May 15-17, 2024

Faculty of Philology, Translation and Communication, Universitat de València. València, Spain

Deadline: February 29, 2024

We invite researchers, scholars, and students to submit their papers to the sixth edition of the International Conference “Media and Governance in Latin America”. This year, the conference will be jointly organized with the R&D project “News puzzlement: Precarised quality, over(dis)information and polarization”.

This academic conference provides a platform for in-depth discussions and analysis of the challenges faced by quality journalism in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal. The thematic sessions explore various aspects of media, governance, and journalism, shedding light on the impact of precariousness, the informational disorder, and technological advancements on the profession. By bringing together renowned researchers and experts, the congress aims to foster dialogue and generate insights that can contribute to the advancement of quality journalism in the regions.

We welcome submissions that cover a wide range of topics related to the following thematic areas:

1) Media Systems, Pluralism, and Good Governance: This session seeks to examine how the traditional and new media interact with political and economic elites, and how such relationship influences censorship, clientelism, populism, and media ownership concentration. By addressing these issues, we seek to understand the importance of media systems that promote pluralism and good governance for a healthy democratic society.

2) Media and Political Representation: This session focuses on journalistic practices and organizational dynamics that promote dialogue, tolerance, and diversity. It explores how the media address issues related to unequal power relations, violence, inequality, corruption, and the representation of protest and social unrest. Additionally, it examines the extent to which digital communication platforms incorporate previously marginalized topics and actors, such as racial, gender, and class inequality, as well as indigenous communities, women, and LGBT+ minorities.

3) Precariousness and Safety Risks: This session analyses the effects of various crises on the journalism profession. It explores the impact of precariousness, work overload, violence, pressure, threats, and harassment on the health and practices of journalists. The session aims to promote reflection on the threats to professional autonomy and well-being posed by job insecurity and external pressures.

4) Quality Journalism: This session focuses on media companies’ funding and business models and their impact on journalists’ working conditions and the quality of information. The session welcomes theoretical research on the definition and evaluation of journalistic quality, as well as empirical studies on social responsibility, deontology, ethical codes, and the hybridization of informative and promotional content.

5) Communication for Social Change: This session analyses the impact of various agents of change, such as civil society groups and the independent media, on the public visibility of diverse voices and controversial issues. It explores the impact of digital technologies on citizens’ and civic organizations’ reappropriation of the digital media for advancing their voices.

Keynote Speakers:

• Silvio Waisbord, Director and Professor at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University (USA) and President of the International Communication Association (ICA).
  
• Mireya Márquez-Ramírez, Professor at Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico.
  

Submission Guidelines:

Authors are invited to submit original and unpublished work. Abstracts should be around 500 words and include: title, name and affiliation, contact information, keywords, brief theoretical framework and main (provisional) findings. All submissions will undergo a peer-review process, carried out by an international panel of experts.

The official languages of the conference are English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and we welcome both abstracts and presentations in these three languages.

The conference will take place mainly face-to-face, but we will reserve some panels for online presentations from scholars based at the global south. 

Important Dates:

- Abstract Submission Deadline: 29 February 2024

- Notification to Authors: 10 March 2024

- Conference Dates: 15, 16 and 17 May 2024

Publication Opportunities:

High-quality papers will be selected for publication in an international peer-review journal or edited volume, subject to a separate review process.

Registration Fees:

(The fee includes coffee breaks and lunch)

General Fee: 100 €

Online presenters: 60 €

Students: 40 €  

If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to contact us at mediagovernancevalencia@gmail.com

We look forward to your submissions and seeing you in Valencia!

Sincerely, the organising team:

Dolors Palau (Universitat de València, Spain)

Sara García Santamaría (University of Bristol, UK)

Guillermo López (Universitat de València, Spain)

Ximena Orchard (Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Chile)

Jairo Lugo-Ocando (University of Sharjah, U.A.E)

Paola Sartoretto (Jönköping University, Sweden)