AFEMED Researchers at the ECREA Conference: Exploring Communication in Times of Social (Dis)Order

AFEMED topics and concepts were well represented at the 10th European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) conference on “Communication and Social (Dis)Order,” which took place from September 24^th to 27^th in Ljubljana.

Roman Kuhar and Rok Smrdelj, along with Monika Kalin Golob, explored Twitter (now X) discussions surrounding “gender theory” in the Slovenian context, while Peter Sekloča and Sašo Slaček Brlek examined the structural transformations of the Slovene press market in the attention economy. Tjaša Turnšek presented a co-authored comparative analysis of authoritarian populist discourse and performance in televised speeches on the Russo-Ukrainian War, focusing on the role of affects and emotions. Marko Ribać addressed social and political transformations in the age and context of polycrisis.

Mojca Pajnik chaired a roundtable “Media and the ‘Illiberal Turn’: Enablers, Victims, or Channels of Resistance?” with Sabina Mihelj and Václav Štětka from Loughborough University, and Peter Bajomi-Lázár from Budapest Business School. The debate moved beyond simplistic arguments that attribute the rise of illiberalism solely to the growing influence of digital media and social networking platforms, emphasizing deeper, systemic changes in Eastern European media markets and journalistic cultures. The event was organized by The Peace Institute and The Slovenian Communication Association in partnership with ECREA.