ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

12 October 2022

Zoom

Deadline: June 30, 2022

Online pre-conference before the 9th European Communication Conference

Since its inception, mediatization has been a contested term within media and communication research that includes different perspectives on the interrelation between technological and sociocultural change. While it can be argued that mediatization as a meta-process is an omnipresent part of human history, mediatization research is primarily a response to the progressing digitization and datafication of society and its consequences for human interaction and sense-making. The mediatization approach is characterized by different perspectives: constructivist, institutional, material and cultural as well as critical giving academics the possibility to discuss theoretically and methodologically socio-technological change. Where traditional communication research focused on media as independent entities, mediatization research contributed by highlighting interrelations and the interweaving of media and practices within different fields of human interaction.

However, as technology and society change, many of the claims that set early mediatization research apart have become self-evident in the light of the ubiquity of technical gadgets, social networks, and a sprawling digital infrastructure. As computers of different shapes and forms have not only become part of all symbolic operations, they have also evolved into “smart” infrastructures that act as gatekeepers between humans and the reality they live in, affecting us on a deeper level. What was once theorized and studied within specific communities and practices is now a widely accepted fait accompli that touches every aspect of everyday life.

Through all of this, mediatization has remained a useful yet broad concept that offers various points of contact for researchers from different disciplines. At the same time, mediatization has become an all-encompassing umbrella term for studying social and technological change. Its proponents find themselves targeting and discussing their research within more specialized, thematically relevant contexts. With core issues of mediatization research being widely discussed in various contexts, the boundaries and benefits of mediatization research are at risk of becoming diluted, raising the question of what makes this approach unique and compelling for future research?

Mediatization approach, theory and field have met with many critical objections over the past years, to which valuable answers have been formulated. At the same time, however, the dynamics of change in the media environment have accelerated further; giving way to datafication, algorithmization, platformization, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence. This raises questions about the status of the research field of mediatization; the relationship between processes and meta-processes; and fundamental definitional issues about what media and communication are now in the context of complex technological processes (the importance of big data and the analysis of users’ data and behaviour), new economic conditions (data capitalism, forecasting and surveillance) and new socio-cultural conditions, including pandemic and post-pandemic reality.

We want to invite researchers to discuss the past and the future of mediatization research as a broad yet unifying approach. Hence, this call addresses both established mediatization theorists, senior researchers, and early-career academics, from different backgrounds utilizing the concept of mediatization. We hope for theoretical and empirical ideas of how mediatization is currently understood and how the concept inspires future research.

We suggest the following topics:

- main objections to mediatization research, responses and defenses

- research challenges related to contemporary technological processes (platformization, datafication, algorithmization, artificial intelligence)

- necessary methodological, phenomenological and ethical transformations concerning the research field

- possible and needed new directions of development of the research field

- existing and potential threats related to the near future of mediatization research

- desirable transformations of particular research areas and topics (stabilized and emerging)

Planned conference day schedule

To discuss these issues, we plan a one-day online pre-conference in the week leading up to the main conference in Aarhus. First, we would like to kick off the event by allowing researchers to present their recent work on mediatization, with particular attention to the status of the field, its challenges, problems, and possible directions for development, subsequently, we would like to open up the discussion, , inviting senior scholars, including Göran Bolin, Nick Couldry, Kirsten Frandsen, Andreas Hepp, Stig Hjarvard, Knut Lundby, Friedrich Krotz, Carlos A. Scolari and other guests to provide responses, comments, and to discuss and explore the future of mediatization research.

Please fill the form to submit your abstract: https://bit.ly/3IyP71e by 30.06.2022.

The conference is free of charge.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the organizing team:

- Katarzyna Kopecka-Piech, katarzyna.kopecka.piech@gmail.com

- Rita Figueiras, ritafigueiras@fch.lisboa.ucp.pt

- Jakob Hörtnagl, jakob.hoertnagl@phil.uni-augsburg.de

- Jeannine Teichert, jeannine.teichert@uni-paderborn.de

- Mateusz Sobiech, mateusz.sobiech@o2.pl

June 21, 2022 (10  AM - 5 PM)

Department of Media and Communications, London School of Economics and Political Science

To attend in person, register here / to attend online, register here

This one-day seminar explores political and media discourses of forced migration in Europe in the contexts of the war in Ukraine and the earlier ‘refugee crisis.’ Anti-refugee and anti-immigration discourses were politically effective during the so-called ‘migration crisis’ of 2015. The collective production of culturally prejudiced knowledge constructed refugees as a ‘threat’ and turned them into Europe’s ‘enemy.’ It drew on discursive patterns of Islamophobia, Euro-scepticism, anti-globalisation, racism and discrimination.

The discourse of threat has been largely absent from the coverage of the war in Ukraine and its refugees. For the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Ukrainian refugees are ‘not the usual refugee wave of people with an unclear past. None of the European countries is worried about them’.

Why are Europeans worried at times, yet welcome refugees on other occasions? What is driving European attitudes to forced migration? What is the role of media in the production of knowledge on migration?

This seminar brings together researchers and practitioners to explore political and media constructions of migrants and refugees, past and present, to engage with questions:

How are migrants & refugees constructed by word and image?

What are the new lines of inclusions and exclusions in Europe’s migration policy, discourse and practice? What purpose does this discourse serve?

What’s driving Europe’s politics of borders? How are borders narrated and justified?

How do migrants & refugees use media to communicate themselves?

THE SEMINAR IS ORGANISED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: LSE Media, Collegium Civitas, NAWA, POLIS

THE SEMINAR IS FINANCED BY: Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) Project No.: PPI/APM/2018/1/00019

PROGRAMME

PANEL 1 (10:00-11:30): The real and mediated lives of refugees

The communicative architecture of the wartime border: Control, hope and solidarity; Myria Georgiou, London School of Economics, UK & Marek Troszyński, Collegium Civitas, Poland

Smartphones as personal digital archives? Recentring migrant authority as curating and storytelling subjects; Koen Leurs, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

Images of Ukrainian refugees in Ukraine: statuses, interpretations, values; Anna Taschenko and Ludmila Iuzva, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine

PANEL 2 (12:00-13:00) Europe’s dangerous borders: an academic perspective

The colour line and the externalization of borders; Pierluigi Musaro, University of Bologna

The forgotten asylum seekers at the Polish-Belarussian border; Magda El-Ghamari, Collegium Civitas

PANEL 3 (13:30-15:00): Europe’s dangerous borders: through the eyes of practitioners

Refugees and people on the move: health needs; Dr Apostolos Veizis, Executive Director INTERSOS, Greece

Two borders, two standards of refugee protection in Poland. Experience in organizing humanitarian aid; Anna Dabrowska, Director, Homo Faber, Warsaw

From Criminalising Asylum Seekers to Expulsions to Rwanda: The UK’s Externalisation and Anti-Refugee Policies; Dr Emilie McDonnell, UK Advocacy Coordinator, Human Rights Watch.

PANEL 4 (15:50-17:00) Media and the construction of cultural borders

A Great Divide: Polish media discourse on migration; Marek Troszyński & Magdalena El-Ghamari, Collegium Civitas, Poland

Albanian media discourse on three refugee crises: Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine in comparative perspective; Elona Dhëmbo & Erka Çaro, University of Tirana, Albania

Migration trends in Kosovo: the rising brain drain phenomena; Labinot Hajdari & Judita Krasniqi; Kosovo Center of Diplomacy, Kosovo

Racism and historical amnesia in the British media coverage of migration; Eva Polonska, LSE

October 17, 2022

Online

Deadline: June 30, 2022

The ECREA section on Digital Games Research (https://www.ecrea.eu/Digital-Games-Research) invites you to a free online pre-conference for young scholars!

The pre-conference combines individual academic presentations with a joint discussion on current realities and future directions of academic publishing in the field of game studies.

We are especially looking forward to hearing preliminary findings from doctoral thesis projects or early-stage postdoc projects. It is also possible to present PhD project proposals, or discuss ideas for future research projects. Commentary will be provided by Professor Thorsten Quandt from the University of Münster (Germany), and Associate Professor Marko Siitonen from the University of Jyväskylä (Finland).

Be sure that your proposal clearly articulates:

• The main issue or research questions to be discussed
• Key theoretical approach or concept
• The critical or methodological framework
• Main argument or expected findings and conclusions

In addition to the academic presentations, the event will include an open discussion on academic publishing. For this, we will be joined by Professor Tanya Krzywinska from Falmouth University (UK). Prof. Krzywinska is the current editor of the journal Games and Culture.

Please submit a short abstract (circa 300 words) of your presentation to marko.siitonen [at] jyu.fi until June 30. Decisions will be communicated to the authors by August 8.

Format: One afternoon online event, free of charge

Date and time: Monday, October 17, 2022, between 10-14 (WET); 11-15 (CET); 12-16 (EET)

Organizing committee: Marko Siitonen, Felix Reer, Ahmed Elmezeny

October 12, 2022

Online pre-conference

Deadline (EXTENDED): June 27, 2022

ECREA’s Digital Culture and Communication (DCC) section invites applications for The Work-in-Progress in Social Media Research: a one-day remote ECREA pre-conference workshop to be held online via Zoom on Wednesday 12th October 2022.

We often encounter scholars' work at a finished stage – like a published article or a polished presentation – while the trials and tribulations of research are often experienced in isolation. This is especially the case for social media researchers, whose field sites can disappear overnight and who face new and challenging questions about the methods, ethics, and sometimes legalities of their work. The aim of this workshop is to create a collaborative space for social media researchers to feed back on each other’s ideas and concerns, and help to inspire progress in what has been an extremely challenging couple of years.

We invite social media researchers to submit between 500-750 words about their “work-in-progress”, outlining the following as best they can:

• The current stage of your work-in-progress

o Oh, this could be interesting!

o Ongoing research

o I think I’m getting there…

• Research context and background
• Research questions
• Research methods/approach
• Research ethics
• Which aspect of your research would you like to address in more depth (Choose one aspect and pose a question):
• Methods
• Theories/concepts/research design
• Research ethics
• Other

Workshop attendees will be grouped together according to the aspect of their work-in-progress they wish to address in more depth, ranging from theoretical contributions to research methods and ethics.

We are also *delighted* to announce our two keynote speakers for the event: Keisha Bruce (University of Nottingham) and Dr. Hannah Ditchfield (University of Sheffield). Details about their talks will follow.

The extended deadline for applications is 27th June 2022 by 5:00pm GMT, and the notification of acceptance will be 15th July 2022. Applications should be sent via this Google Form, or as a PDF to y.gerrard@sheffield.ac.uk. We welcome applications from scholars at all career stages, in particular early career researchers, and from non-DCC members. We welcome submissions of work-in-progress at every stage of completion – from vague “this-could-be-interesting” ideas, to on-going research, to nearly-completed works.

June 9, 2022

Online webinar

I am pleased to invite you to the next in the series of IPRA Thought Leadership webinars. The webinar Public affairs: the changing nature of political engagement will be presented by Stuart Thomson, head of public affairs at BDB Pitmans on Thursday 9 June 2022 at 12.00 GMT/UCT (unadjusted).

What is the webinar content?

Public affairs is not always understood across the PR profession but if political audiences are not managed there may be damage. Public affairs should be viewed as an aspect of reputational management. Done well, it opens up opportunities and deals with threats. Ignored then significant damage can be inflicted. This session will show the valuable role that public affairs can play.

How to join

Register here at Airmeet. (The time shown should adjust to your device’s time zone.)

A reminder will be sent 1 hour before the event.

Background to IPRA

IPRA, the International Public Relations Association, was established in 1955, and is the leading global network for PR professionals in their personal capacity. IPRA aims to advance trusted communication and the ethical practice of public relations. We do this through networking, our code of conduct and intellectual leadership of the profession. IPRA is the organiser of public relations' annual global competition, the Golden World Awards for Excellence (GWA). IPRA's services enable PR professionals to collaborate and be recognised. Members create content via our Thought Leadership essays, social media and our consultative status with the United Nations. GWA winners demonstrate PR excellence. IPRA welcomes all those who share our aims and who wish to be part of the IPRA worldwide fellowship. For more see www.ipra.org

Background to Stuart Thomson

Dr Stuart Thomson is a UK-based public affairs and communications consultant. His latest book, Reputation in Business: Lessons for Leaders, will be published by Routledge in late 2022. Stuart has been listed as one of the UK’s Top 100 Public Affairs Consultants and in 2020, he won Best Current Affairs Influencer at Vuelio’s Online Influence Awards.

Contact

International Public Relations Association Secretariat

United Kingdom

secgen@ipra.org

Telephone +44 1634 818308

October 18, 2022

Aarhus, Denmark

Deadline: July 1, 2022

The pre-conference ‘Doing gender’ across mobile apps, organised by the University of Coimbra and MyGender project (PTDC/COM-CSS/5947/2020).

Related Section: Gender, Sexuality and Communication. More information is available in the attachment and here.

Abstracts (300 max.) can explore theoretical and empirical studies that use qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods on topics within gender, sexuality and app studies. The organisation of the pre-conference will publish a book with the articles that may be submitted.

Abstracts should be sent to mygender@fl.uc.pt by the 1st of July 2022.

Notice of acceptance will be given by the 15th of July.

June 7-10, 2022

Come join us online for the 2nd FilmEU Summit (7-10th June) hosted by IADT. This year’s theme is Environmental Sustainability in Film and Media Arts industry and Education.

Speakers at the open sessions will include policy makers, industry professionals, academic staff and crucially, students.

The public sections will be streamed on FilmEU Youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzU6nBbPA1iQrKIaLYC2E9g

The event will happen on Dublin timezone (WET).

Register here for the online participation and updates: https://bit.ly/3PGeseu Updated program and info here: https://www.filmeu.eu/news-and-events/events/filmeu-summit-june-2022

KOME, an international Open Access journal published by the Hungarian Communication Studies Association is currently accepting submissions.

KOME is a theory-oriented journal of media and communication studies and related fields. Given the connection between theory and empirical research, we are open to submissions of empirical papers as well, if the research demonstrates a clear endorsement of communication and/or media theories. We would love to hear from our colleagues across Europe and overseas, and read about their current research!

If interested, please visit our website at http://www.komejournal.com. Manuscripts can be submitted directly to kome@komejournal.com.

We are free to all authors and readers, and indexed in SCOPUS and Web of Science. All submission undergo double blind peer review. Average turnaround time is 10 to 12 weeks. No APC's, page charges, submission charges; we do not charge authors for publishing their work and do not solicit or accept payment for contributions.

Department of Media and Communications, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Salary from £37,197 to £44,802 pa inclusive with potential to progress to £48,168 pa inclusive of London allowance

This is a fixed term appointment for three years, starting from 1 September 2022

Applications are invited from outstanding candidates in the field of Media and Communications. The successful candidate will join an established and successful Department renowned globally for its high-quality original research and teaching excellence, and ranked #1 in the UK and #3 globally in its field (2022 QS World University Rankings).

The Department is seeking to appoint an LSE Fellow who can make important contributions to its teaching and research. This post presents an excellent opportunity for the successful candidate to expand on their teaching experience while developing their research career.

Candidates will have a completed PhD in Media and Communications or a closely related field (PhD in hand without revisions pending by date of application). Candidates must demonstrate evidence of teaching at graduate level, an interest in contributing to teaching on methods of research in media and communications, as well as experience of media and communications teaching from a critical perspective, including on topics relating to China and the institutional arrangements of global media and communications industries. Candidates must also have a developing research record in the field of media and communications with a focus on global media and communications industries. Candidates will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to critically assessing theories and empirical research. Candidates must demonstrate excellent communication and presentation skills and have a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion within teaching practice.

We offer an occupational pension scheme, generous annual leave 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 here: https://jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/5038/0/350079/15539/lse-fellow-in-media-and-communications

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 Professor Lee Edwards, at L.Edwards2@lse.ac.uk.

The closing date for receipt of applications is Sunday 26 June 2022 (23.59 UK time). Regrettably, we are unable to accept any late applications.

An LSE Fellowship is intended to be an entry route to an academic career and is deemed by the School to be a career development position. As such, applicants who have already been employed as a LSE Fellow for three years in total are not eligible to apply. If you have any queries about this please contact the HR Division.

LSE is committed to building a diverse, equitable and truly inclusive university.

Birkbeck, University of London, 30 Russell Square, Room 101, London WC1B 5DT

13 June 2022, 11:30am – 5:00pm

Book your place: https://www.bbk.ac.uk/events/remote_event_view?id=31670

Recent political turmoil has arguably been good for the news industry: Paid subscriptions at the New York Times, for example, surged after Donald Trump was – to the shock of many – elected President of the United States. The Brexit referendum massively boosted newspaper sales in the UK, while a record number of viewers and listeners tuned into political programmes on the BBC. During the Covid-19 pandemic, audiences appeared to show renewed trust in legacy media brands as sources of reliable information (Nielsen et al., 2020). And the horrific Russian invasion in Ukraine glued people all over the world to their screens, with viewer figures for mainstream TV channels such as BBC News or Sky News multiplying.

And yet, if these events seem to have encouraged audiences to (re)turn to traditional news media, how should we understand the falling back on such media in light of an information landscape many still consider to be wrought with mis- and dis-information, antagonistic exchanges, and overpowered by platform companies? Or in an era where democracies seem to be undermined by populism, authoritarian tendencies, political polarisation, and now war?

The symposium aims to explore these questions. The title is meant as provocation: are media good for democracies – as scholars, journalists, and politicians generally assume? If so, just what forms of democracy might media support? Why are mainstream, legacy, traditional, or establishment media so often seen as especially suited to supporting such democracies? What are the democratic responsibilities of platform companies, or for that matter alternative media?

We will discuss new perspectives and approaches to these questions. The symposium will be opened by a keynote speech from Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, followed by two thematic panel discussions.

Schedule:

11:30am – 1pm keynote by Karin Wahl-Jorgensen

1pm – 1:45pm lunch break

1:45 – 3:20pm 1st panel

20 min coffee/comfort break

3:40- 5:00pm 2nd panel

Full programme:

Download PDF of programme

Keynote:

Professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, Cardiff University

“Emerging media ecologies, democracy and emotion"

This talk begins from the premise that media are essential institutions in a democratic society. At the same time, contemporary media ecologies are dynamic and subject to constant change, shaped by complex interactions between legacy media and newer entrants, including social media and digital outlets. Drawing on examples from recent events, ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to the war in Ukraine, the talk suggests that we can no longer assume that media actors and platforms are benign in their normative underpinnings and practices. Instead, they are shaped by an increasingly polarised political context, characterised by the growing prominence of emotional discourse – for better and for worse.

Panel speakers:

Dr Dimitry Chernobrov, University of Sheffield

Professor Des Freedman, Goldsmiths, University of London

Dr Tanya Lokot, Dublin City University

Dr Chanda Mfula, University of Hertfordshire

Dr Monika Metykova, University of Sussex

Dr Tom Mills, Aston University

Dr Judith Möller, University of Amsterdam

Contact:

Dr Imke Henkel