January 2026 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Interest in intersection of social media and health -- recommended resources?
by Elisabeth Wilhelm 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

Dear AoIR Colleagues, Hi, I’m Elisabeth, a PhD student in the department of midwifery in a school for health services and research at UNIWA in Greece. I have a communications background and I am the odd duck non-midwife in a sea of colorful wooly cardigans and the Nicest People at midwifery conferences. I have found lurking on this listserve for the last year a great way to discover new articles, books, conferences and fellowships that scratch my internet research itch. However, alas, the nerdy intersection of social media and misinformation and public health/medicine is a much rarer combination to appear. My research focuses globally on midwives, their clients (particularly migrants), and how health misinformation and the information environment affects their relationship and care provision. In 2026, I have resolved to expand my horizons and networks and try to more explicitly find potential internet research collaborators, networks and conferences/opportunities that welcome public health and medical perspectives in internet research. Because my PhD studies are not in a communications department, I don’t benefit from networks and connections that I might otherwise learn from. The flip side of medical researchers dipping their toes into internet research I am more familiar with—I worked at CDC before *waves hands around*. But when it comes to true tested media and internet researchers and how they engage with health topics, I have a lot to learn. So, do you have any suggestions on global networks, conferences, PhD student resources or fellowships I should explore that have a focus on internet research and health communication/education/workforce beyond my keyboard and Google Alerts can find? Please do share! Thanks in advance and I hope that 2026 is a kinder, healthier, and brighter year for us all. Elisabeth Wilhelm

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PGR Scholarships School of Media and Communication University of Leeds
by Nancy Thumim 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

Dear all Happy New Year. Please share information about our PGR Scholarships for 2026/7 entry We are advertising one ringfenced Scholarship specifically to support an excellent candidate from a UK Black, Asian or other minoritised ethnic group who have applied to a PhD programme in the School of Media & Communication University of Leeds: School of Media and Communication Access to Research Scholarship | Funding Opportunities | PhD | University of Leeds<https://phd.leeds.ac.uk/funding/378-school-of-media-and-communication-acces…> We are advertising three Scholarships which are open to UK and international applicants. One award will be for a Home/UK candidate and two awards for international candidates: School of Media and Communication PhD Scholarships 2026/2027 | Funding Opportunities | PhD | University of Leeds<https://phd.leeds.ac.uk/funding/384-school-of-media-and-communication-phd-s…> Join us next week online for an informal chat; a great chance to ask questions, find out how to boost your research journey with funding, and get to know a bit about the School of Media and Communication: School of Media and Communication PGR Scholarships Information Meeting Jan 15 2026 11:00 GMT: Reserve your spot here<https://www.eventbrite.com/e/school-of-media-and-communication-pgr-scholars…> Best wishes Nancy Associate Prof Nancy Thumim (she/her) Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research School of Media and Communication University of Leeds http://media.leeds.ac.uk/people/nancy-thumim/ Current students please view our local information page for information on support, news and opportunities: School of Media and Communication homepage<https://leeds365.sharepoint.com/sites/AHC-StudentHandbook/SitePages/School-…> Recent publications Thumim, N. (2024) Politics in and politics of representation in Hall, S., Nixon, S., Evans, J. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices, Third Edition. Sage. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/representation/book277180 Thumim, N., & Parry, K. (2022). Danger, comfort, and silence at the home front: Mediating soldiers' wives. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 0(0). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13675494221126544

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The 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS 2026): First Combo Call for Workshop Papers
by Announce 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

*** First Combo Call for Workshop Papers *** The 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS 2026) May 25-29, 2026, 5* Coral Beach Hotel & Resort, Paphos, Cyprus https://cyprusconferences.org/aamas2026/ AAMAS 2026 received 1455 full paper submissions for the Main Track, after an initial submission of 1800 abstracts. This is by far the highest number of submissions (around 50% more than the previous highest number) in the 25 years of AAMAS. The conference will feature the following workshops with open calls for submission. Please visit the workshops' websites and/or contact their organisers for more details and important dates. 2nd Workshop on AI for Critical Infrastructure and Government (AI4CNI-26) https://sites.google.com/view/ai4cni-26/ Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) forms the backbone of modern society, yet its increasing complexity requires increasingly autonomous operation and makes it vulnerable to cascading failures and cyber-physical threats. The AI4CNI workshop explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and multi-agent systems to enhance the efficiency, resilience, and defense of vital services like energy, transportation, communication networks and healthcare. 18th International Workshop on Adaptive and Learning Agents (ALA) https://alaworkshop2026.github.io/ Adaptive and Learning Agents (ALA) brings together researchers working on learning, adaptation, and autonomous behaviour in single- and multi-agent systems. The workshop welcomes contributions from across computer science (including reinforcement learning, agent architectures, evolutionary computation, planning, and game theory) as as well as from related fields such as cognitive science, biology, economics, and the social sciences. Autonomous Robots and Multirobot Systems (ARMS) https://arms2026.di.unimi.it/ Robots are agents, too. Indeed, agents researchers often use robotics problems as motivating examples. Both practical and analytical techniques developed by agents researchers influence, and are influenced by, research in autonomous robots and multi- robot systems. Despite the overlap between the agents and robotics research areas, researchers from these communities only have a few opportunities to meet and interact. The Robotics Area of Interest in the main AAMAS conference (formerly, the “Robotics Track”) is one such opportunity. The goal of this workshop is to build on this opportunity, offering an informal and dedicated forum where agents and robotics researchers can interact, discuss promising research directions and open problems, and foster further collaborations. Contributions are sought in all areas of robotics, in particular as related to autonomous agents research. Theoretical papers are welcome, as long as they clearly specify the connection to challenges in robotics. Empirical studies should ideally present experiments with real robots, though physical simulation studies are also acceptable. Papers that focus on mechanical aspects and low-level control should make an effort to relate this work to the agents community. 7th International Workshop on Agents for Societal Impact (ASI) https://panosd.eu/asi2026/ This workshop focuses on the design, analysis, and deployment of intelligent agents that contribute positively to society. As AI agents become increasingly autonomous and embedded in real-world systems, it is critical to ensure that their behavior aligns with human values and societal goals, rather than optimizing narrowly defined technical objectives. The workshop provides a forum to discuss how agent-based technologies can be responsibly applied to real-world societal systems, including (but not limited to): healthcare, education, climate, sustainability, conservation, public infrastructure, labor markets, governance and policy design, etc. The goal is to identify new MAS problems in societies, develop novel MAS solutions to resolve social challenges, and learn from the real-world deployment of MAS. 14th International Workshop on Agents in Traffic and Transportation (ATT 2026) https://sites.google.com/unimib.it/att2026/ The ATT 2026 workshop focuses on AI-driven modeling, simulation, control, and management of large-scale traffic and transportation systems. It addresses the challenges of distributed, autonomous, and data-rich mobility systems operating under uncertainty and societal constraints. The workshop invites contributions on multi-agent systems, machine learning, optimization, control, and data-centric AI approaches. Topics include autonomous and connected vehicles, intelligent traffic control, digital twins, shared mobility, and multi-modal transportation. Both theoretical advances and real-world applications enabling safe, robust, and scalable intelligent transportation are welcomed. Citizen-Centric Multi Agent Systems 2026 (C-MAS 2026) https://sites.google.com/view/cmas2026 Join us for the C-MAS 2026 workshop, where we explore citizen-centric AI and multiagent systems. In today’s world, large-scale AI systems hold the potential to tackle critical societal challenges, from decarbonising our energy system to facilitating on-demand mobility and improving disaster response. However, we often overlook the active role of citizen end users, treating them merely as data providers and service consumers. Our workshop aims to shift this perspective and explore innovative approaches that treat citizen end users as primary agents with diverse needs and preferences. By doing so, we can develop more trustworthy, fair, and widely accepted sociotechnical solutions to pressing societal challenges. 11th Workshop on Collaboration of Humans, Agents, Robots, Machines and Sensors (CHARMS 2026) https://charms2026.github.io/ Cyber physical systems (CPS) are becoming more involved in the lives of humans. All indications point to a future where many varieties of CPS and humans co-exist and, at a minimum, must interact consistently through life’s tasks. This workshop will explore ideas of the future to understand, discern and develop the relationship between humans and CPS and the practical nature of software agents to facilitate the integration. Causal Learning and Reasoning in Agents and Multi-Agent Systems (CLaRAMAS) https://claramas-workshop.github.io/claramas2026/ CLaRAMAS aims to foster cross-disciplinary exchange and synergistic collaboration between two complementary communities: the AAMAS community and the Causal Learning and Reasoning (CLR) community. The overarching goal is to bridge these domains by exploring the following open questions: How CLR techniques can enhance agent-based decision-making? How agent-oriented perspectives can leverage the operational deployment of CLR in real-world applications? Coordination, Organizations, Institutions, Norms and Ethics for Governance of Multi- Agent Systems (COINE) https://coin-workshop.github.io/coine-2026-paphos/ This workshop is an evolution of the COIN (Coordination, Organizations, Institutions and Norms in Agent Systems) workshop series that ran at various conferences including AAMAS (18 times), IJCAI (twice), AAAI in 2008 and ECAI in 2006 and 2016, and produced 17 volumes of post-proceedings in Springer’s Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence. The 18th volume of COINE post-proceedings is in progress. In 2020, ethics was added to the name and acronym (now COINE), and also the notion of governance of MAS was added to the full workshop title as this is the common objective uniting the various threads of research (coordination, organizations, etc.) undertaken. The workshop in the new format has been held six times (2020–2025). 14th International Workshop on Engineering Multi-Agent Systems (EMAS 2026) https://w3id.org/emas/2026/ EMAS 2026 builds on the long-standing tradition of the Workshop on Engineering Multi- Agent Systems, advancing the design, implementation, and deployment of autonomous agents and Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) through research on theories, architectures, languages, platforms, and methodologies. To engage with emerging augmented language models and agentic systems and build on decades of established MAS engineering approaches, this 14th edition focuses on Hybrid Agent Architectures and Multi-Agent Systems. We invite contributions covering the diversity of approaches to engineering agents and MAS: submissions may focus on established or emerging approaches, as well as hybrid approaches that integrate the two, exploring, among others, questions such as how elements from different agent architectures can be combined to create more capable agents, and how MAS can be designed to ensure interoperability, coordination, and governance among heterogeneous agents. 8th International Workshop on EXplainable, Trustworthy, & Responsible AI & Multi‑Agent Systems (EXTRAAMAS 2026) https://extraamas.ehealth.hevs.ch/index.html The International Workshop on EXplainable, Trustworthy, and Responsible AI and Multi- Agent Systems (EXTRAAMAS) runs since 2019, and is a well-established workshop and forum. It aims to discuss and disseminate research on explainable artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on intra/inter-agent(ic) explainability and cross-disciplinary perspectives. In its 8th edition, EXTRAAMAS 2026 identifies four particular focus topics with the ultimate goal of strengthening cutting-edge foundational and applied research. The 8th Games, Agents, and Incentives Workshop (GAIW-26) https://gtep-workshops.github.io/gaiw2026/ Games, Agents and Incentives is a confederated workshop which focuses on agents and incentives in AI. In particular, it promotes approaches that deal with game theory (cooperative and non-cooperative), social choice, and agent-mediated e-commerce aspects of AI systems. The confederated workshop merges multiple workshops that have been associated with AAMAS in the past, which considered different aspects of the general interplay between AI and economics including CoopMAS, AMEC, and EXPLORE. 27th International Workshop on Multi-Agent-Based Simulation (MABS 2026) https://mabsworkshop.github.io/ MABS focuses on the confluence of social sciences and multi-agent systems, with a strong application/empirical vein, and it emphasizes, (i) exploratory agent-based simulation as a principled way of undertaking scientific research in the social sciences and (ii) using social theories as an inspiration for new frameworks and developments in multi-agent systems. MABS 2026 continues its tradition of fostering cross-fertilisation and innovation in MAS engineering and complex social and sociotechnical systems modeling. The workshop encourages submissions in areas such as simulation methodology and tools, simulation of social and intelligent behaviour, diverse applications, and simulation analytics. International Workshop on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems for Space Applications (MASSpace) https://mas-space.github.io/aamas2026ws/ This workshop aims at disseminating and sharing recent advances in the use of agent- based and multi-agent-based models and techniques in the Space domain. Indeed, the use of agent-based and multi-agent systems (MAS) in aerospace and space is gaining traction, as they offer a promising approach for modeling and solving distributed, complex and dynamic problems. Sample applications notably include multiple spacecraft operations and maintenance, onboard-ground coordination, mission simulation, multi- mission operation, autonomous navigation, and collective robotics. NEurosymbolic eXplainable trUstworthy Systems (NEXUS) https://nexus.telecom-paris.fr/ The opacity of current deep learning models is a major barrier to adoption where accountability is essential. NEXUS focuses on neurosymbolic reasoning as a foundational approach to building theory, applications, and tools for well-calibrated and trustworthy autonomy. This paradigm moves beyond a narrow focus on formal logic, concerning itself with the integration of deep and reinforcement learning algorithms with a broad spectrum of structured knowledge. Workshop on Optimization and Learning in Multi-Agent Systems (OptLearnMAS) https://optlearnmas.github.io The goal of the workshop is to provide researchers with a venue to discuss models or techniques for tackling a variety of multi-agent optimization problems. We seek contributions in the general area of multi-agent optimization, including distributed optimization, coalition formation, optimization under uncertainty, winner determination algorithms in auctions and procurements, and algorithms to compute Nash and other equilibria in games. Of particular emphasis are contributions at the intersection of optimization and learning. This workshop invites works from different strands of the multi-agent systems community that pertain to the design of algorithms, models, and techniques to deal with multi-agent optimization and learning problems or problems that can be effectively solved by adopting a multi-agent framework. Rebellion and Disobedience in Artificial Intelligence (RaD-AI) https://sites.google.com/view/rad-ai/home Should intelligent autonomous agents always obey human commands or instructions? In some contexts, they should not. Most existing research on collaborative robots and agents assumes that a “good” agent complies with the instructions it is given and works in a predictable manner under the consent of the human operator(s) it serves (e.g., it should never deceive its operator). Our RaD-AI workshop challenges this assumption; we will reconsider the desired abilities and responsibilities of collaborative agents. For example, these include exhibiting behavior that attempts appropriate and harm-preventing non- compliance (e.g., safety constraints in autonomous vehicles or training LLMs to avoid potentially harmful or norm-violating output), among others. Our agenda will include accepted submissions that describe novel (and/or survey existing) contributions, or propose new directions, related to RaD-AI in the context of intelligent social agents, human-agent interaction, and their societal effects, along with invited talks and other events. We warmly welcome participation from AAMAS-26 conference attendees! Strategic Engineering Workshop (SE) https://sites.google.com/view/se-aamas2026 Real-world interactions are messy; Game Theory is rigorous. Historically, connecting the two required expensive manual modeling. “Strategic Engineering” seeks to automate this pipeline. We ask: How can LLMs serve as architects, translating everyday scenarios into the formal structures that Game Theory (GT) and Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) require? If we can automate the creation of the “world model”, we can unlock the full power of classical GT/ MAS reasoning for any situation. We invite submissions that fuse the generative capabilities of LLMs with the reasoning power of GT/MAS, creating a new class of agents capable of navigating complex, strategic environments. Organizing Committee AAMAS 2026 General Chairs • Viviana Mascardi, University of Genova, Italy • John Thangarajah, RMIT University, Australia AAMAS 2026 Program Chairs • Chris Amato, Northeastern University, United States of America • Louise Dennis, University of Manchester, United Kingdom AAMAS 2026 Local Chairs • George A. Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus (Chair) • Panayiotis Kolios, University of Cyprus, Cyprus (Vice Chair)

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Online policy panel 'The Geopolitics of Tech: Europe in an Era of Realignments?' (16 Jan)
by Orsolya Gulyás 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

Happy New Year! The Centre for Digitalisation, Democracy and Innovation (CD2I) at the Brussels School of Governance is organising an online panel discussion on The Geopolitics of Tech: Europe in an Era of Realignments? on 16 January 2026. The priorities of the first Von der Leyen Commission (2019-2024) focused on a human-centered digital transition firmly rooted in European values. However, anno 2025, the geopolitical landscape has shifted and the three most salient concepts in European policymaking circles today are security, resilience, and competitiveness. This is most recently evidenced by the EU’s Digital Omnibus Regulation that has been criticized for walking back on democratic commitments laid out in the AI Act or GDPR, in the name of simplification needed for the flourishing of European businesses. Indeed, the new approach of the second Von der Leyen Commission (2024-2029) is illustrative of the challenges, shifts, and realignments that have been reflected in global digital politics, often symptomatic of the increasing intertwining of the public and private tech sectors. While the traditional ‘like-minded’ partnership with the US is under pressure and the rivalry with China intensifies, this panel discussion aims to take stock of the rapidly changing geopolitics of the tech arena and the possibilities brought about by building closer relations with newly emerging digital powers, such as India. What do the EU’s nascent efforts in the face of geopolitical power struggles mean for global security, the global data economy, the AI race, and the digital politics of the future? Speakers: * Antonio Calcara, Head of the Geopolitics and Technology Programme at CSDS, Brussels School of Governance * Julia Pohle, Co-head of the Research Group on Politics of Digitalization, WZB Berlin Social Science Center * Shyam Krishnakumar, Executive Director, The Pranava Institute The panel discussion will take place on 16 January, 15:00 (GMT/UTC+1) on Zoom, please register to receive the meeting link. Registration: https://www.brussels-school.be/output/events/online-panel-discussion-geopol… Our best wishes for 2026, Orsolya Gulyás and Trisha Meyer

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CfP for the Special Issue “Imperialism, Information, Communication and Culture in the Age of Digitalisation”
by Jonas Valente 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

Dear AoIR community, We are pleased to share this CfP for the Eptic Online International Journal. We welcome articles in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Kind regards, Jonas Valente Research Associate - Oxford Internet Institute Deputy-lead - Media Economy, Technology and Policies Lab (Telas-UFC, Brazil) Assistant Editor - Eptic Online *Call for Papers for the Special Issue “Imperialism, Information, Communication and Culture in the Age of Digitalisation”* The International Electronic Journal of Political Economy of Information, Communication and Culture (Eptic Online) <https://periodicos.ufs.br/eptic/announcement/view/548>invites interested parties to submit papers for the Special Issue “Imperialism, Information, Communication and Culture in the Age of Digitalisation”. Articles must be submitted by 28 February 2025. The issue is expected to be published in June 2026. The relationship between imperialism and information, communication and culture (ICC) is not recent. Decades ago, authors pointed out the role of the ICC in the advancement of imperialism and its manifestation in the cultural industry and the media (Schiller, 1976, 1978). In Latin America, these approaches were also discussed under the umbrella of the notion of “cultural dependence” (Pasquali, 1980). EPC approaches offered critical reflections and nuances to these theses, noting that the problems were not limited to the influx of external companies, services, and content into countries in the Global South (Bolaño, 2015; Sparks, 2012). More recently, the theme of imperialism has been revisited by scholars in communication, information, and culture (Sulehria, 2019). In light of the rise of digital conglomerates, particularly digital platforms, the term has also been used to describe this process (Jin, 2015; 2025). With the reconfiguration of global information, communication, and culture systems in the age of digitalisation, the theoretical approach to imperialism has also expanded to encompass the production, circulation, and consumption of digitalised products and services (Nothias, 2025). While the controversial concept of digital colonialism (Kwet, 2019; Faustino & Lippold, 2023) has gained much more visibility, the explanatory key of imperialism has been less explored. Although imperialism has never ceased to be a dimension of capitalist evolution, recent events indicate a resurgence of imperialist agendas and movements, such as the genocide in Palestine, the worsening conflict in Sudan, and the most recent interventions by the United States in Latin America, especially in Venezuela. Under these conditions, information and communication take on an unusual centrality in the mode of production, while forms of legitimisation change with the implementation of a new global system of culture, to use Furtado's expression (1978), based on extensively horizontalised and interactive forms of communication, whose democratic appearance hides the essence of a technical system designed for control and surveillance on a massive and global scale, with an expanded capacity for manipulation concentrated in a few American companies, whose power of censorship has proven to be superior to that of the Cultural Industry of the 20th century. Under these conditions, it is the historical task of scholars of the Political Economy of Communication and Culture (PECC) to clarify the coherence of this articulation between imperialism and the rise of digital platforms, without neglecting the roles of traditional media and international news agencies, as well as the contradictions involved. Editors: Dr Farooq Sulehria (BNU, Pakistan, and Sodertorn, Sweden), Dr Jonas C. L. Valente (Oxford Internet Institute, UK, and UFC, Brazil), and Dr Fabricio Zanghelini (UFF, Brazil). The Special Issue welcomes submissions on: The dossier welcomes submissions on: - The concept of imperialism and its history in the field of communication; - The notion of imperialism as a key to understanding recent transformations in information, communication and culture; - The contemporary role of information, communication and culture in imperialism in the 21st century; - How information, communication and culture transform nations and imperialist agendas; - Digital imperialism, driven by platforms and digital corporations; - Imperialism and asymmetric global flows of information, communication and culture; - Attacks on freedom of expression and the right to information and communication; - New and old forms of dependence related to information, communication and culture in nations and regions on the periphery of capitalism in the face of imperialist advances; - Use of data for surveillance and promotion of disinformation and hybrid wars; - The role of digital corporations in conflicts such as the genocide in Palestine; - Attacks on freedom of expression and the right to information and communication; - Impacts on subjectivity and forms of resistance to digital imperialism and related to information, communication and culture. *References:* BOLAÑO, César. *The culture industry, information and capitalism*. Springer, 2015. BOLAÑO, César Ricardo Siqueira. *Campo aberto para a crítica da epistemologia da comunicação*. Aracaju: Edise, 2015. BOLAÑO, César. *Ucrânia: imperialismo e guerra da informação*. Outras Palavras, 21 mar. 2022. Disponível em: *https://outraspalavras.net/geopoliticaeguerra/ucrania-imperialismo-e-guerra-da-informacao/* <https://outraspalavras.net/geopoliticaeguerra/ucrania-imperialismo-e-guerra…>. Acesso em: 6 jan. 2026. FAUSTINO, Deivison; LIPPOLD, Walter. *Colonialismo digital*: por uma crítica hacker-fanoniana. São Paulo: Boitempo, 2023. FURTADO, Celso. *Criatividade e dependência na civilização industrial*. São Paulo: Paz e Terra, 1978. JIN, Dal Yong. *Digital Platforms, Imperialism and Political Culture*. Routledge, 2015. KWET, Michael. Digital colonialism: US empire and the new imperialism in the Global South.* Race & Class*, 60(4), 2019, 3-26. NOTHIAS, Toussaint. An intellectual history of digital colonialism. *Journal of Communication*, 2025. PASQUALI, Antonio. *Comunicación y cultura de masas*. Venezuela, Monte Avila Latinoamericana, 1980. SCHILLER, Herbert I. *Communication and Cultural Domination*. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1976, 98-103. SCHILLER, Herbert I. Media and imperialism. *Revue française d'études américaines*, p. 269-281, 1978. SPARKS, Colin. Media and cultural imperialism reconsidered. *Chinese Journal of Communication*, *5*(3), 2012, 281–299. SULEHRIA, Farooq. *Media imperialism in India and Pakistan*. Routledge, 2018. -- Jonas Valente

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ZeMKI Visiting Research Fellowship 2026 (paid)
by Leif Kramp 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

ZeMKI Visiting Research Fellowship 2026 (call closes on January 30, 2026, 23:59 CET) Come and work with us! Our Fellowship Program invites international researchers to Bremen to deepen and connect their research in the transformation of media, communication, and information. We are looking for established scholars who want to enjoy the thriving interdisciplinary research environment at ZeMKI. Disciplines include media and communication studies, computer science, film studies, educational science, studies in religion, and history. Since mid-2017, ZeMKI has regularly hosted colleagues from all over the world. What we expect: The duration of the fellowship is one month. Applicants should demonstrate experience in their respective field of research and a strong interest in working jointly with principal investigators at ZeMKI to develop new ideas together. The main focus of the ZeMKI Visiting Research Fellowship is to pursue a joint project with at least two ZeMKI Labs (find all descriptions here: https://zemki.uni-bremen.de/en/research/labs/) The joint project can take various forms and should aim to have an impact on academic and public debates in their respective area of scholarly focus. The following outputs are expected: - a research paper submitted to the peer-reviewed ZeMKI Working Paper Series - a public presentation in the ZeMKI Research Seminar For a successful application it is highly recommended to inform oneself thoroughly about current activities in the ZeMKI Labs of interest and the work of principal investigators at ZeMKI. What we offer: - Research Resources: Fellows are welcome and encouraged to make use of and connect with ZeMKI’s research resources in the context of their collaboration with ZeMKI labs, including the research studios, IT pools/technical equipment, cooperatives, and initiatives. - Access to the State and University Library Bremen: All fellows will be provided with access to the central academic library of the University of Bremen. - Courses: Fellows are eligible to participate as listeners or guest lecturers in courses in the diverse media study programmes at ZeMKI. They have to individually ask for permission directly from the professor or lecturer. - A stipend of 3,000 euros plus a budget for research-related expenses of up to 1,500 euros Please fill out all fields of the application form and submit it in order to apply by January 30, 2026 (23:59 CET): https://nc.uni-bremen.de/index.php/apps/forms/s/WHTbJbx8wfPjkSEGt5JdakNo Call website: https://zemki.uni-bremen.de/en/call-for-applications-zemki-visiting-researc…

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JoSSIT 9 on “Networked Creativity: Musicking in the Social Media Era”, Out Now in Open Access
by Juan Bermudez 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

Dear colleagues (with apologies for cross-posting), I am delighted to share that Issue No. 9 of the Journal of Sound, Silence, Image and Technology (JoSSIT), entitled “Networked Creativity: Musicking in the Social Media Era”, which I had the honor of editing, has been published in open access. This issue explores the diverse ways in which musicking takes shape across different contexts, with particular attention to social media and multimedia environments. These are understood as spaces that foster the development of interconnected forms of creativity among music producers and their audiences. It includes articles by Juan Bermúdez, Thomas Michel (Université Paris Cité, France), Elizabeth Falade (University of Groningen, the Netherlands), Paula Aguilera Martínez (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Beatriz Medeiros (Universidad Mayor, Santiago de Chile), Lucas Bazzara (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina), and Ariel Grez Valdenegro (Universidad de Santiago de Chile), as well as reviews by Maritxu Alonso (Universidad de Oviedo), Ana Sedeño-Valdellós (Universidad de Málaga), and Cande Sánchez-Olmos (Universitat d’Alacant). JoSSIT 9 (PDF and EPUB): https://raco.cat/index.php/JoSSIT/issue/view/32488 best regards, Juan Bermúdez ——————————————— Dr. Juan Bermúdez (he / him / his) Senior Scientist – APART-GSK Fellow (Austrian Academy of Sciences) Institut für Ethnomusikologie / Institute for Ethnomusicology Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz / University of Music and Performing Arts Graz Academia<https://kug.academia.edu/JuanBerm%C3%BAdez> / ResearchGate<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Juan-Bermudez-7> Recently published: J. Bermúdez (2025). Musicking TikTok: A Musical Ethnography from a Glocal Austrian Context<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385255930_Musicking_TikTok_A_Music…> (=New Approaches to Sound, Music, and Media 15). New York: Bloomsbury. J. Bermúdez (Ed.) (2025). "Networked Creativity: Musicking in the Social Media Era / Creatividad Interconectada: Musicar en la era de las redes sociales<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/398870191_Creatividad_Interconecta…>,“ Special Issue, Journal of Sound, Silence, Image and Technology 9 J. Bermúdez (Ed.) (2025). "TikTok-Music-Cultures. Perspectives on the Study of Musicking Practices On & Through TikTok<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/389194585_TikTok-Music-Cultures_Pe…>," Special Issue, Musicologica Austriaca - Journal for Austrian Music Studies. J. Bermúdez (2025). "Ethnographing TikTok: Toward an E3thnomusicological Approach to a Multimedia Musicking<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/389186853_Ethnographing_TikTok_Tow…>,” Musicologica Austriaca - Journal for Austrian Music Studies, 8-32. J. Bermúdez (2025). "Ethnomusicology, Artificial Intelligence, and the Intimate Work of Connection<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/397975281_Ethnomusicology_Artifici…>,“ Ethnomusicology Forum 34(2), 233-237. J. Bermúdez (2025). "TikTok Persona: Explorando la performance de identidades musicales en un contexto multimedia<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/395920049_TikTok_Persona_explorand…>," Boletín Música 63, 3-19. J. Bermúdez (2025). "Más allá de lo Viral: Musicando en un Mundo Multimedia<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/398870062_Mas_alla_de_lo_viral_Mus…>“, Journal of Sound, Silence, Image and Technology 9, 6-17.

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CFP & Update: International Conference on Social Media & Society (#SMSociety), Glasgow UK July 13-15, 2026
by Devina Sarwatay 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

Dear all, Hope you had a lovely start to 2026! We just wanted to gently remind you of our call for submissions for the International Conference on Social Media & Society (#SMSociety), Glasgow UK July 13-15, 2026 ( https://socialmediaandsociety.org/2025/call-for-submissions-smsociety-july-…) as deadlines are coming up soon. We have also put up our pricing for the conference ( https://socialmediaandsociety.org/conference-fees-and-registration/) We are going to keep our registration costs low once again, as we think this encourages participation and helps a range of scholars come to the event. Given the interdisciplinary design of the conference, we’re hoping it will appeal widely, so please do submit and promote it within your networks. Contact us at ask(a)socialmediaandsociety.org in case of questions. Looking forward to seeing you in Glasgow, Tìoraidh! - on behalf of the Organizing Executive Committee. *Devina Sarwatay, PhD* Presidential Fellow <https://www.city.ac.uk/about/people/academics/devina-sarwatay> Department of Media, Culture and Creative Industries School of Communication & Creativity City St George’s, University of London Northampton Square London EC1V 0HB My pronouns are she/her Email: devina.sarwatay(a)citystgeorges.ac.uk www.citystgeorges.ac.uk <http://www.city.ac.uk/> @DevinaSarwatay Vice-Chair, Media Education Research, IAMCR <https://iamcr.org/> International Liaison, Children Adolescents and Media Division, ICA <https://www.icahdq.org/> Publishing ThinkIN Group, The British Academy <https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/> *Selected publications:* 🆕Social Media + Society: Kidfluencers in India <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20563051251356169> 🆕Children, Media, and Technology: Access/Use <https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003453123-3/access-…> Journal of Autoethnography: From the Self to the Community <https://online.ucpress.edu/joae/article-abstract/4/2/298/196099/From-the-Se…> Media International Australia: Exploring children’s TikTok cultures in India <https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X221127037> 🏆Information, Communication & Society: Young People and Social Media in India <https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2021.1988129> (ICA CAM Best Published Article 2023) Frontiers in Human Dynamics: Media Literacy, Social Connectedness, and Digital Citizenship in India <https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2021.601239/full> Wiley-Blackwell: Young People's Meme Cultures in India <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119166900.ch6> Journal of Communication: Decolonizing Open Science <https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqab027> *Confidentiality Notice * This message (including any attachments) contains information that may be confidential. Unless you are the intended recipient (or authorised to receive for the intended recipient), you may not read, print, retain, use, copy, distribute or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by e-mail, and destroy all copies of the original message (including any attachments). Thank you.

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REMINDER: CFP - Global Institutional Perspectives on GenAI & Cultural Industries
by Tom Divon 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

Dear community! Friendly reminder that submissions for our special issue - Global Institutional Perspectives on GenAI & Cultural Industries - are due in two weeks, on January 19, 2026. Our full intellectual agenda is detailed in the call for papers below (hosted by the Cambridge Forum on AI: Culture and Society), but in brief, we’re especially interested in how GenAI is reshaping cultural industries through new and old economic partnerships, infrastructural dependencies, and governance arrangements, and how these dynamics differ across regions. We aim to multiply our frames of reference in the field beyond its Anglo-American focus by encouraging work that takes diverse cultural, political, and historical contexts as starting points for theory-building. Contributions are welcome to focus on one or a combination of the following topics and issues: - Economic relations between major AI companies and cultural producers - Local AI intermediaries, funding, or infrastructures facilitating GenAI integration - Economic objectives and incentives for cultural producers to use GenAI tools - Hierarchies of class, caste, gender, and language, shaping the development of or access to GenAI tools - Development of local GenAI alternatives - Boundary resources shaping access to GenAI tools - Embedding of access to GenAI within wider material cultures - Friction between GenAI models and local requirements of cultural production - GenAI models and companies shaping cultural production - GenAI models and region- and industry-specific cultural sensitivities - Regulation of GenAI for cultural production by governments and public institutions - Political and cultural interests involved in GenAI governance in cultural industries For the full CFP https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-forum-on-ai-culture-and-s… We’re here for any questions, thoughts, or sparks of curiosity you want to exchange at - siglobalgenai(a)gmail.com The editorial team, Thomas Poell, Arturo Arriagada, Lorena Caminhas, Tom Divon, Smith Mehta, David Nieborg, Godwin Simon, and Zhen Ye. -- *Tom Divon* Creators & Platforms R*esearcher* Dept. of Communication & Journalism, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Sammy Ofer School of Communications, IDC, Herzliya Tel: +972-547-532681 [image: Twitter] <https://twitter.com/TomDivon>[image: Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/divon.tom/>[image: Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/tom.divon> Website: https://tomdivon.com/ Co-Founder: The Content Creator Scholars Network <https://www.ccsn.site/> *Publications*: >> Playful Activism: Memetic Performances of Palestinian Resistance in TikTok #Challenges <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051231157607> >> #JewishTikTok: The JewToks' Fight against Antisemitism <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359548581_JewishTikTok> >> Serious TikTok: Can You Learn About the Holocaust in 60 Seconds? <https://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/digitalholocaustmemory/2022/03/24/can-you-lear…> >> Playful Trauma: TikTok Creators and the Use of the Platformed Body in Times of War <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051241269281> >> Platform gaslighting: A user-centric insight into social media corporate communications of content moderation <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/29768624241303109> >> The unsolicited algorithm: unveiling gendered harms and (non)consent in apple iOS features <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09589236.2024.2433683?src=> >> The sound of disinformation: TikTok, computational propaganda, and the invasion of Ukraine <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14614448241251804?icid=int.sj-full…> >> Youthful Platform Commemoration: TikTok as a Frontier for Holocaust Education and Memory <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383957738_Youthful_Platform_Commem…>

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SAGE Handbook of Digital Labour is out!
by Rafael Do Nascimento Grohmann 06 Jan '26

06 Jan '26

Hi there, The SAGE Handbook of Digital Labour, edited by Ergin Bulut, Julie Chen, Kylie Jarrett, and myself, is out! Check it out: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/sam/the-sage-handbook-of-digital-labour/book28… Description The Sage Handbook of Digital Labour is a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted and evolving concept of digital labour. Originally coined in Marxist analyses to explain the exploitation of user data in the digital economy, the term has since expanded to encompass a wide range of paid work influenced by digital technologies. This includes traditional jobs transformed by platforms, new roles emerging in today's digital society, and cultural producers like influencers and online creators. The handbook also addresses the material aspects of digital labour, highlighting its dependence on traditional manufacturing and manual labour. This volume brings together leading scholars from diverse disciplines to examine the intersections of labour and digital technologies. It approaches digital labour as an interdisciplinary field of inquiry, exploring the material and ideological conditions of work in contemporary society. The handbook aims to chart the extensive territory of digital labour studies, covering theoretical traditions, key concepts, emblematic sites of production, normative cultures, and worker subjectivities. It also showcases the spectrum of worker organizing repertoires and tactics across the world. The handbook is organized into seven sections. Section 1 highlights major theoretical traditions, while Section 2 focuses on the material sites along production chains. Sections 3 and 4 delve into key concepts and sites of production, and Section 5 explores normative cultures and worker subjectivities. Section 6 examines worker organizing tactics, and Section 7 introduces research methods for scholars in the field. The volume concludes with discussions on how digital labour studies can provide unique perspectives to imagine digital futures. Table of Contents Authors Chapter Ergin Bulut; Julie Yujie Chen; Rafael Grohmann; Kylie Jarrett Introduction: Digital Labour as a Field of Inquiry Section One: Foundations of Digital Labour Ergin Bulut; Julie Yujie Chen; Rafael Grohmann; Kylie Jarrett Section One Introduction Marcos Dantas Chapter 1: Globalization and Information Work Ned Rossiter; Soenke Zehle Chapter 2: The Social Factory of Data Capitalism: Cybernetics, Logistics, Labour Nicole Cohen Chapter 3: Digital Labour, Precarity, and Employment Status: Continuity Through Change Aphra Kerr; Marguerite Barry Chapter 4: Retooling ethics for a critical and just digital future Sareeta Amrute Chapter 5: Race, Digital Labor, and Gig: Concepts, Histories, and Solidarities for the Why (and How) We Study Race Mayo Fuster Morell Chapter 6: Platform Work and Gender Equality Section Two: Digital Labour Infrastructures Ergin Bulut; Julie Yujie Chen; Rafael Grohmann; Kylie Jarrett Section Two Introduction Abel Guerra Chapter 7: An Infrastructural Optic to Digital Labour Evelyn Wan Chapter 8: Mining for Digital Culture: Dispossessed lives through the lens of art Paola Ricaurte Chapter 9: Data centers and labor politics: Political economy, geopolitics, and narratives of labor Prince K. Guma Chapter 10: Materialities of Everyday Digital Labour Melissa Mazmanian; Maggie Jack; Ingrid Erickson Chapter 11: The Rise of Independent Work and the Challenges of Realizing Autonomy Mira Wallis; Manuela Bojadzijev; Moritz Altenried Chapter 12: Platform Mobilities: Migration and Digital Labor Section Three: Labour Transformations Ergin Bulut; Julie Yujie Chen; Rafael Grohmann; Kylie Jarrett Section Three Introduction Harry Pitts Chapter 13: Value Struggles in Digital Taylorism: Scientific Management and Social Mediation Yu Huang Chapter 14: Rethinking Industrial Automation: Marxist Perspective Fabricio Barili Chapter 15: Dynamics of surveillance: Unveiling Surveillance in Workspaces and Work Management Uma Rani; Raghav Mehrotra; Sona Mewati Chapter 16: Redefining skills in a digital age: Fragmentation and underutilization Phoebe Moore; Gwendolin Barnard Chapter 17: Affective computing, algorithmic affect management, and the quantified worker Aneesh Aneesh; Shiv Issar Chapter 18: Labor's Odyssey Through Algorithmic Systems Niels van Doorn; Aaron Shapiro Chapter 19: Studying the gig economy ‘beyond the gig’: A research agenda Section Four: Sites of Production Ergin Bulut; Julie Yujie Chen; Rafael Grohmann; Kylie Jarrett Section Four Introduction Sai Amulya Komarraju Chapter 20: Digital Labour Platforms and the Future of Care Work(ers) Roseli Figaro; Claudia Nonato Chapter 21: Platformization and digitalization of journalists' work in Brazil Mary L. Gray; Saiph Savage Chapter 22: Designing for Global Data Work Jin Lee; Crystal Abidin Chapter 23: Silver Halmeoni Influencers in the Social Media Spotlight: Navigating Geriatric Cuteness, Labor, and Ageism Lorena Caminhas Chapter 24: Digital sex work and the contested boundaries of material and immaterial digital labour Antonio Casilli Chapter 25: Digital labor and the inconspicuous production of artificial intelligence Eric Florence; Juan Sebastian Carbonell Chapter 26: Digitalisation and resistance in logistics work Kenzo Soares Seto Chapter 27: Navigating the Sociotechnical Imaginaries of Brazilian Tech Workers Section Five: Organisational Cultures Ergin Bulut; Julie Yujie Chen; Rafael Grohmann; Kylie Jarrett Section Five Introduction Godwin Simon; Kevin Sanson Chapter 28: Seed Sowing in Nollywood: Labour, Precariousness, and the Promises of the Streaming Video Market in Nigeria Renyi Hong Chapter 29: The Pain of Love: Passionate Work and Spousal Support as Digital Labor Christine H. Tran Chapter 30: Play-at-Home Jobs: A Critical Feminist Viewership of Labour, Leisure & Livestreaming on Twitch Cheryll Soriano Chapter 31: Qualculative practices of ‘hustle’ in platform labor Ana Alacovska Chapter 32: The life/work mishmash in platform labour: Towards a livelihood approach Tugce Bidav Chapter 33: Professional Identity Formation of Social Media Creators Amir Anwar Chapter 34: Digital Labour and Uneven Developments Section Six: Workers' Organising Ergin Bulut; Julie Yujie Chen; Rafael Grohmann; Kylie Jarrett Section Six Introduction Kurt Vandaele Chapter 35: Unionisation of digital labour Lilly Irani Chapter 36: Turkopticon: From Software to Organizing (2009-2024) Noopur Raval Chapter 37: New Realms, New Responses: Alternative Worker Collectivization after Platforms Denise Kasparian; Sain Lopez-Perez Chapter 38: Cooperatives for Worker Empowerment in the Digital Economy Section Seven: Researching Digital Labour Ergin Bulut; Julie Yujie Chen; Rafael Grohmann; Kylie Jarrett Section Seven Introduction Oguz Alyanak, Alessio Bertolini, Funda Ustek-Spilda, Jonas Valente, Robbie Warin, Mark Graham Chapter 39: Action-Research: The Fairwork Project Callum Cant; Zeynap Karlidag; Clark McAllister; George Briley; Dante Philp Chapter 40: Workers’ Inquiry: A User’s Guide Kruskaya Hidalgo Cordero Chapter 41: Código Doméstico in the flesh: Feminist oral history methodologies for digital care work research Tiziano Bonini; Emiliano Trere Chapter 42: Confronting methodological and ethical challenges in the study of algorithms and digital labour Arturo Arriagada; Vanessa Richter Chapter 43: Exploring Imaginaries on Digital Labour Vera Khovanskaya Chapter 44: Worker Advocacy and Data Collection: Methodological Sensibilities for Studying Digitally Mediated Work Ergin Bulut; Julie Yujie Chen; Rafael Grohmann; Kylie Jarrett Conclusion: Digital Futures -- dr. Rafael Grohmann Assistant Professor of Media Studies Department of Arts, Culture and Media<https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/acm/rafael-grohmann> Faculty of Information<https://ischool.utoronto.ca/profile/rafael-grohmann/> University of Toronto Leader, DigiLabour<https://digilabour.com.br/> Research Associate, University of Oxford<https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/profiles/rafael-grohmann/> Founding Editor, Platforms & Society<https://journals.sagepub.com/home/PNS> Principal Investigator, Worker-Owned Intersectional Platforms (WOIP)<https://digilabour.com.br/worker-owned-intersectional-platforms-woip/> Co-Lead, Creative Labour and Critical Futures (CLCF)<https://criticaldigitalmethods.ca/creative-labour-critical-futures/> Researcher, AI Policy Observatory for the World of Work<https://www.essex.ac.uk/research-projects/ai-policy-observatory-for-the-wor…> Faculty Affiliate, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society<https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/> <https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/>

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