Education

Call for Papers

Populism, authoritarianism and the media:

The age of mediocracy and mediacracy

Prague (Malé náměstí 11) November 12-14, 2015

This fall’s conference will address the influence of authoritarianism and populism on the development of the media and communication industries in Central and Eastern Europe as well as other regions of the world.

We are seeking papers that will contribute to a critical examination of this topic and result in fruitful discussion panels at the event. We invite abstracts on any of the following topics.*

• Oligarchs, concentration of power, and media ownership – a Central European trend?
• The legacy of the past on the development of the media in post-authoritarian regimes.
• Modern methods used by populists to manipulate the media and the public.
• The use of social media by authoritarian regimes and their proxies.
• Netizens’ opposition to authoritarianism.
• The growth transnationally of authoritarian (or illiberal) media.
• Political vs. media populism.
• Internet trolling and hate speech as a new social phenomenon.
• Differences and similarities in media markets under authoritarian regimes.
• Media constructions of popular, professional, and political identities.
• Relationships between media, communication industries (public relations), and politics.
• The use of public polling in closed and semi-closed societies.

*Please note, this is not an exhaustive list of topics, and we will review any abstracts related to how authoritarianism and populism shape media industries and vice versa.

Please submit your 500-word abstracts until July 31. If you are not interested in presenting on a panel but would still like to participate, this year’s Prague Media Point will also feature a poster presentation session. Abstracts will be processed in the same way; just simply indicate your preference on the registration form.

The organizers have also reserved a number of spaces for non-presenting conference attendees.

The international conference series Prague Media Point is an annual event taking place in Prague that addresses both global and regional issues related to the transformation of media industries and politics. It is organized by Transitions, a nonprofit organization established to strengthen the professionalism, independence, and impact of the news media in the post-communist countries of Europe and the former Soviet Union, and KEYNOTE, an organization specializing in organizing conferences and events that lead to cutting-edge international encounters, bring new ideas to life, and facilitate a unique networking experience.

The downloadable PDF version of the call is also available.

The conference is supported by the European Communication Research and Education Association(ECREA), the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism at Charles University, the Comparative Interdisciplinary Studies Section (CISS) of International Studies Association (ISA), and is organized in partnership with New York University in Prague (Male namesti 11, Prague 1), which will serve as a host for the conference.