RMeS Conference – All About Media?

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RMeS Conference: All About Media? The Future of Media Studies

9 & 10 November 2023 | 9.30-17.00 | Amsterdam – LAB111, Arie Biemondstraat 111 Amsterdam 

Registration will open Wednesday 20 September via this link. Please register before 1 November 2023. RMeS PhD Candidates, RMa Students and Staff members have first access.

IMPORTANT NOTE: when registering for this conference, we assume you will be there on both 9 and 10 November, in case you can only attend on Thursday OR Friday, please specify at remarks on which day you would like to attend. We would like to accommodate as much participants as we can.

Confirmed Keynote Speakers:

  • Professor David Morley (Goldsmiths, University of London)
  • Dr Anne Helmond (Utrecht University)

Over the last two decades, Media Studies has moved from the periphery to the core of the Humanities. Thinking about media has now become a central site for understanding contemporary society and culture at large. Rendering its consideration has become indispensable for scholars in many different disciplines. The multi- and interdisciplinary character of the field of media studies has always been one of its key strengths; but in this rapidly evolving landscape, what counts as media studies is increasingly coming into question. If everything ‘cultural’, ‘social’ and ‘political’ now seems to be about media, in one way or another, the question arises; what’s the role of and future of the field?

On the occasion of its twelve and a half year anniversary, the Research School for Media Studies (RMeS) aims to unite the Dutch Media Studies community to discuss what it means to study media when they are ubiquitous. How will, and should, the discipline develop in the future? What questions will be relevant and what challenges should we address? What will we study at our next anniversary in 2035?

RMeS was founded in 2011 and was instrumental in establishing and institutionalising the field in the Netherlands. To explore and actively shape new directions for Media Studies, RMeS invites  submissions for the upcoming conference All About Media? The Future for Media Studies. The event will be held at LAB111 in Amsterdam from 9-10 November 2023.

The conference wants to draw on the collective knowledge of the Dutch Media Studies community by exploring new research directions, questions, and challenges for the field. At the same time, we want to showcase Dutch Media Studies research and create a space to further debates.

Preliminary programme

Thursday 9 November 2023

10.00-10.30: Welcome, registration coffee

10.30-10.45: Opening

10.45-12.00: Keynote Professor David Morley (Goldsmiths, University of London)

12.00-13.00: Lunch

13.00-14.30: Parallel sessions

  • Media and Innovation (paper panel)
  • Media Studies and the Promise of a Practice-Based pedagogy (thematic panel)
  • Screening the Future of Media Studies
    Personal favorites of prominent Media Scholars
    t.b.c
  • Former directors & Advisory Board round table
    t.b.c.

14.30-15.00: Tea break

15.00-16.30: Parallel sessions

  • Media and Democracy (paper panel)
  • Addressing Environmental Challenges for and in Media Studies (thematic panel)
  • PhD Council round table
    t.b.c.

16.30: Drinks

Friday 10 November 2023

10.00 10.30: Welcome, registration coffee

10.30-12.00: Keynote Dr Anne Helmond (Utrecht University)

12.00 13.00: Lunch

13.00-14.30: Parallel sessions

  • New Frontiers of Media Studies: Socio-Digital Inequality Research (thematic panel)
  • Advancing Methods (paper panel)
  • Four Critical Data Studies Perspectives in Media Studies Projects:
    reflections and future ideas. (round table)
  • The Future of Media Studies is History (round table)

14.30 15.00: Tea break

15.00 16.30: Parallel sessions

  • Media Platforms (paper panel)
  • The Blind Spots in Conflict Reporting: Future Research Directions (thematic panel)
  • Screening the Future of Media Studies
    Personal favorites of prominent Media Scholars
    t.b.c.
  • Exploring the Intersection of AI and Media Studies: A Multidimensional Approach (round table)

16.30-16.45: Closure

16.45: Drinks

 

Organizing committee: Tomás Dodds (UL), Rashid Gabdulhakov (RUG), Tim Groot Kormelink (VU), Niels Kerssens (UU), Annika Richterich (UM), Inge van de Ven (TiU), Yosha Wijngaarden (EUR), Maryn Wilkinson (UvA), Josette Wolthuis (RU), Marcel Broersma (RUG; RMeS director) and Chantal Olijerhoek (RMeS coordinator).

Should you have questions, you can contact RMeS coordinator Chantal Olijerhoek at rmes@rug.nl

PhD Defense: Constanza Gajardo (VU University)

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Truly Engaging Audiences. How are the needs of the audience – as citizens – served by journalism?

Friday 20 October 2023 at 13:45 hrs
VU University – Amsterdam

From a traditional normative perspective, it is understood that if people do not consume news, democracy loses an informed foundation for an engaged citizenship (Christians et al., 2010; Schudson, 2008; McNair, 2009). Hence, the acquisition of factual information, primarily about politics and public affairs, is often considered what people need from journalism (McQuail, 2013). However, such normative formulations seem to primarily represent the viewpoint of journalists. The audience’s perspective has only been tangentially included in the normative framework of journalism, mainly based on predefined definitions of what it means for individuals to fulfil a citizen’s role (Moe, 2020).

How are the needs of the audience – as citizens – served by journalism? Or, more specifically, how does the audience experience journalism as truly engaging, and how do journalists feel they truly engage with their audiences? This dissertation deconstructs the relationship between citizens, journalism and democracy by taking the perspective of audiences as a starting point, and also considering the experiences of journalists’ relationship with them.

The research is based on 37 semi-structured interviews with Chilean news users (aged 18 to 65), and 20 professional journalists. Some key findings are: first, audiences not only appreciate but also demand that journalism be “on their side,” highlighting the importance people attach to journalism as a resource that allows them to have a sense of agency in their own lives. Second, feeling served by journalism in their role as citizens is not only based on the types of content they receive but also on the communicative experience it evokes. People feel served when they perceive that journalism communicates with them, adapting to their needs and preferences, specifically through demonstrations of (1) editorial transparency, (2) professional commitment, and (3) social commitment. And third, an empirical understanding of how journalism serves the audience as citizens may be construed around the notion of living citizens: concrete news users targeted by journalists based on professional democratic ideals. When journalists conceive of their audiences as living citizens, they see themselves as professionals whose value is strongly linked to their capacity to perform the role of a watchdog, not only in the interest of seeking to hold the de facto power accountable, but also by being a watchdog on behalf of the people and by taking people’s problems seriously. Likewise, approaching the audience as living citizens encourages journalists to see themselves as accountable both for making their journalism relevant and appealing to their audience, and also, being aware of and reflecting on the potential impact their journalism has on people’s lives.

Using the Chilean context as a starting point, this dissertation adds nuances to the automatic link between journalism and democracy and contributes to a better understanding of how the relationship between audiences, journalism, and democracy unfolds in empirical and everyday terms, thereby complementing and expanding the normative theory of journalism.

 

Contribute to the RMeS programme: Call for Activities

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With this Call for Activities, we reach out to all RMeS members — staff members at the different universities, but also PhD candidates and RMa students — to contribute their ideas, research interests and expertise to the RMeS programme. Do you want to organize a workshop, masterclass, conference, a lecture or even a full course for our RMa students? Please, get in touch with your ideas, suggestions, questions or proposals for academic events!

RMeS is the research community for Media Studies scholars in the Netherlands. We offer courses to PhD students and RMA students, but also support activities of staff members. RMeS provides financial and logistic support for initiatives that contribute to the field and our educational program.

With this Call for Activities, we reach out to all RMeS members — staff members at the different universities, but also PhD candidates and RMa students — to contribute their ideas, research interests and expertise to the RMeS programme. Do you want to organize a workshop, masterclass, conference, a lecture or even a full course for our RMa students? Please, get in touch with your ideas, suggestions, questions or proposals for academic events!

Applications (short description of the project and estimation of expenses, approx. 500 words) should be sent to rmes@rug.nl. As RMeS aims to foster collaboration within and beyond the RMeS community, we will make up to € 1000,- (depending on the format) available as budget for promising initiatives. Applications should contain an educational component so students can obtain ECTS.

Propose a course / activity

RMeS welcomes its members to submit proposals for courses and activities at any time of the year. Please do so by sending this completed form to: rmes@rug.nl. We decide on proposals on a rolling basis.

However, please bear in mind the following:

Proposals for longer activities (courses and seminars) should ideally be submitted before November 15th of the previous year. For instance, course/seminar proposals for 2024-2025 should be submitted by 15 November 2023.

Proposals for shorter activities (workshops, conferences, masterclasses) should be submitted preferably 6 months before the planned date.

RMeS membership:

If you are not an RMeS staff member yet, please send an email to the Chantal Olijerhoek, rmes@rug.nl. RMa Students and PhD candidates who want to become a member of RMeS, please contact your local Graduate School in order to formalize RMeS registration. RMeS members should work in the field of Media Studies. It is possible to be a staff member of more than one national research school in the Netherlands.

Vacature: Hoogleraar Journalistiekwetenschap (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

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Deadline 10 maart 2023

Meer informatie en solliciteren

De Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen verbindt verschillende vakgebieden: Taal, Literatuur en Communicatie, Kunst en Cultuur, Geschiedenis, Oudheidwetenschappen en Filosofie. Het onderwijs en onderzoek van de faculteit  focussen op actuele thema’s uit samenleving en wetenschap: van kunstmatige intelligentie tot beeldcultuur, van urbanisatie tot slavernijgeschiedenis, van ‘fake news’ in de journalistiek tot communicatie in organisaties. We zetten sterk in op vernieuwend onderwijs en op interdisciplinair onderzoek. De faculteit telt ongeveer 2.000 studenten en er werken ruim 350 medewerkers bij de faculteit. De Faculteit de Geesteswetenschappen kent drie wetenschappelijke afdelingen: Filosofie; Kunst & Cultuur, Geschiedenis, Oudheid; en Taal, Literatuur & Communicatie. De leerstoel valt, zoals in de inleiding al is gezegd, binnen de laatste afdeling.

Functieomschrijving

De nieuwe leerstoelhouder zal actief zijn op het gebied van onderwijs, onderzoek, maatschappelijke valorisatie en bestuur. De bachelor track Media & Journalistiek van de VU is de enige universitaire Nederlandstalige bacheloropleiding die zich expliciet op journalistiek richt. De master opleiding aan de VU onderscheidt zich door de nadruk op het onderzoeken (en oplossen) van fundamentele vraagstukken uit de journalistieke praktijk. De focus richt zich daarbij op (blokkades voor) innovatie, complexe vraagstukken omtrent AI, desinformatie en misinformatie en op de samenhang tussen veranderend informatiegebruik en nieuwe formats, platforms en hun journalistieke impact. De studentenaantallen tonen een stijgende lijn en de ambitie is om deze verder te laten groeien. Qua  onderzoek is de ambitie om de onderzoeksgroep via onderzoeksaanvragen verder uit te bouwen met promovendi en postdocs.

Functie-eisen

  • We zoeken een kandidaat die: is gepromoveerd in Communicatiewetenschap, Media Studies of een aanverwante discipline.
  • doet onderzoek naar journalistieke innovatie, en heeft daarbinnen sterke affiniteit met vraagstukken samenhangend met veranderend nieuwsgebruik, journalistieke innovatie, sociale media en AI.
  • heeft een sterk publicatierecord in het vakgebied, blijkend uit peer reviewed publicaties in tijdschriften als Journalism, Digital Journalism, Journalism Studies, New Media & Society en Journalism Practice.
  • heeft een toonaangevende internationale wetenschappelijke reputatie en een dito netwerk.
  • heeft ervaring met het begeleiden van promovendi.
  • heeft aantoonbare ervaring met interdisciplinaire samenwerking en expertise in empirische en innovatieve methodologieën (bij voorkeur kwalitatief en kwantitatief).
  • heeft een sterk netwerk binnen de journalistieke praktijk, blijkend uit goede bekendheid met de belangrijkste spelers in het huidige medialandschap.
  • heeft bestuurlijke ervaring. is een enthousiast en gewaardeerd docent, die beschikt over een BKO en bij voorkeur ook een SKO (dan wel bereidheid een SKO te behalen).
  • is in staat leiding te geven aan een team van jonge, getalenteerde
    wetenschappers.
  • heeft aantoonbaar ervaring met acquisitie van onderzoeksprojecten.
  • de kandidaat heeft ervaring met werken in interdisciplinaire teams en de nodige expertise om complexe vraagstukken wetenschappelijk op te lossen met behulp van relevante inzichten uit o.a. mediastudies, communicatiewetenschap, etnografie, culturele studies en tekstwetenschap.
  • uitstekende beheersing van in elk geval de Nederlandse en Engelse taal.

Wat bieden wij

Een uitdagende functie bij een maatschappelijk betrokken organisatie. Het salaris bedraagt afhankelijk van opleiding en ervaring op voltijdse basis minimaal €6.099 (H2) en maximaal €8.881 (H2) bruto per maand. De functie is ingedeeld volgens UFOprofiel: Hoogleraar 2 en staat open voor ten minste 0,8 fte.

De arbeidsovereenkomst wordt in eerste instantie aangegaan voor een periode van 5
jaar.

Daarnaast beschikt de VU over aantrekkelijke secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden en regelingen die een goede combinatie van werk en privé mogelijk maken, zoals:

  • 8% vakantietoeslag en 8,3% eindejaarsuitkering,
  • ruime bijdrage aan ABP-pensioenregeling,
  • keuzemodel voor fiscale uitruil van bepaalde arbeidsvoorwaarden

Over de VU

Bijdragen aan een betere wereld door onderscheidend onderwijs en grensverleggend onderzoek, dat is de ambitie van de VU. Een universiteit waar persoonlijke vorming én maatschappelijke betrokkenheid centraal staan. Waar we vanuit verschillende disciplines en achtergronden samenwerken aan innovaties en nieuwe inzichten. Ons onderzoek beslaat het hele spectrum: van alfa, gamma en bèta tot leven en medische wetenschappen.

Aan de VU studeren ruim 30.000 studenten en werken meer dan 5.500 medewerkers. De uitstekend bereikbare VU-campus is gevestigd in het hart van de Amsterdamse Zuidas, een inspirerende omgeving voor onderwijs en onderzoek.

Diversiteit

Diversiteit is een kernwaarde van de VU. Wij staan voor een inclusieve gemeenschap en geloven dat diversiteit en internationalisering bijdragen aan de kwaliteit van onderwijs en onderzoek. We zijn dan ook voortdurend op zoek naar mensen die door hun achtergrond en ervaring bijdragen aan de diversiteit van onze campus.

Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen

De Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen verbindt verschillende vakgebieden: Taal, Literatuur en Communicatie, Kunst en Cultuur, Geschiedenis, Oudheidwetenschappen en Filosofie. Ons onderwijs en onderzoek focussen op actuele thema’s uit samenleving en wetenschap: van kunstmatige intelligentie tot beeldcultuur, van urbanisatie tot slavernijgeschiedenis, van ‘fake news’ in de journalistiek tot communicatie in organisaties. We zetten sterk in op kleinschalig, vernieuwend onderwijs en op interdisciplinair onderzoek.

Werken bij Geesteswetenschappen is bijdragen aan de kwaliteit van toonaangevend onderwijs en onderzoek, in een inspirerend en persoonlijk werk- en studieklimaat. De faculteit telt ongeveer 2.000 studenten en er werken ruim 350 medewerkers.

Solliciteren

Ben jij geïnteresseerd in deze functie? Solliciteer dan door middel van solliciteer button op de website uiterlijk 10-03-2023. Denk hierbij aan het uploaden van jouw curriculum vitae en motivatiebrief.

Sollicitaties ontvangen per e-mail worden niet in behandeling genomen.

Vragen

Voor vragen over de vacature kun je contact opnemen met:

Naam: mevrouw M. Maletic
Functie: Directeur bedrijfsvoering
Telefoonnummer:+31 20 59 86001
E-mail: m.maletic@vu.nl

Acquisitie naar aanleiding van deze advertentie wordt niet op prijs gesteld.

 

Overview of In Media Res podcast Season 1

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Episode 1: Roel Lutkenhaus

Bartosz Zerebecki (EUR) interviews Roel Lutkenhaus who obtained a PhD in Media Studies in 2020. After researching entertainment in education, Roel stepped out of academia and founded New Momentum – a start-up in the South of Rotterdam that develops digital research methods to create (public) media campaigns in collaboration with participatory audiences.

Episode 2: Nicolle Lamerichs

Bjorn Beijnon (UvA) interviews Nicolle Lamerichs who obtained a PhD in Media Studies in 2014.  Currently working at the HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Nicolle elaborates on how her PhD in fandom and poaching of pop culture has helped her to build a career as an academic. Besides giving tips on working as a researcher in various academic institutes, Nicolle also gives tips on working as a research consultant from her experiences at LEGO and Efteling.

Episode 3: Tim Groot Kormelink

Constanza Gajardo Leon (VU) interviews Tim Groot Kormelink who obtained a PhD in Media Studies in 2019. Tim elaborates on his research on consumer habits in their news consumption, but also addresses how he has grown in his career after his PhD defense. As an assistant professor, he discusses his ambitions within academia, but also mentions his vision on the future prospects of current PhDs in Media Studies.

Episode 4: Gerwin van Schie

Bjorn Beijnon (UvA) interviews Gerwin van Schie who is wrapping up his PhD on datafication of race and ethnicity in the Netherlands. Besides working on his PhD, Gerwin works as a lecturer at Utrecht University and works as a researcher at the Utrecht Data School. In this podcast Gerwin sheds a light on race and ethnicity data-driven practices that he has been studying in his PhD and he provides insights in how to be successful in developing and working on a PhD project.

Episode 5: RMeS Winter School

In this special episode, three members of the PhD council interview three attendees of the RMeS Winter School of 2022. First, Jeroen Boom (RU) interviews Rianne Riemens who is currently working on her PhD at Radboud University where she investigates the green ideology of big tech platforms that informs our material reality. Second, Constanza Gajardo Leon (VU) interviews Karla Zavala Barreda on her PhD at the University of Amsterdam which revolves around application ecologies and learning software aimed at young children. Last, Bjorn Beijnon (UvA) interviews Alexander Smit on his PhD at the University of Groningen in which he examines how illiterate and/or low-literate adults understand, conceptualize and practice digital literacies within their everyday lives

Episode 6: Elisabetta Costa

Bjorn Beijnon (UvA) interviews Elisabetta Costa, assistant professor at the Department of  Media and Journalism at the University of Groningen. As an anthropologist, Elisabetta has researched several communities and the role that media play in their lives. In this interview Elisabetta shares her experiences with doing field work abroad, gaining trust from communities in both online and offline settings, and if it is possible to do ethnographic research without taking media into consideration.

Episode 7: Yosha Wijngaarden

Bartosz Zerebecki (EUR) interviews Yosha Wijngaarden who obtained a PhD in Media and Communication Studies in 2019. Currently an assistant professor at the department of Media and Communication at Erasmus University, Yosha sheds a light on her past research as a PhD candidate and her current research as a postdoctoral researcher at the Arts and Culture Studies department in Rotterdam. In this interview, Yosha addresses what working in the creative industries is like – from the perspective of her research – while also examining how current self-employed academic researchers survive on the job market.

Episode 8: Patricia Pisters

Bjorn Beijnon (UvA) interviews Patricia Pisters professor of Media Studies (with specialization in Film Studies) at the University of Amsterdam. As a professor, she has supervised many PhD students, but much has changed in the way people build a career in- or outside academia. In this interview, Patricia highlights her own career path and the specific skills that she had to acquire along the way. She elaborates on the value of teaching but also the importance of staying in contact with the work field that you are interested in.