May 9 – 11, 2019

Piran (Slovenia)

Deadline: February 28, 2019

Today, algorithms are present everywhere, from the most basic functions of the biggest search engines and social networking sites, to the ways formerly laborious operations are fully automatized. Even though the omnipresence of algorithms increasingly shapes and defines relations at both individual and social levels of our lives, their quasi-autonomous logic and practice remains largely opaque. Practices performed by algorithms are often seen as if they were neutral and objective, even though their logic often merely confirms and reproduces the existing contradictions, inequalities and biases. Moreover, algorithms may strengthen mechanisms of surveillance and oppression, as they are silently taking over functions that in democratic societies ought to be subjected to public scrutiny.

To provide a better understanding of how algorithms influence social relations in the wider field of communication studies, we invite proposals for presentations on a variety of topics connected to algorithms. We seek both empirical and theoretical studies, but the research should be critical in its nature and have strong theoretical foundations. Possible topics for the colloquium include, but are not limited to the issues more narrowly connected to algorithmization of journalistic and media practices, such as:

• Automatization of journalistic labour and robot-journalism,
• Transformations in news and media production,
• News credibility and professional journalistic norms in automated journalism,
• Propaganda,
• Journalistic responsibility and ethics,
• Personalisation of news production, social polarisation and divisions within society,
• Changes in funding of journalism,
• Media politics and regulation,

or to the wider issues in which algorithms are related to social communication:

• Ideology, logic and power of/in algorithms,
• Global news-flows and new types of communication inequalities,
• Search engine algorithms,
• Pitfalls of algorithmization for democratic societies,
• Political economy of algorithms (e.g. advertising, digital labour, market concentration),
• Liquefaction of the publicness/privateness divide,
• Big data and data monopolies,
• Automated inequality,
• Recent technological developments,
• Human decisions in construction of algorithms,
• Communication imperialism and platform imperialism.

EURICOM Colloquia are traditionally small-scale intellectual events with approx. 20-25 participants. This gives participants ample opportunities for in-depth discussions and presentations of research projects. The organisers welcome proposals for papers addressing any aspect of the subject and do not intend to prioritise any particular approach, method or attitude towards the issues under consideration.

In keeping with the established practice of the Colloquia, a special issue of the journal Javnost-The Public will be published containing a selection of the papers presented at the Colloquium.

Interested scholars are invited to submit abstracts for presentation at the 34th EURICOM Colloquium (approximately 250 words) to the editor of Javnost-The Public editor@javnost-thepublic.org by February 28, 2019.

Deadline for abstract submission: 28 February 2018.

Confirmation of abstract acceptance: 20 March 2019.

Deadline for draft paper submission: 6 May 2019.