Young people and news: Breaking boundaries across Europe
Social media has dramatically changed the ways that people of all ages encounter and engage with news. But young people in particular are drivers of the move from traditional to social media as sources for news (Newman et al., 2023). Research has found that those who follow news via social media are less likely to learn about a diverse set of general political views than those who follow traditional news media (Shehata and Stromback 2018). A lack of exposure to diverse political views reinforces ideological and affective polarization (Kubin & von Sikorski 2021). Additionally, young people are also more likely than adults to exhibit low levels of trust in the political system and in media, and earlier research has established a relationship between low levels of trust in politics and media and a heightened vulnerability to believing disinformation (Zimmermann & Kohring 2020).
Does this then make young people more susceptible to disinformation campaigns that are propagated through social media? This question is particularly relevant in contexts of Eastern and Central Europe, where Russian-backed media have amplified false claims in ways that undermine European policies, leading to heightened tensions around refugee, asylum seeking and immigrant communities throughout Europe (Zelekauskaite, 2022). How can and should these and other communities across Europe address issues of disinformation, crucially important in the ways that Europe approaches questions of citizenship and civic engagement, as today’s young adults and their patterns of news consumption and political participation are giving shape to the future.
Pre-conference website (URL): https://cicant.ulusofona.pt/activities-and-outreach/conferences/115-ecrea-conferences/1128-ecrea-audiences-preconference-2024-2
Abstract Submission
We welcome abstract submissions aligned either with the conference topic or any subtopic covered (see Abstract Submission details).
Main topic
- Young people and news
Subtopics
- Algorithms and datafication
- Cross European research
- Social media and information
- Decolonization of the field
- Participatory media
- Migration and newsAudiences and news
- Socialisation and news
- News literacies
- Information disorders
- Theoretical reflection and future perspectives of the field
- Methodological discussions
Abstract Submission and review process (key deadlines)
Please submit abstracts (min 200 max 300 words) with title, name, affiliation, short bio and email address to
Pre-conference date: 23/09/2024
- Abstract submission deadline: 10/04/2024
- Letter of acceptance deadline: 10/05/2024
- Registration deadline: 7/06/2024
Review Process: Abstracts will be reviewed by independent reviewers.
For any queries, please contact the organising committee:
General format and date and location
Time: 23rd September 2024
Location: Centre ROG (or Faculty of Law), Ljubljana
Conference programme
- 10.30 – 11.00 Registration and coffee
- 11.00 – 11.15 Opening session
- 11.15 – 12.30 Keynote panel
- 12.30 – 13.30 Lunch
- 13.30 – 15.00 Parallel sessions
- 15.00 – 15.30 Coffee break
- 15.30 – 17.00 Parallel sessions
- 17.00 – 17.30 Closing session
Fees
Free participation for ECREA members.
20€ for non-members.
Brief presentation of the pre-conference organisers
➔ Stina Bengtsson, Professor, Department of Media and Communication Studies, Södertörn University, Sweden. (CV)
➔ Maria José Brites, Associate Professor, Lusófona University, CICANT, Portugal. (CV)
➔ Teresa Sofia Castro, Assistant Professor, Lusófona University, CICANT, Portugal. (CV)
➔ Lynn Schofield Clark, Professor, Director, Eslow Centre, University of Denver, USA. (CV)
➔ Sofia Johansson, Associate Professor, Department of Media and Communication Studies, Södertörn University, Sweden. (CV)
➔ Tanja Oblak-Črnič, Professor, Chair for media and communication studies, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Slovenia. (CV)
Institutional links to ECREA
The conference is endorsed by Audience and Reception Studies and Children, Youth and Media sections.
Funding
The preconference has recieved funds from The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies (https://ostersjostiftelsen.se/en/)