The currents of global media and culture
Date
July 2-3, 2025
Venue
Thessaloniki, Greece
Co-organizers
THISAM (Peace Journalism Lab, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece)
The Korean Association for Public Diplomacy
Hong Kong Baptist University
Communication University of China
Purpose of the conference:
Despite of the strong tide of nationalism and protectionism in recent years, the globalization of media and culture has already become an irreversible undercurrent in the global society. The globalization is irreversible as it’s based deeply on the advancements in technology, industrial growth of global media, expansion of global trade, and the emergence of new forms of communication. The number of internet users today is close to 5 billion, and that of the mobile phone users is near 8 billion. Mobile internet is intrinsically global network which turns everything on it into globally available. With the dominance of OTT networks, television has substantially moved from national to global from production to distribution and consumption. The nature of global communication has changed significantly in the last few decades especially since the digital media emerged. This conference aims at gathering and sharing insights from all levels of scholars on the past, present, and the future of global communication.
Some of the exemplary topics might be:
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Current situation of global media in terms of technology, industry, policy, and culture
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Changes of global communication in the 20th and 21st centuries
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Global media spread and consumption such as OTTs on both global and regional levels
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The production, distribution, and consumption of global media in news, dramas, films, music, and other contents
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Global media and culture for public diplomacy and policy
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Other topics related to the above
Special Topics of the Conference
1. Public Diplomacy and Social Media: Building Global Networks of Influence
Social media has transformed the landscape of public diplomacy by enabling direct communication between governments and global citizens. This topic would investigate the role of social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram in building soft power, managing diplomatic relations, and influencing global narratives in real time.
2. Public Diplomacy and the Changing Landscape of International Relations
Explanation: This topic would focus on how public diplomacy has adapted to the changing dynamics of global power, including the rise of new regional powers, shifting alliances, and emerging global challenges. It would explore how countries adjust their public diplomacy strategies in response to the evolving geopolitical landscape and increasing multipolarity.
3. Crisis Communication and Public Diplomacy: Lessons from Global Events
Focusing on how public diplomacy strategies are used during crises, this topic would explore how governments, international organizations, and media outlets manage communication during global crises (e.g., pandemics, natural disasters, wars). It would provide lessons learned from past events in managing public perceptions, reinforcing narratives, and sustaining international relationships during times of crisis.
Keynote Speaker
Nico Carpentier
Nico Carpentier is Extraordinary Professor at Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic), Visiting Professor at Tallinn University (Estonia) and Visiting Professor at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (Suzhou, China). He was Vice-President of the European Communication Research and Education Association (2008-2012) and President of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (2020-2024). His theoretical focus is on discourse theory, his research is situated in the relationship between communication, politics and culture, especially towards social domains as war & conflict, ideology, participation and democracy. He frequently uses arts-based research methods, as a hybrid scholar, artist and curator. His latest monographs are The Discursive-Material Knot: Cyprus in Conflict and Community Media Participation (2017, Peter Lang, New York) and Iconoclastic Controversies: A Photographic Inquiry into Antagonistic Nationalism (2021, Intellect, Bristol). His last exhibitions were The Mirror of Conflict photography exhibition in October 2023 at the Energy Museum, in Istanbul, Türkiye, and the Moulding Nature arts exhibition in Färgfabriken in Stockholm, Sweden (August-November 2023).
Dates
2nd & 3rd of July 2025
Place
Notification of Acceptance
April 15th - April 22nd
Contributors will be informed of their submission status by this date.
Finalization of the Conference Program
May 15th
The definitive conference schedule will be established and communicated.
Submission of Presentation Materials
June 15th
Accepted contributors are required to submit their presentation materials, either brief research papers (2,500~3,000 words) or PowerPoint presentations, by this date.
Additional information
- We welcome various forms of writing, including research notes, positioning papers, and well-prepared PowerPoint presentations. Presenters should prepare either short papers (2,500~3,000 words) or PowerPoint presentations for participation.
- Publication Plan: The Korean Social Science Journal may publish a special issue or section from this conference. Those who want to get their papers published in the journal should submit a completed manuscript by August 30 in the length of 6,000~8,000 words..
- Registration Fee: The fee for conference speakers is 100€. Co-authors will be charged a fee of 40€.
Guidelines for Submission
- Abstracts must clearly outline the research question, methodology, and its scholarly contribution.
- Submissions must be original and not previously presented or published.
- Submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process.
- High academic and ethical standards must be maintained in research and presentations.
Registration and Participation:
Further details on registration, venue, accommodations, and other logistical matters will be provided following the acceptance of your abstract.
For additional inquiries, please contact
Co-Organizers
Peace Journalism Lab
School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Scientific Committee:
- Shin Dong Kim (Hong Kong Baptist University )
- Nikolaos Panagiotou (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece)
- Christos Fragkonikolopoulos (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece)
- Holger Briel ( Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University, Zhuhai)
- Sherri Hope Culver (Temple University, US)
- Aphrodite Salas, (Concordia University)
- Anthony Fung (Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Organizing Committee:
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Erasmia Tsipou
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Apostolos Karampaglidis
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Giorgos Karagiorgos
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Ioanna Georgia Eskiadi
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Kostas Pagalos