Media in the Post-Truth World: The New Marketplace of (Dis)information
Prague Media Point Conference 2017
Call for Papers
Prague, 2-4 November 2017
The surprising decision of the UK to depart the EU and equally stunning win of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential elections have provided dramatic confirmation of long-term trends in the way people consume information, providing further evidence that so-called legacy media are now playing an even smaller role in influencing individual choice. The central challenges facing the media in 2017 are to regain some of the lost credibility that has led to a general lack of trust and also identify new roles or redefine old ones in the current communication ecosystem. What then is the mix of old and new in the marketplace of ideas affecting people’s political choices and overall local and worldviews? What sources are now most trusted, and do gatekeepers matter anymore? Are people even searching for the “truth” or simply what fits their already-predefined opinions?
Possible topics include but are by no means limited to:
Media and Politics
• The media’s role in the Brexit and Trump campaigns, as well as lessons learned
from upcoming elections in France, Germany, and the Netherlands
• The impact of celebrity endorsements
• WikiLeaks’ role in the U.S. presidential campaign
• The effect of the media on voting behaviour in elections and plebiscites
• Political satire, talk shows, and humour in the media
• Populists’ use of the media, especially to polarize audiences
• Hate speech, including in political campaigns
• The role of “outside” media actors in influencing domestic elections
(Dis)information Channels – Public Opinion and the Media
• The power of disinformation and propaganda
• Media literacy as a possible antidote, with an emphasis on best practices
• The influence of fake news and conspiracy theories on public opinion • Lessons learned from attempts to counter disinformation and fake news, including new verification tactics and tools
• Best practices in debunking myths and manipulation
• Fact checking in response to media reporting
• The responsibility of the technology giants in the fake news phenomenon, as well as the role of automated algorithms
• The growing influence of alternative media narratives • The role of social networks as new information channels
• Echo chambers, selective exposure, and filter bubbles
• The impact of memes and other viral, non-traditional content • Pre-election polling and public opinion
• Political and ideological polarization in media coverage and/or media consumption
Media Ownership
• Oligarchs as media owners and self-censorship
• The role of public media and government-controlled media in setting the agenda
• The declining impact of traditional media and the challenge of financial sustainability
• Fake news as a revenue source for both companies and individuals.
Please submit your 500-word abstracts and a short bio by 31 May, 2017. Please suggest 5-10 keywords which can be used for describing the content of the abstract. The abstracts will be subjected to a peer review process and should be submitted to: spata@keynote.cz.
The organizers have reserved a number of spaces for non-presenting conference attendees. We also provide non-presenting students the possibility of applying for a limited number of free registration spaces for the conference. If you want to apply, please contact Martin Špáta at spata@keynote.cz.
Deadlines
Abstract submission deadline May 31, 2017
Notification of acceptance July 1, 2017
Early bird registration deadline July 31, 2017
Full paper submission September 30, 2017
Regular conference registration deadline October 15, 2017
Conference fee
Early bird fee (submission of payment by July 31, 2017)
Basic € 220
ECREA and CISS members, and Charles University faculty € 195
PhD students € 90
Regular conference fee (submission of payment by October 15, 2017)
Basic € 250
ECREA and CISS members, and Charles University faculty € 220
Non-presenting participants € 145
PhD students € 110
More information about the conference: www.keynote.cz.
Prague Media Point is an annual international conference, dedicated to discussing the changing media landscape in a professional, political, economic, and social context. These events gather leading academics, journalists, media executives, and experts from around the world to exchange experiences, establish new contacts, and debate challenges facing both traditional and new media It is organized by Transitions, a non-profit organization established to strengthen the professionalism, independence, and impact of the news media in the post-communist countries of Europe and the former Soviet Union, and KEYNOTE, an organization specializing in organizing conferences and events that lead to cutting-edge international encounters, bring new ideas to life, and facilitate a unique networking experience. In November 2016 Prague Media Point was organized as an ECREA pre-conference.
The Steering Committee includes the following members:
Tony Curzon Price, openDemocracy, Editor-in-Chief
Jeremy Druker, Transitions, Director
Sai Felicia Krishna-Hensel, CISS/ISA, President Emeritus
Alenka Jelen Sanchez, University of Stirling; ECREA Executive Board Member
Jakub Klepal, Forum 2000 Foundation, Executive Director
Jiří Pehe, New York University in Prague, Director
Václav Štětka, Charles University in Prague, Senior Fellow Researcher
Gavan Titley, National University of Ireland, ECREA Diaspora, Migration and the Media, Chair
Eva van de Rakt, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague, Director
Christopher Walker, National Endowment for Democracy’s International Forum for Democratic Studies, Executive Director
The 2016 conference was supported by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague, Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic, the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Prague, the Embassy of Canada to the Czech Republic, the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism at Charles University, and the Comparative Interdisciplinary Studies Section (CISS) of the International Studies Association (ISA).