Dear Colleagues,
attached below a message from Agnes Inge Schneeberger, from the Institute of
Communications Studies, University of Leeds.

Please contact Agnes at [log in to unmask] for any further information.

Best,

Salvo


**************************************
Call for Papers for

a Special Issue of the
JCER | Journal of Contemporary European Research
http://www.jcer.net/

on
Media and Communication in Europe: Babel Revisited

Editor:  Dr. Eamonn Butler, Department of Central and East European Studies,
University of Glasgow, U.K.
Guest Editor: Dr. Katharine Sarikakis, Institute of Communications Studies,
University of Leeds, U.K.
Sub-Editor: Agnes Inge Schneeberger, Institute of Communications Studies,
University of  Leeds, U.K.
Editor for Book Reviews: Daithí Mac Síthigh, School of Law, Trinity College
Dublin, Ireland

Deadlines:
- Abstract deadline: Monday, 18 February, 2008
- Paper submission deadline for thematic workshop: Thursday, 3 April, 2008
- Date for thematic workshop for paper presentations, Centre for the Study of
Ethnicity and Citizenship, University of Bristol: Thursday, 10 April, 2008
- Article submission deadline: Friday, 1 August, 2008
- Publication Date: December, 2008

The JCER | Journal of Contemporary European Research welcomes contributions for
the December 2008 Special Issue 'Media and Communication in Europe: Babel
Revisited'. This special issue is produced in collaboration with the UACES
Specialist Study Group ‘Media and Communication in Europe’
(http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~icsaih/index.htm).

Objective:
Contemporary European societies undergo two important and related
transformations: first, media, old and new, offer changing forms of political
communication between rulers and ruled. That is, new media promises more direct
links between citizens and political actors, among citizens themselves and
across national borders. Further, established media adapts to the challenges of
new media, but does not seem to sufficiently address the question of
communicating political identities, therefore the search for transnational
communication remains as does the perceived gap between citizens and their
respective governments. Second, Europe, institutionally embodied in the
European Union, constitutes a transformed space for political interaction,
identity construction and debated public policies. Critical research questions
on Europe and media, addressed by this special issue, are related to
communicative processes. The European case of the ever changing relationships
among political power centres and the mediation of political power to various
sub systems and actors is Babel-like in at least two senses: Both the ambition
in uniting a (culturally and politically) diverse continent and the looming
failure of mutual misunderstanding and disintegration of the existing
transnational political system.

The purpose of this special issue is to bring together current research that
investigates the transformation of political processes in the EU and Europe
through communication across these levels. Theoretical and structural aspects
as well as political behaviour of different types of actors are of interest for
this Special Issue.

The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

•       Communication, participation and the Internet
•       Media and Democracy in the EU
•       European Integration in Public Spheres across Europe
•       European identity formation
•       European public opinion
•       European media policy
•       Communication and language barriers
•       Communication and European cultural diversity
•       European Citizenship


Organisation:
In preparation for this special issue, the UACES Specialist Study Group ‘Media
and Communication in Europe’ organises a thematic workshop. This thematic
workshop offers participants a presentation and discussion forum for their
papers. Workshop participants will benefit from scholarly feedback from JCER
editor Dr. Eamonn Butler and other participants to help develop their papers
into coherent research articles. The workshop is also a great chance to expand
professional and academic networks.

This call for papers therefore also includes deadlines for abstracts and
workshop papers.
Please find below an overview of all important dates and deadlines:

1. Abstract deadline for thematic workshop: Monday, 18 February, 2008
Authors may submit abstracts of up to 500 words until 18 February, 2008. Please
send abstracts to Agnes Schneeberger at [log in to unmask] and Julian
Weller at [log in to unmask]

2. Paper submission deadline for thematic workshop: Thursday, 3 April, 2008
Authors may submit papers of up to 5, 000 words in length to Agnes Schneeberger
at [log in to unmask] and Julian Weller at [log in to unmask]
Papers will be circulated among other participants and editor Dr. Eamonn Butler
for feedback preparation.

3. Thematic workshop for paper presentations, Centre for the Study of Ethnicity
and Citizenship, University of Bristol: Thursday, April 10, 2008
The workshop, organised by the UACES Specialist Study Group ‘Media and
Communication in Europe’, will serve as a platform for paper presentation,
discussion and feedback from JCER editor Dr. Eamonn Butler and other
participants. Furthermore, Dr. Butler will explain the publication process and
what authors will need to do to develop their papers into coherent research
articles.

4. Article submission deadline: Friday, 1 August, 2008
Authors may submit full articles between 7, 000 to 8, 000 words to the JCER via
the journals online submission system. Please see www.jcer.net for details. All
submitted articles will be peer-reviewed.

5. Publication Date: December, 2008
The JCER Special Issue ‘Media and Communication in Europe: Babel Revisited’ will
be published in December 2008.

**************************************
Agnes Inge Schneeberger, Ph.D. student
Institute of Communications Studies
Houldsworth Building
University of Leeds
Leeds, LS2 9JT.

T: +44 (0)113 343 1110
F: +44 (0)113 343 5808
E: [log in to unmask]
W: http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/staff/details.cfm?id=74