[ecrea] Abstract Call Deadline Approaching: Audiences, media environments and democratization

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of 
Oxford is seeking abstracts of papers for possible presentation at its 
conference, “Audiences, media environments and democratization after the 
Arab spring”, February 28-March 1, 2013



The two-day conference will explore the role of media in the early 
stages of democratization; the implications of the Arab spring on local 
media landscapes and preferences for political information consumption; 
the links between media, society and local politics during democratic 
transitions of power; and the effectiveness of media as a tool for 
democratic socialization amidst political pressures. Whereas the 
conference theme is about the Arab spring and democratization through 
the media, we also seek general submissions which combine theories of 
democratization and communication. These submissions, in addition, 
should advance our theoretical and/or empirical knowledge about the 
function and role of media in post-authoritarian contexts, and/or 
contribute to our understanding of the dynamics of local media audiences 
in early democratization stages.



Abstracts of papers are sought on topics such as:

1. How may regime change affect audience’s reliance on and perceptions 
of news media?

2. How do political predispositions under the old regime influence 
media’s role during democratic transitions?

3. How are audiences’ formations and structures affected by changing 
local media landscapes?

4. How different media systems in the Arab region have become after the 
uprisings?

5. To what extent changes in local media landscapes are shaped by 
countries’ political structures?

6. Do transforming media environments in the Middle East favour 
democratization?

7. What are the implications of enhanced freedom of speech on media and 
audiences?

8. How are preferences for political information consumption affected by 
democratic transitions?

9. What can be learnt from previous democratization waves about the role 
and function of media in post-authoritarian contexts?

10. How do the internet and social media influence the role of 
traditional media in democratization?

11. How does the nature of journalism and of journalistic 
professionalism change in a transitional context?

12. Is media professionalism a necessity for successful democratization?

13. How do changes in local media landscapes affect local politics and 
legitimacy of newly established regimes?

14. How can the media interplay with other democratizing factors in the 
making of democracy?



300-500 word abstracts outlining the topic, approach and theoretical 
bases should be submitted by October 7, 2012. Notification of selected 
abstracts will be made by October 15, 2012.



Submit abstracts to



Prof Robert G. Picard

Research Director

Reuters Institute

University of Oxford



(robert.picard /at/ politics.ox.ac.uk)





Prof Robert G. Picard

Director of Research, Reuters Institute

Department of Politics and International Relations

University of Oxford

13 Norham Gardens, Oxford, OX2 6PS UK



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