The Engine Room’s Post

Nothing says "Ivory Tower" like academic conferences. From stuffy presentations to outdated formats, these spaces can feel disconnected from the real world. In 2021, I had the opportunity to work on something different: an (un)Conference, hosted by HELTASA. This experience challenged my assumptions about knowledge sharing and collaboration. In our latest paper, published in the CriSTaL Journal, my colleagues Daniela Gachago, Prof Mlamuli Hlatshwayo, PhD, Leanri van Heerden and I reflect on this experience through a decolonial lens. We explore the opportunities and challenges of adopting both principles of unconferencing and decolonisation in our practice. The selected vignettes of reflective moments in planning and facilitating this (un)conference serve as a testament to our learnings. My conferencing season gets underway this week as I attend the #AfricanMediaCouncil's conference in Cape Town with colleagues from the Press Council, so this paper feels particularly timely. Link: https://lnkd.in/dTiZBMCB #unconference #decolonisation #highereducation #media #knowledgeexchange #collaboration

How research teams and participants communicate is crucial to both the research's integrity and the participant's experience. Join us for a webinar reviewing how Australian researchers currently approach communication with trial participants and vice versa, identifying practical and achievable suggestions to improve research communications for all ⇢ https://lnkd.in/gya9euER

After the successful first Global Action Meeting it is time to get even more active 🔔 Check the rules and application procedures for the opened second 📢 call for Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC) grants and for Dissemination Conference (DC) grants ✍ Be quick to apply by May 15th, 2024 All the important info is here https://lnkd.in/dq-6_sCg #COSTActions #ScienceWithoutBorders

A great discussion today on 'Comparative Media Research and Monitoring in Europe:  Lessons Learned and Ways Forward' (Horizon 2020 Program), at Impact Hub, Athens.

So, from May 22nd to 25th, I will be in Sarajevo at the 2024 IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival organized by International Press Institute (IPI). I will be participating in the discussion "Putting communities first: How local media are engaging audiences – and keeping their trust" together with Saorla McCabe, Admir Gjoni, Izabela Moi, Viktor Pichuhin, and Albina Vicković. At our Local Media Development Agency ABO we are currently in the midst of a project where we are training journalists-mediators for 9 communities in southern and eastern Ukraine. We define a "mediator" as a specialist who is tasked with establishing healthy communication between local authorities, the community, business, and the public sector. This specialist must be well-versed in local governance and communications. In the long term, they are expected to become ambassadors for their community on both national and international levels. When I say “training journalists-mediators” it is not limited to workshops, conferences, and courses. Yes, there are educational modules, of course. But from the very first days, these journalists began working with the support of mentors. The key training takes place in the course of their work, through practical experience. For example, mediators will conduct over 100 in-depth interviews with various stakeholders in their communities. They will also carry out more than 200 surveys of local residents. This approach helps to gain a deeper understanding of the needs, perspectives, challenges, and misunderstandings of different parties. The analyzed results of these studies form the basis for content plans, public discussions, and other community events. At the conference, I will share the case studies we have developed in 9 communities over the past six months. This includes our achievements in Pokrovsk and Nikopol, towns that are very close to the front line and under frequent shelling. At least, that is my preliminary plan. I am still working on theses and case studies because I do not want to reduce the conversation to the typical messages we all hear at every conference. By the way, if you will also be at the conference in Sarajevo during these days, let's connect ❤️ .

I'm thrilled to share some important work that I had the privilege of being a part of - the "News Deserts in Ukraine" report by the Media Development Foundation. Our team mapped out localities across part of Ukraine to identify news deserts - places where communities aren't receiving enough information about the issues that directly impact their lives. In this study, we analyzed 11 regions (oblasts) that have been severely affected by the ongoing war. We examined 68 districts (rayons) and 879 functioning editorial teams, categorizing each district as "healthy," "partially healthy," or "unhealthy" based on the number of independent media outlets serving the area. Key findings: - Most districts are classified as "healthy" or "partially healthy," although the situation may be more challenging at the community level. - The Kharkiv and Donetsk regions have the highest number of independent outlets, while Luhansk and Dnipro have the lowest. - Historical continuity and an established independent media tradition are significant factors in explaining regional differences in coverage. Our report also highlights the unique challenges faced by occupied territories, where media outlets often operate in exile and face access restrictions. This study is just the beginning of understanding the complexities of Ukraine's local media ecosystem. We will follow up soon with the second part covering the rest of the country. Read full report here - https://lnkd.in/dxGS8wDK

Today and tomorrow are the last days to send your application for Conference grants - either as Dissemination Grant (for oral presentations) or ITC grant (for applicants from ITC countries to participate in a conference) Check the rules and take action. It’s your chance to take advantage of being part of the LUCES COST Action #COSTActions #ScienceWithoutBorders

How research teams and participants communicate is crucial to both the research's integrity and the participant's experience. Join us for a webinar reviewing how Australian researchers currently approach communication with trial participants and vice versa, identifying practical and achievable suggestions to improve research communications for all ⇢ https://lnkd.in/ezRuKY9Q

📢 Meet Us at the 87th Annual Meeting of the Association for #InformationScience and Technology, 25–29 October 2024, Calgary, Canada Information research and practice are embedded in various settings, from physical libraries, everyday life, and community spaces to digital entertainment, #socialmedia, and online search systems. These real-world and virtual spaces consist of complex, interdependent relationships between people, information objects, and technologies that are mediated by local norms and practices and broader economic and political systems. As the premier international conference in this field, the ASIS&T Annual Meeting is a forum to draw attention to and share the people-centered aspects of information research, #education, and practice. By putting people first, we make responsibility, reciprocity, and care evident in what we do and how we do it. 🎵 For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://lnkd.in/ggvznBvj.

🤔 Have you already heard about cases such as Operation Overload or Doppelganger? If not, this is your opportunity to change it! ➡️ We are 🇫🇮🇲🇮-🇮🇸🇦🇨, 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, and we have published an analysis of the case studies our members reported during the first half of this year. The link to the analysis can be found in the comment section. ➡️ 🇫🇮🇲🇮-🇮🇸🇦🇨 members: VOST EUROPE, The Global Disinformation Index, Italian Digital Media Observatory (IDMO), Debunk.org, Fundación Maldita.es, EU DisinfoLab, Alliance4Europe, Mediapooli, and the German Marshall Fund of the United States. ➡️ 🇫🇮🇲🇮-🇮🇸🇦🇨 board members: Rachele Gilman, Viktoras Daukšas, Salvatore Custureri, Ph.D., Ines Narciso and Bret Schafer.