[Commlist] CfP The Transformation of Public Dissent: From Counter-Public Spheres and Alternative Media to Disinformation Ecologies?

CfP
*The Transformation of Public Dissent: From Counter-Public Spheres and 
Alternative Media to Disinformation Ecologies?*
*
*

Counter-public spheres are commonly regarded as discursive arenas that 
allow members of subordinated or marginalized social groups to incent 
counter discourses, circulate alternate narratives and to promote 
oppositional interpretations of social realities against a hegemony 
constituted by dominant publics. As such, counter-publics allow social 
actors to actively and autonomously bring visibility to their 
experiences, interests, and identities, to mobilize for their causes and 
not least to publicly voice dissent. In this regard, counter-publics 
help to reflect the societal status quo and can become indicative of 
existing social inequalities as well as the logics of inclusion and 
exclusion prevalent in dominant public spheres and to criticize their 
shortcomings. Counter-public spheres are of paramount importance both in 
liberal-democratic as well as in authoritarian societies. As a 
radicalization of normative theories of the bourgeois public sphere, the 
concept of counter-publics challenges liberal democracies by demanding 
the full realization of their constitutive ideals. While actors of 
counter-publics in democratic societies can refer to the ability to 
publicly voice a dissenting opinion and participate in public debate 
without fear of persecution as a fundamental norm, in non-democratic 
societies, these are often the only seeds in which the fragile blossoms 
of criticism and political defiance can take root.

In a similar vein, alternative media have long since been regarded 
important carriers and constituents of counter-public spheres and were 
regarded as closely linked to oftentimes progressive and typically 
(radical) prodemocratic social movements such as the Labor, feminist, or 
ecological movement. Although important theorists such as Nancy Fraser 
or John Downing considered the occurrence of anti-democratic, right-wing 
counter-publics and alternative media, too, the research mainly focused 
on progressive groups and their media. Especially with the advent of the 
internet and social media and its principal potential to remove barriers 
for social and political participation, high hopes regarding the 
emancipatory potential for public discourse prospered. But instead of a 
public discourse freed of constraints of unequal power relations the 
optimisms regarding counter-public spheres and alternative media have 
almost been reversed in recent years. The same public arenas, practices, 
and communication strategies, once idealized as sentinel for democracy, 
voice and participation are increasingly suspicious regarding their 
contribution to societal polarization, spreading conspiracy myths and a 
manipulative undermining of democracy.

This ECREA Communication History Section preconference addresses this 
apparent transformation and evolution of counter-public spheres and 
alternative media as one of their vessels from what was once considered 
an oasis of democracy to what is now rather discussed as swamps of 
anti-democratic agitation and radicalization. In the context of the 
conference, the topic will be treated both in terms of phenomena of 
counter-publics and alternative media and in terms of (scientific) 
discourses on them. In particular we are interested in contesting 
approaches to the idealized past and the allegedly gloomy present of 
counter-public spheres. How can the history of the concepts and 
historical cases of related phenomena help us track and challenge the 
alleged transformation of the counter-public spheres and alternative 
media from good to evil. What is the role communication research and its 
conceptual work, idealizing of some practices while alienating others 
have to do with it?

In particular we invite abstracts for presentations within the following 
areas:

  * Conceptual and Theoretical Evolutions:
In how far are notions like counter-public spheres or alternative media 
relative to their contemporary contexts, societies, media or political 
and economic systems and geographies? To what extent do academic 
concepts of counter-publics and alternative media contribute to 
essentializing or normalizing (implicitly or explicitly) a specific 
understanding of the public sphere, media organization, and also public 
dissent? To what extent is scholarly engagement with issues of 
counter-publics, alternative media, and public dissent – as public 
sphere theories in general – tied to specific, including normative value 
systems, and how much is it guided by whose critique and dissent one is 
dealing with? Is it important or possibly misleading if concepts are 
used too inclusively or too restrictively, e.g., can the public dissent 
of the radical left and the extreme right be described and analyzed with 
the same concepts? How can the antagonistic relationship of these 
disparate forms of counter-publics to dominant publics be conceptualized 
in a differentiated way? Do terms like counter-public and alternative 
media need to be protected from being used to describe disinformation 
and propaganda media, and thus from being damaged? Is there a risk that 
criticism of alternative media and counter-publicity will also generally 
discredit and delegitimize the possibility of public opposition?

  * Cases and examples of historical counter-public spheres and
    alternative media:
How did different actors aim to establish (self-proclaimed) 
counter-publics and why did they see the need for it? What consequences 
did media and political change have on the emergence and development of 
counter-publics and alternative media? Which alternative media occurred 
and how did they evolve? What forms of counter-publics emerged in the 
Warsaw Pact states against media under state and party control? What 
role did right-wing counter-publics play against an assumed left-wing 
hegemony in liberal democracies? To which understanding of 
(counter-)publics and (alternative media) did the protagonists refer? In 
how far can norms and practices of counter-publics be distinguished, 
e.g., regarding information or disinformation, propaganda or truth, 
conspiracy or enlightenment? In which respect did alternative media 
establish alternative practices of media production, distribution, and 
reception? To what extent did actors pursue strategies other than 
founding alternative media to create counter-publics, e.g., media 
policy? What is the role of trans- and international networking in the 
history of counter-publics and alternative media? What role did foreign 
media play in creating counter-publics, e.g., against the backdrop of 
colonialism, imperialism, or the East-West conflict during the Cold War?

  * Examples of how history or memory is referenced in counter publics:

  What is the role of history and memory for and in counter-publics and 
alternative media? To what extent is their own history or the history of 
the social movements they are close to a resource for identity work and 
self-positioning of alternative media and counter-publics? To what 
extent do protagonists of counter-publics deal with their own past and 
genealogy or their personal relationship to the mainstream? To what 
extent are historical connotations and meanings appropriated or 
reinterpreted across political camps? What are examples of how history 
and memory serve as a basis for argumentation, a point of reference or 
strategically used strawmen in alternative media communication and for 
the constitution of counter-publics?

The two-day preconference will take place remotely via Zoom on October 
6-7, 2022.

Abstracts of 300-500 words proposing historical/empirical case studies 
as well as theoretical, methodological or conceptual contributions 
should be submitted no later than *2 May 2022*. Proposals for full 
panels (comprising 4 or 5 papers) are also welcome: these should include 
a 250-word abstract for each individual presentation, and a 300-word 
rationale for the panel. Send abstracts to: 
*(christian.schwarzenegger /at/ uni-a.de) 
<mailto:(christian.schwarzenegger /at/ uni-a.de)>*. All submissions will be 
subjected to anonymous peer review. Authors will be informed regarding 
acceptance/rejection for the conference no later than *15 June 2022*. 
Early career scholars and graduate students are highly encouraged to 
submit their work. Please indicate if the research submitted is part of 
your thesis or dissertation project. The organizers will aim to arrange 
for discussants to provide an intensive response for early career and 
graduate students projects. Participation in the conference will be free 
and also no kind of processing fee will be charged.

For more information, please contact one of the preconference organizers:

Dr. Christian Schwarzenegger, University of Augsburg 
((christian.schwarzenegger /at/ uni-a.de) 
<mailto:(christian.schwarzenegger /at/ uni-a.de)>)

Dr. Erik Koenen, University of Bremen ((ekoenen /at/ uni-bremen.de) 
<mailto:(ekoenen /at/ uni-bremen.de)>)

Dr. Niklas Venema, Free University of Berlin ((Niklas.Venema /at/ fu-berlin.de) 
<mailto:(Niklas.Venema /at/ fu-berlin.de)>)

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