[Commlist] CFP The Viewer Citizen: a symposium on SVoDs, audiences and democracy in Europe

CFP The Viewer Citizen: a symposium on SVoDs, audiences and democracy in 
Europe

On 23rd of May, 2025, Örebro University will arrange a symposium to 
explore what we know about SVOD audiences (focusing on audiovisual 
fiction) and democracy in the European context.

The European audiovisual landscape is complex, with a huge variety of 
content providers and a traditionally strong public service. While only 
about 10% of all European providers feature public ownership, these play 
a key role as facilitators of original European productions across the 
continent (Fontaine, 2024:7; Antoniazzi et al., 2022). However, the US 
has a substantial and increasing influence on the European audiovisual 
sector (Schneeberger, 2024:7). The SVOD segment, as the most 
concentrated market segment in Europe, has the highest share of US (84%) 
and private (99%) interests (Ene Iancu, 2024:10). In terms of SVOD 
consumption, a lion part of what is watched originates from the US 
(Grece & Tran, 2023; Iordache et al., 2023), and earlier concerns on US 
cultural imperialism have been revived (Davis, 2023; Lotz, 2021).

Recently, the public service media across Europe has experienced dire 
economic conditions. For example, in Sweden, budget cuts have been 
announced for public service in the spring of 2024 with the argument of 
unfair competition while diversity and democratic arguments are 
downplayed (SOU 2024:34). This evolution is in line with the European 
Commission’s focus on competition and on creating a single market. 
Ultimately, this bypasses opportunities for cultural objectives such as 
media pluralism, cultural protection or social regulations (Humphreys, 
2008:154). Although the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive 
(2018) has sought to level the market between domestic and transnational 
platform suppliers and protect the production of film and television in 
Europe (Kostovska et al. 2020), the political space to discuss streamed 
content as culture seems to have shrunk. This has far-reaching 
consequences for European content and democratic values such as equality 
and diversity (Jansson et al., 2024). In this symposium, we aim to 
investigate what these evolutions mean for audiences, as fiction 
consumers, but also – and especially – in their role as citizens.

On a theoretical level, there are a range of conceptualizations of how 
fiction (and culture) shapes citizens, including the “political self” 
(Van Zoonen, 2007), the cultural public sphere (McGuigan, 2005), and 
civic cultures (Dahlgren, 2009). Askanius (2019:273) focuses on explicit 
articulations of community in relation to fiction, while Nærland 
(2019:652) uses the concept of “public connection” to denote a more 
complex orientation of the audience toward the public and the political. 
Bengesser (2023) argues public service in particular, including drama 
productions, is of importance in civic engagement and in building 
“lifeworlds” (Bengesser, 2023:63).

On an empirical level, the link between fiction and democracy is often 
presupposed in research relating to democratic values or “the political” 
(Van Belle, Aitaki and Jansson, forthcoming). Audiovisual fiction has 
been argued to directly correlate with political engagement (e.g. 
Fielding, 2014; Cardo, 2011) and opinion-formation or political 
attitudes (e.g. Hermann et al., 2023; Swigger, 2017; Adkins et al., 
2014; Butler et al., 1995). Indirectly, identities and bodies are 
assumed to be the glue between connecting audiences and democracy 
through the viewing of fiction (e.g. Smith, 2020; Yea, 2014). On a more 
structural level, fiction is seen as contributing to imagined worlds 
(Randall, 2011) or discourses (Kato, 2015). Regardless of theoretical 
belonging, most studies have a rather crude understanding of the 
audience and its agency (see e.g. La Pastina, 2004). This actualizes 
questions about how democratic values and political topics are 
negotiated in relation to the fictional content audiences watch. 
Further, it includes exploring audiences’ understandings of fiction in 
relation to their roles as citizens in a democratic European context.

This symposium is interested in contributions that could, but are not 
limited to, illuminate some of the following topics:

- The relation between sVODs and citizenship or democracy

- Public service audiences and society

- Fiction and political activism

- The negotiation of identities via fiction, in relation to democracy 
and politics

- The negotiation of political and democratic values in relation to 
fiction, such as equality, solidarity, community, or freedom

- Fiction/audiences and political trust

- Missing audiences/citizens

- Media pluralism, cultural protection, social regulations, or diversity 
from an audience perspective

The symposium will take place 23 May 2025, and will be held at Örebro 
University, with the option of participating online. Depending on 
funding, travel costs may be reimbursed. Limited number of spots for 
participants.

In conjunction with the symposium, a follow-up volume in a leading 
academic publishing house is planned.

Please submit full contact information, a short biography that explains 
your background and field (of no more than 300 words) and an abstract 
(of no more than 500 words) on the topic you would like to present on to 
(jono.van-belle /at/ oru.se)

The call for papers will close on 1 December 2024. The authors of 
selected contributions will be notified by 1 January 2025.

We are looking forward to your proposal!

Jono Van Belle & Maria Jansson (Örebro University, Sweden)


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