The 2022 Section Conference of the Journalism Studies Section of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) will take place in Utrecht, the Netherlands, on March 3-4, 2022.

If the Covid-19 situation worsens by October, we will host an alternative online program.

In that case we will create an online environment for online submissions and presentations. In addition, we will select several overarching themes on journalism in digital transition and organize seminars to create an active and fruitful debate among journalism scholars and journalistic practitioners.

We welcome submissions focusing on journalism in digital transition. Over the past century, journalism as a profession has professionalized and is widely recognized by its principles, norms and routines. However, the process of digitalization has challenged the journalism profession in how it is organized as well as in how stories are produced, sold, and consumed.

For instance, while the newsroom is still often the core space of journalism where the news beat is felt, a transition to freelance practices and the collaboration with other professions in the creative industry has challenged the organizations and identity of journalism. Also, moving away from traditional forms of using journalistic production, the public is now offered information and entertainment via a multitude of channels online. Concerns have been voiced that these changes may, for example, aid a fragmentation and polarization of deliberative spaces, and the spread of disinformation. However, technological innovation has also been connected to a range of opportunities for journalists and media organizations. Algorithmic tools are increasingly used to uncover data and gather information.  At the same time, Artificial Intelligence can provide a more personalized and tailor-made news experience for the public. New technologies have also provided opportunities for new storytelling techniques where the role of the user is more prominent, including interactive stories, immersive productions and podcasts.

What is particularly fascinating here is the question of how to study technological innovation in journalism. While the field of journalism studies is booming, the debate on the advancement of methodological thinking is still surprisingly limited. Therefore, we also encourage submissions focusing on adapted or new methods used within journalism studies.   

Lastly, the scholarly field of journalism studies has developed into a sophisticated field of research. The question often remains how much of this scholarly knowledge is translated into changes in journalism practice. This conference therefore also invites journalism scholars that work together with practitioners or can show us how their research has had impact in the field. Co-creative sessions will be organized where we will invite prominent journalists to join the discussion with scholars on a specific issue.

The journalism industry has always been dependent on the available technology. However, as scholars, we need to heighten our focus on the socio-cultural consequences of digital technological dependence, simply because this dependence is increasing exponentially, bringing with it new theoretical, methodological, and ethical questions.

In sum, we thus encourage submissions in three main areas: