[Commlist] 34th EURICOM Colloquium - Impact of Algorithms on Social Communication - CFP

The 34th EURICOM Colloquium
The Impact of Algorithms on Social Communication
Piran (Slovenia), May 9 – 11, 2019

Call for Papers

Today, algorithms are present everywhere, from the most basic functions 
of the biggest search engines and social networking sites, to the ways 
formerly laborious operations are fully automatized. Even though the 
omnipresence of algorithms increasingly shapes and defines relations at 
both individual and social levels of our lives, their quasi-autonomous 
logic and practice remains largely opaque. Practices performed by 
algorithms are often seen as if they were neutral and objective, even 
though their logic often merely confirms and reproduces the existing 
contradictions, inequalities and biases. Moreover, algorithms may 
strengthen mechanisms of surveillance and oppression, as they are 
silently taking over functions that in democratic societies ought to be 
subjected to public scrutiny.

To provide a better understanding of how algorithms influence social 
relations in the wider field of communication studies, we invite 
proposals for presentations on a variety of topics connected to 
algorithms. We seek both empirical and theoretical studies, but the 
research should be critical in its nature and have strong theoretical 
foundations. Possible topics for the colloquium include, but are not 
limited to the issues more narrowly connected to algorithmization of 
journalistic and media practices, such as:
•	Automatization of journalistic labour and robot-journalism,
•	Transformations in news and media production,
•	News credibility and professional journalistic norms in automated 
journalism,
•	Propaganda,
•	Journalistic responsibility and ethics,
•	Personalisation of news production, social polarisation and divisions 
within society,
•	Changes in funding of journalism,
•	Media politics and regulation,
or to the wider issues in which algorithms are related to social 
communication:
•	Ideology, logic and power of/in algorithms,
•	Global news-flows and new types of communication inequalities,
•	Search engine algorithms,
•	Pitfalls of algorithmization for democratic societies,
•	Political economy of algorithms (e.g. advertising, digital labour, 
market concentration),
•	Liquefaction of the publicness/privateness divide,
•	Big data and data monopolies,
•	Automated inequality,
•	Recent technological developments,
•	Human decisions in construction of algorithms,
•	Communication imperialism and platform imperialism.

EURICOM Colloquia are traditionally small-scale intellectual events with 
approx. 20-25 participants. This gives participants ample opportunities 
for in-depth discussions and presentations of research projects. The 
organisers welcome proposals for papers addressing any aspect of the 
subject and do not intend to prioritise any particular approach, method 
or attitude towards the issues under consideration.

In keeping with the established practice of the Colloquia, a special 
issue of the journal Javnost-The Public will be published containing a 
selection of the papers presented at the Colloquium.

Interested scholars are invited to submit abstracts for presentation at 
the 34th EURICOM Colloquium (approximately 250 words) to the editor of 
Javnost-The Public (editor /at/ javnost-thepublic.org) by February 28, 2019.

Deadline for abstract submission: 28 February 2018.
Confirmation of abstract acceptance: 20 March 2019.
Deadline for draft paper submission: 6 May 2019.

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