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Shifting Grounds: Wo:menpower at ECC 2026 in Brno

The CMC was delighted to participate in the 11th European Communication Conference (ECC 2026), held in Brno from 8 to 11 September under the theme "Shifting Grounds: Paths Connections, and Futures.” Bringing together researchers from across the European and international media and communication research community, the conference provided an opportunity to discuss current developments and future directions in communication research.

 07.10.2026
Photo (from left to right): Christian Oggolder, Christina Krakovsky, Andreas Schulz-Tomančok, Marina Lindmeyr, Marie Rathmann and Eva Tamara Asboth at ECC 2026.

We contributed to several conference sessions, showcasing research on AI governance, disinformation, public communication, social exclusion, public service media and journalism.

In the session “Governing AI in European Public Communication,” Marie Rathmann presented research conducted together with Colin Porlezza, Laura Amigo Weinberger, Tobias Eberwein, Marten Juurik, Marko Milosavljević, Mari-Liisa Parder and Krisztina Rozgonyi. The presentation explored questions surrounding the governance of AI in European public communication.

Also on Wednesday, Marina Lindmeyr and Christina Krakovsky presented “Ethical Imperatives and Structural Dynamics in AI and Disinformation Regulation: Insights from Austrian Civil Society.” Their contribution examined ethical and structural dimensions of AI and disinformation regulation, with a particular focus on perspectives from Austrian civil society.

Another contribution, “The Long and Winding Road: Developing Dialogic Bottom-Up Policy Recommendations for the Polarised and Disinformed Societies,” brought together Marko Milosavljević, Krisztina Rozgonyi, Marko Poler, Marie Rathmann, Romana Biljak Gerjevič and Tobias Eberwein. The presentation focused on developing dialogic, bottom-up policy recommendations for societies facing polarisation and disinformation.

On Thursday, Andreas Schulz-Tomančok presented “50 Shades of Poverty: Representation of and Information Presentation for People Affected by Poverty and at Risk of Social Exclusion. A Case Study on Austrian Public Service Broadcasting” (a contribution together with Josef Seethaler). The contribution addressed the representation and presentation of information concerning people affected by poverty and at risk of social exclusion in Austrian public service media.

The final CMC contribution took place on Friday. In “Back Again? Journalistic Role Perception of Editors in Austrian Party Media,” Eva Tamara Asboth, Andreas Schulz-Tomančok and Christian Oggolder explored journalistic role perceptions among editors working in Austrian party media.

The CMC congratulates Eva Tamara Asboth, who was re-elected Vice-Chair of the ECREA Working Group Communication History during the conference.

Beyond the presentations, ECC 2026 provided an opportunity for the CMC team to exchange ideas, discuss ongoing research and strengthen connections with colleagues from across the European communication research community. The conference also offered a valuable platform for discussing how communication research can contribute to understanding changing media environments, democratic challenges and new forms of public communication.

Das CMC veröffentlicht einige Texte auch in leichterer Sprache (Deutsch):

Vom 8. bis 11. September 2026 fand in Brno in Tschechien die 11. European Communication Conference statt. Das Thema der Konferenz war: „Paths, Connections, and Futures“. Forschende aus vielen Ländern haben dort über Medien und Kommunikation gesprochen. Auch Forschende vom CMC haben mehrere Beiträge vorgestellt. Die Themen waren unter anderem Künstliche Intelligenz, Desinformation, öffentliche Kommunikation, Armut, öffentlich-rechtliche Medien und Journalismus. Die Konferenz war außerdem eine Gelegenheit für Austausch und neue Kontakte mit Forschenden aus Europa und anderen Ländern.