[ecrea] cfp - Media Systems under Pressure: Recent Developments in Media Freedom in Central and Eastern Europe

CALL FOR PAPERS

*Media Systems under Pressure: Recent Developments in Media Freedom in 
Central and Eastern Europe*

International workshop, 18 May 2018, University of Amsterdam

ORGANISERS

Dr. Sudha Rajagopalan, University of Amsterdam

Dr. Mariëlle Wijermars, University of Helsinki

DEADLINE: 18 March 2018

Across Central and Eastern Europe, media systems are increasingly under 
pressure. The developments that place restrictions on the freedom of 
media, or threaten to do so in the near future, take various forms. On 
the one hand, (semi-)authoritarian regimes in, e.g., Russia strengthen 
their hold over media industries. Promoted under the banner of 
protecting national values and political stability, neoconservative 
tendencies are also being translated into strict media regulation in EU 
members states, such as Hungary and Poland. On the other hand, the 
reliability of news and information providers has been significantly 
compromised in recent years as a result of fake news and Russian 
disinformation campaigns. At the same time, European responses to these 
threats equally place pressure on the protection of fundamental human 
rights, such as the right to information, media freedom and privacy. To 
some extent, freedom of speech and information is perceived as a 
potential threat to national security (e.g., spread of extremist 
ideology, terrorism) or societal values (e.g., information concerning 
abortion, LGBT rights, pornography)

The workshop aims to bring together international scholars and media 
professionals to discuss the following questions: How can we formulate 
effective responses to these manifold challenges that media systems in 
Central and Eastern Europe face today? To what extent are these 
developments country or region specific, or should they be seen as part 
of wider European and global trends? What is the role of governments, 
media, NGOs, and activists in shaping media and information spheres in 
the region (in both a negative and positive sense)?

We invite contributions from academics and media professionals that 
explore, among others, the following topics:


- Neoconservatism and media regulation

-  Policy responses to fake news, disinformation, ‘information warfare’

-  The impact of anti-terrorism measures on media freedom and privacy

-  Conservative activism

-  Progressive activism


TO APPLY, please send a 300 word abstract and brief biographical 
statement to Mariëlle Wijermars (marielle.wijermars[at]helsinki.fi) by 
18 March 2018. The organisers intend to publish revised versions of 
selected papers as part of a special issue.

This workshop is organized by ARTES research group ‘Participatory 
Cultures: Post-Socialist New Media Practices’ (University of Amsterdam), 
the Center for Ukrainian Cultural Studies (University of Amsterdam) and 
the ‘Russian Media Lab: Freedom of Speech and Critical Journalism in 
Russia’ project (Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki).


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