ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Polis (Special Issue)

Deadline: September 1, 2025

In recent years, the international landscape has been shaken by profound and rapid transformations: the war in Ukraine, the erosion of the US-led global order, increasing tensions within in transatlantic relations, and the proliferation of systemic challenges — Including climate change, energy crises, migration, digital disruptions — are reshaping the foundations of global governance. In this evolving scenario, the European Union (EU) is facing a critical political and institutional juncture, one that may mark a turning point in its historical evolution. These dynamics are testing the EU’s capacity to adapt, respond, and redefine its role on the global stage, while also prompting introspection about its internal cohesion, democratic legitimacy, and long-term strategic direction.

Beyond these institutional and international developments, social transformations, public opinion and media representations are also playing an increasingly central role. European citizens are responding in complex and sometimes contradictory ways: while many call for greater EU sovereignty and protection, others express growing mistrust towards supranational institutions and elites, oftentimes supporting Eurosceptic political parties. At the same time, profound social transformations are shaping the ways in which European societies perceive and engage with the idea of the EU. Changing social identities, shifting values, and new forms of collective action are central to understanding how legitimacy, belonging, and solidarity are constructed and contested. From everyday practices to broader public discourses, individuals and groups negotiate their relationship to European institutions through experiences marked by inequality, cultural tension, and symbolic recognition. These dynamics, which reflect deeper social structures and power relations, contribute to the polarization of attitudes but also open spaces for the emergence of new imaginaries of unity, resilience, and common purpose.

This ‘new political moment’ calls for a collective and multidisciplinary reflection on the EU’s capacity for reinvention, both internally and in its external projection. We thus invite empirical contributions that explore these developments and their implications for the EU.

The special issue aims to bring together emerging and innovative research that reflects on the EU’s capacity to reinvention in the face of shifting geopolitical dynamics and complex internal challenges. We encourage contributions that adopt interdisciplinary approaches, drawing from sociology, political science, international relations, economics, and other related disciplines.

We welcome empirical articles that critically examine the implications of recent global and regional transformations for the EU. Contributions may focus on, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• A new institutional architecture for the future EU
  

Assessment of ongoing and proposed institutional reforms (e.g., ending unanimity, strengthening the European parliament, expanding shared competences, etc.) and the tensions between supranational integration and national sovereignty. What modes of governance can best meet the demand for democratic legitimacy and policy effectiveness? How are different member states positioning themselves in the debate on EU reform? What role do crises and external pressures play in accelerating or hindering institutional change?

• The EU’s role in the emerging international (dis)order
  

Exploration of EU strategies in a multipolar world: strategic autonomy, common defense, relations with the US, China, Russia, and the Global South. What future lies ahead for the EU as a geopolitical actor amid conflicts, regionalization or deglobalization, and global competition? How do internal divisions and external pressures shape its ability to act coherently on the global stage? How is the EU navigating its pursuit of strategic autonomy, the development of common defense capabilities, and its evolving relationships with key global actors — including the United States, China, Russia, and the countries of the Global South?

• Public policies and multilevel governance in response to new challenges
  

Evaluation of major EU policies (e.g., NextGenerationEU, Green Deal and energy strategies) and their effects on territorial cohesion and multi-level coordination between EU institutions, member states, and regional authorities. How is European governance evolving to cope with complex and interrelated crises? What tensions or innovations are emerging in the interplay between national prerogatives and supranational priorities?

• Towards inclusive digital transformation in EU
  

The digital revolution — encompassing the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and the broader digital transformation of societies and economies — represents a critical and complex dimension change. The role of the EU in shaping digital governance, including regulatory frameworks for data, platforms, AI, and emerging technologies. However, this transformation also risks deepening digital inequalities — between regions, generations, and social groups — if not guided by inclusive and human-centric policies. How does digitalization affect European sovereignty, competitiveness, and democracy?

• Institutional communication and EU narratives
  

Analysis of how EU institutions communicate and legitimize their policies and actions, both within the Union and on the global stage. What narratives are being promoted in response to global challenges? How is the EU’s role conveyed to citizens and international partners? To what extent are institutional communication strategies effective in fostering public engagement, countering disinformation, and strengthening the EU’s international visibility and credibility?

• Citizens’ attitudes and perceptions toward the EU
  

Investigation of changes in European public opinion: trust in institutions, European identity, support for integration, attitudes toward sovereignty, security and solidarity. How have recent crises shaped citizens’ connection to the European project? What divides and convergences emerge across member states, generations, or political orientations? What implications does this have for democratic legitimacy and participation?

• Media representations and the EU in collective imaginaries
  

Research on how the EU is portrayed in legacy and digital media, political discourse, and popular culture is particularly welcome. What images of Europe circulate in the public sphere, and how do they influence perceptions of the EU and its legitimacy? What role do social media platforms, algorithms, and influencers play in shaping attitudes toward the EU? Special attention may also be given to the imaginaries produced through entertainment media—such as television series, films, and online content—which increasingly contribute to the construction of narratives around European identity, solidarity, and geopolitical power. How do these media narratives reflect, reinforce, or contest dominant visions of Europe and its role in the world?

Submission guidelines/instructions Abstract submission instruction

Authors are encouraged to submit the title and an abstract of their planned article by September 1, 2025. The abstract (which can be written in English or Italian) should be 600 words (references excluded) and should include: aims/research questions, methodology, findings, main contribution, and a short statement of how the submission is related to this call for papers.

Please submit the title and long abstract by email to the guest editors (Marco Valbruzzi marco.valbruzzi@unina.it; Cecilia Manzo cecilia.manzo@unicatt.it; polis@cattaneo.org) with the subject line: “Special Issue Polis abstract”. 

Submission instruction

The editors, with editorial board, will review the submission and invite the selected authors to submit a final manuscript. Final manuscripts will undergo the usual double-blind peer-review process.

Please refer to the Author Guidelines of Polis to prepare your manuscript: https://www.rivisteweb.it/issn/1120-9488/informazioni#come-si-sottopone 

Timeline

Deadline to submit long abstracts: September 1, 2025 Abstract acceptance notification: September 22, 2025

Submission deadline of final manuscripts: February 28, 2026 Expected publication date: July 2026 (Polis 2/2026)

Guest Editors

Marco Valbruzzi, University of Naples Federico II, marco.valbruzzi@unina.it Cecilia Manzo, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, cecilia.manzo@unicatt.it

Polis: https://www.cattaneo.org/pubblicazioni/polis/

Cfp: https://www.mulino.it/riviste/a/issn/1120-9488/newsitem/442

November 3-7, 2025

Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic

Deadline: July 31, 2025

https://culcorc.fsv.cuni.cz/phd-course-on-discourse-theory/

We have reopened the call for applications to the Prague PhD Course on Discourse Studies and Method. A limited number of spots are still available, and the new application deadline is 31 July 2025.

Course coordinator and leader: Nico Carpentier

Course credits: 5 credits

Course location: Centrum Voršilská, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Dates: 03 - 07 November 2025

Contact person: Mazlum Kemal Dagdelen

COURSE BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

The course aims to discuss two methods in the field of discourse studies: Discourse-theoretical analysis (DTA) and Discursive-material analysis (DMA). Both are grounded in so-called high theory, with discourse theory as its main starting point, but with elements of actor-network theory and new materialism. This course will start with an introduction to these theoretical models but will then move on to their analytical deployment in communication and media studies research. 

Special attention will be spent on the creation of a theory-grounded analytical model to guide the research. Apart from attending lectures, participants will be expected to participate in both theoretical and research-driven workshops.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On completion of this course, successful students will be able to:

• have a deeper understanding of the field of discourse studies and, in particular, of its discourse-theoretical component; 
  
• have a deeper understanding of the theoretical relationship between the discursive and the material;
  
• know how to translate discourse-theoretical models into analytical practice through the use of the notion of the sensitising concept (applied to discourse theory and to discourse-theoretical rereading of other theories);
  
• set up an analytical model for a discourse-theoretical analysis and a discursive-material analysis.
  

TEACHING AND EVALUATION

The one-week course will be organised in 10 teaching slots, combining lectures and workshops. These workshops are partially theoretical (presenting an article or chapter) and partially research-driven (presenting an analytical model). 

A certificate (with a grade “Pass”) is given after 1) attendance of a minimum of 8 meetings, 2) a working group theoretical presentation, and 3) an individual case study presentation.

AVAILABLE PARTICIPANT SLOTS AND COSTS

A total of 20 participant slots are available. Following the first round of applications, only a limited number of places remain.

Participants are required to pay for their travel and accommodation costs, and all other expenses.

APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION

To apply to this course, the following three documents have to be submitted:

• A motivation letter
  
• A brief description/abstract of the ongoing (PhD) research (including the current stage of the research) 
  
• A CV (including information about your university affiliation and your contact information)

Please use the form on the CULCORC website to submit your application. If you need assistance regarding registration, please get in touch with Mazlum Kemal Dağdelen, mazlum.dagdelen@fsv.cuni.cz

The new deadline for the application submission is 31 July 2025. The accepted applicants will receive further details for registration and payment in due time.

COURSE READINGS

Main reading:

Carpentier, Nico (2017). The Discursive-Material Knot: Cyprus in Conflict and Community Media Participation. New York: Peter Lang.

Secondary readings:

Butler, Judith (1993). Bodies that matter. On the discursive limits of 'sex'. New York, London: Routledge.

Dolphijn, Rick, van der Tuin, Iris (2012). New materialism: Interviews and cartographies. Ann Arbor: Open Humanities Press.

Glynos, Jason, Howarth, David (2007). Logics of critical explanation in social and political theory. London and New York: Routledge.

Howarth, David (2000). Discourse. Buckingham, Philadelphia: Open University Press.

Howarth, David (2012). "Hegemony, political subjectivity, and radical democracy", in Simon Critchley and Oliver Marchart (eds.) Laclau: A critical reader. London: Routledge, pp. 256-276.

Howarth, David, Stavrakakis, Yannis (2000). “Introducing discourse theory and political analysis”, in David Howarth, Aletta J. Norval and Yannis Stavrakakis (eds.) Discourse theory and political analysis. Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp. 1-23.

Laclau, Ernesto, Mouffe, Chantal (1985). Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics. London: Verso.

Latour, Bruno (2005). Reassembling the social. An introduction to Actor-network theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mouffe, Chantal (2005). On the Political. London: Routledge.

Philips, Louise, Jørgensen, Marianne W. (2002). Discourse Analysis as Theory and Method. London: Sage.

Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty (1988). "Can the subaltern speak?", in Cary Nelson and Lawrence Grossberg (eds.) Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, pp. 271-313.

Torfing, Jacob (1999). New Theories of Discourse: Laclau, Mouffe, and Zizek. Oxford: Blackwell

Follow CULCORC on Bluesky and Mastodon

September 9, 2025

The University of Sheffield 

Deadline (EXTENDED): July 27, 2025

Online presentations are also accepted.

R. Murray Schafer said that “the sense of hearing cannot be closed off at will. There are no earlids. When we go to sleep, our perception of sound is the last door to close and it is also the first to open when we awaken” (Schafer, 1977, p. 11). The experience of  “Thinking through sound” is not only a sensory experience but also its a phenomenon that shapes how we perceive the society and the world, and make meaning of life.  This notion also intersects with different fields: media, philosophy, cultural studies, gender, acoustic ecology, musicology, audio accessibility, urban sounds, artificial intelligence, among others. But what is the conception of thinking through sound in the different areas of studies? Sound manifests itself in various formats and shapes across different times and spaces. How can we think through sound in both everyday life and broader societal issues? How can we think our research through sound -even if sound is not the center of the research? In what ways does sound contribute to other disciplines and vice versa? How can sound shape our methodologies?  Can sound play a role in how we reflect on and within our research practices? Can sound play a role in revealing the archive of resistances, tracing the history and building identity? Keeping this in mind, how can sound be used as a tool in research? These questions are an invitation to explore the multiplicity of sound—as medium, metaphor, method, and memory. We are inviting paper abstracts, proposals that revolve around, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Art, Creativity and Culture
  
• Sound, Technology and Communication
  
• Gender, Sexuality and Sound
  
• Memory and Archives
  
• Urban Spaces and Acoustics
  
• Acoustic Ecology and Activism
  
• Sound and Epistemology
  
• Sound/ Music Industries
  
• Music Production and Sound Design 
  
• Cinema and Sound
  
• Therapeutic Sounds 
  

Submission Guidelines:

Deadline for Abstracts (EXTENDED): July 27, 2025

Format: 300-500 word abstract

Include: Name, institutional affiliation, short bio (max 100 words), and indication if you prefer to present online or in person

Submit to: https://forms.gle/vhRNBpNegTiMx8RdA

This event is an opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, share your research, and contribute to a growing field of radio and sound. We look forward to hearing from you

With warm regards,

ECREA Postgraduate Conference Team

SFU School of Communication in the area of Journalism and Platforms

The School of Communication at Simon Fraser University (SFU) is inviting applications for a one-year Postdoctoral position as an integral part of a SSHRC funded Insight Grant, with the possibility to extend to a second year. This post is a unique opportunity for a researcher who has completed their PhD or will have their degree completed by September 1st 2025 and works at the intersections of media and communication policy, governance, journalism and platform studies. The successful candidate will work together with Associate Professor Dr. Sarah Ganter. Deadline to apply is August 15th, the position is open to Canadian and international candidates. SFU is an equity employer and strongly encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, persons with disabilities, persons with English as additional language and others who will further diversify the university.

Your qualifications

• You will have completed your PhD degree in journalism or media and communication studies by September 1st 2025.
• You are excited about topics at the intersection of journalism, policy, and platform studies and appreciate comparative work
• You have experience in survey design, quantitative analysis and also are interested in mixed methods designs
• You have a developing publications record
• You are comfortable working with computers and willing to use new software and project management tools
• Your written and spoken English is excellent, fluency in French would be a plus
• You have excellent communication skills and appreciate and embrace teamwork and collegiality
• You are dedicated, curious, enthusiastic and have distinct organizational skills

Your work

• 35hrs/week Postdoctoral position, as part of a SSHRC funded Insight Grant
  
• Leading the research on the project together with the PI
  
• Leading the development of survey design and analysis, semi-structured interview guidelines together with the PI
  
• Leading the research project, analysis and interpretation of data together with the PI
  
• Active involvement in outreach and publication activities
  
• Attending team meetings on Burnaby Campus and occasionally with our consortium members online
  
• Administrative coordination, where feasible (e.g. ethics approval)
  
• Your workplace will be on the SFU Burnaby Mountain Campus in Burnaby, BC,Canada (Metro Vancouver)
  
• Mayority in-person presence will be required
  

What we offer

• Annual salary is $70,000 CAD
  
• Benefits available
  
• Additional funding to present work from the project at conferences
  
• Workplace on SFU’s Burnaby Mountain Campus
  
• Access to an international network of scholars and a local scholarly and student-driven community
  
• Professional mentorship
  
• Access to additional training programs as provided by SFU Library
  
• We advocate for and value work-life balance in academia
  
• We advocate for and value diversity and collegiality in academia and beyond
  

You can find information about the different activities of the research group you willbe part of here: https://www.sfu.ca/communication/research/labs/independent-journalisms-edit/team-edit.html;https://www.sfu.ca/communication/research/labs/cultural-industries-in-acute-crisis.html;

Application Requirements

Interested candidates are invited to submit the following documents in a single PDF file:

1.Letter of interest: outlining your reasons for applying, your qualifications, and fit for the position, as well as potential start date (1-2 pages)2.A short research portfolio: outlining your research agenda plans beyond your PhD (1-2 pages)3.Academic curriculum vitae: Include academic degrees, achievements, research experience, and professional background. If applicable, include a list of your research publications and conference presentations.4.Three academic reference letters5.Transcripts: Provide academic transcripts of all your degrees.6.Two samples of academic writing (these can be published, forthcoming or in progress)7.

Deadline: August 15th

Application Process

Please send your complete application as a single PDF file to sganter@sfu.ca with the subject line: Post-doctoral Position—[Your Name]. The applications will be reviewed after the deadline and interviews will be conducted online where feasible.

About the SFU School of Communication

Located in Metro Vancouver, Canada, the SFU School of Communication is a leading school for research and education in communication studies. Our faculty is committed to fostering a vibrant, diverse academic community that addresses critical issues of public concern through interdisciplinary and collaborative research.

For questions about this call, please contact sganter@sfu.ca.

We look forward to receiving your application and welcoming you to the School of Communication at SFU!

January 8-9, 2025

Bournemouth University, UK

Deadline: September 26, 2025

You are warmly invited to submit papers for presentation at the joint annual conference of the Political Studies Association’s Media and Politics Group & Technology, Information and Policy Group 

This year’s conference theme, “Navigating Digital Democracy,” will explore the intersection of technology, media, and politics in shaping democratic practices and governance.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, technology plays a central role in influencing political discourse, policy development, citizen engagement, and the broader democratic process. From the amplification of polarizing and anti-democratic voices to the facilitation of political campaigning and pro-democracy movements, the dynamics of digital technology are both challenging and enriching the foundations of democratic societies. This conference seeks to critically examine the opportunities and risks technology presents in these areas.

We welcome paper submissions that address any of the following topics*:

• Do digital platforms impact citizen engagement and connection? How do digital platforms facilitate civic engagement, political participation, democratise political representation, and allow for access to the political process?
  
• What is the role of digital platforms in political campaigning? How are digital technologies and platforms reshaping campaign strategies, political marketing, civic participants, and voter engagement?
  
• The amplification of polarising and anti-democratic voices through digital platforms: how do social media platform rules and algorithms impact political discussion, polarisation, and harmful rhetoric?
  
• What role do digital platforms play in informing or misinforming citizens? What are the ethical implications of misinformation, what are the consequences of misinformation on political trust and accountability?
  
• What role do deepfake and AI-generated images play in shaping political narratives?
  
• How are digital platforms impacting social movements and democratic engagement? Are digital platforms providing spaces for pro-democracy movements in otherwise hostile states, are they havens of free speech or do they offer limited offline impact?
  
• The impact of generative technology on policy development; how does this simplify complex issues, perpetuate inequalities, or aid swift and dynamic changes to legislation?
  
• What is the role of digital games in contemporary politics? How can digital games be used to promote civic engagement and political awareness? How have online multiplayer games become spaces for political discussion and activism?

We encourage submissions from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including but not limited to political science, media studies, communication, sociology, law, and technology studies. Submissions are welcomed from scholars at all career stages, including PhD candidates and early-career researchers, as well as practitioners engaged in media, politics or related fields.

*While the main theme of this conference is navigating digital democracy, the MPG and TIP operate an open and inclusive policy, and papers dealing with any aspect of media, technology and politics are welcomed. Papers may focus on areas from political communication and journalism to data, artificial intelligence, social media and tech policy; but also include a broader view of the political sphere within such areas as television, cinema and media arts, both factual and fictional. In addition to academic research, the conference will also welcome practice-based work in art, film and performance related to the area of media and politics.

There are two ways to attend this conference. There is an in-person conference held in Bournemouth, UK, on 8-9 January 2026. For those who cannot make it in person but who wish to participate, we will host an online conference on 7th January 2026. Both will include a keynote presentation (TBA).

Please note this is not a hybrid conference and the in-person conference will not be streamed online.  

Key dates:

• Friday 26th Sept 2025. Deadline for paper submission
  
• Early October 2025. Paper proposers notified of the decision by the conference committee. Conference registration opens. 
  
• Friday 19th December 2025. Extended abstract deadline for James Thomas Memorial Prize applicants. 
  
• Wednesday 7th January 2026. Online conference. 
  
• 8-9th January 2026. Conference held in Bournemouth

Submitting proposals

We welcome both paper and panel proposals for this conference. 

Paper proposals should be for 15 minute presentations. Submitted abstracts should be no more than 300 words (excluding references).

If you wish to propose a panel, please note for following stipulations:

• Panel proposals should include a panel overview (max. 300 words), outlining the title, synopsis, and chair details, as well as the abstracts for each contributor (no more than 250 words each).
• Panels usually consist of three to four papers and a chair.
• Panels should aim to reflect the diversity of the profession.

Please submit all proposals through this online form: https://forms.gle/i5wtmmWKeJexva2m8  

Registration fees

For PSA members, the cost of in-person attendance is £125 for salaried academics and £75 for PGR/low waged.

For non-PSA members, the cost of in-person attendance is £150 for salaried academics and £85 for PGR/low waged.

This covers lunches, coffee breaks, a drinks reception and the annual dinner. It also includes access to the online conference.

For the online conference the cost of attendance for participants is £30 for salaried academics and £20 for PGR/low waged.

Financial support

The PSA offers a limited number of travel subsidies (up to the value of £100) to support postgraduate student participation in this event. Postgraduate students interested in applying for these subsidies should please note this when submitting. 

James Thomas Memorial Prize

Extended abstracts of a maximum of 2000 words submitted by postgraduate students will be entered into the James Thomas Memorial Prize. This annual award is presented to the most outstanding paper by a postgraduate student at the Media & Politics Group Annual Conference. Postgraduate students wishing to be considered for the prize should send extended abstracts to Dan Jackson:  jacksond@bournemouth.ac.uk by 19th December 2025.  

About Bournemouth

Bournemouth is a coastal town and resort located in the South West of England, in the county of Dorset. Bournemouth is about 94 miles (151 km) southwest of London. It has good transport links with its own airport, and rail links to Southampton Airport (35 minutes), Heathrow Airport (2 hours) and London Waterloo (2 hours).

Famous for its sandy beaches, Bournemouth attracts 3.5 million visitors every year and is home to a vibrant nightlife, international cuisine, and a Premier League football team. Bournemouth is also one of the fastest digital and creative hubs in the UK with some 400 digital, creative communication agencies operating in the area.

The award-winning Faculty of Media & Communication at Bournemouth University (BU) comprises over 4,000 students and more than 250 academic staff across four Departments. The Faculty is one of the leading destinations for the study of creative media in the United Kingdom, based on a combination of top-quality education, world leading research and industry-standard professional practice. 

About the PSA

The Political Studies Association (https://www.psa.ac.uk/) is the UK’s leading association in the study and research of politics. The Media and Politics Group and Technology, Information and Policy Groups are welcoming and inclusive. The conference welcomes contributions both from members and non-members of the Political Studies Association. 

Organising committee

Dan Jackson. Bournemouth University

Sarah Ledoux. University of Manchester

Darren Lilleker. Bournemouth University

Liam McLoughlin. University of Liverpool

Amy Tatum. Bournemouth University

Anastasia Veneti. Bournemouth University

Deadline (extended): July 31, 2025

The 9th issue of Mediatization Studies is on the horizon – and it’s shaping up to be one of our most exciting yet! 

Mediatization Studies is an open access, peer-reviewed academic journal published by Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin (Poland). The journal ensures a double-blind review process and does not charge any publication fees.

This upcoming edition will explore some of today’s most urgent and thought-provoking themes:

• Large Language Models (LLMs)
  
• Legal and ethical frameworks of AI
  
• Instagram users and algorithmic cultures
  

If your research lies at the intersection of mediatization and artificial intelligence, we invite you to join—and shape—this timely scholarly conversation.

Author guidelines are available here: https://journals.umcs.pl/ms/about/submissions#authorGuidelines

University of Leipzig, Germany

29–30 September 2025

In its 50th year, Communications: The European Journal of Communication Research invites to reconsider what European communication research is – and what it can be. From its start in 1975, the journal’s mission has been to serve as a forum for scholarship and academic debate in the field of communication science and research from a European perspective. But what is in fact a European perspective?

The conference program includes:

- Keynotes by Keith Roe, Maria Kyriakidou, Göran Bolin & Bernie Hogan

- A reflection by Friedrich Krotz

- Panels on comparative traditions, crisis narratives, AI & creativity, and digital infrastructures

Further information and the full program are available online. Registration is open via the conference website: https://www.sozphil.uni-leipzig.de/en/institut-fuer-kommunikations-und-medienwissenschaft/professuren/professur-fuer-medien-und-kommunikationswissenschaft/european-communication-research-what-whence-and-whither

The Digital Futures for Children centre, Department of Media and Communication, LSE

Apply here: https://jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/3615/0/453848/15539/research-officer-digital-futures-for-children

Salary from £42,679 to £51,000 pa inclusive with potential to progress to £54,730 pa inclusive of London allowance

This is a fixed-term appointment for 12 months

The Digital Futures for Children (DFC) is a joint research centre between LSE and 5Rights Foundation. Through critical and practical research, the DFC aims to generate insights and innovative solutions to ensure that the digital environment respects and promotes children's rights.

In 2025, the DFC has launched a new research project entitled “Better EdTech Futures for Children” together with 5Rights Foundation. The project seeks to develop robust evidence to stimulate a child-rights informed multi-stakeholder conversation on the role of technology in schools by investigating how educational technologies (EdTech) are shaping children’s learning experiences and rights in diverse contexts, with specific focus on AI. Through multidisciplinary research and direct engagement with children, families, and educators, it will explore the equity, design and governance of EdTech systems.

The Research Officer will support the delivery of the research project. Working under the direction and guidance of the DFC Director and in close collaboration with the 5Rights Foundation, this role will contribute to the production of high-impact, policy-relevant research and engagement activities exploring how EdTech affects children’s rights and learning experiences.

Candidates will have a PhD by the post start date, relevant research experience that demonstrates the capability to produce independent original research, experience conducting qualitative research with children in schools and applying child- centred approaches, experience conducting research relating to EdTech, as well as the ability to research complex ideas, concepts, theories and findings relating to children’s rights in the digital environment.

We offer an occupational pension scheme, generous annual leave, hybrid working, and excellent training and development opportunities.

For further information about the post, please see the how to apply document, job description and the person specification.

To apply for this post, please go to www.jobs.lse.ac.uk. If you have any technical queries with applying on the online system, please use the “contact us” links at the bottom of the LSE Jobs page. Should you have any queries about the role, please email s.livingstone@lse.ac.uk

All applicants are asked to submit a CV and a detailed cover letter explaining how they meet the position's requirements.

Please note this position will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.  Any offer of employment made is conditional on receipt of a satisfactory DBS check.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 17 July 2025 (23.59 UK time). Regrettably, we are unable to accept any late applications.

Yulia Yurtaeva-Martens

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-658-47279-5

This volume explores television program exchange within Eastern Europe as well as between East and West, and its crucial role in the development of television as a medium.

The study presents a systematic analysis of the emergence, development, and activities of Intervision, an Eastern European—and, from today's perspective, transnational—organization that was founded in 1960 to coordinate television program exchange. Particular attention is given to the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of program exchange within Intervision and its cooperation with the Western European Eurovision, taking into account the political and technological conditions and implications of the time. The historical analysis covers the entire period of Intervision's existence from 1960 to 1993. The volume offers valuable insights into the mechanisms and dynamics of European television program exchange during the Cold War and connects with current research on socialist television from a transnational perspective.

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

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

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