ECREA WEEKLY digest ARTICLES

Human-Machine Communication (Special Issue)

Deadline: November 1, 2023

Special Issue Editors:

• Caja Thimm, Ph.D (thimm@uni-bonn.de), Professor for Media Studies and Intermediality, University of Bonn
  
• Maximilian Mayer, Ph.D (maximilian.mayer@uni-bonn.de), Assistant Professor for International Relations and Global Politics of Technology, University of Bonn
  
• Frank Piller, Ph.D (piller@time.rwth-aachen.de), Professor of Technology & Innovation Management, RWTH Aachen University
  
• Gabriele Gramelsberger, Ph.D (gramelsberger@humtec.rwth-aachen.de), Chair for Theory of Science and Technology, RWTH Aachen University
  

Autonomy, originally a key concept of the Enlightenment epitomizing aspirations of modernity, has become one of the central and particularly high-profile concepts in debates on digital transformations. The associated debate comprises polarizing perspectives that oscillate between the restrictive or dangerously uncontrollable effect of digital technologies, such as facial recognition, surveillance or 'autonomous weapons' and the liberating, autonomy-enhancing function (in areas such as 'smart home', 'collaborative robotics', 'assisted living' and privacy protection). Application contexts include, e.g., administration, military and police, social and health-related services, medicine and education, and the digital economy with its diverse challenges regarding the future of work. Given the ongoing datafication, and an increasing influx of artificial intelligence into many sectors of society, the concept of autonomy needs re-definition and reflection under contemporary technological conditions.

The Special Issue wants to provide a platform for the interrogation of the concept of autonomy in the Age of artificial intelligence and the evolving human-machine-relations that result from it. A starting point to understand autonomy in the digital age could be conceptual sensitivity that asserts the possibility of autonomy for both personal subjective and collective social relations. On both levels, conditions for autonomy are subject to rapid change. Outlining the distinction between autonomous and automatic systems, different degrees of autonomy can be distinguished - from weak forms, in which it is a matter of gradual absence of external control, to strong forms, in which the respective 'autonomous' entity shapes social relations and might be able to set its own rules.

With the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems and the increasing use of robots and smart machines in everyday life technological transformations have come along with social changes and new conflicts and contestations. Questions of privacy and data use, the future of work or the subsequent dawn of a 'post-capitalist' society, as well as the discussions about the consequences of autonomously acting combat robots and the ethical

 regulation of warfare are just a few examples of the present challenges and those still to come. Meanwhile, discourses of technological autonomy address an array of issues concerning the future of democracy. Global digital dependencies, the delegation of authoritative power and the rise of global platform companies challenge the political autonomy of democratic states and their technological sovereignty. On a cultural level, the integration of autonomous systems into society launches a discussion about a technologically induced crisis of humanist values and question the relevance of the enlightenment ideals for today’s socio-technical practices. Studies related to trans- or posthumanism construe technologies as an opportunity to improve or even overcome the human condition. Visions of human enhancement, virtuality, cyborg-societies mingling with autonomous machines and artificial superintelligence might sound utopian today, but perhaps not anymore tomorrow. Such reasoning that includes both optimistic assumptions and skeptical anticipations illustrates the urgency of re-defining not just our idea of personal autonomy within a digital and datafied society but also the need to theorize and analyze new forms of state and system autonomy to understand the scaffoldings of future societies. Interdisciplinary research on the concept of autonomy is needed in order to substantiate our normative, functional, and epistemic claims on the future developments of the relationship between humans and technology.

The Special Issue aims to include diverse and interdisciplinary perspectives. We intend to explore the significance of autonomous living in our digital societies, to question the humanist concept of autonomy itself in our technological reality, and to analyse the implications of our interaction with (semi)autonomous systems. Submissions from all social sciences, humanities and technology disciplines related to the following topics and questions are highly welcomed, but do not need to be limited to these:

Section 1: Theoretical approaches & interdisciplinary perspectives

What is the status of the idea of autonomy in a digital society in which mutually autonomous interactions between humans and technology have become a reality? How to define and conceptualize autonomy of machines? How will the growing influence of autonomous systems affect social structures, political systems, labor and governmental control measures?

Section 2: Contexts & applications

How are (emerging) modes of (technical) autonomy and agency reshaping societies and personal life-worlds? Which different puzzles of “automation” and “autonomy” emerge in practical contexts and fields from art, medicine and political institutions? How can cultural and systemic differences in technology policy be reflected and specified on the basis of the innovation of autonomous systems?

Section 3: Norms and ethics

Which (post-Eurocentric) epistemologies and vocabularies question/enrich the debates about “autonomy” and humanism in the new digital reality? Should autonomy be understood as an intrinsic quality or as an effect in a relationship characterized by power relations? What normative requirements must autonomous systems and infrastructures meet in communication in an ethically engaged digital society?

 Section 4: Collaboration

What degree of autonomy do we ascribe to robots in a collaboration situation? What synergies arise from the collaboration between humans and autonomous systems in different contexts? What role do autonomous robots play in hybrid decision-making- processes? Can autonomous robots be conceptualized as part of an automated process?

Keywords: Autonomy, Automation, Human-Machine Communication

Deadline: Submissions are due 1st November, 2023; the publication date will be spring 2024.

For more information or questions, please contact Caja Thimm (thimm@uni-bonn.de) or Gabriele Gramelsberger (gramelsberger@humtec.rwth-aachen.de).

All manuscripts should be submitted via the journal’s online submission

system (https://hmcjournal.com) with the remark, “Special Issue Autonomy ” in the cover letter. In the online submission system, there will be a drop-down menu under Document Type. Please choose “Special Issue Submission Autonomy .” For formatting and length specifications, please see the journal’s Instructions for Authors.

Landau in der Pfalz

The research group of Michaela Maier and the project SCOPE offer a position for a PhD student (75%, 4 years) and a postdoctoral researcher (100%, 3 years). The thematic focus is on (Computational) Political Communication. 

More information on the positions: https://rptu.de/s/phycrt

PhD position: https://psy.rptu.de/index.php?eID=dumpFile&t=f&f=4339&token=57274ec0c2aed5b52599b68abb8ac8d2de97dd96

Postdoctoral position: https://psy.rptu.de/index.php?eID=dumpFile&t=f&f=4338&token=7f732f721a2ae9abb24ce06f0e6e66e35d16c641

Please note that the application portal appears to be in German, however, you can change the language to English on the bottom right. 

University of Konstanz

The Zukunftskolleg, the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Konstanz, has recently opened its 18th call for applications for Postdoctoral Fellowships. 

The institute invites researchers in the early stages of their careers who plan to develop and implement an independent research project to apply for a 2-year Postdoctoral Fellowship. The fellowships are open to researchers from all fields represented at the University of Konstanz, including Communication and Media Studies. The institute offers five 2-year positions. 

You will find the call for applications as well as information about the eligibility criteria and the application process under: https://www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskolleg/fellowships/postdoctoral-fellowship/ 

Further questions can be directed to Mihaela Mihaylova via e-mail: zukunftskolleg-application@uni-konstanz.de. Applications should be submitted until 10 October 2023, 11:00am (Konstanz time). 

Peter Bro

“Constructive Journalism: Precedents, Principles, and Practices” by Peter Bro has just been published (Routledge, July 26, 2023), and it deals with one of the most pertinent and debated issues among journalistic practitioners and researchers.

This book offers a deep and comprehensive overview of constructive journalism (and associated concepts such as solutions journalism), setting out the guiding principles and practices for a journalism that aims to do more than simply inform about problems.

In this authoritative yet concise volume, Peter Bro asks what does constructive journalism mean, what are the underlying principles, how is it practiced, and in what ways does it differ from other types of journalism. 

Drawing on studies of the rapidly growing number of works by both journalism practitioners and researchers, the book reaches beyond these questions to show how the notion of being constructive has been a part of journalism from the very beginning of the profession.

This introduction to what constructive journalism is and was and what it can accomplish will guide new journalists; journalism, media, and mass communication students; and scholars working on journalistic theory and practice. 

Table of contents:

• Introduction to constructive journalism 
  
• Principles of constructive journalism 
  
• Precedents of constructive journalism 
  
• Practices of constructive journalism 
  
• Conclusion
  

About the author:

Peter Bro is Professor, PhD, and Director of the Centre for Journalism at the University of Southern Denmark. 

More about the book:

https://www.routledge.com/Constructive-Journalism-Precedents-Principles-and-Practices/Bro/p/book/9781003403098

Universidade Católica Portuguesa, in Lisboa

The Research Center for Communication and Culture announces one vacancy for a junior doctoral researcher in the scientific field of Science Management and Communication. The research activities will be carried out at the Research Centre for Communication and Culture (CECC), integrated at the Faculty of Human Sciences of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, in Lisboa. The deadline for application is July 31st | 5pm (Lisbon time).

The researcher to be hired shall contribute to the development, implementation, and management of projects in the area of ​​Science Management and Communication. The researcher will have the following duties: to develop and monitor scientific and training projects, to promote and foster interdisciplinary research networks as well as all related objectives and activities, to submit projects to national and international applications; to organize workshops, conferences and seminars during the contract period.

Gross monthly pay is €2.228,11 , plus meal allowance, to which will be added annual leave and Christmas allowances. 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS 

Any national, foreign, or stateless candidates who hold a doctoral degree in Culture Studies, Communication Sciences, Cultural Management or related scientific fields, and who furthermore hold a scientific and professional curriculum vitae whose profile is suited to the activities to be performed, can submit their application. If the Doctoral Degree has been awarded by a non-Portuguese higher education institution, said degree must comply with the provisions of the Portuguese legislation on the recognition of foreign degrees, as set out in Decree-Law no. 66/2018 of August 16th. Entering into a contract with the selected candidate is conditional on the submission of the formal document.

For additional information on this matter candidates are advised to check the website of the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES): https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/degree-and-diploma-recognition.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applications are formalized by sending the required documentation to concursos.cecc.fch@ucp.pt. 

Applications must be submitted in English.

Applications shall include the following documents:

a) Curriculum vitae, highlighting the scientific, cultural, and curricular course (of the past five years) considered most relevant by the candidate;

b) Doctoral Certificate with date of admission to the degree;

c)  Project plan in the field of Science Management and Communication.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The assessment criteria are the following: scientific output and its relevance, participation in scientific projects and conferences, experience in project management – particularly in international projects –, knowledge and practical experience regarding the functioning of the science management system at national and European levels, scientific dissemination activities, knowledge transfer, and other relevant activities and experience. The assessment process additionally includes an interview with the candidates ranked in the top three positions.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Candidates may submit their application, pursuant to the terms mentioned in the previous point, from July 17, 2023 until July 31, 2023 (until 5pm, Continental Portugal time).

MORE INFORMATION

For more information please consult the public notice available here.

October 12-13, 2023

Flensburg (Germany)

Deadline: July 30, 2023

 The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war is characterized not only by material battles reminiscent of WWII but also by the use of state-of-the-art media technologies. The rise of Web 2.0 has fundamentally transformed our understanding of war which evolves as a battle of technologies or “digital war” (Merrin, 2018). Along with the state structures of power that engage in digital wars on various levels of national security policies, individuals are empowered to ‘participate’ in war online – when anyone in any part of the world is able to comment, share images or video content based on their private perception of the armed conflict. Moreover, military actors tend to digitalize their war experiences, so war becomes even more open for eyewitnessing with head camera footage, videos or images shared by soldiers from battlefields, hospitals, muddy trenches, or destroyed towns.

In times of deep mediatization, data processing is fundamental for the construction of our social reality when human and non-human actors interact to construct meaning, create new senses and interpret the world. In addition to broader social and cultural transformations, digital technologies change how individuals experience and perceive their own ‘self’ regarding community, society and the globe. By reshaping various domains of social life, digital media technologies remain still unpredictable and challenging when we approach them as actors in armed conflicts.

Although Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has been widely discussed from different research perspectives, the digital background of Russia’s war in Ukraine needs more academic attention as an example of a new digitalized war in a deeply mediatized world. Information leaks, artificial intelligence, hacking, satellites, drones, propaganda and fakes become a part of this war reality, which prompts us to focus more attention on the virtual fronts of this war performed by digital media and technologies. Thus, this workshop aims to discover how digital media and technologies function during the Russo-Ukraine war, addressing specific questions: What new expectations and challenges for digital media emerged during the war? What is the role of digital media and technologies in documenting war crimes? Does digital eyewitnessing of the war contribute to the processes of decision-making on international levels? Does technological advancement define victory on the battlefield?

We invite researchers to submit abstracts focusing on digital media and technologies in time of war in the following contexts:

- digitalization of modern wars, technologies as a weapon and means of power (e.g., usage of satellites, drones, surveillance systems)

- ethical challenges for media actors in times of war (e.g., the line between sensitive content and truth, blurring of private and public spheres)

- framing of the Russo-Ukrainian war in the media of different political and cultural contexts (e.g., in China, India)

- propaganda, myths and fakes in times of war (e.g., Russia’s TV channels in Europe)

- in/dependent social media and personalities in power during the war (e.g., state-backed Telegram channels in Russia)

- religious actors in times of war (e.g., peace / war rhetoric in the media of religious institutions)

- digital media as tools of resilience and cohesion of Ukrainian society (e.g., humour in times of war, collective practices in social media)

- historical parallels: the role of technologies during wars/conflicts in the past (e.g., Cold War, conflicts in the East, etc)

This workshop aims to produce a collective volume on Digital media and technologies during the war in Ukraine, so participation presupposes two stages. In the first stage, we will organize a workshop at the Interdisciplinary Center for European Studies in Flensburg, Germany (12-13 October 2023). In the second stage, we plan to publish an edited volume. Complete papers of about 6,000 – 8,000 words should be submitted by December 15th, 2023. Publication of the volume is scheduled for 2024.

We invite researchers to send an abstract (250–300 words) and a short bio-note (max. 100 words) by July 30th, 2023 to: Nadia Zasanska nadia.zasanska@uni-flensburg.de and Kseniia Cherniak kseniia.cherniak@uni-flensburg.de. We have a partial funding for a limited number of researchers; if you would like to be considered for financial support, please indicate this in your application.

Workshop convenors:

Interdisciplinary Centre for European Studies (ICES) at the Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF), Germany (Tabea Sophie Boeing, Kseniia Cherniak, Prof. Dr Hedwig Wagner); Center for War Studies at the Syddansk Universitet Denmark (SDU) and ICES at EUF, Germany (Assoc. Prof. Dr Tobias Nanz); Alexander-von-Humboldt-Foundation, Philipp-Schwartz-Initiative (Dr Nadia Zasanska) at ICES at the EUF, Germany

Freie Universität Berlin

Fachbereich Politik- und Sozialwissenschaften - Institut für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft Project “WealthTalks: The (Re-)Production of Wealth Inequality in Everyday Conversations”

Research assistant (m/f/d) full-time job limited to 4 years Entgeltgruppe 13 TV-L FU reference code: WealthTalks_01

Bewerbungsende: 24.07.2023

Why does the public oppose wealth inequality but not support measures to change the distribution of wealth? Funded by VW Foundation, WealthTalks offers a novel perspective on the production and reproduction of wealth by examining how ordinary citizens discuss wealth and inequality in everyday conversations. WealthTalks will describe the form, conditions, and effects of everyday conversations on wealth and inequality in Botswana, Brazil, South Africa, Germany, and the US. We will produce a large corpus of transcripts of everyday conversations by collecting data from debates in social media, organizing a series of deliberative focus groups, and running moderated dialogues in public places. Subsequently, we will run iterative rounds of online experiments in which we test the effects of frames and argument sequences on people’s beliefs and attitudes about wealth inequality and redistribution. We will not only take a dynamic approach that dissects sequences of frames and arguments but will also pay particular attention to the role of various social identities. 

The postdoctoral research fellow will work in an international lab that consists of two other postdocs, student assistants, and a group leader, as well as a team of principal investigators and project partners spanning across the globe: Chana Teeger (London School of Economics), David Schieferdecker (Freie Universitat Berlin), Flavio Alex de Oliveira Carvalhaes (Federal Universidad de Rio de Janeiro), Jeremy Seekings (University of Cape Town), Jonathan Mijs (Boston University), Graziella Moraes Silva (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies), Franziska Mager (Tax Justice Network), and John Makgala (University of Botswana).

What we offer: 

- Remuneration according to the tariff (TV-L E13) and a monthly ticket for public transport at reduced rates

- Office space in lively Berlin 

- Close collaboration with a large network of up-and-coming as well as senior international researchers in an interdisciplinary research team

- Flexible working hours, and ability to work remotely

- No teaching obligation 

- Fully paid conference travel and research stay at a university of our lab members

- Individual budget for methodological training and career development

- Fair authorship and the opportunity for first-authored publication

Your application (in English and preferably in one pdf-file) shall contain: 

- a motivation letter that describes (a) your interest in the topic or methods of the project; (b) prior experience relevant to the study; and (c) how working in our lab fits your career trajectory.

- a CV that includes a list of your relevant career stages, publications and presentations

- up to two examples of your writing

Job description:

In close collaboration with the other members of the lab, you will collect and analyze data and help disseminate project findings. Specific tasks include: 

- Literature review and development of the research design

- Collection of quantitative and qualitative data 

- Text analysis (mostly quantitative)

- Drafting journal articles for publication and presenting research findings at international conferences

- Planning and organization of team workshops

- Writing reports for the funder (Volkswagen Foundation)

- Mentoring student assistants

Requirements: 

- Degree: An academic degree in communication studies, political science, sociology, social psychology, economics, data science, or a related field

Desirable:

- Language: Proficiency in verbal and written academic English 

- Expertise: Experience conducting empirical social science research

- Data collection skills: Experience with collecting original data for text analysis and/or scraping social media data; experience in data collection in difficult contexts and-or the project countries is a plus.

- Analytical skills: Experience with conducting quantitative text analysis; experience in computational and/or qualitative text analysis is a plus.

- Publications: Publications (or submissions) in international journals and presentations at international conferences; publications related to the project focus (economic and social inequalities, conversational dynamics) are a plus.

- Language: Fluency in English; knowledge of Portuguese, German, or one of the other languages spoken in the project countries is a plus.

- Availability: Able to start work between October and December 2023

- Interpersonal skills: High motivation to work in a team that will primarily collaborate virtually; experience in working in transnational and transcultural settings.

- Travel: Willingness to travel to international workshops

For further information, please contact Dr. David Schieferdecker (d.schieferdecker@fu-berlin.de ).

Weitere Informationen

Applications should be sent by e-mail, together with significant documents, indicating the reference code, in PDF format (preferably as one document) to Herrn Dr. David Schieferdecker: d.schieferdecker@fu-berlin.de or postal to

Freie Universität Berlin

Fachbereich Politik- und Sozialwissenschaften

Institut für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft

Project “WealthTalks: The (Re-)Production of Wealth Inequality in Everyday Conversations”

Herrn Dr. David Schieferdecker

Garystr. 55

14195 Berlin (Dahlem)

With an electronic application, you acknowledge that FU Berlin saves and processes your data. FU Berlin cannot guarantee the security of your personal data if you send your application over an unencrypted connection.

July 19-21, 2023

Lusófona University in Lisbon, Portugal

Deadline: July 19, 2023

Future of Magazine conference (FoM) is approaching! Organized by MagLab | CICANT at Lusófona University, the event will count with the participation of Nico Carpentier, from Charles University, as the opening keynote speaker. James Hewes, President and CEO of FIPP, will open the Industry second day and David Abrahamson, from The Northwestern University’s Medill School will close FoM 2023, updating his famous article “The future of magazines”.

FoM23 will host 33 delegates representing 14 countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Egypt, Finland, Georgia, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The conference will be held at the Library Building of Lusófona University in Lisbon, Portugal, 19-21 July 2023.

Program

The full program is available here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nLc0yk8aieJCkxlSWuSlCBVLzgYcYSr_/view

Registration and Participation

You can still register to attend the conference until 19 July (day 1 of the conference) in this link - https://secure.ensinolusofona.pt/rol/f?p=126:1:::::P1_GRAU,P1_INSTITUICAO,P1_CURSO:13,103,1524

For more information about the registration procedure and fees is available at MagLab's website - http://maglab.cicant.ulusofona.pt/registration/

About the event

FoM 2023 is an event that brings together a variety of researchers to share insights, ideas and discuss the current status and technical challenges the magazine medium will face in future, as well as issues relevant to the understanding of this field of studies. Papers will be presented as part of a rich conference program, including keynote talks, talking circles, and a full day dedicated to the industry.

Inquiries

For any special inquiries, please contact by email - maglab@ulusofona.pt

Media International Australia (MIA)

Deadline (EXTENDED): August 6, 2023

David Ramírez Plascencia, Universidad de Guadalajara – Mexico (Editor)

davidrapla@gmail.com and davidram@udgvirtual.udg.mx

In Latin America during the health emergency in 2020, digitalization, despite digital infrastructure limitation, was essential not just because it allowed to continue studying and working at home and promoted the improvement of the exchange of goods and services networks using smartphones and mobile applications, but because it helped people to build solidary chains to support and provide relief in places where authorities were absent or negligent. Digitalization augmented even more the popularity of social platforms and mobile devices which have consolidated as the main places of socialization and entertainment among Latin Americans. 

After three years since the outbreak, the Latin American landscape invites us to ponder, from a critical perspective, the digital economic activities that have flourished in this post-pandemic context. This special feature topic invites proposals that analyze, from an interdisciplinary and international perspective, the impact of the pandemic and digitalization in the Latin American labor market. 

Prospective abstracts may include topics related with social media influencers (Youtubers, Tiktokers, instangramers and so on), fact-checkers, crypto miners and bitcoin traders, digital nomad workers, online gamers and videogame-items dealers, delivery-platform app workers, social media platforms sellers, among others. Propositions that address (i) the economic and cultural influence of theses economic activities in the regional and international content-consumption market, (ii) novel digital professions as mechanism to surpass economic and social exclusion, and (iii) externalities, genre barriers and legal and ethical controversial issues, are particularly welcome.

After three years since the outbreak, the Latin American landscape invites us to ponder, from a critical perspective, the novel economic activities related with digital media that have flourished in the post-pandemic context. Studying Latin America is important because in a few years it has consolidated as the second fastest growing region for streaming services in the world, Latin Americans spend more hours consuming media than in any other region, the use of cryptocurrencies has become a popular form of payment, saving and sending remittances in countries with struggling economies, and, in recent years, the region has consolidated a pole of attraction for digital nomads who arrive looking for better employment opportunities.

Submission Instructions.

Please submit an extended abstract (500 words, not including references), accompanied by a 200-words bio. Abstracts must be sent no later than August 6, 2023 to davidrapla@gmail.com and davidram@udgvirtual.udg.mx. Upon selection, scholars will be invited to submit full papers. Articles should be around 8,000 words in length (including notes, references, accompanying reference list, and all other inclusions).

September 20-22, 2023

Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

The International Doctoral Summer School “The values of the commons in the digital society” is an open space for international PhD students to get together and discuss, reflect on and learn about the relevance of the commons and the public realm in our current societies. It will take place between 20-22 September 2023 in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

The main theme of this course will be the public value of public service media within the European framework, considering the impact of digital platforms (research, reach and crisis). However, we aspire to create an open space to debate, reflect on and exchange ideas that will broaden the focus from Communication Studies to other Social Sciences, such as Political Science, Psychology, Pedagogy, Economics and Business, Computer Sciences, Philosophy, Languages and Literature and even Artificial Intelligence and Engineering.

The activity will be certified as a 30-hour course, divided in two different kinds of sessions: keynotes and panel discussions with experts (both professionals and scholars) will take place in the mornings, while workshops and feedback sessions will take place in the afternoons. Moreover, social activities will also be included in the program to encourage networking among all the participants. 

Registration is free of charge.

Number of places available: 30

Deadline for registration: Until full capacity is reached 

Registration form: https://forms.office.com/e/T2ETEvpD6w

Information and Programm: https://valcomm.gal/archivos/3116

Contact: m.rodriguez.castro/at/usc.gal