Disseminating scholarly research to journalists and a broader audience has become a vital part of being an academic. You may have been in Deadline yourself, and/or spotted a colleague in a newspaper, radio program or other media outlets. In the revision of The University Act in 2003, the necessity of broad knowledge dissemination and participating in collaborations outside universities has especially been emphasized. As such, the craft of knowledge sharing is also increasingly becoming an aspect of PhD educations and when applying for research grants scholars often must enclose a communication strategy, which ensures the dissemination of results to a broader audience. Disseminating research is not only crucial to the continuous development of knowledge societies, but also to the legitimization of research institutions.
While many scholars may welcome the discipline of communicating one’s knowledge, it is not necessarily an easy task. How to boil down results into one publishable sentence? How to break down complex research designs into two minutes of airtime? How to react when journalists angle their story in a certain way? And further, how to communicate with practitioners and other industry partners? Eventually, many of such encounters turn out well, however, sometimes the exercise of knowledge sharing leads to controversies or even shitstorms directed at the researcher, the research institution, and/or other involved partners.
At SMiD’s 2022 biennial meeting we wish to address the dilemmas attached to the dissemination of media and communication research. We invite a wide arrange of contributions, from traditional papers to personal experiences. Alternative and innovative formats such as roundtables, discussions, interviews, posters, workshops, and working group meetings are possible as well. You are very welcome to share your current research, work-in-progress or other material, your work does not have to have the dissemination process in focus. However, if you do not address the topic directly, we would like to ask you to reflect on the following question related to your research: What are the pitfalls of disseminating your research? What considerations – strategic or otherwise – are important for your choice of platform and/or mode of communication?
The biennial meeting is open to scholars (from PhD candidates to professors) and practitioners on various levels in the broader field of media and communication. Our aim is to collaboratively discuss, share and reflect on our experiences, exchange tips and tricks, support each other and, not at least, learn from each other. We will create a supportive forum, where it is possible to exchange experiences, good as bad ones, with colleagues.
Suggestions for contributions should be maximum 500 words (including references). For panels, the submission should consist of a panel rationale (max 300 words) and abstracts for all papers (max 150 words each). Deadline for suggestions for contributions is September 15, 2022 (additional information of how to submit your proposal will be announced in late spring). The meeting will be hosted at DMJX in Aarhus, November 17-18, 2022.
Notice of acceptance: No later than October 10, 2022.
For further information or questions regarding the kind of contributions, please contact SMiD’s chairperson Julie Mejse Münter Lassen at julieml@cc.au.dk.