[ecrea] CFP Understanding transition. Austerity, communication, and the media, Bucharest, May 2013

Understanding transition

- Austerity, communication, and the media -

Call for Papers





Bucharest, 24th - 25th May 2013





The Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies, University of 
Bucharest,

together with

The Association of Trainers in Journalism and Communication, Romania and

Institut de la Communication, Université Lumière Lyon2, France





Nowadays, austerity seems to be one of the main concepts defining the 
public discourse, impacting directly on the organisational activity, the 
professionals’ practices, as well as our daily private life. Society as 
a whole depends on austerity measures. The paradigm of austerity – in 
its real, but also imaginary dimension - becomes a form of 
reconfiguration of our behaviours and representations.



Austerity forced communication and media all over the world to reinvent 
themselves. Media companies, public relations and advertising agencies 
work with different budgets and face different constrains now, as 
compared with the periods of prosperity before 2008. Their publics are 
more cautious in spending money. Politicians undergo electoral campaigns 
during recession and face a higher level of incertitude, regarding their 
political future. Schools of journalism and public communication face a 
drop in admission numbers and cuts of public funds, and are called now 
to redesign their educational offer.



After five years of economic crisis that led to austerity, are we 
talking about the survival of the fittest in the case of communication 
and the media? Is austerity encouraging creativity and a prospect of 
solidarity, or is it the other way round? In fact, are journalists, 
public relation specialists, advertisers, educators and other 
communication experts facing a time of transition? Are they supposed to 
redefine their standards, to have a fresh look at the left and right 
political discourse, in order to consider their future? Should they also 
redefine their approaches to vulnerable and excluded groups?



The conference “Understanding transition. Austerity, communication, and 
the media” is going to be an international forum of discussion for all 
these aspects of the issue. We welcome interdisciplinary approaches, as 
well as multinational and cross-cultural perspectives. Presentations 
based on empirical research and on sound theoretical approaches are 
invited on topics such as:



· Quality journalism and media scandals during times of austerity

· Commercial communication and austerity

· Political campaigning in economic crisis

· Defending vulnerable groups (e.g. minorities, women, children) with 
scarce resources

· Communication ethics and austerity

· Arts discourse and communication

· Media economics and austerity

· Entertaining during austerity

· Cultural policies and scarce resources

· Cuts in communication funds and the impact on public sphere

· Transition to online media and scarce resources



Conference's languages are English and French.



Please send an extended abstract, of 700 to 1000 words, to the following 
address: (raluca.radu /at/ fjsc.ro) by the 28th of February.



Please find attached the CFP for more information.



Looking forward for your papers!

The Conference's Committees

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