompassing political struggles, social movements, and ideas about the future of communication and society.

The International Journal of Communication is launching a Special Section on The Imaginative Landscape of AI: Visions, Positions, Conflicts. The editors of this Special Section, Andreas Hepp and Nathan Schneider, invite submissions that empirically explore emerging imaginaries, ideological positions, and conflicts surrounding AI.

Key deadlines:

• Abstracts (500 words) due December 1, 2025
  
• Notification of acceptance by January 1, 2026
  
• Full manuscripts due May 1, 2026
  
• Publication in spring 2027

More information and the submission form can be found here:

View the Call for Papers (PDF):https://comai.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CfP-Imaginative-Landscape-of-AI.pdf

Link to the submission form: https://nc.uni-bremen.de/index.php/apps/forms/s/ctFFdYg5X3XKpeBBjoEQSMGm

Special issue/edited volume

Deadline: November 17, 2025

When does the experience of watching a film truly begin? Could it start long before the movie theatre or the living room, but on a backstreet, a remote field, or a historical site where a local film shoot is taking place? These questions invite us to rethink spectatorship not as something that only happens in front of a screen, but as a lived, spatial, and participatory experience embedded in the making of the movies.

Set-going is a novel concept referring to the practice of visiting filming locations during the principal photography of a movie. This practice opens a rich and overlooked field of interaction between audiences and production cultures. Set-going is not merely a variant of fan studies or media tourism; it is a socially embedded experience transforming how spectatorship, spatial belonging, and film culture are understood. Unlike film tourism or film-induced tourism, which typically involves visits to sound stage studios or iconic shooting locations after a film gains popularity, set-going centres on the live presence of non-professionals during the filmmaking process itself, making it an immediate, participatory, and temporally bound engagement with cinema (Şavk et al., 2025). 

Rooted in the New Cinema History (NCH) paradigm—which emphasises the social and cultural dimensions of cinema through research on audiences, exhibition practices, and the lived experience of film consumption—set-going extends this approach upstream into the production phase. NCH has redirected attention from film texts to the contexts in which films are distributed and viewed, as seen in studies of cinema-going habits, neighbourhood theatres, and audience memories (see Maltby, Biltereyst & Meers, 2011). Rather than focusing solely on how films are consumed, set-going shows that spectatorship begins before exhibition and is co-produced through on-site encounters among publics, places, and industry labour. Set-going thus offers a fresh perspective on how cinematic meaning and participation are shaped not only in the theatre but also on the set.

This perspective resonates with and seeks to extend several key strands of media and cinema scholarship. Studies of production cultures have shown how the backstage dynamics of filmmaking reveal broader industrial reflexivities and critical practices (Caldwell, 2008), while research in spatial media theory has foregrounded the significance of place in the experience and negotiation of media (Jansson & Falkheimer, 2006; Reijnders, 2011). The concept of set-going also builds on work in audience memory and cultural geography that emphasises spectatorship as an embodied, affective, and place-bound activity (Kuhn, 2002). At the same time, it offers a necessary counterpoint to discussions of fan cultures and participatory media (Jenkins, Ford & Green, 2013; Hills, 2002) by focusing on forms of engagement that may be informal, improvised, or locally rooted rather than networked and transnational. By bridging these bodies of work, set-going enables a rethinking of how film cultures are lived, co-produced, and remembered across time and space.

Certain commonalities emerge across film industries and countries where set-going has developed as a component of cinema culture. Foremost among these is the practice of shooting on real locations rather than exclusively in sound stage studios. The partial or complete use of real settings is a key factor enabling local residents to become set-goers. Secondly, these cinema cultures tend to emphasise locality, making set-going a critical practice through which audiences engage with films at a community or regional level. When local identity holds significant cultural and economic value within a film culture, set-going gradually shifts from being tolerated to being a desired phenomenon. Thirdly, cinemas where set-going is prevalent often operate under lower-budget and more pragmatic production modes, rather than adhering strictly to high-end industrial standards. On-location shooting environments typically do not allow for, nor enforce, absolute control, thus making it difficult to prevent the presence of set-goers.  

We invite proposals that explore the concept of set-going across different cinematic traditions, historical periods, and geographic contexts. Submissions from scholars working in areas such as cinema history, fan studies, film tourism, production cultures, media studies, urban history, and cultural geography are especially encouraged.

We welcome abstracts on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

• Historical and contemporary case studies of set-going in various national and regional cinema contexts;
  
• Theoretical engagements with set-going as a form of audience-making, participatory spectatorship, or informal labour;
  
• Explorations of how set-going intersects with class, gender, place, memory, and the politics of access;
  
• Theoretical and cultural connections between set-going, fan studies and film tourism;
  
• Archival or oral history sources that offer insight into everyday interactions at film sets;
  
• Set-going practices in the context of TV productions and platform series;
  
• Set-going as an area of encounter and conflict between film professionals, the public and local authorities;
  
• Transnational comparisons of production visibility and on-location shooting within the context of set-going practices;
  
• Strategic use of set-going activities as part of marketing and publicity. 

Please send your abstracts of 300-500 words along with short bios (max. 100 words for each author) to serkan.savk@ieu.edu.tr  no later than November 17, 2025. These abstracts do not need to follow a rigid format, but are encouraged to include:

• A short and precise description of your proposed subject;
  
• Relevant methodological tools and resources are required for examining the subject;
  
• Current state of the proposed research: Have you already begun working on this topic, or is it something you relate to after reading the call but have not yet started? (This information will not prejudice the evaluation of your abstract);
  
• Tentative research plan (where necessary);
  
• 2-3 key references. 

Based on the number and content of proposals, this publication project will take the form of either a special issue of a reputable journal indexed by Scopus and/or Web of Science or an edited volume by a recognised academic or university publisher. Word count and citation format of the final manuscripts will be decided accordingly. Accepted papers will go through the peer-review process required by the journal/publisher. Please note that editorial acceptance does not guarantee publication. 

Timeline

• Abstract submission:  November 17, 2025
  
• Notification of acceptance:  December 22, 2025
  
• Full paper submission:   July 6, 2026 (peer-review process starts)
  

Scholars who are interested in rethinking where and how cinema is experienced and how such encounters might be written into the broader story of film culture are warmly encouraged to respond. No payment from the autors will be required for this publication. 

Editors

• Serkan Şavk
  

Gulf University for Science and Technology

Izmir University of Economics

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Serkan-Savk 

• Aydın Çam
  

Çukurova University

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aydin-Cam

Works cited

Caldwell, J. T. (2008). Production culture: Industrial reflexivity and critical practice in film and television. Duke University Press.

Hills, M. (2002). Fan cultures. Routledge.

Jansson, A., & Falkheimer, J. (Eds.). (2006). Geographies of communication: The spatial turn in media studies. Nordicom.

Jenkins, H., Ford, S., & Green, J. (2013). Spreadable media: Creating value and meaning in a networked culture. NYU Press.

Kuhn, A. (2002). An everyday magic: Cinema and cultural memory. I.B. Tauris.

Maltby, R., Biltereyst, D., & Meers, P. (Eds.). (2011). Explorations in new cinema history: Approaches and case studies. Wiley-Blackwell. 

Reijnders, S. (2011). Places of the imagination: Media, tourism, culture. Ashgate.

Şavk, S., Çam, A., & Şanlıer, İ. (2025). Set-going chronicles: Rethinking Turkish cinema through the lens of new cinema history. Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, 64(2), 126–147. 

December 10, 2025

MediaCity, University of Salford, Manchester, UK

Deadline: September 28, 2025

Conference Convenors

• Pete Deakin
  
• Rania Kosmidou

Keynote Speaker: Professor Kirsty Fairclough, School of Digital Arts (SODA), MMU 

Call for papers

In the 1970s Anglo-American feminist scholars in a variety of disciplines began to explore the problematic representations of women in Hollywood cinema, issues and concerns over female spectatorship, as well as the history of women’s cinema in Hollywood and beyond. Two seminal works Marjorie Rosen’s 1973 Popcorn Venus: Women, Movies and the American Dream, and Molly Haskell’s 1974 From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies, pointed to stereotypical portrayals of women mostly in Hollywood films. The conclusions were epitomised by Molly Haskell when she said, “You’ve come a long way baby … and it’s all been downhill.” Meanwhile in Britain several female scholars developed ideas grounded in psychoanalysis, semiotics and Marxist ideology. Claire Johnston (1973) discussed how cinema can construct a particular view of reality and stereotypical images of women from a semiotic point of view and proposed instead a counter cinema; Laura Mulvey (1975) used psychoanalysis to show how the female character in classical Hollywood cinema is made passive and powerless, is there to-be-looked-at, and proclaimed that there is no place for a female spectator in classical narrative cinema (ideas that she revisited later on). Others were not so pessimistic. Miriam Hansen (1986) demonstrated how the male character on screen can also be the object of desire for a female spectator; Johnston (1975) introduced the concept of masquerade in relation to female spectatorship, a notion explored further by Mary Ann Doane (1982/1991) who discussed masquerade not as cross-dressing, but as a mask of femininity among others. Such accounts raised questions about female spectatorship and the male gaze. They also questioned the female gaze and the male body. 

By end of the millennium, for cultural commentators like Susan Faludi (1999), it was curiously Western masculinity that had apparently reached an apocalyptic state. Its traditional markers – strength, a breadwinner status, social dominance, emotional self-efficacy and regulation – had been pathologised. In the wake of this sociocultural evolution, old jobs were lost; so-called masculine spaces once filled with miners, dockers and engineers were left barren or converted to penthouse homes and middle-management sites for the newly saturating white collar (so went the rhetoric), while the modern western male was increasingly under pressure to conform to commercial cultures of style, celebrity, and consumption. Ros Coward (1999) asked: when looking back on the achievements of feminism, “Is it now holding us back?” Is it demonising men and denying them the right to understanding and equality in a world that is perhaps far harsher for them than ever before? 

Many years later, and in wake of the #MeToo Movement and the current sociopolitical climate that has seen Andrew Tate’s brand of hypermasculinity, misogyny and anti-feminism poll favourably in and beyond the ‘manosphere’, we believe there is an urgent need to re-examine gender in contemporary cinema. From researchers and scholars, from outreach initiatives to practice-based research among others, we welcome a diversity of approaches from a broad variety of perspectives on how film is grappling with contemporary portraits of gender in cinema in and beyond Hollywood.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• The status of cinematic masculinity nowadays
  
• The status of cinematic femininity nowadays
  
• Challenging male or female dominance on screen
  
• The female spectator then and now
  
• The female gaze then and now
  
• The male gaze then and now
  
• The male spectator then and now
  
• The more recent appropriation of cinematic texts into the “manosphere” (by individuals such as Andrew Tate) and/or far- and alt-right communities
  
• Gender equality in contemporary cinema
  
• Gender in cinema and identity formation
  
• Gender bending in cinema
  
• Impact of gender stereotypes on screen
  
• The evolution of gender and sexual diversity in cinema
  
• Toxic masculinity as a cinematic theme
  
• Gender and empowerment on screen
  
• Gender and social change on screen
  
• Women’s and/or men’s weaknesses on screen
  
• Women’s and/or men’s strengths on screen
  
• The role of women filmmakers in shaping cinematic discourse
  
• The role of men filmmakers in shaping cinematic discourse

Please submit abstracts for individual papers (max 250 words) with presentation title, up to 5 key words, your full name, affiliation, 50 word biography, and email address to conferencesalford@gmail.com

Submission deadline: 28 September 2025. 

Notification of acceptance of papers: 5 October 2025.

We support the presentation of practice-as-research, with papers and screenings. We also welcome abstracts from early career and postgraduate researchers.

All or a selection of papers will be considered for publication.

No Registration Fee.

Nordicom Review (Special Issue)

Deadline: September 15, 2025

Franziska Marquart (University of Copenhagen) and Xénia Farkas (DIGSUM, Umeå Univesity) invite scholars from the fields of media, communication, political science, and related disciplines to submit extended abstracts for a special issue of Nordicom Review. This issue will explore the evolving landscape of visual political communication in the Nordic countries, focusing on comparative aspects, content, and effects of visual politics in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.  

Editors:

Franziska Marquart (University of Copenhagen) 

Xénia Farkas  (DIGSUM, Umeå University)

Contact:

Franziska Marquart: fm@hum.ku.dk

Xénia Farkas: xenia.farkas@umu.se

Important dates:

• Deadline for extended abstracts: 15 September 2025
  
• Invitation to submit full paper: 3 October 2025
  
• Full paper submission: 9 February 2026
  
• Peer review processing: Spring 2026
  
• Expected publication (Open Access): Early 2027
  

Background and aim

Visuals have always been central to political communication, shaping how political actors convey messages and how audiences interpret political realities (e.g., Graber, 1988; Lanzetta et al., 1985; Masters et al., 1986). Research has long recognised the unique cognitive and emotional power of visual information, acknowledging that images are processed and remembered more efficiently than verbal communication (e.g., Graber, 1996) and can influence political attitudes and behaviours (Grabe & Bucy, 2009). Despite early recognition of its importance, visual political communication has only gained sustained scholarly attention in recent decades (Farkas, 2023; Schill, 2012). 

In addition, the rise of digital media platforms has fundamentally transformed the visual dimension of political discourse (Lilleker, 2019; Marquart, 2023). Political narratives are increasingly constructed and contested through images, memes, videos, and data visualizations. These developments call for research that do not only consider the general content, strategies, and effects of visual political communication, but also account for their broader societal embeddedness and implications for trust, engagement, and democratic resilience.

In the Nordic context, where political systems are marked by high levels of institutional trust, transparency, and democratic participation, visual political communication takes on distinctive characteristics. While the region is often associated with social cohesion and stable governance, it is not immune to political polarisation, populist rhetoric, and digital disinformation. Recent years have seen intensifying debates on immigration, identity, and climate change – all heavily mediated through visual content. At the same time, the widespread use of social media has enabled new forms of political expression by citizens, activists, and alternative media actors.

This special issue invites contributions that explore how visual political communication unfolds across the Nordic countries in this evolving digital landscape, assessing the production, spread, and impact of visual content across a range of contexts – from electoral campaigns and protest movements to policy advocacy and state communication. We are particularly interested in how visual strategies interact with core democratic values in the region, such as openness, inclusivity, and (political and media) trust. We welcome empirical studies, theoretical contributions, and methodological innovations that engage with visual political communication from diverse perspectives. Comparative and longitudinal designs are especially encouraged, as they can illuminate both shared trends and country-specific dynamics shaped by cultural, regulatory, and technological factors. 

Ultimately, the aim is to deepen our understanding of how visuals contribute to the transformation of political communication in the Nordic region and what this means for democracy in a digital age.

Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Visual strategies in political campaigning: The use of imagery, video, and branding by parties, candidates, and campaign teams during elections and referenda
  
• Visual activism and protest culture: How activists, movements, and civil society actors use visual media to mobilise, resist, and advocate for change
  
• Memes, infographics, and short-form videos: Emerging visual formats on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and X, and their role in shaping political discourse
  
• Influencers as political communicators: Exploring how digital influencers shape political discourse through visual content, for example, through agenda-setting, issue advocacy, or political endorsements, particularly in addressing youth audiences
  
• Personalisation and performance: The visual representation of political leaders, including aesthetics of authenticity, relatability, trust, and authority
  
• Disinformation and visual manipulation: The role of images and videos in spreading misleading or false political content, including deepfakes and edited footage
  
• Algorithmic visibility: How platform logics and recommender systems shape the prominence and reach of political visuals
  
• Public service and institutional communication: Visual strategies employed by state institutions and public broadcasters to engage citizens and maintain trust
  
• Crisis communication: Studying the visual strategies employed during political conflicts, economic, environmental, or health crises, and their effectiveness in managing public perception and behaviour
  
• Ethics and accountability: Addressing ethical considerations in the creation and dissemination of political visuals, including issues of consent, manipulation, and the responsibilities of content creators

We welcome submissions employing a wide range of theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, including (but not limited to) qualitative visual analysis, content analysis, computational methods, discourse analysis, and mixed-method designs. Interdisciplinary perspectives from political science, media and communication studies, sociology, visual culture, and digital humanities are particularly encouraged. 

Procedure

Please send an extended abstract of no more than 750 words to both fm@hum.ku.dk and xenia.farkas@umu.se by 15 September 2025. The abstract should outline the main theme and approach of the intended paper and mention how it fits with the overall theme of the special issue.  

Authors invited to submit a full manuscript (6,000–8,000 words, excl. references) will be notified by e-mail when all abstracts are assessed by the editors. Also, authors who are invited to submit a full paper will be invited to an online seminar where the rationale for the special issue and the steps that follow will be discussed in more detail. All submissions should be original works and must not be under consideration by other publishers. 

 After the initial submission and review process, manuscripts that are accepted for publication must adhere to our guidelines upon final manuscript delivery. You may choose to use our templates to assist you in correctly formatting your manuscript.

Read the full instructions for authors and download a manuscript template

References

Farkas, X. (2023). Visual political communication research: A literature review from 2012 to 2022. Journal of Visual Political Communication, 10(2), 95–126. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1386/jvpc_00027_1

Grabe, M. E., & Bucy, E. P. (2009). Image bite politics: News and the visual framing of elections. Oxford University Press. https://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195372076.001.0001/acprof-9780195372076 

Graber, D. A. (1988). Processing the news: How people tame the information tide (2nd ed). Longman.

Graber, D. A. (1996). Say it with pictures. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 546, 85–96. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1048172

Lanzetta, J. T., Sullivan, D. G., Masters, R. D., & McHugo, G. J. (1985). Emotional and cognitive responses to televised images of political leaders. In S. Kraus, & R. E. Perloff (Eds.), Mass media and political thought. Sage. 

Lilleker, D. G. (2019). The power of visual political communication: Pictorial politics through the lens of communication psychology. In A. Veneti, D.

Jackson, & D. G. Lilleker (Eds.), Visual political communication (pp. 37–51). Springer.

Marquart, F. (2023). Video killed the Instagram star: The future of political communication is audio-visual. Journal of Visual Political Communication, 10(1), 49–57. https://doi.org/10.1386/jvpc_00024_1 

Masters, R., Sullivan, D., Lanzetta, J., Mchugo, G., & Englis, B. (1986). The facial displays of leaders: Toward an ethology of human politics. Journal of Social and Biological Systems, 9(4), 319–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-1750(86)90190-9 

Schill, D. (2012). The visual image and the political image: A review of visual communication research in the field of political communication. Review of Communication, 12(2), 118–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/15358593.2011.653504 

About the publisher  

Nordicom is a centre for Nordic media research at the University of Gothenburg, supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers. Nordicom publishes all works under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence, which allows for non-commercial, non-derivative types of reuse and sharing with proper attribution. All works are published Open Access and are available to read free of charge and without requirement for registration. There are no article processing charges (APC), and authors retain copyright.  

Nordicom Review is an international peer reviewed journal devoted to new Nordic media and communication research. In 2023, Nordicom Review recorded a Journal Impact Factor of 2.0, a CiteScore of 2.8, and an H-Index of 23.

Read more about Nordicom Review 

Read our editorial policies 

Visit Creative Commons to learn more about our CC licence 

Read the call for papers here: https://www.nordicom.gu.se/en/latest/news/call-papers-visual-political-communication-nordic-region-strategies-narratives-and

January 6-9, 2026

Lisbon, Portugal

Deadline: September 5, 2025

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 courage 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 Papers

As uncertainty and disruption settle in as central features of contemporary democracies, the media are faced with rewriting the rules by which they are allowed to operate. New limitations are constraining how the media portray a wide range of topics, from wars and international alliances to human rights and knowledge formation, from immigration and social marginalization to the economic and cultural policies implemented by those in power. While in the past, dire threats to the media were mostly associated with authoritarian regimes, the autocratic turn taking place in liberal democracies has forced those involved with media environments to deal with intimidation and punishments once considered taboo in democracies. With the distinction between liberal and illiberal media systems rendered more or less irrelevant by today’s realities, engaging with the media everywhere now requires a kind of strength not typically seen in democratic settings: courage. 

Courage calls for beliefs, values and actions that have not tended to need articulation for those living under democracy, largely because their viability was normalized long ago as part of its default setting. And yet, the capacity today to sustain one’s beliefs, commit to one’s values and act boldly in the face of adversity have become a golden rule for surviving democratic backsliding. Drawing on confidence, persistence, initiative and adaptability, courage can be physical, emotional, moral, social, spiritual and/or intellectual. With institutions central to democracy no longer able to accomplish their mission by following the rules that once governed their actions, courage is needed to persevere in the face of danger, intimidation and uncertainty. Because it involves a choice to confront risks that might otherwise seem unsurmountable, courage is crucial for developing ways of thinking and acting that are better attuned to the cobbled state of today’s institutions. 

Perhaps nowhere is this as much the case as with the media. It takes extraordinary strength for media practitioners, activists and scholars to sustain their previously normalized roles and avoid falling into the traps set by those in power. Being courageous means not accepting what George Orwell defined as the “truth of the leader,” and it comes at a high price, where daring to question official narratives is no longer assured. Not only is the survival of media corporations being put on the line, but all those involved with the media face a myriad of risks and dangers. These circumstances call upon media practitioners, activists and scholars to imagine alternative tools to express dissent. 

In these challenging and dangerous times, the Lisbon Winter School for the Study of Communication proposes to discuss the interconnections between Media and Courage. Courage can be addressed from a wide range of perspectives, understood as an ontological but also as an ethical concept in which one “affirms his own being” (Tillich, 1952: 3). 

While the consequences of challenging those in power may be better-known for those living in dictatorial states, in contemporary times expressing disagreement and dissent also demands courage from many living in democratic settings. So, what lessons are there to be learned from media courage and resistance in non-liberal countries? Which strategies have been used by scholars, filmmakers, photographers, journalists and social activists to denounce malpractices in autocratic regimes? How can such strategies be adopted in countries whose democratic institutions are being challenged? How can the media but also individuals use different platforms to denounce wrongdoings and expand the perspectives being debated in the public arena? How can the media avoid falling into the trap of being used as tools at the service of those who aim to promote fear and hate? How is dissidence being silenced through online and offline shaming, book bans, financial and physical threats? And how can communities support those who show courage to report on issues that challenge the official narratives? We welcome proposals by doctoral students and early career post-doctoral researchers from all over the world to discuss the intertwined relations between media and courage in different geographies and temporalities. The list below illustrates some of topics for possible consideration. Other topics dealing with media and courage are also welcomed: 

-       Courage in news reporting 

-       Witnessing war and tragedy

-       Courage on social media

-       Media activism

-       Denouncing hate speech and aggression against gender, racial and religious minorities

-       Alternative and underground media 

-       Threats and intimidation

-       Opposing anxiety and irrationality

-       Courage and Resistance 

-       Countering disinformation and misinformation 

-       Courage, populism and the media

-       (Self-)censorship

-       Courage and identity formation

-       Algorithms, AI and social trust

-       Expressing courage in the public arena in specific national or regional contexts

-       … 

CONFIRMED KEYNOTES:

Jacques Chevalier, Carleton University

Cherian George, Hong Kong Baptist University

Ejvind Hansen, Danish School of Media & Journalism

Ola Hnatiuk, Ukrainian Research Institute & University of Warsaw

Sarah Jackson, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania 

Patricia Kingori, University of Oxford

Jessica Roberts, Catholic University of Portugal

Catherine A. Sanderson, Amherst College

PAPER PROPOSALS

Proposals should be sent to lisbonwinterschool@ucp.pt no later than 5 September 2025 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 late September. 

FULL PAPER SUBMISSION 

Presenters will be required to submit full papers (max. 20 pages, 1.5 spacing) by 10 December 2025.  

VENUE

The Lisbon Winter School will take place in the Lisbon campus of Universidade Católica Portuguesa and in several cultural institutions in the city of Lisbon 

ORGANIZERS

Nelson Ribeiro, Catholic University of Portugal 

Barbie Zelizer, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania 

CONVENORS

Sarah Banet-Weiser 

Risto Kunelius

Francis Lee

For more information visit lisbonwinterschool.com

Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics

Deadline (for expression of interest): October 15, 2025

Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics, welcomes papers on the ethics of generative artificial intelligence and related topics in communication practice. How do we sort the competing claims and concerns made for AI tools, including problems of bias, accuracy and hallucination, concerns over how it changes professional work or even displaces it, questions of transparency, control or ownership of content? How do these stack up against the opportunities that AI affords to make work more efficient, less prone to error or enabling professionals to extend their work? What ethical or regulatory boundary rails need to be put in place or what literacy is needed among both professionals and audiences? Underneath these questions are broader questions around these synthetic media, such as human autonomy or editorial independence and AI’s invisible role in shaping how knowledge is both produced and understood.

Please send us an expression of interest in the first instance. From the expressions, we will invite authors to submit full papers for the editors’ consideration. Acceptance will be on the basis of peer review of the full papers. We are looking for papers in two areas: 

1) critical-theoretical contributions on principles relating to the ethical use of AI in communication. This can include conceptual work on problems and issues, work on codes of ethics or other normative proposals, explorations of underlying ideas, analysis of the political economy of AI or similar approaches. This work may be empirical, but the focus should be on contributing to the analytical toolkit on AI

2) contributions on the use of AI in media and other communication practices. This can include analysis of media practice, case studies of good practice, reflections from practitioners on challenges and opportunities and the like. 

We welcome work by scholars, research students and communication professionals. The deadline for expressions of interest is 15 October 2025. Full papers will be due in March 2026 and publication will be in July 2026.

Expressions of interest should be 250 words and discuss, argument, approach and (where appropriate) the methods used.

Papers in Ethical Space are usually 5000 words, excluding references.

More on the journal at https://ethicalspace.pubpub.org/

Please contact the special issue editors, Donald Matheson and Stephen J.A. Ward, with any questions.

donald.matheson@canterbury.ac.nz

stephen.ward@bellaliant.net 

November 22, 2025

Online

Deadline: September 30, 2025

From algorithmic cultures to participatory trends, from narrative futures to inclusive innovation – RE: TREND – Culture in Motion is calling for your contribution. 

We want to invite you to submit a communication proposal to the III Trends and Culture Management Colloquium, hosted by ICNOVA/iNOVA Media Lab in collaboration with CEAUL/Trends and Culture Management Lab.

This edition focuses on digital transformations and cultural practices in motion, encouraging critical and creative reflection on the signals of change shaping today’s culture. We particularly welcome submissions from students and early-career researchers. Participation is free of charge

We invite abstracts (250–300 words) for 10-minute online presentations in Portuguese or English, addressing one or more of the following themes (but not limited to):

• Living Intelligence & Algorithmic Cultures

• Culture in Beta: Labs, Prototypes and Experiments

• Trendspotting, Semiotics and Brand Strategies

• Narrative Futures and Sociocultural Anticipation

• Datafied Culture and Inclusive Innovation

• Fandoms, Microcultures and Participatory Trends

• AI and Trend Research

• Communication, New Media and Trends

Date: Saturday, 22 November 2025

Format: Online

Keynote speaker to be announced soon

Submit your abstract: https://bit.ly/trendscolloquium

Deadline for submissions: 30 September 2025

We look forward to your contribution.

For more details, please visit: https://trendsandculture.fcsh.unl.pt

October 9-10, 2025

Vienna, Austria

Deadline: August 17, 2025

As streaming platforms challenge traditional distribution, AI reshapes storytelling and production processes, and as underrepresented communities continue to push for visibility and participation, the question is no longer whether the European film industry must adapt, but how, and who gets to lead the change.

Rebooting the industry requires an intersectional approach, one that considers the dynamic role of people (creators, audiences, and different groups), technological innovation (AI, digital platforms, XR), and institutions (festivals, funding bodies, policy frameworks). This conference will be a space for critical exchange, bold ideas, and collaborative futures.

Areas of interest

We welcome contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• What is film industry competitiveness?
  
• European policy/legal frameworks concerning the European film industry (e.g. copyright law, public support and European funding frameworks, media/entertainment law, platform regulation and content moderation, protection of minors).
  
• The role of children & youth for the European film industry as creators and audiences.
  
• Bringing overlooked European films into the spotlight (e.g. alternative film festivals, alternative film modes of film production, collectives, centre vs. periphery in European film industries)
  
• European distribution & new technology (e.g. streaming platforms and digital disruption)
  
• Innovative storytelling (e.g. AI/VR/XR, interactive formats)
  
• The interplay of generative AI and filmmaking (e.g. working conditions of creative workers, AI and ethical creativity, AI literacy and cultural industries)
  
• Representation and inclusion in the European film industry
  
• New narratives by women, youth, diaspora, and intersectional identities
  
• Gender and the European screen industries
  
• European film festivals as spaces of resistance and cultural diversity
  
• Training, access, and equity in the European film workforce
  
• Governance, sustainability and democratic participation in the audiovisual sector
  

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts (300-400 words) should be accompanied by a short bio (max. 100 words each).

Panel proposals (ca. 60 minutes) must include a panel title, brief rationale (max. 300 words), and details of 3-4 speakers.

Abstracts must be submitted via the following link: https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/79051/submitter

Panel proposals must be submitted via email: info@thereboot-project.eu

Screening the Scene: Rethinking European film competitivenessConference Dates: 9 and 10 October 2025

Location: Department of Communication, University of Vienna

Deadline for Abstract Submission: on a rolling basis until August 17, 2025

Conference Description

The European film industry stands at a critical juncture, shaped by shifting technologies, evolving societal demands, global political changes and the need for more inclusive and adaptive institutional frameworks. Under the theme “Screening the Scene: Rethinking European film competitiveness”, this conference seeks to explore innovative strategies and fresh perspectives that can reinvigorate the industry for a sustainable, equitable, and competitive future.

We invite scholars, practitioners, policymakers, creatives and industry stakeholders to submit abstracts for the REBOOT Conference, a two-day, no entry-fee event dedicated to critically reflecting on and advancing the future of the European film industry.

The REBOOT project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon research and innovation programme under grant agreement 101094796.

Conference Registration opens on August 17, 2025

Please note, as this is a free to attend event, we have limited places; if we have enough interest in a hybrid format, we will open this event to online participation.

Join us as we bring the REBOOT project to a powerful close through dialogue, debate and vision - building.Let’s collectively shape the next chapter of Europe’s film and audiovisual future.

Conference Speakers

Roland Teichmann (Director – Austrian Film Institute)

Katharine Schenk (Director – ORF Television Film)

Rodrigo Gómez (Professor, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa)

Ufuoma Akpojivi (Policy-Research and Leearning Lead – A4ID)

Juliette Prissard (General Delegate - Eurocinema)

Brigid O’Shea (Director - Documentary Association of Europe)

Scientific Committee Bios

(available here)

• Jean-François Trubert
  
• Kaisa Hiltunen
  
• Daniel Biltereyst
  
• Melis Behlil
  
• Caterina Sganga
  
• Jacek Mikucki
  
• Fernando Ramos Arenas
  
• Antonios Vlassis
  
• Katharine Sarikakis
  
• David Nieborg
  
• Ramon Lobato

Organising Committee

Katharine Sarikakis

Professor of Communication Science, Media Governance and Industries Research Lab, Department of Communication, Univie

T: +43-1-4277-493 94

E: katharine.sarikakis@univie.ac.at

Angeliki Chatziefraimidou

Researcher, Media Governance and Industries Research Lab, Department Of Communication, Univie

T: +43-1-4277-49348

E: angeliki.chatziefraimidou@univie.ac.at

Gentiana Ramadani

Researcher, Media Governance and Industries Research Lab, Department of Communication, Univie

T: +43-1-4277-48328

E: gentiana.ramadani@univie.ac.at

Simon Haslauer

Student Project Researcher, Media Governance and Industries Research Lab Department of Communication, Univie

E: simon.haslauer@univie.ac.at

Yves Saint Clair Zogo

Student Project Researcher, Media Governance and Industries Research Lab, Department of Communication, Univie

E: yves.saint.clair.zogo@univie.ac.at

October 3-4, 2025

University of Nicosia (Cyprus)

Deadline (EXTENDED): August 20, 2025

The conference is co-organized by the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Review (BSEMR), the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), the School of Law in the University of Nicosia, and the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Black Sea and Mediterranean Studies in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (ILABSEM AUTh). The conference will take place in UNIC premises, Nicosia, on October 3-4, 2025. 

The NEW DEADLINE for submitting an abstract proposal to our conference is August 20th 2025. 

The Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean Review (BSEMR) and its constituent institutions, the School of Law in the University of Nicosia and the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Black Sea and Mediterranean Studies in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (ILABSEM AUTh) issue a call for abstracts for participation in an international conference. The conference is co-organized by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).

We are at a time when peace, security and prosperity are deteriorating globally and regionally. This trend is observable in the devastating wars that have evolved over the past three years in the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean (BSEM) regions, as it surely is evident in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the inordinate regime change in Syria. These cases make a contrast to the state of international affairs during the immediately previous period. Notably in the face of the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, when members and agencies of the International Community coordinated normally and cooperated duly in an orderly fashion.

These recent incidents mark the utterly volatile times of dense and rapid changes that we are undergoing. They concurrently mark a remarkable and precipitous now transition of the global system: from a perceived global unipolarity of power, towards a de facto multi-polar global system of powers. Despite these fundamentally structural changes, or rather more because of them, state sovereignty and governing power, ordered stability, diplomacy and principled leadership are all in question, as they are in demand, on many interconnected levels. Yet, they are in short supply, even in the worst hit areas.

During such fluid, fast-accelerating, uncertain developments one observes both state and non-state agencies promoting their narrow scope, agendas in unconventional, underhand, and opportunistic ways, thereby pursuing unilateral, questionable, or aggressively selfish strategies in contravention of international law and of acceptable ‘good practices’.

In both the international and transnational arenas prevalent modii operandi have been altered, moving away from the consensus of internationally acceptable norms and courses of action. A sharp dichotomy arises between two groups of states: a. those that respect the law and international institutions such as the UN and its agencies, and which act accordingly, and in defense of international law, and b. those that violate it, blatantly, albeit without publicly and officially admitting to such strategies.

Alongside overt military conflicts numerous covert wars are also deployed such as organized crime cyber-attacks, vandalism, massive bot-fake-news’ manipulation operations or targeted violence that challenge the political stability and the effectiveness of states, or power blocks such as the EU, and which undermine social cohesion and confidence. This entails that politically accountable policymaking is now in question. Destabilizing governments occur via confusion and elements of flux, as confidence and effectiveness in political systems evaporates. Besides, citizens in democracies are astounded by the double-standards of certain rulers and the consequences of unpredictable and shocking events which result in subverting their security, peace, and prosperity.

The organizers invite abstracts for conference papers which focus on topics deriving from this rationale. Notably,

* The interplay between regional and global dynamics in ascertaining legality, legitimacy and in matters of security and social cohesion,

* Corruption aberrations and manifestations of violence underpinned by the phenomena of international lawlessness or anomia,

* Interplay of trust and political credibility between the regional, local and international at large and global levels.

* Power handling, power management by governing elites and civic powerlessness.

* The rapid growth of strong-arm tactics at all levels, both national, international and transnational,

* The abandonment of free trade and the return to protectionist economic measures by the USA, all during sheer deregulation of several hegemonic players,

* Current NATO countries’ antagonisms and/or persistent conflictual relations, including reorientation amongst certain North-Atlantic partners.

*Europe’s turn towards autonomous defense and its potential implications in the BSEM,

* The tremendous rise of cyber-attacks and their impact on both private and public life as well as on the stability of states,

* Impact of inter-neighbour sabotage actions.

These are some of the central topics that conference participants are welcome to address with their research papers, but this list is not exhaustive.

VENUE: University of Nicosia, Cyprus

SIGNIFICANT DATES:

Paper proposals (abstracts up to 500 words) should be submitted via email, to bsemr@auth.gr by August 20, 2025 (extended deadline)

Response to applicants will be sent by August 25, 2025

Full papers should be handed in by September 20, 2025, via email to bsemr@auth.gr

Conference dates: October 3 and October 4, 2025

There are no fees to participate in this Conference. Participants are, however, responsible for securing their own funding for travel and lodging.

Online participation allowed for participants who cannot travel to Cyprus.

Papers may qualify for publication to the BSEMR and the South Eastern European Journal of Economics, following a double-blind peer review process.

November 19-21, 2025

Seville, Spain

Early bird submission deadline: September 10 (inclusive)

Late submission deadline: October 15 (inclusive)

https://eventos.us.es/138341/detail/ai-children-and-youth-transforming-media-play-and-social-interaction.html

Artificial intelligence (AI) is (re)defining the way children and teenagers relate to media, play, as well as their social interactions. Through chatbots and voice assistants, applications (storytelling, language learning, emotional recognition, etc.), and virtual/interactive educational games, AI-driven tools are becoming essential companions in their digital experiences. This conference aims to explore the cultural and social impacts of these changes, focusing on AI’s influence on digital self-expression, play-related experiences, intergenerational relationships, and audio-visual production. Rather than perceiving AI merely as a neutral instrument, our goal is to explore its role as a cultural force that guides the ways in which young individuals relate to media and the world surrounding them.

From this standpoint, we seek submissions that examine the role of play (both physical and digital) within artificial intelligence: as a medium for literacy development; to personalize the learning experience by adapting activities based on a child’s responses; to simulate and create virtual realities where children can establish forms of communication with one another (e.g., Animal Crossing); for narrative construction and image generation; to explore their environment through a dual modality of discovery (e.g., Pokemon Go); and in instances where the user is required to engage physically, among other aspects. How do these factors shape the way youngsters learn, play and interact with each other? 

In this sense, AI driven tools present new creative opportunities for young people, yet they may also limit these opportunities due to algorithmic biases and the lack of autonomy in children’s decision-making. AI tools for content creation, such as story generation or character illustration may be configured to reinforce biases related to race or gender (e.g., “create a character” and the image generated is a white male). Simultaneously, algorithmic personalization, which depends on user data (e.g., likes, previous choices, etc.), has an impact on the construction of media referents and the identities of young individuals. As AI customizes content according to “preferences” and responses, children and adolescents are presented with specific representations that either reinforce stereotypes or, conversely, exclude them from certain categories. Such exposure can significantly influence the identity that youth develop.

Furthermore, contributions exploring the influence of AI on intergenerational relationships are also encouraged. Children’s exposure and  engagement with AI-based content can sometimes exceed the understanding of parents and caregivers. However, AI also presents opportunities for fostering intergenerational connections. For instance, AI-driven educational games may create a collaborative environment where both children and adults can jointly explore the ethical, creative, and social ramifications of emerging technologies.

Ultimately, as audiovisual media remains central to Communication Studies, AI is also transforming the practices of content creators who produce for young audiences. The increasing use of generative AI in the creative industries has raised concern among screenwriters and animators, triggering debates around authorship, ethics, and creative ownership, as evidenced by recent writers’ strikes and the controversy surrounding AI- generated images that imitate established artistic styles. Simultaneously, children’s media also incorporates these issues into its narratives, often oscillating between utopian promise and dystopian threat, as seen in films like The Mitchells vs. The Machines (Mike Rianda, 2021) or The Wild Robot (Chris Sanders, 2024). These representations are key in shaping how youth think about and relate to technology, trust, and agency, highlighting the need to analyze both the production and depiction of AI in contemporary storytelling and animation.

Key topics (included but not limited to):

• Definitions and fundamentals of AI related to childhood context.
  
• Regulations and norms on AI in media for children and teenagers.
  
• Ethical and social concerns regarding AI in youth media.
  
• AI-driven play based on child responses.
  
• AI games that promote movement and interaction with the environment.
  
• Interactive AI games for narrative building and image generation.
  
• Digital literacy in children through AI-based play and ethical considerations.
  
• Content mediation and parenting in the age of AI.
  
• Transformations in children’s communicative practices in AI.
  
• Role of algorithmic recommendation in the shaping of children’s media identities.
  
• AI and the reinforcement of cultural stereotypes in visual and narrative constructs.
  
• Ideological discourses present in AI-driven media narratives for children and youth.
  
• Role of AI in creating shared learning experiences across generations.
  
• Representations of AI in film and television for children and youth.
  
• Authorship, consent, and the aesthetics of appropriation in AI-generated art.
  
• Intersection of AI and artistic labor exploring the challenges faced by animators and writers.
  

Format and participation 

This CYM Mid-Term Conference 2025 will be held over three days, divided into different thematic blocks.

PhD Workshop - Wednesday, November 19

This workshop is aimed at PhD students, and its main objective is to promote networking among participants before the start of the congress. It will be a meeting place to share lines of research, explore possible forms of collaboration, and encourage the creation of academic networks.

In addition to the open discussion and the opportunity to ask questions in an informal setting, the meeting will include a couple of talks focused on the use of artificial intelligence in relation to some of the key topics of the congress, which will be detailed in the program soon.

Conference - Thursday, November 20 and Friday, November 21

During these two days the congress will be held in its usual format, with parallel round tables dedicated to different thematic lines. We will have the participation of keynote speakers specialized in children's content and/or artificial intelligence. Also, there will be video essay projection sessions in the Home Cinema room, in order to give visibility to this format as a legitimate form of research and creation in academia.

The conference prioritizes face-to-face participation. The hybrid modality will only be considered in exceptional cases that justify it. In the case of video-essays, the physical presence of the author will not be mandatory, although it is recommended in case the audience wishes to ask questions after the screening.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions may consist of either individual presentations or panel proposals comprising no more than five contributors or co-authors. Proposals that are inter or multidisciplinary in nature are encouraged, and submissions from early-stage researchers are welcomed. We also consider the possibility of including video essays  as a format of participation. A video essay is a short audiovisual piece that develops an argument, theory or critical analysis using the expressive tools of audiovisual language (editing, voice-over, music, or the use of images, including clips from films, series, animations, etc.). Video essays should be between 4 and 10 minutes long and must include English subtitles if the audio is in Spanish.

The individual proposal should include the following information:

● Title of the proposal

● Abstract (max. 300 words)

● Author name(s), institutional affiliation(s) and short bio (max. 100 words)

The panel proposal should include the following information:

● Panel abstract (max. 300 words)

● A maximum of 4–5 papers, each with:

      1. Paper title

      2. Abstract (max. 150 words)

      3. Author’s name and affiliation

      4. Short bio (max. 100 words)

Note: All participants must register individually once the panel is accepted.

The abstract should clearly state the topic of the research, the main arguments or research questions, its relevance to the conference theme, the theoretical framework and/or methodology used, as well as the expected findings or contributions.

Abstracts must be submitted in English. However, the registration form includes an option to indicate a preference for presenting in Spanish. Should a significant number of proposals be submitted in Spanish, a dedicated session in Spanish will be organized within the conference program.

The organizing committee is currently in contact with academic journals and publishing houses to explore potential publications arising from the conference. Additional details will be provided communicated in due course.

Here on the website, you’ll find a language selection tab at the top right corner. In the “Proposal Submission” section, you can fill out the form and submit your abstract. To do so, you will need to log in through your university or create an account as an external user — only then will the submission form become available.

For any questions, please contact us through the “Contact” section or by email at ecrea.cym.2025.sevilla@us.es.

Submission and Registration Deadlines

Early bird submission deadline: September 10 (inclusive)

              ● Notification of acceptance: by September 25

Late submission deadline: October 15 (inclusive)

              ● Notification of acceptance: by November 1

Please note: Abstracts will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis as they are received, aiming for the shortest possible turnaround time. If you submit an abstract after the early bird notification deadline (September 25), we may still be able to provide an acceptance decision by October 5 to allow registration at the early bird rate. However, this cannot be guaranteed, and the time available to complete payment will be shorter. Same applies for the late registration dates.

*To view the fees and deadlines for early and late registration, please visit the "Registration" section.

Organizers

This conference is a Mid-Term Conference of the Children, Youth and Media (CYM) Section of ECREA, supported by Universidad de Sevilla (Spain).