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EXTENDED DEADLINE: Towards Sustainable Digital Futures, 14-15 May 2025, Sheffield
by Minna Vigren 14 Feb '25

14 Feb '25

Dear all, we have extended the deadline submitting proposals to the Towards Sustainable Digital Futures symposium. You have time until 28 February to submit your 200-250 word abstract. Best Minna Call for Proposals: Towards Sustainable Digital Futures, 14-15 May 2025, University of Sheffield, UK Over the past decades, digitalization and sustainability have emerged as two of the most significant global trends, yet they have largely developed independently. Digitalization is proposed as a solution to address global sustainability challenges such as climate change, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss (United Nations 2018; Dwivedi et al. 2022). Nevertheless, technologies such as AI are partial and deceptive solutions to the planetary crises if their sustainability is not addressed. Alarming figures from scientific research have highlighted the detrimental environmental effects of digitalization and datafication. The environmental impacts of digitalization are significant and growing, with rising electricity consumption, water usage, and emissions from devices, networks, and data centers (Gelenbe, 2023; Lange et al., 2023; Li et al., 2023). Moreover, the extraction of critical minerals for digital devices as well as planned obsolescence and poor recycling cause severe ecological harm, particularly in the Global South (Lange et al., 2023). Although societies want digital technologies to serve the social good, there has been far more focus on environmental harms of digital technologies than sustainable alternatives. In this symposium, we ask what a sustainable digital society looks like and how we get there. What kind of research is needed to make the digital future more sustainable? The interdisciplinary symposium will include paper presentations, a workshop, and keynote talk. We welcome different types of presentations: theoretical, empirical, and methodological research papers, “work-in-progress”, practice-based responses, and “wildcards” (suggest your own presentation type). Proposals may respond to, but are not limited by, the following themes: * Conceptual frameworks and vocabularies for studying good digital sustainability * Rethinking digital efficiency from a planetary perspective * The ethics of resource-intensive technologies (e.g. AI) * Alternative visions of sustainable digital society * Sustainable practices in digital industries and digital everyday life * Policy innovations and interventions for addressing digital unsustainability * Innovative and/or speculative methods for digital sustainability research * Art-science collaboration, design prototypes, or games on digital sustainability Please submit your proposal (200-250 words) with a brief bio via email to minna.vigren(a)lut.fi<mailto:minna.vigren@lut.fi> by 28 February 2025. Details: When: 14-15 May 2025 Where: The Edge, 34 Endcliffe Crescent, Sheffield. S10 3ED (University of Sheffield <https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/> campus). Participation fee: £120, or £90 for PhD students. The fee covers symposium attendance, refreshments, lunches, and an evening meal on the first day. Travel and accommodation are not covered. For questions and more information, please contact minna.vigren(a)lut.fi<mailto:minna.vigren@lut.fi>. The symposium is a collaboration between the ESRC Digital Good Network<https://digitalgood.net/> and the Imagining Sustainable Digital Futures<https://www.minnavigren.net/imagining-sustainable-digital-futures> project (Research Council of Finland, 2022-2025). Organizing committee: Minna Vigren, Dorothea Kleine, Preeti Raghunath, and Thomas Wright ///////////////////// Minna Vigren Assistant Professor Communication Sciences (room 4652) LUT University, Finland https://www.minnavigren.net Project Imagining Sustainable Digital Futures (Research Council of Finland, 2022–2025) https://www.minnavigren.net/imagining-sustainable-digital-futures <https://www.minnavigren.net/imagining-sustainable-digital-futures>Recent publications Vigren, M. & Ketonen-Oksi, S. (2024). Kuvittelu transformatiivisia tulevaisuuksia rakentamassa.Futura 2/2024. Ketonen-Oksi, S. & Vigren, M. (2024). Methods to imagine transformative futures. An integrative literature review. Futures 157, article number 103341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2024.103341 Vigren, M. (2024). Mediakasvatus ekokriisin aikakaudella: Eko-digitaalisen toimijuuden suuntaviivat. Teoksessa E. Airola ym. (toim.) Mediakasvatus hyvinvoinnin ja osallisuuden tukena. https://medialukutaitosuomessa.fi/mediakasvatus2024.pdf Vigren, M. (2024). Imagining alternative mediated futures: Critical speculation as a method. In SAGE Research Methods: Diversifying and Decolonising Research. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529692563 Ylipulli, J. & Vigren, M. (2023). From skilled users to critical citizens? Imagining and future-making as part of digital citizenship. In D. Radovanović (ed.) Digital Literacy and Inclusion: Stories, Platforms, Communities (pp.15–31). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30808-6_2

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Funded PhD studentship in the ethical implications of Natural Language Processing
by z＠zeerak.org 13 Feb '25

13 Feb '25

[Apologies for cross-posting] Dear all, I am happy to announce that I’m looking for a fully funded PhD student to join me at the University of Edinburgh to work on topics around the ethics of NLP and ethical NLP methods. You can find more information below, but please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions! Zee PhD Studentship Opportunity Examining the ethical implications of natural language processing The Edinburgh Futures Institute’s Centre for Technomoral Futures and the School of Informatics are delighted to invite applications for this PhD studentship, funded by Baillie Gifford, to begin in the academic year 2025/2026. This studentship, which is open to UK, EU and international applicants, will support rigorous interdisciplinary PhD research into the ethical challenges posed by the growing use of natural language processing and artificial intelligence. Application Deadline: 15 March 2025 Supervisors: * Dr Zee Talat<https://www.technomoralfutures.uk/our-academic-staff-database/zeerak-talat>, School of Informatics * Secondary supervisor, to be confirmed The Project: The aim of this project is to perform research in natural language processing (NLP) towards identifying and exploring methods for the ethical development of NLP tools. Given the increased uptake in the use and proliferation of NLP technologies, questions surrounding the ethical and responsible development of such tools are of greater urgency. To this end, this project will seek to examine the current ecosystems and practices for the development of language technologies, proactively develop technologies for examining NLP tools and their social ramifications, or design NLP technologies that encourage ethical practices. Through these areas, the project seeks to identify the ethical challenges faced by NLP and approaches to address them. For example, the project could: * Investigate how NLP and machine learning contributes to inequities in society * Show how end-users of NLP technologies can benefit from personalisation and privacy preservation methods * Investigate why current methods for addressing social biases in NLP and machine learning models fall short, and identify remedies for such shortcomings * Examine NLP and machine learning literature for the values that underpin research in the field The project will consider how NLP and machine learning are currently falling short in engaging with ethical development practices (such as those suggested in the indicative list above) and examine how such practices can be improved for the benefit of end-users and society more broadly. The project will make explicit the shortcomings of current methods in machine learning and research in the field of fairness and ethics of NLP and machine learning, and propose social, infrastructural, or technical mechanisms that can limit the harmful ramifications of applying current methods in NLP and machine learning in social contexts. It will contribute to the discourse on ethics and fairness in NLP and machine learning by considering in detail the promises made by AI-related fields, and how and why they are not met. See more information here: https://informatics.ed.ac.uk/study-with-us/our-degrees/postgraduate-researc…

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Platforms & Society: Published Articles
by Rafael Do Nascimento Grohmann 13 Feb '25

13 Feb '25

Hi AoIR, Last May, we launched the Platforms & Society<https://journals.sagepub.com/articles/PNS> journal, which hosts critical social science and humanities research on platforms and platformization, examining their impacts on and embeddedness in economies, cultures, and institutions around the world. We have already published 23 articles, and we are sharing them with you. From now on, we will share updates quarterly. We invite you to read these articles and check out our submission guidelines<https://journals.sagepub.com/author-instructions/PNS>. Introducing Platforms & Society<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241235492> Julie Chen, Niels van Doorn, Rafael Grohmann, Andrea Pollio, Cheryll Soriano Governing platforms and societies<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241255922> José van Dijck The political economy of digital platforms: Key directions<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241263071> * Devika Narayan * Rethinking algorithmic management in minor key: The case of housecleaning platform labour in Denmark<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241273468> * Konstantinos Floros Consolidating platforms<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241254457> * Brett Neilson Interpreting Apple’s visions: Examining the spatiality of the Apple Vision Pro<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241283913> * Tyler Blackman, Daniel Harley Researching under the platform gaze: Rethinking the challenges of platform governance research<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241283912> * Carolina Are ‘Walking on eggshells’: Exploring tensions and ambivalences in platformised feminist practices on Instagram<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241284499> * Sofia P Caldeira A fit-for-purpose platform research agenda for a broken world<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241263951> * Cecilia Rikap Understanding the “platform” keyword: An inquiry on the contested use of metaphors in platform studies<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241285294> * Gianmarco Cristofari The new conglomerates<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241255309> * Nick Srnicek Platform studies and the finance-technology nexus: For a “genetic” approach<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241286779> * Edemilson Paraná Paraplatforms<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241275069> * Marc Steinberg The platformization of the follower factory: Para-platforms, automation, and labor in the market for social media engagements<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241297751> * Esther Weltevrede, Johan Lindquist Parasocial media: The mass production of intimacy on a Chinese pop idol mobile application<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241299954> * Xinyue Shen, Blake Hallinan Unpacking the business model: Food delivery platforms as ‘multiple market makers’<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241298782> * Julieta Haidar The politics of policy change in platform capitalism: A systematic review of the literature on the regulation of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs)<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241304599> * Ronald Sáenz-Leandro, * Mireia Fernández-Ardèvol Scenes of life's work: Migrant platform workers’ struggles over social reproduction in the context of welfare state bordering in Finland<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241307017> * Olivia Maur Things not quite going to plan: The actually existing platformization of the home care sector in Aotearoa New Zealand<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241303717> * Lisa Vonk, Leon A. Salter A social media professor, mediated: Being subject, object, and spectator in #BamaRush TikTok<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241306051> * Jessica Maddox Platform gaslighting: A user-centric insight into social media corporate communications of content moderation<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241303109> * Tom Divon, Carolina Are, Pam Briggs Multichannel networks in China's livestreaming industry: Failing industrial lore and limited intermediary roles amidst platformization<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624251317147> * Zhen Ye Disciplined autonomy: A failed platform-cooperativism initiative in Brazil<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/29768624241307318> * Walmir Estima, André Lemos best, Rafael Grohmann (on behalf of the editorial collective) -- 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/> 2024-2025 Faculty Fellow, Queer and Trans Research Lab, Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, University of Toronto<https://sds.utoronto.ca/qtrl-cohort-2024-25/>

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‘Behind the Scenes’ online talk series, session 16: Emillie de Keulenaar on consensus-building moderation systems
by J.C. Vieira Magalhaes 13 Feb '25

13 Feb '25

Dear all, Next Tuesday (18th February), our ‘Behind the Scenes’ online talk series will host Emillie de Keulenaar (University of Groningen), who will discuss consensus-building content moderation, and how to study it. A truly important talk, especially in light of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg's recent attempts to make this type of approach the default for platform fact-checking. See the details below and register for free here: https://platform-governance.org/session-16-emillie-de-keulenaar-content-mod… João, also on behalf of Christian and Paloma — Time and Date: February 18, 3-4pm CEST Content moderation from adjudication to consensus-building Though content moderation has not disappeared under Musk’s and Zuckerberg’s new moderation philosophies, the transformations it has undergone remain unclear and inconsistent. In this talk, I want to delve deeper into a counter-intuitive development that has gathered less attention in journalistic and scholarly circles: the development of so-called “consensus-building” moderation mechanisms. Though content moderation has visibly veered towards a normatively agnostic take in favour of freedom of expression, at the same time it has invested in systems that attempt to “crowdsource consensus” (via Community Notes), or “bridge divides” via a variety of “bridging systems” within ranking, recommenders and LLM applications. While this development appears to pave a road for content moderation to contribute to “healthier” public debate, questions remain about (1) the role of public institutions in modelling “bridging systems” for private platforms with distinct financial and political interests; and (2) the underlying concepts that are baked into operationalisations of “consensus-building” in algorithmic systems. In discussing this idea, I also point to empirical methods for analysing “consensus-building” moderation techniques as alternatives to suspension, demotion and flagging. This means using datasets provided by the platform itself — Community Notes datasets or other — as well as tracing the genesis and overall transformation that these techniques have undergone from application to application. Presenting Author Emillie de Keulenaar is a PhD candidate at the University of Groningen, a researcher at the University of Amsterdam’s Open Intelligence Lab, and a research consultant for the UN DPPA Innovation Cell. Her research lies on the formation of speech norms in social media content moderation and their impact in the formation of online counter-spheres. With the UN DPPA Innovation Cell, she develops analytical software and research methods for monitoring public conflict and dialogue processes across the web. About the Series This talk is part of the series Behind the Scenes – Conversations on Empirical Platform Governance Research that invites scholars in this field to share their experiences and views, fostering community exchange about how we can study platform governance in this challenging context. It is hosted by the Lab “Platform Governance, Media, and Technology” (PGMT) at the Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research (ZeMKI), University of Bremen, and the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies, University of Groningen. -- João C. Magalhães Assistant Professor in Media, Politics and Democracy University of Groningen | Centre for Media and Journalism Studies https://jcmagalhaes.com/ Selected publications: Musk reinvented platform power. We should take heed <https://www.techpolicy.press/musk-reinvented-platform-power-we-should-take-…>, 2024 (Tech Policy Press) | Governance by technological design, a critique <https://www.elgaronline.com/edcollchap/book/9781800887206/book-part-9781800…>, 2024 (Handbook of Media and Communication Governance) | A history of objectionability in Twitter’s moderation practices <https://academic.oup.com/joc/advance-article/doi/10.1093/joc/jqad015/720476…>, 2023 (Journal of Communication, w/ Emillie de Keulenaar, Bharath Ganesh) | Social media, social unfreedom <https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/commun-2022-0040/html>, 2022 (Communications, w/ Jun Yu) | Big Tech, data colonialism and the reconfiguration of social good <https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/15995>, 2021(International Journal of Communication, w/ Nick Couldry) | Algorithmic visibility and bottom-up authoritarianism in the Brazilian crisis <http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/4042/>, 2019 (PhD, LSE) | Considering algorithmic ethical subjectivation <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2056305118768301>, 2018 (Social Media + Society)

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CFP: Creative Digital Narrative Unconference
by Lyle Skains 13 Feb '25

13 Feb '25

Call for Proposals: 2025 NMWP Unconference 13-14 May 2025 — 100% Virtual (Zoom) Deadline: 25 February 2025 You are cordially invited to contribute to our third annual New Media Writing Prize Unconference. This two-day creative and critical participant-directed Unconference is hosted by Bournemouth University<https://zcm1-zcmp.maillist-manage.eu/click/129155702e507de7/129155702e50799e> (UK) in partnership with the Electronic Literature Organization<https://zcm1-zcmp.maillist-manage.eu/click/129155702e507de7/129155702e5079a0> and the British Library<https://zcm1-zcmp.maillist-manage.eu/click/129155702e507de7/129155702e5079a2>. The Unconference will culminate in the awards evening<https://zcm1-zcmp.maillist-manage.eu/click/129155702e507de7/129155702e5079a4> for the New Media Writing Prize on 14 May 2025. Please see https://newmediawritingprize.co.uk/unconference/<https://zcm1-zcmp.maillist-manage.eu/click/129155702e507de7/129155702e5079a6> for the full call for proposals and a link to submit your proposal. Unconference Theme: Collaboration This year’s theme explores the intersections of digital collaboration, inclusivity, and creative innovation. How can we work together across disciplines and geographies to shape the future of digital media? We encourage proposals that address these questions through practical, hands-on activities and engaging discussions. We encourage submissions that align with the collaborative, hands-on spirit of the Unconference. We are particularly interested in proposals for activities that emphasize participation, creativity, and discussion. Examples of activities include: * Live Co-Creation: Collaborative storytelling, netprovs, or group design challenges. * Hack-a-Thon / Write-a-Thon: Thematic challenges that result in co-created outputs. * Peer-Led Clinics: Hands-on sessions using accessible tools like Twine, GitHub, or creative software. * Creative Networking Sessions: Innovative ways to connect participants (e.g., collaboration speed-dating). * Dialogues in Digital Practice: Lightning talks based in a panel’s research or practice followed by facilitated discussion and creative responses. * Thematic Breakouts: Discussions or activities exploring subthemes like accessibility or sustainability. * Quickfire Interludes: Quick creative exercises (e.g., collaborative poems, brainstorming). Researchers could also use these for data collection — try things out on us! * …and anything else you can think of! Please note we’ll be limiting single-presenter presentations to 7 minutes or less. This includes artists’ talks. Proposal submission deadline: 25 February 2025, Midnight UTC. Please see https://newmediawritingprize.co.uk/unconference/<https://zcm1-zcmp.maillist-manage.eu/click/129155702e507de7/129155702e5079a8> for the full call for proposals and a link to submit your proposal. ________________________________ BU is a Disability Confident Employer and has signed up to the Mindful Employer charter. Information about the accessibility of University buildings can be found on the BU AccessAble webpages. This email is intended only for the person to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender and delete this email, which must not be copied, distributed or disclosed to any other person. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Bournemouth University or its subsidiary companies. Nor can any contract be formed on behalf of the University or its subsidiary companies via email.

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Speaker Series: Science, Health, & Data Communication
by Lyle Skains 13 Feb '25

13 Feb '25

Join us for the Centre for Science, Health and Data Communication Research Spring Speaker Series The Centre for Science, Health, and Data Communication Research invites you to our Spring 25 speaker series. Featuring researchers from BU and around the world, these online talks are open to the public and encompass topics on the exploitation of seaweed, the adoption and use of VR, communicating numbers, AI migration governance, and using AI to build ‘databases from below’. To see abstracts, bios and register for free, please go to our Eventbrite: http://bu-shdc.eventbrite.com<http://bu-shdc.eventbrite.com/> For a visual version of the speaker line-up see: https://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2025/02/07/join-us-for-the-centre-… 19/02/25 Christine Maggs Sustainable exploitation of seaweeds 26/02/2025 Catherine Happer The Construction of Public Opinion in a Digital Age 05/03/2025 Christopher Ball Beyond the Hype: Trends in Virtual Reality Adoption and Use 12/03/2025 Kaelynn Narita Outsourcing UK Migration Governance 19/03/2025 Bodo Winter The Art of Approximation: How We Communicate Numbers Across Modalities 26/03/2025 Bruno Takahashi An identity-based approach to inclusive science communication research and training in the US 02/04/2025 Anna Feigenbaum Using AI to build a ‘Database from Below’: reflections on collecting, coding and quantifying police use of force 30/04/2025 Divina Frau-Meigs When MIL meets AI : Design Considerations 07/05/2025 Lyle Skains TBC 14/05/2025 Gabriel Moreno-Esparza Hybrid Media in the Construction of Biomedical Discourse at the NHS: the case study of #GeordieHospital — Trans Rights are Human Rights — Dr. R. Lyle Skains (LIE-ul skaynz ~ she/her) Associate Professor in Literary Media Senior Fellow, HEA | UKCGE Recognised Research Supervisor Faculty of Media & Communication, Bournemouth University @lskains.bsky.social<https://bsky.app/profile/lskains.bsky.social> lskains(a)bournemouth.ac.uk<mailto:lskains@bournemouth.ac.uk> | Staff Profile<https://staffprofiles.bournemouth.ac.uk/display/lskains> | Appointment Bookings<http://bit.ly/BookLyle> — Playable Comms<http://playablecomms.org/>: Interactive Digital Narrative for Health & Science Communication Winner of the 2023 N. Katherine Hayles Award<https://eliterature.org/elo-awards/> for Criticism in Electronic Literature, Neverending Stories: The Popular Emergence of Digital Fiction<https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/neverending-stories-9781501364938/> ________________________________ BU is a Disability Confident Employer and has signed up to the Mindful Employer charter. Information about the accessibility of University buildings can be found on the BU AccessAble webpages. This email is intended only for the person to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender and delete this email, which must not be copied, distributed or disclosed to any other person. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Bournemouth University or its subsidiary companies. Nor can any contract be formed on behalf of the University or its subsidiary companies via email.

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Last Chance to Submit: ‘Artificial Intelligence and Policy’ Special Issue, Journal of Digital Media & Policy
by Michael Klontzas 13 Feb '25

13 Feb '25

JDMP 15.3 cover.png Apologies for crossposting. Reminder: Deadline for submissions approaching 📢 Call for Papers: Journal of Digital Media & Policy Special Issue: ‘Artificial Intelligence and Policy’ Guest-Editors: Terry Flew, Petros Iosifidis, Michael Klontzas, Krisztina Rozgonyi View the full call here: https://www.intellectbooks.com/journal-of-digital-media-policy#call-for-pap… <https://www.intellectbooks.com/journal-of-digital-media-policy#call-for-pap…> Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a global technology that may change the world. It is developing rapidly at all levels – national, supranational and international – driven by market and grassroots innovation offering cloud-based and selfhosted implementations. Like all other technological innovations it involves opportunities and risks, as well as hype. It can facilitate faster decision-making, minimise human error and enhance productivity to improve healthcare to take an example, but there are also drawbacks including ethical concerns about concentration of power, bias and privacy, transparency, dependability, accountability, security risks from hacking, environmental impact, and misuse of AI for fraud and deception, i.e. through disinformation. The training needs of AI intensified ongoing discussions around the value and ownership of high quality human-generated data as a scarce asset. This provides a strong incentive to act and regulate the field. However, there needs to be a basic agreement over what is to be policed, how and by whom. As The Economistput it, ‘the world wants to regulate AI, but does not quite know how’ (https://www.economist.com/business/2023/10/24/the-world-wants-to-regulate-a… <https://www.economist.com/business/2023/10/24/the-world-wants-to-regulate-a…>). Indeed, it is too early to pin down specific policies because AI is currently a fast-moving target. There is therefore the option of waiting until the dust settles and there is more light than heat in policy debates. However, there are advantages to being there early at the formative stage in order to craft a carefully balanced approach that sets principles and priorities for society and the economy, while guarding fundamental rights and values that might be at risk due to AI systems. This CFP aims to contribute to the emerging discussion on AI policy but it is deliberately open-ended which suits the uncertainties around AI. The guest editors comprise a diverse team with a broad range of regional expertise and the intention is to invite contributors with diverse backgrounds from all over the world. Contributions may address, but are not limited to, the following areas: * AI and national, supranational/intergovernmental governance, the role of international organisations (UN/UNESCO, Council of Europe, OECD, etc.) in shaping and steering the debate. * AI and trust: ‘trusted systems’ approaches versus societal trust models; trust and accountability; transparency and its limits; risk-based regulatory approaches * Culturally-oriented international organisations like UNESCO vs. pro-market ones, to identify differences in the approach to AI regulation. * Different models globally for regulating AI, i.e., EU model; US model; Chinese model. * Conceptual and strategic differences in governing and regulating AI: human-rights centred, risk-based, innovation-focused approaches. * New and emerging governance models around AI: two-tier systems of regulators with or without a technology/AI mandate, (geo)political clashes among countries/regulators. * The enabling factors and frameworks for AI policy-making and regulation: AI usage data access; use case information gaps; information asymmetries and strategies to address imbalances. * The capacity to govern: readiness and capability of regulators, institutional transformations, path dependencies and capture. Submissions: Submission of abstracts should include name, institutional affiliation, contact information, title and a 400-word abstract. Email your abstracts to all guest editors: Terry Flew (terry.flew(a)sydney.edu.au) Petros Iosifidis (p.iosifidis(a)city.ac.uk) Michael Klontzas (michael(a)klontzas.com) Krisztina Rozgonyi (Krisztina.Rozgonyi(a)oeaw.ac.at) Publication deadlines and timeline: Abstracts due: 1 March 2025 Confirmation of acceptance: 15 March 2025 Full manuscript due: 15 July 2025 Revisions sent out (peer review): 1 September 2025 Final submission: 1 December 2025 Publication: 1 March 2026 -- Judith Schofield | Journals Marketing Executive (she / her) A: Intellect, The Mill, Parnall Rd, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3JG, UK T: +44 (0)117 9589910 W: www.intellectbooks.com <http://www.intellectbooks.com/>

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[ACM RecSys2025] Call for Tutorials and Workshops
by Starke, Alain 12 Feb '25

12 Feb '25

Dear all, The ACM Conference on Recommender Systems (RecSys) in Prague (Sep 22-26, 2025) solicits proposals for tutorials and workshops. RecSys is an excellent opportunity to share knowledge with a specific audience and to drew attention to specific topics. All details on tutorial submissions: https://recsys.acm.org/recsys25/call/#content-tab-1-4-tab All details in workshop submissions: https://recsys.acm.org/recsys25/call/#content-tab-1-5-tab Tutorials The goal of the tutorials is to provide conference attendees, including early-career researchers and researchers crossing over from related disciplines, with an opportunity to learn about recommender system concepts and techniques. Tutorials also serve as a venue to share presenters' expertise with the global community of recommender system researchers and practitioners. Each tutorial will provide in-depth coverage of an established recommender systems subtopic, introduce an emerging application of recommendation technologies, or update the recommender systems community on recent advances in related fields. Workshops In 2025, our goal is to have a balanced workshop program, which comprises workshop formats of different types and a combination of newly emerging, currently evolving, and historically understudied topics. Different full-day and half-day workshop formats are possible, for example: * Workshops with novel interactive formats and a relatively small number of participants. Such workshop formats might for example target the exploration of a certain topic during the workshop through a moderated discussion or breakout sessions, resulting in a draft paper or report to be completed and published after the workshop. Or they might focus on datasets and benchmarking for a particular problem or domain. Particular priority will be given to these formats which require the active involvement of the participants. * Workshops with the traditional workshop format on specialized topics. Such workshops typically have their own paper submission and review processes. Proposals for the continuation of an existing workshop series are welcome. However, please include a brief statement on the necessity for the new edition, including a description of the outcomes of previous years and the expected novelty of this edition. All details can be found on our website: https://recsys.acm.org/recsys25/call/#content-tab-1-5-tab Kind regards, Alain Starke Publicity Co-Chair ACM RecSys 2025

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Deadline extended - CFP ECREA DMM-IIC Conference and PhD Workshop "Beyond Borders: Creative Methods and Reflexive Approaches to Migration, Media, and Intercultural Dialogue"
by Cigdem Bozdag 12 Feb '25

12 Feb '25

Extended abstract submission deadline: 28 February CFP - ECREA DMM-IIC Conference and PhD Workshop "Beyond Borders: Creative Methods and Reflexive Approaches to Migration, Media, and Intercultural Dialogue" 16-18 September 2025 Tallinn University, Estonia Keynote speakers: Professor Mirca Madianou (Goldsmiths, University of London, London, Great Britain) Dr Diyako Rahmani (Massey University of New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand) Dr Karolina Nikielska-Sekuła (University of Warsaw and Jagiellonian University, Poland) **All information can be found on the conference and PhD workshop website: https://www.tlu.ee/en/bfm/dmmiic <https://www.tlu.ee/en/bfm/dmmiic> Recent global challenges and the rise of far-right governments worldwide have intensified the persecution of migrants, transforming borders into harsh zones of exclusion and surveillance. In this climate, migration is increasingly criminalized, and those seeking safety and opportunity are often met with hostility, reinforcing narrow nationalist ideologies. This environment has posed new methodological challenges for research in migration contexts, as well as prompted reflexive considerations on how knowledge is generated, how participants are cared for, and how spaces are created to support human dignity and mobility. This conference invites researchers to propose abstracts that address methodological and reflexive perspectives in the exploration of multifaceted migration experiences and intercultural communication in the context of migration persecution and border closing. Creative methods, such as digital storytelling, participatory media projects, ethnographic film, and arts-based research, offer rich and nuanced perspectives that address current challenges in migration criminalization. These methods not only capture the complexities of diasporic lives, but also empower communities to express their own narratives and co-create knowledge. We encourage contributions that reflect on these innovative approaches to migration and media studies, as they have the potential to deepen our understanding of how identities, relationships, and cultural dialogues are shaped and redefined through media. Beyond methodological approaches, we also encourage researchers to explore more broadly a reflexive analysis of the dynamic intersection of migration, media, and communication. We encourage submissions that propose alternative, reflexive creative methodological approaches and critical epistemologies to address topics such as: ● Intercultural encounters and intercultural dialogue ● Practices of exclusion, surveillance, and persecution at the border ● AI, platform affordances, and infrastructures in relation to migration and intercultural communication ● Digital counter publics and diasporic activism ● Digital communication on intercultural perceptions and interactions ● Multilingualism in digital spaces and its implications for social cohesion ● Digital transnationalism ● Ethical dimensions of researching migration, media, and intercultural dialogue ● Identity formation and sense of belonging In addition to the conference, we will be hosting a joint workshop for PhD students on the 16th of September 2025. The workshop will focus on creative methods of research, alternative ways of writing, and reflexive approaches to migration, media, and intercultural dialogue. If you are a PhD student and would like to participate, please submit your application via online submission form. Please note that it is possible for Doctoral researchers to attend both the workshop and the conference, or only one event. More detailed information about the PhD workshop structure is available here. Submission guidelines: ● Individual Submission: Present your research or insights in an oral presentation to allow for a focused discussion of your work. Submissions should include an abstract (max 400 words including keywords and main references) and a short biographical note (max 100 words). Abstracts should be submitted electronically, using online submission form by 28 February 2025. ● Panel: This format encourages a deeper exploration of topics from various perspectives and fosters dynamic interactions among participants. Submissions for panels should include a chairperson, a rationale for the panel (250 words), and the names of four speakers including their abstract (250 words). Submissions for panels should be submitted via online submission form by 28 February 2025. ● Workshop: Conduct a 60 to 90-minute workshop that offers hands-on experiences and practical engagement with the theme. This format is ideal for fostering collaboration and active learning among attendees. Workshop submissions should include a chairperson, a rationale for the workshop (250 words), and the names of 5 speakers/participants with each biographical note (max 100 words). Submissions for workshops should be submitted via online submission form by 28 February 2025. The conference will be in person only. Conference Deadlines: February 28 - Abstract submission deadline. early April - Notification of acceptance. May 31 - Early registration deadline. June 30 - Late registration deadline. EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION (DEADLINE: 31 MAY) Regular fee: 250 Euros PhD student (conference and PhD workshop): 150 Euros PhD student (conference only): 100 Euros Student (PhD workshop only): 50 Euros Social Dinner (open to all): 45 Euros LATE REGISTRATION (DEADLINE: 30 JUNE) Full registration: 300 Euros PhD Student (conference and PhD workshop): 175 Euros PhD student (conference only): 110 Euros Student (PhD workshop only): 65 Euros Social Dinner (open to all): 45 Euros We look forward to receiving your contributions! Organising committee ECREA International and Intercultural Communication Anastassia Zabrodskaja (Tallinn University, Baltic Film, Media and Arts School, Estonia) David Ongenaert (Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands) Melanie Radue (University of Passau, Germany) Shomaila Sadaf (University of Jyväskylä, Finland) ECREA Diaspora, Migration and the Media Sara Marino (University of the Arts London, United Kingdom) Silvia Almenara Niebla (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium) Çiğdem Bozdağ (University of Groningen, The Netherlands) Miriana Cascone (Södertörn University, Sweden) Claudia Minchilli (University of Groningen, The Netherlands) Rob Sharp (University of Sussex, United Kingdom) Contact Person: If you have any inquiries, please reach out to the Conference Chair, Professor Anastassia Zabrodskaja, at anastassia.zabrodskaja(a)tlu.ee <mailto:anastassia.zabrodskaja@tlu.ee>.

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Call for Abstracts on Digital Authoritarianism in the Global South
by Saif Shahin 12 Feb '25

12 Feb '25

Greetings! We are planning to propose a special issue to a peer-reviewed journal on the theme of Digital Authoritarianism in the Global South, and soliciting brief abstracts from scholars working in this field to be a part of our proposal. We consider Digital Authoritarianism to include all the ways in which digital practices, platforms, and policies contribute to maintaining or exacerbating authoritarianism. These can range from the active use of digital infrastructures by states or related entities against organized opposition or common citizens (e.g., for surveillance, disinformation, or propaganda) to prohibitions on internet access, blocking of content, restrictions on private communication driven by political motivations, and so on. While recognizing that the Global South is an ambiguous construct, for our SI proposal we consider it to cover all parts of Asia (including the Middle East), Africa, and Latin America that have historically experienced colonialism. Studies that look at interrelations between the Global North and South in the context of digital authoritarianism will also be considered. Abstracts may focus on states under authoritarian rule or putatively democratic nations that indulge in digital authoritarianism. While country-specific case studies are welcome, we are also interested in comparative or cross-border studies that illustrate digital authoritarianism as a transnational phenomenon. Although we expect most abstracts to be empirically driven (using qualitative, quantitative, or computational methods), conceptual articles and policy-oriented papers may also be submitted. If you are interested in contributing to our SI proposal, please submit: 1. A 150-word abstract, including your problem statement/research question, methods and materials, and scientific/societal contribution, and 2. A 50-word bio of each author. All submissions should be sent to Dr. Saif Shahin ( s.s.shahin(a)tilburguniversity.edu) and Dr. Junki Nakahara (junki(a)stanford.edu) by Wednesday 26 February. Please let us know if you have any questions. Best wishes, Saif Shahin, Tilburg University Junki Nakahara, Stanford University ____ Saif Shahin, Ph.D. Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences Tilburg University, Netherlands Associate Editor Journal of Information Technology & Politics Google Scholar <https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pzy87iEAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao> | ResearchGate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Saif-Shahin> Recent publications Black Lives Matter Goes Global <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14614448211057106> (*New Media & Society*, 2024) Platform Affordances and Spiral of Silence <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160791X23002361> (*Technology in Society*, 2024) Reciprocity and Asymmetry in Digital Diplomacy <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/poi3.355> (*Policy & Internet*, 2023)

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