[ecrea] cfp Media and Technology: Innovative Journalism in a Contested Political Space

CALL FOR CONFERENCE PAPERS
Media and Technology: Innovative Journalism in a Contested Political Space

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I am sending you a call for conference papers for the upcoming Prague 
Media Point conference (Nov 15-17, 2018) that will take place in Prague, 
Czech Republic. This year’s topic is “Media and Technology: Innovative 
Journalism in a Contested Political Space.” Prague Media Point is a 
series of annual international conferences with this year’s installment 
focusing on how technological advances can assist or undermine media in 
fulfilling their democratic role.

These conferences offer a unique space in which scholars and media 
professionals can come together in the free exchange of ideas and 
discuss the current challenges facing the field. I hope you or your 
colleagues will have an opportunity to take part. You will find more 
information below.

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In an increasingly unstable world, independent media are facing 
unprecedented challenges. Journalism’s crucial role to represent the 
public interest is being actively undermined by declining audiences, 
upended business models, and the emergence of alternative sources of 
content. The net result is disturbingly low levels of trust among 
consumers who complain about political and business agendas, fake news, 
and low-quality media overall.
All these challenges are, in some form, connected to recent and rapid 
technological developments that have altered the way information is 
spread. Social media, in particular, has helped blur the lines between 
fact-based journalism, disinformation, and outright propaganda, as 
individuals sink deeper and deeper into their own echo-chambers.
Despite these challenges, digital technology still holds untapped 
potential and opportunities for the media. Across the world, media 
entrepreneurs are working on creative start-ups, innovative business 
models, and new ways of both reporting and delivering that content to 
their audiences.
What are the leading examples of sustainable media strategies 
successfully incorporating digital technology? Is a more innovative use 
of digital technology combined with editorial diversity the answer to 
bridging the polarization of society? How can digital tools be used to 
help build trust and champion the public interest in this contested 
political space? Has technology been a boon or bane to journalism 
overall, and where does the future lie?
In this latest addition of the Prague Media Point, we will look at those 
questions in one of the few international conferences that bring 
together scholars, media professionals, and press freedom activists to 
discuss and debate the pressing issues of the day. Possible topics 
include but are by no means limited to:
1. Digitally aided journalism practices and all the trends that affect 
content production. Proposed papers in this area may cover new forms of 
data journalism, experiments in virtual reality/immersive story-telling, 
mobile reporting investigation, reporting, and visualization, such as 
automation, augmentation, and AI in the newsroom. This area also 
includes the use of digital tools in overcoming the lack of gender 
diversity, political polarization, and other problems.
2. Digitally aided entrepreneurial practices in media and audience 
engagement. This area will focus on innovative and disruptive business 
models and issues affecting revenue streams. This includes the role of 
big tech companies, membership/subscription strategies, and aggregation 
platforms. Additionally, this topic will explore, for example, the 
issues of personalized user experience, new ways of audience engagement 
and reaching neglected target groups, and tactics for overcoming the 
digital divide.
3. Policy and governance issues in media and technology. This area will 
center on regulations affecting the work of digital media outlets such 
as legal norms, censorship, net neutrality, and policy responses to the 
avalanche of fake news and disinformation. This area could also address 
the role of public service media.
We welcome proposals from scholars from any discipline, 
inter-discipline, or scholarly field. Please submit your 500-word 
abstracts and a short bio by May 15th, 2018 to: (caspe /at/ keynote.cz). 
Download our abstract template. Deadlines
Abstract submission deadline
May 15, 2018
Notification of acceptance
Jun 30, 2018
Early bird payment deadline
Jul 31, 2018
Regular payment deadline for presenting participants
Sep 27, 2018
Full paper submission
Oct 11, 2018
Regular payment deadline for non-presenting participants
Oct 11, 2018
Conference fee
Early bird (payment
reception by Jul 31, 2018) Regular (payment reception by Sep 27 or Oct 
11, 2018; see above)
Basic
€ 220
€ 250
ECREA and CISS members, and Charles University faculty
€ 195
€ 220
Non-presenting participants
N/A
€ 145
PhD students
€ 90
€ 110 Registration fee includes: all conference sessions, coffee breaks 
and lunch, conference documents, certificate of attendance, and optional 
site visits to Czech-based media organizations. Please pay through our 
gateway, which can be accessed on the conference website www.keynote.cz 
through the “Registration payment” button. A limited number of free 
spaces will be available for non-presenting students, please write to 
(caspe /at/ keynote.cz) to receive more details. Refund Policy If you cancel 
your registration on October 25, 2018 at the latest, you will receive a 
refund of the registration fee. However, the 40 EUR administrative fee 
is non-refundable. Written requests for cancellation must be emailed to 
(caspe /at/ keynote.cz). No refunds will be given after October 25, 2018 Venue
The opening session will be held at the German Embassy in Prague. The 
conference venue will be announced. Accommodation Conference attendees 
may register at the Leonardo Hotel (http://www.hotelleonardo.cz) for the 
price of 99 EUR/night/single room or 109 EUR/night/double room, the 
capacity is limited.
Prague
Come participate in this much anticipated conference in Prague, one of 
the most beautiful cities in the world whose center is on the UNESCO 
list. In addition, you will have the opportunity to join in the city’s 
famous, lively street festivities occurring on November 17, 2018 – the 
day Czechs celebrate the Velvet Revolution of 1989.
Conference partners:
New York University in Prague, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Prague, the 
European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), the 
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Prague, the Institute of 
Communication Studies and Journalism at Charles University, the 
Comparative Interdisciplinary Studies Section (CISS) of the 
International Studies Association (ISA), Endowment Fund for Independent 
Journalism, Syndicate of Journalists of the Czech Republic.
Dagmar Caspe,
Project Coordinator
(caspe /at/ keynote.cz),
+420 776 202 908
KEYNOTE s.r.o.
www.keynote.cz
#PragueMediaPoint
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