Call for Papers

Public Communication is a scientific journal that publishes papers, critical notes and book reviews in all areas of communication (e.g. marketing, advertising, media, public relations, multimedia, journalism, cultural industries, visual cultures). The School of Communication and Media Studies promotes this editorial project which has a multidisciplinary nature thus accepting proposals from various scientific fields such as Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Economics, Psychology, Statistics among others. This journal may accept papers previously published in other languages, but they should have never been published in Portuguese before. There is a double blind refereeing process before publication.

The call for papers is permanently open.

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 38 (June 2025)

Special Issue: HUMOR AND COMMUNICATION
Editors: Catarina Menezes (Instituto Politécnico de Leiria; CI&DEI), Inês Conde (Instituto Politécnico de Leiria; CELGA-ILTEC) e Leonel Brites (Instituto Politécnico de Leiria; CEIS20)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 7 February 2025

Abstract
In a scenario of global uncertainty and geopolitical, economic, social and cultural transformations, humour is increasingly present in different contexts of communication. From brand discourse to journalism itself, humorous narratives mark a hybrid and plural media space, bringing the need for a transdisciplinary approach. Bearing these aspects in mind, we aim to explore humor as a discursive resource in media space. Considering this context, we intend to promote reflections on the relationship between humour and communication, in multiple domains.

Description and Framework
Many, many years ago I stated that humour was by far the most important behaviour of the human brain. People thought I was being provocative. I was not.
Edward de Bono, 1995, p. 8

Emphasized by the legacies of a global pandemic and a renewed sense of foreboding brought about by the possibility of imminent global conflicts, humor emerges today, perhaps more than ever, with a particular sense of importance in how we view and organize the world. Amplified by the mass communication tools available, with an unprecedented reach, it is crucial to understand humor not only as a communicative resource but also from a discursive media perspective. In a world where the boundaries of freedom of expression are constantly questioned—on the one hand by those who believe they don't exist, and on the other by those who argue for more regulation of the digital space— humorous texts today operate in an increasingly complex territory of interpretations, relationships, and meanings.

If, in a more immediate sense, we can associate the topic with the realms of strategic brand communication, fiction and entertainment, and even certain dimensions of journalistic text, humor as a subject of scientific research emerges today with a renewed sense of relevance in a post-digital context. This results in the emergence of hybrid perspectives on the topic and its role in various domains and communication formats.

Rather than discussing the limits of humor (already extensively explored, though without consensus) or confronting the three dominant views of canonical humor theories (superiority, relief, or incongruity), it is important to consider humor in its multiple dimensions of analysis within the specific context of Communication. Thus, we seek to broadly reflect on the relationship between humor and communication: in its form, as a linguistic resource (Yehorova, Prokopenko & Zinchenko, 2023); in the social dynamics and effects it imprints within a given culture (Warren, Barsky & McGraw, 2021); or as a communication practice in the creation of fiction or entertainment (van der Wal et al., 2020). It is also considered as a satirical tool in the service of social, political, and civic participation (Baumgartner & Becker, 2020; Faina, 2013), or as an integral part of persuasive and transmedia communication strategies. Likewise, the aim is to contribute to the reflection on humor as a strategic resource in media discourse (Vasileva & Ivanova, 2021), considering multiple domains of communication in the digital age (Borum Chattoo & Green-Barber, 2021).

The media space, marked by an increasing hybridity of genres and the emergence of new actors, including comedians (Ödmark, 2021; Faina, 2013), presents an ambiguity that challenges our ability to truly determine what can be considered humor (Charaudeau, 2006).

Beyond the subtle boundaries that distinguish a joke from an insult, an innocent anecdote from prejudice, or satirical mockery from vulgar discourse marked by xenophobic views, humor can take on different forms in the public sphere of discussion, needing ongoing reflection in various fields of knowledge. The aim of this thematic issue, under the theme “Humor and Communication”, is to explore the structure and role of humor as a fundamental axis in Communication, characterized by its plural, multifaceted, and global application.

Objectives and approaches
Adopting as a starting point an interdisciplinary dialogue based on the intersection of areas as diverse as cultural and communication studies, sociology, linguistics, political studies, economics, among others, the objective of this issue is to promote reflection on production processes, constructed representations, and reception dynamics, taking into account the multiplicity of domains and the proliferation of communication channels.

List of possible subtopics:
• Historical perspectives on humor and communication
• Humor, multimodality, and discursive construction
• Humor and representations of the social and political
• Journalism, genre hybridity, and narrative construction strategies
• Humor in journalism and ethics
• Humor and agenda-setting in traditional and alternative media
• Humor, fiction, entertainment, and the construction of the real and imaginary
• Humor, cartoons, and visual communication
• Humor, brands, and strategic communication
• Audiences and dynamics of reception and interaction
• Humor and identity construction
• Humor and interculturality
• Humor, activism, and civic participation

References
Baumgartner, J. & Becker, A. (Eds.) (2020) Political humor in a changing media landscape: A new generation of research. Lexington Books.
Borum Chattoo, C. & Green-Barber, L. (2018). An investigative journalist and a comedian walk into a bar: The role of comedy in public engagement with environmental journalism. Journalism. 22(1) https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918763526
Charaudeau, P. (2006) Des catégories pour l’humour. Questions de communication: humor et média. Définitions, genres et cultures, 10 (p. 19-41). https://doi.org/10.4000/questionsdecommunication.7688
De Bono, E. (1995) A smile in the mind – foreword. In B. McAlhone & D. Stuart. A smile in the mind. Phaidon Press.
Faina, J. (2013). Public journalism is a joke: The case for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Journalism, 14(4), 541–555. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884912448899
Ödmark, S. (2021). Making news funny: Differences in news framing between journalists and comedians. Journalism, 22(6), 1540–1557. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918820432
Vasileva, V. V., & Ivanova, L. Y. (2021). Humour as a strategy for news delivery: the case of Meduza. The European Journal of Humour Research, 9(1), 105–128. https://doi.org/10.7592/EJHR2021.9.1.Vasileva
van der Wal, A., Piotrowski, J. T., Fikkers, K. M., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2020). More than just a laughing matter: A coding framework of humor in media entertainment for tweens and Teens. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 64(3), 478-498. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2020.1796389
Warren C., Barsky A., McGraw A. P. (2021). What makes things funny? An integrative review of the antecedents of laughter and amusement. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 25, 41–65. https://doi.org.proxy.queensu.ca/10.1177/1088868320961909
Yehorova, O., Prokopenko, A., & Zinchenko, A. (2023). Towards a typology of humorous wartime tweets: the case of Ukraine 2022. The European Journal of Humour Research, 11(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.7592/EJHR.2023.11.1.746

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 11 September 2024
Deadline for Submissions: 7 February 2025
Publication date: 30 June 2025

Submission guidelines:
Articles must be submitted online via https://journals.ipl.pt/cpublica/index. Authors are required to register in the system before submitting an article; if you have already registered, simply log into the system and start the 5-step submission process. Articles must be submitted using the preformatted template of Comunicação Pública. For more information on submission, please read Information for Authors and Guidelines for Authors.

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 37 (December 2024)

Special Issue: DIGITAL CULTURE: MEDIATIZATION, SURVEILLANCE AND PUBLIC SPACE
Editors: Silvia Valencich Frota (Faculdade de Letras, da Universidade de Lisboa) and Nuno Medeiros (Faculdade de Letras, da Universidade de Lisboa)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 1 September 2024

Abstract
The transformation in culture, promoted by both the digital technology and the development of media, information, and communication systems, represents one of the greatest challenges of modern societies. Understanding such profound changes and their impacts becomes part of the everyday life of communication professionals and citizens in general. In this context, what challenges, risks and opportunities arise? What new public spaces for interaction and socialization are being promoted? Using a transdisciplinary approach, the objective of this special issue is to reflect on the impact of the new technologies in a society based on the abundance of information and data, that coexists with the potential of rupture and instability, with a deep and widespread crisis of confidence as a result.

Description and Framework
When thinking about contemporary societies, it is implied, to some extent, the mapping, understanding and analyzing of complex information and communication systems, which simultaneously structure them and are structured by them. This tangle of networks, with its multiple nodes and connections, enables and stimulates the circulation of data, ideas, objects, and people, transforming the notion of space and time, while overlapping and challenging them (Castells, 2009).

Communication becomes increasingly ubiquitous, reaching the smallest spaces and practices of life in society, from the most intimate sphere to the most visible and publicly disseminated ones. In this sense, the concept of mediatization, as proposed by Hjarvard (2013), seems relevant in highlighting the capacity for transformation of social institutions promoted by (but also promoting) the development of the media, which, in turn, come to be constituted as an institution per se.

The accelerated and, despite the so-called digital fracture (Furtado, 2012), presumably irreversible digitalization process is a relevant part of this scenario. Digital culture conquers territories and minds, but we need to think beyond the concept. It is important to know, analyze and reflect on digital culture, namely, on the new values, world views, forms of relationships and processes of construction of meanings promoted directly and indirectly by the digital, as well as on the plural ways in which they are inscribed in (and inscribe) social, cultural, economic and political structures of human existence and interaction (Arditi e Miller, 2019).

This double inscription creates a space of tension between the cultures and structures of freedom, and the cultures and structures of surveillance, both anchored in a current scenario marked, among other defining features, by hyperconnection, superdiversity and centrality of data in contemporary life, as well as the problems that arise from them, particularly in the context of their public expressions. What new public spaces are possible? How are they characterized? What new opportunities and risks emerge? Which new agents participate in them? What new power relations are established?

The power, and the corresponding responsibility, of large technology platforms has been widely questioned, especially in the context of debates about disinformation and regulation. But there are many other emerging themes, such as the risks associated with the development of artificial intelligence, new forms of asymmetry and inequality and/or polarization and violence promoted by the logic of algorithms that govern social networks, social dislocation, and the weakening of the effectiveness of relationships in fields such as work or education, among many others.

Objectives and approaches
Using, as a starting point, an interdisciplinary dialogue based on the articulation of areas as diverse as culture and communication studies, sociology, literary studies, anthropology, political studies, economics, editorial studies, among others, the objective of this special issue is to promote reflection on the impact of new information and communication systems in a society marked, on the one hand, by an abundance of information and data, and, on the other hand, by a deep and widespread crisis of confidence, with all the potential of disruption and instability associated with such a scenario.

List of possible subtopics:
• Hyperconnection, superdiversity and citizenship in the age of networks
• Digital memory, the right to be forgotten and the role of the media
• Artificial intelligence, post-humanism, and technology
• Surveillance, discrimination, and algorithms
• Nationalism, cosmopolitanism, and globalization in/from the media
• Nationalisms, identities, and citizenship in the digital age
• Decolonialism, alternative media and representation
• Media, citizenship, and cultural production
• Trust, post-truth, and disinformation
• Infocracy, surveillance capitalism, platform capitalism
• Hyperculture, cyberculture and the virtualization of reality
• Convergence, disjunction and overlap between digital and print
• Transmediatization, intermediality, and media transposition of the work

References
Arditi, D., Miller, J. (eds.) (2019). The Dialectic of Digital Culture. Lexington Books.
Castells, M. (2009). The Communication Power. Oxford University Press.
Couldry, N. (2012). Media, society, world: social theory and digital media practice. Polity Press.
Furtado, J.A. (2012). Uma Cultura de Informação para o Universo Digital. Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos.
Han, B.C. (2022). Hyperculture: Culture and Globalization. Polity Press.
Hjarvard, S. (2013). The Mediatization of Culture and Society. Routledge.
Lemos, A. (2023). Cibercultura. Tecnologia e vida social na cultura contemporânea. Editora Sulina.
Rabinovitz, L., Geil, A. (eds.). (2004). Memory Bytes: History, Technology, and Digital Culture. Duke University Press.
Santaella, L. (2022). Neo-Humano: a Sétima Revolução Cognitiva do Sapiens. Paulus.
Zuboff, S. (2019). Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. PublicAffairs.

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 26 February 2024
Deadline for Submissions: 1 September 2024
Publication date: 15 December 2024

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 36 (June 2024)

Special Issue: TECHVOLUTION: EXPLORING THE NEXUS OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES, CONSUMERS AND MARKETING
Editors: Ana Teresa Machado (Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa) and Zélia Raposo Santos (Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 22 February 2024

Abstract
New technologies promote consumer empowerment by offering them broad access to information and tools that allow them to make informed decisions and influence companies' marketing practices. In turn, companies' integration of these digital technologies makes it possible to build lasting relationships with their customers. In this context, it is clear that the future of marketing is intrinsically linked to the dynamics of consumer behavior and the technological innovations that drive it. This special issue aims to foster academic discussion on the symbiotic relationship among technology, consumers and marketing.

Description and Framework
The economic transformation that defines the beginning of the 21st century, characterized by the rapid transition from a classic industrial production model to a new scenario based on the development of the digital or information society (Castells, 2003; Dobrinskaya, 2020), has led to fundamental changes in companies and in the way they relate to their customers (Ritter and Pedersen, 2020).

According to Peter Drucker, the only valid purpose of business is the creation of customers. In this sense, it directs the company towards two primary functions: marketing and innovation (Drucker & Maciariello, 2008, p. 30). Technological inventions or new business models must be understood and accepted by the market to become successful innovations. It is not technology that causes disruption in the market but rather changes in the nature and aspirations of the consumer (Teixeira & Piechota, 2019).

Ubiquitous connectivity and the power of artificial intelligence have been transformative forces in the socioeconomic evolution of humanity, altering the way we communicate, work, consume, and relate to the world around us (Hollebeek et al., 2019). Technological evolution increasingly empowers consumers as a driving force in marketing activities, currently providing access to large amounts of data, diversity of information, multiple communication channels, and the ability to interact in real-time with brands and other consumers (Li, Larimo, & Leonidou, 2021). Consequently, it also drives new behaviors and expectations among consumers.

Based on an “always on” culture, due to the prevalence of mobile devices and social platforms, as well as the power of artificial intelligence, big data analytics, augmented reality, virtual reality, and blockchain, marketing professionals currently have the ability to understand and serve consumers in greater depth, provide personalized experiences, and build lasting relationships (Buhalis & Volchek, 2021; Cheung, Leung, Yang, Koay, & Chang, 2022), as they are able to simultaneously analyse large amounts of data from different sources and formats. As technology continues to evolve, the future of marketing will undoubtedly be shaped by the dynamics of consumer behavior and the innovative technologies that drive it (Dwivedi et al., 2021), thus generating a symbiotic relationship between these three identities: technology, consumers and marketing.

Objectives and approaches
Based on the context presented, this special issue has as its central focus the interdisciplinary analysis of the symbiosis between technology, consumers, and marketing.The aim is to understand how technological, social and cultural changes are enabling consumers to play a more active and influential role in their interactions with companies, as well as explore the marketing strategies that are emerging to adapt to this reality.

Intending to create an interdisciplinary space for the discussion and analysis of interactions among technology, consumers, and marketing from different perspectives, this special issue accepts contributions that explore the nexus of new technologies, consumers, and marketing in different areas. Some possible topic areas include:

• Consumer Behavior in Digital Environments: Research on how consumers use digital technology to make purchasing decisions and how these behaviors impact marketing strategies.
• Personalization and Market Segmentation: Exploration of how advanced technologies enable the personalization of products, services and marketing messages to meet individual consumer needs.
• Social Networks and Influencer Marketing: Analysis of the dynamics of social networks and the role of digital influencers in shaping consumer preferences and marketing strategies.
• Artificial Intelligence and Data Analysis: Studies on the application of artificial intelligence and data analysis in exploring consumer behavior and forecasting market trends.
• Customer Experience (CX) and Technology: Assessing how technology improves the customer experience, from customer service chatbots to virtual/augmented reality.
• E-Commerce and Mobile Marketing: Exploration of trends and challenges in e-commerce and marketing on mobile devices.
• Innovation in Digital Marketing: Identification of emerging technological innovations and their potential impact on marketing strategies.
• Digital Engagement Strategies: Analysis of effective tactics and strategies to engage consumers on digital platforms.
• Metrics and Performance Assessment: Studies that address how companies measure the success of their digital marketing strategies and their impact on business results.
• Ethics and Digital Privacy: Discussion of ethical issues related to consumer data collection, privacy and security in digital marketing strategies.

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 9 October 2023
Deadline for Submissions: 22 February 2024
Publication date: 30 June 2024

SPECIAL ISSUE
Journalism in contemporary society: 20 years of O Quarto Equívoco

“To my critics, if I deserve them, I only ask not to read this book in the light of the binomial «pessimism versus optimism». It would be better if they saw it only as an attempt to understand some aspects of the crisis of journalism in contemporary society. And the crisis, as Morin acknowledges, has a «double face»: risk and hypothesis, risk of regression, hypothesis of progression” (Mesquita, 2003, p.23).

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 35 (December 2023)

Special Issue: JOURNALISMO IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY: 20 YEARS OF O QUARTO EQUÍVOCO
Editors: Fátima Lopes Cardoso (Escola Superior de Comunicação Social and ICNOVA-Instituto de Comunicação da Nova) and Pedro Marques Gomes (Escola Superior de Comunicação Social, HTC-NOVA FCSH and ICNOVA-Instituto de Comunicação da Nova)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 17 July 2023

Abstract
In the year in which the reference work by Mário Mesquita (1950-2022) completes two decades of existence, the aim of this special issue is to bring together studies that focus on the transversality of themes addressed in O Quarto Equívoco – O poder dos media na sociedade contemporânea (The Fourth Misconception – The power of the media in contemporary society) (MinervaCoimbra, 2003).
Civic journalism, the «power» of journalism or journalism as a counterpower, media representations, the journalistic character, objectivity, deontology and social responsibility of the journalist, as well as ceremonial events are some of the starting points for the call for papers of this issue, which aims to encourage the problematization and public discussion of matters to which Mário Mesquita made a fundamental contribution.

Description and Framework
When Mário Mesquita compiled in a book a set of works that he had created as a journalist, professor and scholar of the theories and practices of contemporary journalism 20 years ago, he unavoidably left an imprint on the research made in this area. The work constituted an innovative and highly relevant contribution to understanding the complex nature of journalism and helped other peers – journalists, students of Social Sciences, in particular Communication, and academics – to analyze, as he wrote, “the multiple misconceptions that surround the so called «fourth estate»” (2003, p.19).

Divided into five parts – News, Powers, Perspectives, Deontologies and Ceremonies, O Quarto Equívoco – O poder dos media na sociedade contemporânea (MinervaCoimbra, 2003) is the result of a journey of study and reflection on the media and journalism or, as two of his masters wrote – Elihu Katz and Daniel Dayan –, results from “the rich experience he gained from his three lives as an academic, as a journalist and as a political actor” (Katz and Dayan, 2021). This work continues to inspire academics and communication professionals, proving its timeliness and importance.

More than two decades ago, Portuguese newsrooms were taking their first steps in disseminating news through electronic means investing in speed; recent private television stations were betting on live broadcasts; and journalism, largely due to the small screen, gained a kind of power of heavily ambivalent influence. On the one hand, he presented himself as an ally of truth who wanted to fight against power. On the other hand, he became the echo of republican institutions in crisis and manifested subservience in relation to figures of power and their institutions.

Journalism, which has the obligation to convey the truth of facts and ensure the distancing of any kind of powers, whether legislative, executive, or judicial, also ended up hostage to commercial dictates and profit. “The fourth power” caricatured by Orson Welles surrendered itself to the market criteria. This is just one of the many facets of journalism as “four misconception” as analyzed by Mário Mesquita: “Media power disseminates information and establishes itself as a forum for debate, which should encourage the exercise of citizenship, but, at the same time, it aggravates the crisis, insofar as it facilitates the «disintermediation» of representative institutions, accentuates personalization in the exercise of public office and, through the spectacularization of the news, contributes to the development of an attitude of civic mistrust” (2003: 17).

20 years have passed since the 1st edition of O Quarto Equívoco. The critical issues identified by this unique figure of the study of journalism, which this issue of Comunicação Pública honors, seem to have become more acute due to years of cuts in the media justified by the economic crisis of 2008 with dramatic consequences for the practice of journalism, the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic, and now the catastrophic financial situation aggravated by the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, only knowledge and study can confirm or refute the negative view that is often announced. Mesquita wrote, in this regard: “Don't ask me to explain, in conclusion, that current journalism is in «better» health than it was ten or twenty years ago. This is likely to be the case if we isolate some newspapers and select some television and radio programs, disregarding the context” (2003, p. 255).

If, in Mário Mesquita writings, the analysis serves to diagnose problems, raise study hypotheses and, in some way, to point out ways to ensure that the media would continue to ensure pluralism in information, this special issue intends to perpetuate this critical need that results from scientific research in the area of journalism, as well as to contribute to the understanding of the paths that this noble “symbolic profession” has taken in recent times.

Objectives and approaches
Considering that the different themes and issues analyzed in the work O Quarto Equívoco continue to manifest themselves in journalism, and in the relationship it establishes with society, as well as with the various powers that should serve it, contributions are welcome on the following topics:
• Journalism as a counterpower, as a fourth power or an ally of powers
• Objectivity or construction in news coverage
• Media events and celebration rituals
• The representations of journalism
• Rhetoric of the text and journalistic image
• Selection criteria in the age of instantaneity
• Information versus infotainment: the media euphoria in live television
• Civic journalism: the social responsibility of the media
• Between the market, ethics, and deontology: borders of imbalance
• The teaching of journalism

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 1 March 2023
Deadline for Submissions: 17 July 2023
Publication date: 15 December 2023

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 34 (June 2023)

Special Issue: STUDIES IN AUDIOVISUAL AND MULTIMEDIA
Editors: Catarina Duff Burnay (Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, Universidade Católica Portuguesa) and Paulo Nuno Vicente (Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 13 February 2023

Abstract
The potential of the digital world has challenged established assumptions about audiovisual and multimedia as contexts and objects of study. Screens multiply, content access devices hybridize, emerging media become increasingly important in everyday life, texts are fragmented and become more complex and the receiver acquires a dual and simultaneous status of consumer and producer. The special issue “Studies in Audiovisual and Multimedia” aims to explore the process dynamics of creation, distribution and reception, map their main technological and social changes and envision and understand the impacts on the industry and on the cultural practices of individuals.

Description and Framework
Kyle Nichols (2006), when discussing the future of television, has replaced the concept of broadcast with something closer to genetic engineering, with viewers working in their personal multimedia laboratories, bringing together content, channels and platforms according to their tastes and desires. Almost two decades later, this reality gains importance, especially among the younger population. Born and/or raised within an evolved technological bubble, the must see generations become proficient in choosing and accessing content and, as a result, in the immediate satisfaction of their informational and recreational needs. The author has predicted that the elderly would maintain a close relationship with the television and the television set, transforming the flow of Raymond Williams (1974) into a strategy for reception rather than production itself. If this scenario, marked by the diversification of access to sources, increases the supply and the technical improvements of devices, it will also make consumption more flexible and increase the pressure and demand on the producing entities. Faced with a media environment without defined borders, where the internet obtains the status of a medium by directly enabling experiences and content (Johnson, 2019), they have to choose “wars”, “weapons” and “tactics”, according to its nature, positioning, resources and market objectives, for decision making.

Cyclically, technology enhances the emergence of new cultural objects (Manovich, 2001) in a process of media convergence (Meikle & Young, 2012), making it crucial to pay attention to the technical environment and the social impacts beyond production and distribution platforms and forms of access. In this sense, in an approach to the developments of the last decade, it is necessary to look critically, for example, at the principles of Artificial Intelligence, to better understand the implications of the buzzwords automation, algorithm and recommender systems when used in reference to video streaming platforms, digital social networks or even digital editorial projects. At the same time, it is important to disentangle and analyze the socio-technical effects of its use in decision-making processes, in the levels of user involvement (with platforms and content), in market performances and, more broadly, in the implications of the potential datafication of the life and social dynamics (Møller Hartley et al., 2021; Couldry, 2020; Van Dijck, 2014).

The context described has been shaping what is understood by television (Lotz, 2007, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022), but also by audiovisual and multimedia as concepts. The articulation of sound and moving image, although directly connected to the small screen, represents devices and contents operating simultaneously in a wider and markedly inter, multi and trans media way. These dynamics still have to be envisaged and worked on in accordance with the social fields in which they take place and the habitus of different sociodemographic groups (Bourdieu, 1976) and with the geographical and cultural environments in which they operate, taking into account the opportunities and constraints provided by the contexts of globalization (Giddens, 1995; Featherstone et al, 1995), as well as by the ideas of mobility, representations and identities (Morley, 2000; Hall, 1997; Hall & du Gay, 1996).

Objectives and approaches
Taking into account these lines of thought, the special issue “Studies in Audiovisual and Multimedia” accepts contributions that cross different experiences of production/creation and reception, among others, in the following thematic areas:
• Post-Television and “ecranization” of society
• Audiovisual streaming platforms: production, distribution and consumption
• Multimedia and gamification contents
• Taste platforming
• Automation and Big Data
• Algorithms and Algorithmic Literacy
• Audiovisual, Representations and Identities
• Regulation of new media environments
• Audience measurement, reception studies, fandom
• Audiovisual production and sustainability (green production)
• New media narratives: genres, formats, strategies
• Language and multimedia practices (narrative universes)
• Interactive Digital Games
• Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Realities
• Archive(s) and Memory(ies)
• Immersive practices (journalism, entertainment, fiction)

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 15 September 2022
Deadline for Submissions: 13 February 2023
Deadline for submitting the final version of accepted paper: 15 May 2023
Publication date: 30 June 2023

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 33 (December 2022)

Special Issue: MEDIA LITERACY: STRATEGIES TO INTENSIFY CITIZENSHIP AND DEMOCRACY
Editors: Ricardo Morais (IADE – Faculdade de Design, Tecnologia e Comunicação, Universidade Europeia, Universidade da Beira Interior/LabCom) and Patrícia Silveira (IADE – Faculdade de Design, Tecnologia e Comunicação, Universidade Europeia; CECS – Universidade do Minho)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 7 July 2022

Abstract
In recent years, we have seen a violent attack on the values of democracy. The growth of populism and authoritarian governments has contributed to a democratic backlash. In this context of threat to liberal democracy, citizenship and civic participation are also at risk. It is therefore urgent to reflect upon the growth of these trends, but above all it is necessary to understand that in a scenario dominated by media and digital communication, as well as by disinformation, it is essential to develop literacy for citizenship, participation and democracy.

Description and Framework
In recent years there have been several phenomena that put democratic values to the test, to the point that we now can speak of a regression of liberal democracies around the world (V-Dem 2020; Democracy Index, 2019). The political transformations that have taken place in countries such as Hungary, Turkey or Brazil, with the election of populist leaders and the constitution of anti-democratic governments, are just some of the visible faces of a larger problem, which reaches its maximum expression with the increase in the number of autocracies, which is now higher than that of democracies, something that has not occurred since 2001 (V-Dem, 2020, p. 6).

Researchers have explained most of these transformations based on the idea that citizens no longer trust “the political system and democratic institutions” (Belchior, 2015). This mistrust would be at the origin of citizens’ discontent and at the base of their adherence to populist politicians, who defend nationalist or protectionist measures, as well as restrictions to individual freedoms and rights.

The media have been used, in this process, as the main channel to transmit populist ideas. When the media are not available, digital platforms are the privileged vehicles to attack traditional media, convey disinformation and encourage the polarization of discourses. In this context, the question that arises is whether citizens are prepared to understand and critically assess the diversity of messages to which they are exposed in contemporary society.

The fast pace at which information circulates, especially in the digital world, combined with the transformations that have taken place in the production of content (Bruns, 2007; Anderson, Bell & Shirky, 2014), have reinforced the importance of promoting media and digital literacy as a democratic development strategy. Critical understanding and active participation are thus the basis of all democracies, as the absence of these skills prevents certain sectors of society from making informed choices, exposing them to false content and affecting the nature and quality of public debate.

In this context we understand that it is necessary to consolidate scientific knowledge and the perception that citizens have about the democratic process, civic participation and citizenship. It is not simply a matter of analyzing what the public knows about politicians or political institutions. Thinking about literacy for citizenship and democracy is to enter the broader field of identifying a set of skills without which citizens are not able to act critically, in a democratic context. In this sense, this call for papers aims to collect theoretical and empirical contributions that can help to reflect on the importance of this kind of literacy for citizenship and democracy, and more specifically to identify what skills should be developed and what tools can be used to combat democratic backlash. Among others, it seeks to obtain answers to the following questions: How can citizens be prepared to participate critically in the democratic process? What kind of knowledge, attitudes and skills are essential for the exercise of citizenship in the digital age? To whom should media literacy actions be addressed? What strategies can help foster young people’s interest in democracy?

Objectives and approaches
Considering that literacy for citizenship and democracy is the central axis of this call for papers, we seek contributions that take into account the following topics (although not limited to them):
• Media literacy, citizenship and democracy
• Misinformation and information literacy
• Populisms, polarization and digital literacy
• Digital divide, teaching and media literacy
• Political literacy and civic participation
• Public policies and media literacy
• Technology, literacy and digital citizenship

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 1 March 2022
Deadline for Submissions: 7 July 2022
Deadline for Notification of Acceptance: 15 October 2022
Deadline for submitting the final version of accepted paper: 1 November 2022
Publication date: 15 December 2022

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 32 (June 2022)

Special Issue: ADVERTISING: NEW FORMATS, NEW CONTENT
Editors: Jorge Veríssimo (Escola Superior de Comunicação Social) and Sara Balonas (Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade do Minho)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 20 January 2022

Abstract
After decades of the prevalence of traditional or offline media (TV, press, radio, billboards), the world of advertising has turned to online, digital and interactive media (websites, “apps”, social networks, video games, e- news, e-mailings and many other “e”).
With such changes, new formats emerge along with the need to reorganize the agencies’ structures and redefine the professional skills of advertisers, in order to adapt content to the new digital paradigm.
After a period of adjustment, it becomes important to map and critically reflect on the new practices, the new formats and the new content that come out from this “creative destruction” (Schumpeter, 1942), so that the field of advertising can rediscover its identity, allowing practitioners and scholars to continue to contribute to what Williams once labeled the “Magic System” (1960).

Description and Framework
Like in many other fields, advertising underwent profound changes between the end of the 20th century and the beginning of this century, as a reflection of the changes taking place in society. Advertising has been deeply affected by the technological revolution, as well as by the economic recession and the distrust of citizens, who are increasingly informed but distrustful. Furthermore, decision makers and entrepreneurs have started to favor faster, more economical and even more ecological communication solutions.

At first, the paradigm shift seemed to threaten the old communication routines, comfortably installed in advertising agencies. Advertising, as we once knew it, seemed to have its days numbered, in a clear process of creative destruction (Schumpeter, 1942) and its death was even predicted (Rust & Oliver, 1994; Bradford, 2017).

However, a new advertising ecosystem has emerged, with the reorganization of agency structures and the integration of new professional skills, in order to adapt content to the new digital paradigm. Therefore it becomes important to understand and discuss the challenges and possibilities that advertisers face today.

New online advertising formats arise and coexist with each other, resulting from Web technology, 3D facets, animation and digital graphics, as well as digital marketing itself, offering multiple strategic possibilities (Auladell, 2015). These formats range from traditional banners to pop-up windows or advertising videos.

Video advertising, which can also be accessed via mobile phone, plays a key role in advertising, not only due to the creativity that is applied to its content, but also due to the possibility of being shared among consumers through social networks. As Dahlen and Rosengren point out, “consumers now control not only what they receive, but also actively seek to participate in the advertising process” (2016, p. 336). Advertisers, in turn, increasingly rely on consumer suggestions (Dahlen & Rosengren, 2016), even inviting them to co-create and participate in the various aspects of advertising production (Lawrence, Fournier & Brunel 2013). It is the time of “entertainment advertising, boosted by the viral effect of mail or blogs (in the first phase) and, later, by the social networks – Youtube, Facebook or Instagram – which made it possible to share advertising films on the network” (Balonas, 2018, p. 16).

New platforms and new skills necessarily lead to new tensions and uncertainties, namely with regard to the intensity and frequency of advertising appeals, the strain on perceptive processes, the devaluation of the profession due to the new content producers – the prosumers, or even the valorization of the entertainment feature in advertising (Lipovestky, 2000) at the expense of its effectiveness.

Therefore, it is important to critically map and reflect on the new practices, new formats and new content that emerge from this “creative destruction” (Schumpeter, 1942) so that, in the end, the field of advertising can reconnect with its identity, find its strengths and remain a reservoir from which we extract the various perspectives of the world (Volli, 2003, p.7).

Objectives and approaches
Taking into account the technological revolution, which has started at the end of the last century, and the emergence of the internet and digital media, which has created a new means of organization and dissemination of content, also reaching advertising, this issue aims to gather a collection of articles referring to the following topics:
• the production of advertising content and creativity in advertising
• adequacy of advertising content to new formats
• the contribution of consumers to advertising effectiveness
• consumers: profile and expectations
• transmedia narratives in advertising
• advertising effectiveness and “entertainment” advertising
• dialectic between traditional media and new media
• models of advertising agencies in the face of the new paradigm
• training of future advertising professionals
• emerging content and advertising in the social sphere

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 4 Octorber 2021
Deadline for Submissions: 20 January 2022
Deadline for Notification of Acceptance: 20 April 2022
Deadline for submitting the final version of accepted paper: 15 May 2022
Publication date: 30 June 2022

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 31 (December 2021)

Special Dossier: THE NEW TERRITORIES OF THE PODCAST
Editors: Ana Isabel Reis (Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto) and Fábio Ribeiro (Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 15 July 2021

Overview
In recent years there has been a significant increase in the Podcast consumption, a trend that seems to be no longer exclusively international. In Portugal this trend was seen in the first quarter of 2020, during the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Aimed at both large audiences and hyperspecialized niches, the Podcast has not only been used by the media, but also by actors of the most different areas: from politics to public relations, from teaching to organizational communication, from culture to sports. The issue “The New Territories of the Podcast” aims to explore this multifaceted character of the Podcast.

The Podcast has emerged outside the traditional media, and it has been asserting itself and growing out of this context as well. The predecessor of the Podcast, the audioblog, appeared in 2001 (Gallego, 2010), but it was only in 2004 that the word first appeared in an article about downloading audio files on the Internet, published in The Guardian. Berry (2006) defines the Podcast as an audio content created in .mp3 format, which can be subscribed to, received, downloaded and listened to on various devices.
A Podcast can be created by independent radio producers, artists and amateur radio (Bonini, 2015), or it can be produced by the media, educational institutions, companies, political parties and authorities, cultural and sports agents, social movements, as well as anonymous citizens. It is a format that neither requires a studio nor professional equipment. Nonetheless, the definition of Podcast is not consensual among academics. For Berry (2006), the Podcast is not just a new content distribution platform, but a mean in itself that still pursues its own identity disconnected from the radio, and which would be the result of the combination of audio from the internet with portable devices.
In a first phase the Podcast has appeared as an amateur production of the ‘do-it-yourself’ type, in a second phase it has found ways to support itself financially as a means of commercial communication (Bonini, 2015), driven by crowdfunding, the widespread use of smartphones and the creativity of a new generation of producers. Aimed at niche audiences, it both broadens the voice of media figures and reveals anonymous protagonists.
The media use it to diversify content and attract audiences (Reis, 2018); social movements and the political power find in the Podcast a new way of spreading ideas; companies use it as a corporate image building strategy; teachers integrate it as a pedagogical tool; for cultural agents it is a form of artistic expression. Audiences listen to Podcasts, but they also produce their own, using them as a means of interaction (Oliveira and Ribeiro, 2015) and a tool for democratizing access to information and discourse (Herschmann and Kischinhevsky, 2008). In the last few years the Podcast growth has been exponential, especially among young people, and recent reports predict that this trend will continue to grow in an expressive manner.
Studies on the Podcast have been generic and mainly focused on its connection with the radio. This issue of Comunicação Pública is not intended to reveal the influence of the pandemic context on the emergence of the Podcast. Essentially, its purpose is to examine the new sociability relationships that the Podcast has allowed, to analyze its formats and financing models, to measure the growing interest of the media in promoting their own Podcasts, and even to explore less usual territories such as organizational communication, political or civic activity. In this sense, this issue aims to contribute to the scientific knowledge about the Podcast in media studies and in other areas in which it has been developing, also taking into account its audiences.
Articles may refer to the following topics:
• Podcast and journalism
• Podcast in organizational communication
• Podcast and political communication
• Podcast and Radio
• Podcast and audiences
• Podcast and teaching
• Podcast and funding models
• Podcast production strategies
• Podcast and activism
• Podcast and entertainment

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 1 March 2021
Deadline for Submissions: 15 July 2021
Deadline for Notification of Acceptance: 15 October 2021
Deadline for submitting the final version of accepted paper: 1 November 2021
Publication date: 15 December 2021

Submission guidelines:
Manuscripts should follow the preformatted template and be submitted by e-mail (sent to: cpublica@escs.ipl.pt) attached in .doc format. Please, include ‘Dossie temático 06_NTP’ in the subject of your e-mail.

Papers can be written in English, Spanish or Portuguese, always using Microsoft Word. They are to include an abstract of up to 900 characters, five keywords written in both the language of the paper and in English, and the author’s details (name, affiliation, position, contact information and field of study). The full paper, with reference list, annexes and citations should not exceed 50.000 characters (including spaces, endnotes, references, tables, images, etc.). Studies, Notes and Book Reviews should not exceed 10.000 characters (For more information, please see Submission Guidelines).

Upon acceptance of a paper for publication, the individual or collective author(s) will be asked to assign copyright to Comunicação Pública.

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 30 (June 2021)

Special Dossier: THE NEW TERRITORIES OF THE PODCAST
Editors: Elsa Simões and Sandra Tuna (Universidade Fernando Pessoa)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 1 February 2021

Overview
Advertising is, and it has always been, an important indicator of social change – in every domain. Even when faced with extreme situations, as the one we are currently experiencing, contemporary Western societies need to keep their operations going, for the wheels of the economy upon which we depend must keep turning, regardless of any mishaps that threaten to halt the system. Advertising has thus to quickly and effectively adapt to the profound paradigm shift that the current pandemic has brought about: at the same time that they emphasize the need to keep the consumer process alive, new advertising messages have also to clearly highlight the fact that announcers’ and customers’ interests are in perfect alignment.
The way advertising integrates the contexts in which it is produced explains its appellation ‘social mirror’. Being a persuasive and promotional discourse, it is acknowledged as playing a role in the confirmation, corroboration and modelling of behaviours, stereotypes and values. Such evaluation is seldom neutral. Some have pointed out its negative – pernicious, even – effects, claiming that an habituation to a promotional culture to which we are constantly subjected (Myers, 1998) will inevitably have a bearing on how we understand ourselves as individuals and on how we perceive reality (among others, Cortese, 2016). Others, however, see in it actual opportunities for social intervention in a number of domains (among others, Cook, 2001), likely to contribute to increased social cohesion; advertising discourse is, they argue, a ‘shared cultural text’ (Cluley, 2017; Cluley & Brown, 2014).
It is crucial to assess the role of advertising in extreme circumstances (e.g., a public health crisis) that have an impact on every social sector. Epidemics or pandemics, like the COVID-19 pandemic we are currently going through, are clear instances of such an extreme circumstance and they bring to light the role of communication – including advertising communication. Previous studies on serious epidemics have stressed the role of advertising, not only because advertising was originally linked to the promotion of medicines, showing how they were perceived by society, but also, specifically, due to its intervention in publicising public health issues (Almeida, 2014). It becomes pertinent to analyse and study how advertising follows and reflects the on-going current pandemic developments. There is also a pressing need to reflect upon the motives underlying the way advertising discourse works, which compels us to examine its nature and look into those (at times extreme) positions stated by critics and advocates: considering the exceptional situation we find ourselves in, is there, in this particular case, real concern and consonance of interests between advertisers and public? Or is this just yet another strategy in the service of those who have to sell, regardless of circumstances?
At the moment, advertising is equal to the challenges. Campaigns developed prior to the pandemic underwent adaptation, emphasizing the need for confinement in the initial stage; there is investment in original material; logos are modified; big brands create long ads that instilled optimism. One way to promote escape is acquisition – to acquire the right product, handled and delivered in a safe manner. Idleness becomes useful, the consumer process remains unchanged, and confinement is an opportunity to explore inner resources. A unified message encourages vigilance and cooperation, in line with the government’s official narrative, generating an association effect (Perloff, 2017) and employing a combination of rational arguments with narrative structures appealing to emotion, thus inducing a subjective and individual appropriation of the message (Zheng et al., 2019). Advertising shows thus its resilience (Altstiel et al., 2020; Belch & Belch, 2017).
The aim of our special dossier is to present a collection of articles that examine some of the issues here mentioned and represent the state of the art of advertising discourse in times of COVID-19. In order to gather a diverse set of contributions, we will favour articles that combine a theoretical with an empirical approach, which may include comparative perspectives with other moments of crisis where particular advertising campaigns are examined in light of the main ideas structuring our special dossier: (1) the different ways recent advertising campaigns have explored our current situation and the strategies they have employed to do it so as to maintain, as much as possible, the pre-pandemic status quo concerning consumer habits; (2) the issue of preserving and possibly strengthening announcers’ trade marks, presenting them as active and engaged agents in the promotion of physical and metal health in times of crisis; (3) discourse analysis, namely, how advertising discourse integrates, counters or corroborates political discourses and public opinion; (4) advertising adaptation strategies to the different moments and to the constant changes in the communication put forward by public health and government agencies.
Here is a (non exhaustive) list of topics we would like to see covered in the manuscripts we are to receive:
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on advertising creative strategies;
• How advertising adapts to the challenges posed by the pandemic;
• Impact of the pandemic on the choice of means for publicizing ads;
• Role of advertising in publicizing content on public health issues and social behaviour;
• Impact of the pandemic on the advertising industry;
• How advertising adapts to changes in the situation;
• Perceptions as to the positioning of advertising during the pandemic.

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 28 October 2020
Deadline for Submissions: 1 February 2021
Deadline for Notification of Acceptance: 30 April 2021
Deadline for submitting the final version of accepted paper: 15 May 2021
Publication date: 30 June 2021

Upon acceptance of a paper for publication, the individual or collective author(s) will be asked to assign copyright to Comunicação Pública.

Comunicação Pública, an open access online academic journal of the School of Communication and Media Studies, hereby invites members of the academic community and researchers to submit proposals for thematic dossiers. Three dossiers will be selected for publication in the forthcoming numbers of the Journal (2021-2023).
Deadline: 20 November 2020

1. Submission of proposals
Dossier proposals should contain the following items:
1.1. name, title, and institutional affiliation of the organizer(s);
1.2. curricular data of the proponents (maximum 100 words);
1.3. abstract in English and Portuguese (maximum 600 characters);
1.4. description of the proposal (up to 3500 characters), including the following elements:
• title (in Portuguese and English);
• intended focus and objectives;
• justification of relevance;
• list of relevant bibliographic references about the theme (no more than 10);
• a list of relevant subthemes.
Proposals should be submitted in .doc or .docx format to cpublica@escs.ipl.pt (Subject: Dossier proposal – 2021-2023 selection) until 23:59 on November 20, 2020.

2. Assessment criteria
2.1. The dossier organizers must have a PhD and recognized leadership in their area.
2.2. The proposals received will be analysed by the Editorial Board of Comunicação Pública in view of the following criteria:
• originality, especially in relation to dossiers already published in other volumes of the journal;
• relevance of the proposal to academic discussions;
• clarity and coherence;
• the scope of the proposed theme, in order to foster national and international contributions and consequently diversity of articles and scientific approaches;
• relevance to the editorial policy of the Journal (https://journals.openedition.org/cp/453);
2.3. Proposals which do not comply with the above criteria will be excluded.
2.4. The Editorial Board will be responsible for the evaluation of dossiers and information of results of results until January 20, 2021.

3. Evaluation process of dossier proposals and related articles
3.1. Once the dossiers have been approved, Comunicação Pública will make a public call for articles on the themes of the approved dossiers.
3.2. The first stage of the evaluation, the selection of articles pertaining to each dossier, will be under the responsibility of the organizer with the supervision of the Editorial Coordination.
3.3. The second stage of evaluation concerning the merits of the articles, will follow the same policy regarding individual articles published by Comunicação Pública (double blind refereeing).
3.4. The third stage, under the responsibility of the organizer and the supervision of the Editorial Coordination, is related to the layout and editing of the dossier.
3.5. Once approved, all dossiers and articles will go into production regardless of the publication order established by the Editorial Coordination.

4. Requirements for Dossiers’ Organizers
The organizers of the dossiers approved for publication are required to:
4.1. divulgate the dossier and encourage contributions;
4.2. participate, together with the Editorial Coordination, in the selection of the articles to be submitted to double blind refereeing;
4.3. write an introduction or foreword that scholarly contextualizes and problematizes the chosen theme as well as the selected articles;
4.4. organize the final version of the dossier, with the supervision of the Editorial Coordination;
4.5. inform the Editorial Coordination about any unforeseen events related to publication.

5. Editorial policy related to the thematic dossiers
5.1. The articles will be submitted to peer review, thus complying with the same rules as individual articles, in accordance with publication submission guidelines (https://journals.openedition.org/cp/456?lang=en).
5.2. Three dossiers will be selected for publication over the period 2021-2023;
5.3. The Editorial Coordination is responsible for choosing the publication dates for the dossiers within this period;
5.4. The dossier to be published should obtain at least three articles with favourable peer reviews;
5.5. In case the publication of any of the approved dossiers is not possible, the next one will be invited, and so on if necessary;
5.6. The approved articles of the cancelled dossiers may be published as individual articles to mitigate the problems arising from the cancellation.
5.7. Any unforeseen situation or case will be analysed by the Editorial Coordination.

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 29 (December 2020)

Special Dossier: COMMUNICATING HEALTH – FUNDAMENTALS AND PRACTICES TOWARDS A BETTER HEALTH
Editors: Célia Belim (ISCSP-Universidade de Lisboa, CAPP) and Cristina Vaz de Almeida (CAPP-ISCSP-Universidade de Lisboa; ISPA)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 15 July 2020

Overview
Issues inherent to the dynamics of production, distribution and consumption of news content have in recent years been the subject of numerous academic studies. It is, however, of significant import that we should have more scientific production in those fields of research that specialise in examining and understanding the digital-born media and information scenes. These scenes co-exist alongside analogical outlets, with clear implications both for the typical operating mode of media and newspaper organisations and the ways we access information, and for the uses and perceptions that inform the concept of ‘news’. It is within this context that our Special Dossier is set.
In the current communication ecosystem, the media have been generalising the assumption of informed audiences. Several issues have been examined in the newsmaking field which explore the apparent potential of the new media to promote a larger public debate and to foster a more informed political engagement, while at the same time questioning the permanence of the media as privileged managers of the information public sphere.
Such topics have clear implications for citizens’ everyday lives, particularly for the lives of younger generations (who, by definition, find themselves in the process of learning, acquiring knowledge and interpreting the world) who are increasingly choosing digital platforms as their preferred means of access to news content. The everyday live of the younger generations is nowadays inextricably linked with these tools that shape what these individuals are, how hey act, how they socialise and how they get to know the immediate and the mediate world (Silveira & Amaral, 2018).
It is thus in the context of the mentioned issues that we would like to propose a few lines of inquiry and debate, focusing the approach on furthering the current scientific understanding of the (present and future) dynamics of media and news reception, with an emphasis on the development and acquisition of management, comprehension and critical thinking skills to address the media and current news. In recent years, research developed in this field has become salient. With this Special Dossier, our aim is to contribute to a more robust knowledge, drawn from academic studies and texts that favour a scientifically sound analysis on how citizens – and among these, Generation Z in particular – are nowadays consuming information via digital platforms. Additionally, we find it pertinent to know how such practices are impacting those citizens’ understanding of the world, their awareness of societies’ “serious” issues, and their civic participation; it would be especially pertinent to shed some light on how the variously sourced information with which Generation Z is permanently in contact (and we would here highlight their exposure to ‘fake news’) is ultimately shaping their worldview.
The knowledge gathered in our Special Dossier may come to work as a basis for the development and implementation of effective strategies in promoting intellectual autonomy and interpretation skills to address news content. News literacy becomes all the more relevant in a media landscape where fake news are propagated – truth being questioned and disinformation being instigated is one the biggest challenges journalism is now facing. The present state of affairs can have serious repercussions for society in general, and for its younger (thus likely more susceptible) members in particular.
We would therefore like to encourage a debate on the interaction dynamics that develop between audiences and current affairs / news, with an emphasis on the younger generation audience segment. We are especially interested in research that examines the younger generation’s perceptions of, and interactions with, news content and online information consumption, while also taking into account alternative sources of news, such as Instagram or WhatsApp. It is necessary that those new trends be placed in the wider context of studies on news content emission and reception. With this goal in mind, we also welcome proposals which put forward strategies designed to provide citizens with those skills that give them the ability to be more critical of their own worldview – and of the worldview they receive from the media – so that they develop their civic and political values.
This Special Dossier aims at advancing the existing scientific knowledge on the consumption of news content, particularly digital-born news content. For this purpose, manuscripts addressing the topics below (but not limited to them) are welcome.
• News content consumption practices and digital platforms
• New generations and news literacy
• Online media and future trends in news consumption
• The era of ‘fake news’ and critical skills in information analysis
• New media, engagement and civic participation
• ‘Alternative’ narratives and post-truth
• Social media, algorithms and disinformation
• Critical literacies

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 3 March 2020
Deadline for Submissions: 15 July 2020
Deadline for Notification of Acceptance: 15 October 2020
Deadline for submitting the final version of accepted paper: 1 November 2020
Publication date: 15 December 2020

Upon acceptance of a paper for publication, the individual or collective author(s) will be asked to assign copyright to Comunicação Pública.

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 28 (June 2020)

Special Dossier: NEWS AND ITS AUDIENCES IN THE ERA OF THE NEW MEDIA: PERCEPTIONS AND DYNAMICS ON ONLINE CONSUMPTION
Editors: Patrícia Silveira (IADE – Universidade Europeia, FCH – Universidade Católica) and Inês Amaral (FL – Universidade de Coimbra)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 10 February 2020

Overview
The special dossier “Communicating Health – fundamentals and practices towards a better health” addresses communication in the health context, exploring the coding, transmission, promotion and reception of health contents aimed at reaching better health results and fostering healthier individuals and societies.
The existing literature tends to emphasize communication as a catalyst of results (Levinson, Roter & Mullooly, 1997; Ong, Haes, Hoos & Lammes, 1995, p. 903; Stewart 1995), as an effective bridge for establishing the therapeutic relation (Longnecker, 2010) and as a lever for massive and low cost dissemination of messages in the media (Wakefield, Loken & Hornik, 2014).
Communication is seen as the “need of the hour” (Ranjan, Kumari & Chakrawarty, 2015, p. 1) and as the “key to a healthier tomorrow” (Ratzan, 1994), bringing about answers for dealing with, and solving, communication problems in the health context: a) Europeans have low health literacy levels (HLS-EU, 2012). Over a third of USA adults (77 million people) will have difficulties with ordinary health tasks, such as following patient package insert instructions. That limited health knowledge affects American adults across every ethnic group (United States Department of Health & Human Services, 2003); b) in current clinical practice, human communication is often misused (Kreps, 1996, p. 43); c) nurses, for instance, overestimate their patients’ health literacy level (Johnson, 2014, p. 43) and such overestimation may contribute to the generalised problem of poor health results and hospital readmission rates (Dickens, Lambert, Cromwell & Piano, 2013); d) even in non-stressing clinical interactions, patients are reluctant to admit that they have failed to understand something and feel compelled to follow recommendations as they see fit, instead of asking for further clarification (e.g. Baker et al., 1996; Dickens et al., 2013; Martin et al., 2011; Parikh, Parker, Nursers, Baker & Williams, 1996); e) there are not enough studies on health communication / interaction and literacy (e.g. Ishikawa & Kiuchi, 2010); f) a recommendation has been put forward to include training in communication skills in clinical syllabus and practice (Ranjan, Kumari & Chakrawarty, 2015); g) health literacy tools have shown to be insufficient for generating the organisational changes needed to improve organisations’ health literacy (Lloyd et al., 2018); h) despite their potential for bringing about positive changes, or precluding negative changes, in health related behaviours in big populations, the public’s exposure to media campaigns is generally passive. This is due to such campaigns having to compete with factors like marketing of products, powerful social norms and behaviours led by vice or habit (Wakefield, Loken & Hornik, 2014); i) we still need to get a better grasp on the ideal of media campaign, for they seem to be more effective when they are intense, long-running and well targeted to a specific population group (Fraser, 2019).
Research on health communication brings thus implications associated with the identification and provision of better and more effective communication strategies and practices, which in turn will improve the overall health of society (Stacks & Salween, p. 489).
Under the title “Comunicar a saúde – fundamentos e práticas para uma melhor saúde” (“Communicating Health – fundamentals and practices towards a better health”), the current special dossier is calling for papers that bring a significant contribution either to the theoretical interpretation or to the empirical and applied knowledge of communication in the health context, with a main focus on the interpersonal, organisational and media contexts. Interdisciplinarity and diversity of theoretical paradigms, methodological options, geopolitical arenas and applied communication approaches in health are welcomed.
On the relation ‘better communication / better health’ in interpersonal (therapeutic relation), organisational (literate organisations) and media contexts, our object is to:
• explore health-promoting communication strategies practices, theories and models;
• understand the relation between communication skills and health (access, understanding and use of health information);
• gain knowledge on communication fundamentals and best practices committed to improve health literacy;
• understand the processes by which health messages are received and how they are subsequently used;
• develop solutions in the actual health context (national or international), with effects on health improvement.
The following are among the intended focuses:
• fundamentals of health communication;
• interpersonal relationship between health professional and patient;
• communication skills and health literacy skills;
• practices of a literate health organisation;
• public health media campaigns;
• health promotion and disease prevention campaigns;
• government communication for a healthy society;
• agenda-building on health communication.

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 28 Octorber 2019
Deadline for Submissions: 10 February 2019
Deadline for Notification of Acceptance: 30 April 2020
Deadline for submitting the final version of accepted paper: 15 May 2020
Publication date: 30 June 2020

Upon acceptance of a paper for publication, the individual or collective author(s) will be asked to assign copyright to Comunicação Pública.

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 27 (December 2019)

Special Dossier: OMNI-CHANNEL COMMUNICATION IN TOURISM
Editors: Raquel Barbosa Ribeiro and Filipa Fernandes (Centro de Administração e Políticas Públicas, Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas, Universidade de Lisboa)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 15 October 2019

Overview
We find ourselves in the era of services and strategic communication is crucial for its success. In the last decades, the society digitalization process (Batra & Keller, 2016) has had a notable influence on strategic communication;
Despite the marked emphasis placed on the digital by academics and professionals, digital interaction alone does not generate consumer preference, and face-to-face interpersonal communication keeps on being a major differentiating factor among brands (Berman & Thelen, 2018). Interpersonal communication is a crucial element in relational exchanges, playing a preponderant role in reducing customer uncertainty; due to its intangible character, it is also an important factor in building affective engagements, especially in the service sector (Walz & Celuch, 2012). Customer service in particular has been shown to be a critical feature in customer satisfaction and loyalty (Alge, Gresham, Heneman, Fox, & McMasters, 2002). Kotler et al. (2017) argue that multi-channel communication (online or offline) evolved to omni-channel communication (online and offline) so as to provide the customer with a continuing experience of contact.
Tourism, a growing activity sector (globally as well as domestically) is an area ripe with opportunities for researching omni-channel communication. Digital changes in tourism have brought us the expansion of digital influencers, e-wom, and user-generated content, all of which supported by audiovisual platforms, digital social media and digital communities. Those changes have led to an increase in the global demand for tourism services and to a concomitant decrease in the number of people who engage the services of traditional travel agencies – a phenomenon that became known as the process of ‘disintermediation’ (Law, Leung, Leung, & Fong, 2015). Despite the many predictions of its disappearance due to the impact of the Internet, interpersonal communication is not dead; in fact, many consumers still prefer to talk to an expert interlocutor about their travel plans, and the reason why this is the case lies on the affective benefits that the consumer draws from having interpersonal communication with their travel agent increase the perceived value of the experience (Terblanche & Taljaard, 2018).
We see thus that, in tourism, virtual reality in shops and investment in online communication coexist with providing the customer with personalised experiences and services, which verbal and non-verbal communication components have a significant impact in terms of retention, loyalty and organisational resilience (Cerdeira, 2015).
It therefore seems that research on omni-channel communication in tourism is likely to yield a considerable potential for detecting innovative strategies and tactics with advantages to other for-profit and not-for-profit areas of activity.

Objectives and Intended Focus:
• To identify agents, publics, processes and outcomes of tourism communication (mass, interpersonal and computer-mediated communication) in omni-channel context;
• To understand the developments of tourism communication in omni-channel context, with a focus on: digital influence, customer service, training and relational communication;
• To identify processes of narrative building and tourism discourses in omni-channel context;
• To understand consumers’ perception on omni-channel tourism communication;
• To promote the debate on the complementarity of online and offline communication, taking the tourism sector as reference.

We welcome high-quality written papers on the issues above listed, supported by scientific-academic research focused on (but not limited to) the following topics:
a) Agents, publics, processes and results of tourism communication;
b) Mass communication, interpersonal communication e computer-mediated communication in tourism;
c) Tourism communication in omni-channel context;
d) Digital influence, customer service, training and relational communication in tourism;
e) Tourism narratives and discourses;
f) Complementarity of online and offline communication in tourism.

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 27 May 2019
Deadline for Submissions: 15 October 2019
Deadline for Notification of Acceptance: 30 October 2019
Deadline for submitting the final version of accepted paper: 15 November 2019
Publication date: 15 December 2019

Submission guidelines:
Manuscripts should follow the preformatted template and be submitted by e-mail (sent to: cpublica@escs.ipl.pt) attached in .doc format. The subject to be included is the following: Dossiê temático 01_COT

Papers can be written in English, Spanish or Portuguese, always using Microsoft Word. They are to include an abstract of up to 900 characters, five keywords written in both the language of the paper and in English, and the author’s details (name, affiliation, position, field of study, and contact information). The full paper, with reference list, annexes and citations should not exceed 50.000 characters (including spaces, endnotes, references, tables, images, etc.). Studies, Notes and Book Reviews should not exceed 10.000 characters (For more information, please see Submission Guidelines).

Upon acceptance of a paper for publication, the individual or collective author(s) will be asked to assign copyright to Comunicação Pública.

Call for papers for Comunicação Pública No. 27 (December 2019)

Special Dossier: DISINFORMATION, JOURNALISM AND BUSINESS MODELS
Editor: Suzana Cavaco (FEP, University of Oporto)
Languages: Portuguese; English; Spanish
Deadline for submission: 15 September 2019

In order to take action in a democratic society, citizens need to have access to relevant, truthful and plural information. Social responsibility of the press (a concept introduced in 1947 by the Hutchins Commission) lies upon the fundamental right to inform and be informed.
Journalists play a socially instituted role as builders of reality. It is a ‘symbolic power’: an ‘invisible’ and ‘quasi-magical’ power ‘of making people see and believe, of conforming or transforming the vision of the world and, thereby, action on the world and thus the world itself” (Bourdieu, 1989).
In the 1990s, Bourdieu (1997) criticized journalists for holding a de facto monopoly on large scale information broadcasting tools, leaving but little wiggle room to cultural agents. Even though media products generate ‘huge’ externalities (Baker, 2004), the journalistic field is subject to the demands of both readership and advertising markets. In the 21st century, however, we have seen an intensification of the low autonomy of the journalistic field (Bourdieu, 1997).
The Internet brought opportunities and threats. Reduction in production costs, distribution and content search made it possible for niche markets (Long Tail business model) to compete with traditional mass markets (Anderson, 2007). Individual’s empowerment fostered by digital connectivity (Kolter et al., 2017) led to ‘mass self communication’ (Castells, 2009). A hyper-abundance of information has lowered journalism’s exchange value. Nowadays, the attitude of a typical Internet user is characterised by reluctance to pay for online journalistic content and use of ad blockers. Attention is one of today’s scarcest resources.
At the same time, political populisms, booming as a function of connective action, accuse journalists of belonging to an elite who is enemy of the people (Engesser et al., 2017). Today, in a moment prior to the potential and dangerous widespread use of deepfake, any individual can become a powerful spy or soldier at the service of somewhat obscure ideas. We are seeing ‘information pollution’ on a global scale – a phenomenon which purpose is to engender confusion and distrust (Wardle & Derakhshan, 2016). The kind of disinformation that online platforms favour and amplify thrives in our current fertile ground of post-truth.
In this state of growing disintermediation of journalism, hybrid genres are surfacing that navigate between journalism forms and marketing promotion goals, in a blurring of boundaries that compromises the perceived use value of journalism.
One hundred and twenty-five years after the 1st International Congress of the Press, held in Antwerp, in 1894, where participants debated what ‘being a journalist’ is; and considering the crucial role of training in journalism (Fengler et al., 2014), some relevant questions arise: What skills should journalists training explore/strengthen? How have journalism and/or news media reacted, and how should they react, to the challenges posed by disinformation? What kind of contents should receive priority? Which business models to follow? What are de best communication policies?
The Special Dossier on Disinformation, Journalism and Business Models aims at debating those and other related questions. It therefore welcomes contributions that focus on the following topics, taking into account the financial sustainability of journalism and the ideal workings of democracy:
1. Journalists and their technical and ethical skills
a. Training journalists in technological challenges
b. Old and new deontological questions
c. Boundaries of journalism
2. Journalists’ and/or news media’s attitudes
a. Journalism in times of disinformation and post-truth
b. Journalistic routines and the correct use of resources
c. Media accountability mechanisms
3. Business models in journalism
a. Financial sustainability of journalism
b. Journalism and content distribution by digital platforms
c. Sponsored content
d. Clickbait, intrusive advertising and ad blockers
e. Job insecurity and working conditions
4. Communication Policies
a. Regulation and disinformation
b. Incentive/Support Policies to the consumption of journalism
c. Public service and media pluralism

KEY DATES
1^st Call for Papers: 29 May 2019
Deadline for Submissions: 15 September 2019
Deadline for Notification of Acceptance: 30 October 2019
Deadline for submitting the final version of accepted paper: 15 November 2019
Publication date: 15 December 2019

Papers can be written in English, Spanish or Portuguese, always using Microsoft Word. They are to include an abstract of up to 900 characters, five keywords written in both the language of the paper and in English, and the author’s details (name, affiliation, position, field of study, and contact information). The full paper, with reference list, annexes and citations should not exceed 50.000 characters (including spaces, endnotes, references, tables, images, etc.). Studies, Notes and Book Reviews should not exceed 10.000 characters (For more information, please see Submission Guidelines).

Upon acceptance of a paper for publication, the individual or collective author(s) will be asked to assign copyright to Comunicação Pública.

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