Tag: News

Posted on

Call for papers for the 10th annual conference of The International Journal of Press/Politics (University of Edinburgh, UK, 17-18 October 2024)

Call for papers
10th Annual Conference of the International Journal of Press/Politics
University of Edinburgh, UK, 17-18 October 2024
Deadline for abstracts: 14 June 2024 via https://bit.ly/IJPP2024

On 17-18 October 2024, the University of Edinburgh will host the 10th annual conference of the International Journal of Press/Politics, focused on academic research on the relationship between media and political processes around the world.

The deadline for submission of abstracts is 14 June 2024. Attendees will be notified of acceptance by 1 July 2024. Registration fees will be due 30 August 2024 and full papers based on accepted abstracts will be due 4 October 2024. A selection of the best papers presented at the conference will be published in the journal after peer review. Previous special issues based on conference papers can be found here, here, and here. An editorial discussing the selection and review process for conference special issues can be found here.

The conference brings together scholars conducting internationally oriented or comparative research on the intersection between news media and politics around the world. It aims to provide a forum for academics from a wide range of disciplines, countries, and methodological approaches to advance knowledge in this area.

Examples of relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the political implications of changes in media systems; the importance of different types of media for learning about and engaging with politics; the factors affecting the quality of political information and public discourse; media policy and regulation; the role of entertainment and popular culture in how people engage with current affairs; relations between political actors and journalists; how emerging applications of Artificial Intelligence affect key political communication processes; the role of visuals and emotion in the production and processing of public information; the role of different kinds of media during conflicts and crises; and political communication during and beyond elections by government, political parties, interest groups, civil society organizations, and social movements.

The journal and the conference are particularly interested in studies that represent substantial theoretical or methodological advances on these issues in an international perspective, especially by adopting comparative approaches and/or focusing on parts of the world that are under-researched in the English-language academic literature.

Titles and abstracts for papers (maximum 300 words) are invited by 14 June 2024 via the online form available at https://bit.ly/IJPP2024. Abstracts should clearly describe the key questions, the theoretical and methodological approach, the evidence presented, and the wider implications of the study for understanding the relationship between media and politics in an international perspective. Authors are encouraged to provide as much detail as possible about the spatial and temporal context of their study, the research design and methods employed, the data collected, and the main results of the analyses.

The registration fee for the conference will be GBP 300, to be paid by 30 August 2024. The fee covers two conference dinners on 16 and 17 October, lunches and coffee breaks on 17 and 18 October, and farewell drinks on 18 October. The conference will take place at the University of Edinburgh’s John McIntyre Conference Centre.

A limited number of registration fee waivers will be available for early career scholars and scholars from countries that appear in Tiers B and C of the classification adopted by the International Communication Association. Applications for fee waivers must be made via the abstract online submission form available at https://bit.ly/IJPP2024.

The conference is organized by Cristian Vaccari, Editor-in-Chief of IJPP. Please contact Professor Vaccari with questions at cvaccari@ed.ac.uk.

More about the University and the journal below.

The University of Edinburgh has been influencing history since it welcomed its first students in 1583. Through the many achievements of its staff and students, the University has delivered on its central principles of providing cutting-edge research, inspirational teaching and innovative thinking, attracting some of the greatest minds from around the globe. Politics and International Relations (PIR) is one of the largest and most vibrant subject areas at the University of Edinburgh. It is home to more than 600 undergraduates and 100 postgraduate students annually. Its alumni include government ministers, members of parliament, policy analysts, broadcasters, business leaders, teachers, and social entrepreneurs. Its world-leading research directly informs policymakers, ministers, and NGOs.

The International Journal of Press/Politics is an interdisciplinary journal for the analysis and discussion of the role of the media and politics in an international perspective. The journal publishes theoretical and empirical research which analyzes the linkages between the news media and political processes and actors around the world, emphasizes international and comparative work, and links research in the fields of political communication and journalism studies, and the disciplines of political science and media and communication. The journal is published by SAGE Publishing and is ranked 14th in Political Science and 17th in Communication according to Clarivate.

Posted on

US election 2020: A toolkit for ‘democracy-worthy’ coverage for journalists and readers

Over the past few weeks, I have been fortunate to work with the Election Coverage and Democracy Network, a group of more than 60 international experts who have developed a set of practical, evidence-based recommendations for how journalists should cover the next US Presidential election in a way that strengthens rather than weaken the democratic process.

Image

I have written a short article for The Conversation UK where I outline the reasons why we need news coverage to be responsible and act in the public interest, and in the interest of democracy, amidst what might be difficult circumstances if the electoral process is threatened before the vote, if the results are contested or one candidate fails to concede even if results are clear, and if civil unrest ensues after the vote.

As well as summarizing the key recommendations we make (download a copy here), I make two arguments.

First, that this is not only a job for US journalists, but for journalists all around the world, as international media — and British ones in particular — have sizable audiences overseas.

British media are very popular and influential in the US and they can play an important role in shaping how the American public will interpret the election and its aftermath. The BBC could well play a big role. Research has shown that 58% of Americans say they trust the broadcaster and 12% get at least some of their news from it each week. UK newspapers also have the potential to be influential players: in March 2020 the Guardian US recorded more than 114 million unique visits while the Daily Mail online attracts an estimated 73 million monthly unique visits in the US. Meanwhile, most readers of The Economist are in North America. And the influence won’t stop there – given their international prestige and recognition, British media are likely to shape news coverage of the US election all around the world.

Second, that readers can play an important role, by carefully choosing the kind of coverage we click on, read, and share online.

Readers and viewers have important roles to play as well. More than three-quarters of the UK population get their news online and nearly 40% on social media. The news that people choose to read on websites and news apps shapes the rankings that journalists and news executives use as indicators of what the public wants. The news they choose to share on social media influences the content that others discover on these platforms.

Please take a look at our website and follow our Twitter account, where we highlight many examples of news coverage that affirms what we call “democracy-worthy” values.