Call for Abstracts: 2025 ECREA Workshop of the Temporary Working Group Affect, Emotion & Media

Lisbon, Portugal, 05.06.2025 – 06.06.2025

Beyond Information: Affective Strategies for Impactful Media and Quality of Life

From climate change awareness to political engagement, media have always played an essential role in giving people the tools to make informed decisions to potentially enhance their quality of life and that of their communities. However, in an era where multiple layers of content and information from different sources and players coexist, it can be challenging to develop shared visions for improved quality of life and change oneself, communities, cities, the environment, and governments for the better. Emotion and affect are powerful tools to bridge this gap, capturing attention and inspiring engagement with critical quality-of-life issues.

This workshop explores the intersection of affect, emotion, and media in addressing contemporary societal challenges with impacts on well-being and the good life, focusing on quality-of-life topics such as healthy media use, climate action, equity, democracy, mobility, and responsible cities, among others. We welcome interdisciplinary approaches that combine media and communication studies with psychology, sociology, political science, and other relevant fields. Presentations may address, but are not limited to:

  • Theoretical frameworks and empirical approaches for understanding affect in media communication;
  • Empirical studies on the impact of affect and emotion in news dissemination and reception;
  • Case studies of successful or failed affective strategies in, e.g., journalism, PR, advertisement, political campaigns, or influencer relationships;
  • Ethical considerations in leveraging emotion for media engagement;
  • Expressions of affect and emotion in visual communication
  • Affect, emotions, and the role of algorithms and AI;
  • Innovative methodologies for measuring and analyzing emotional responses to media content.
  • Historical analyses of affect and emotion in media and their impact on society

Location & Date: NOVA University of Lisbon (NOVA FCSH), Av. de Berna Campus | 5 and 6 June 2025

Submission deadline: 28 February 2025

Submit an abstract (only in English) of no more than 300 words (excl. bibliography) by 28 February 2025 to dorasantossilva@fcsh.unl.pt

One file should contain no identifying information on the authors (only abstract proposal and respective title), as each abstract will be subjected to peer review. In addition, we request authors to submit – in a separate file – the title of the abstract, the authors and affiliations (plus a short bio). Notification of acceptance/rejection will be given by 10 March. 

Members and non-members of ECREA are equally welcome to submit an abstract. Proposals from PhD students and early career researchers are especially encouraged. A registration fee of €90 for researchers and €25 for PhDs students will, as of now, be required. This value includes two days of lunches and coffee breaks.

Dora Santos-Silva

Gabriela Ferreira 

Manuel Menke

Dominique Wirz