Call for Papers:

Mediatization Conference 7, 2026
Mediatization and Artificial Intelligence: Values, Principles, and Practices of AI-zation?
March 19-20, 2026
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland, and online
Organizers: Institute of Social Communication and Media Science and Polish Communication Association, Mediatization Section
https://www.umcs.pl/en/ms-cfp.htm/

Deadline for submission of abstracts: January 20, 2026

When observing the constant deepening of the mediatization process, one can ask what comes after mediatization? Is this term still relevant or should we look for an alternative, such as ‘AI-zation’, to describe and explain the transformations driven by Large Language Models witnessed by people in different fields and sectors of their private and public lives? These questions concern the accelerators, obstacles and disruptors introduced by AI technologies and the kinds of transformations or breakthroughs they bring about when human dependency on media is considered. At the same time, we may feel lost when trying to determine the principles that should organize the media and AI worlds, and the values that they should reflect. In particular, discussions about the AI-related principles and values face us with the problem of obsolescence, need for updates or new rules and ideals, as well as their commonality and applicability in different societal and national contexts.

When asking these questions, we would like to invite media and communication scholars, as well as researchers interested in technology, the humanities, psychology, and other disciplines, to discuss the topics, we believe, will help us to consider the current and future stages of media- and AI-related phenomena wisely and visionary.

The list of expected topics includes, but is not limited to:

• What comes after deep mediatization? Does AI technologies introduce the next phase of mediatization (AI-zation)?
• What are the features, principles and consequences of human-machine communication, especially in the current era of LLMs proliferation?
• Which values are of paramount importance and should be preserved first in human-machine communication?
• Are generative AI tools merely intermediaries in media communication, or are they the authors, creators and broadcasters of messages? To what extent can they be perceived as having agency and/or subjectivity?
• Given the vast application of generative AI tools, can we trust media materials, including journalistic content, in terms of their veracity and factuality?
• What can technological approach to mediatization teach us about human-machine communication? Is AI technology similar to any other invention, e.g. the internet, or is it a game changer unlike anything we have ever seen before?
• What role do machine participants play in the meaning-making process, and who or what do they represent? The European and national laws and regulations on AI (e.g. AI Act 2025) and the ethics of human-machine communication?
• Originality and creativity in media production in the face of generative AI application. Affective artificial communication (e.g. AI-driven emotion recognition, relationships and intimacy in the age of AI, technological forms of empathy, affective computing).

KEYNOTE SPEECH

We are extremely honored that the keynote speech at Mediatization Conference 7, 2026 will be delivered by:

Dr. Martin Johannes Riedl is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His research investigates platform governance and content moderation, digital journalism, as well as the spread of false and misleading information on social media. Riedl’s recent work has focused on platform governance and violence, digital journalism and artificial intelligence, the politics of trust and safety, encrypted messaging and chat applications, and political influencers on social media.

More information on keynote speech

ACCOMPANYING EVENT

Onsite conference participants are also invited to attend the workshop “From Data to Interpretation: NLP techniques in digital discourse analysis”, which will be conducted by Dr Kamil Filipek and Michal Blaszczykowski, M.Sc., from the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Computer Modelling at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University.

The aim of the training is to familiarise social communication researchers with modern natural language processing methods used to analyse texts obtained from digital platforms. Participants will learn how to prepare data, select appropriate analytical techniques (e.g. embedding models, classification, topic analysis) and interpret results in the context of discourse theory. The training also aims to develop competencies that allow for critical assessment of both the potential and limitations of NLP methods in communication research.

REGISTRATION

Forms of participation

• Languages of the conference: English and Polish
• Form of participation: oral presentations, personal and online form
• Conference site: Institute of Social Communication and Media Science, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, ul. Głęboka 45

Important dates

• Deadline for abstracts: 20 January, 2026
• Deadline for the acceptance of abstracts: 30 January, 2026
• Deadline for conference fee: 20 February, 2026

Fees

• For the personal and online participation: 200 PLN
• For PTKS/Polish Communication Association members: 150 PLN
• For the Workshop participants: plus PLN 60-100 PLN (depending on their number)

ORGANIZERS

• Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin
• Polish Communication Association, Mediatization Section

Scientific Committee

• Prof. Ewa Nowak-Teter – Chair of the Scientific Committee
• Prof. Jakub Nowak
• Prof. Małgorzata Adamik-Szysiak
• PhD Wojciech Maguś

Organizational Board

• PhD Karolina Burno-Kaliszuk
• PhD Elżbieta Pawlak-Hejno
• PhD Mateusz Sobiech
• PhD Anna Jezhova
• PhD Justyna Kusto
• MA Natalia Firek
• MA Julia Kaproń
• MA Kacper Janik
• MA Katarzyna Szawłoga
• MA Agnieszka Nowak

CONTACT

Institute of Social Communication and Media Science
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
Głęboka 45
20-612 Lublin, Poland

Conference e-mail:
mediatyzacja@umcs.pl or ewa.nowak-teter@mail.umcs.pl