Media Frictions International symposium

2-3 May 2024

Venue: Grand Hotel & Gamla Rådhuset, Jönköping, Sweden

Organisers: Professor Annette Hill, Hario Priambodho, Deniz Duru

The dynamics of friction matter, for storytelling, for digital and global connections, and for media and social inequalities. The meaning of friction is multilayered: friction is an energetic spark, a form of social tension, and a sign of difference. We feel media friction in our daily lives, from the contingencies of media engagement, to the tensions of trustworthy information during conflict and crisis. And yet friction is often framed as something to defuse in mediated settings, to smooth away differences and encourage easy encounters. But, what of the sparks that friction generates?

This symposium provides a timely opportunity to understand both the creative force, and negative consequences, of frictions within media, culture and society. Key questions include:

  1. What are the dynamics of friction across media, culture and society?
  2. In what ways can friction generate creativity in storytelling and cultural artefacts?
  3. How do media frictions make visible power and inequalities?

We invite researchers to explore the dynamics of friction across the following connected areas of enquiry:

  • frictions in storytelling for streaming series and films
  • epistemic frictions of truth claims in news, documentaries, and social media
  • social frictions in social movements, mobilisation and activism
  • political frictions in news, documentary, information, disinformation and polarization
  • gender, race, and disability frictions
  • communicative frictions within organisations and media and cultural industries
  • data frictions of AI and related technologies and data inequalities
  • mobility frictions for transnational communication and transportation of goods and services, humans and non-humans
  • global, local, transnational and postcolonial frictions

The programme for the symposium across two days includes keynote panels with invited speakers, pre-constituted panels on key themes with invited speakers, a special panel on academic publishing with Natalie Foster from Routledge and Juilia Brockley from Intellect, and open parallel panels. There will be a dedicated website, video, and podcasts of keynote panels.

Keynote speakers include Charlotte Brunsdon (Warwick University, UK, Simon Dawes (Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France), Christine Geraghty (Glasgow University, UK), Joke Hermes (InHolland University, Netherlands), Annette Hill (Jönköping University, Sweden), David Morley (Goldsmiths College, UK), Dylan Mulvin (London School of Economics, UK), Kristian Møller (Roskilde University, Denmark).

Invited Speakers for Pre-Constituted Panels include Magnus Andersson (Lund University, Sweden), Deniz Duru (Lund University, Sweden), Alexandra Bogren (Södertorn University, Sweden), Stina Bengtsson (Södertorn University, Sweden), Taina Bucher (Oslo University, Norway), Alex Frankovitch (Birkbeck University, UK), Maren Hartmann (Berlin University of the Arts, Germany),  Jamie Hakim (KCL, UK), Noora Hirvonen (University of Oulu, Finland), Aira Huttunen (University of Oulu, Finland), Elinor Mansson (Södertorn University, Sweden), Erika Polson (University of Denver, USA), Torgeir Uberg Nærland (University of Bergen, Norway, Susanna Paasonen (University of Turku, Finland), Sébastien Tutenges (Lund University, Sweden), Hans-Jörg Trenz (SMS, Italy), Hakan Sicakken (University of Bergen, Norway), Thomas Tufte (Loughborough University London, UK)

Please submit an abstract of 300 words in English by January 9 2024 to Hario Priambodho (hario.priambodho@kom.lu.se).

For further information please consult our website at cstonline.netju.se/mediafrictionsinternationalsymposium

There is a registration fee of 1750 SEK (170 Euros) that covers food and drink for the two days and an end of symposium evening meal.