CULCORC Newsletter | March 2026
Updates on the CULCORC activities, including highlights since the last issue of the CULCORC Newsletter
Message from the CULCORC director
Welcome to CULCORC’s March 2026 newsletter, which reports on the main activities of Charles University’s Culture and Communication Research Centre and its members, which took place during the last six months.During this period, the CULCORC coordinator, Mazlum Kemal Dağdelen, finalized his PhD and became a lecturer at the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism. He was replaced by communications officer Uxía Sánchez Lorda and web and research officer Martin Bubanović. We are all grateful for Kemal’s work as coordinator, pleased that he will stay active in CULCORC, and we happily welcome Uxía and Martin.
Moreover, we also celebrate the successful completion of the MeDeMAP Horizon Europe project, with, in particular, the theoretical work CULCORC members could do there, but also with the opportunity of organising the Czech Citizen Parliament on Media and Democracy, and producing the AGON film essay. Work like this, in collaboration with nine other partners, from all over Europe, remains vital, especially now that democracy is no longer to be taken granted.
Warm regards,
Nico Carpentier, Director of CULCORC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Research Highlights
- Articles and Chapters
- Events
- Project Updates
- Infographics
- Screenings
- Upcoming Events
- CULCORC in Media
- Stay Connected
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
1. MeDeMAP Seminar at the European Parliament (Brussels, Jan 13, 2026)
Creating a dialogue between academic researchers, citizen parliamentarians, journalists and European policymakers, about the future of democratic governance.
Read more at the MeDeMAP.eu website
2. AGON: Constructions of Democracy – International Screenings
A film essay about democracy, which has been presented across Europe and Asia, expanding scholarly dialogue beyond academia.
See the constructionsofdemocracy.eu website
3. PhD Course on Discourse Studies and Method (Prague, Nov 3–7, 2025)
Providing advanced methodological training in discourse-theoretical and discourse-material analysis for emerging scholars.
Read the course description at the ICSJ website
4. MeDeMAP Project Finalized (2023–2026)
The Horizon Europe project MeDeMAP, with final deliverables and international events that showcase its research on European media systems, political information environments, and democratic participation, has been succesfully concluded.
See the medemap@fsv website
THINKING – Theory & Conceptual Work
Articles and Chapters
By Muhammet Ali Dokumacı and Nico Carpentier
Housing Studies: Read here
The article analyses how “home” after homelessness is discursively constructed through sedentarism and nomadism, using a discourse-theoretical analysis of 20 of Kadir’s Eye’s YouTube videos depicting transitions from street life to housing.
AGON: Constructions of Democracy
By Ali Minanto, Nico Carpentier and Jhon Sany Purwanto
Tecmerin. Revista de Ensayos Audiovisuales, 16, 2025(2): Read here
The film essay AGON reflects on the political construction of democracy, emphasising its contested natures by examining hegemonic definitions, political struggles, conditions of possibility, and threats, inspired by the “Democracy and Media in Europe” book (Carpentier & Wimmer, 2025).
By David Ongenaert and Anna Pstrokońska
International Journal of Business Communication 0(0): Read here
This article examines how multinational corporations represent forcibly displaced people on social media, questioning whether such communication reflects genuine social responsibility or strategic reputation management.
Gradual Disappearance of the Old. Apocalypse in Eastern European Landscapes in Gaming the Apocalypse
By Štěpán Šanda
University of Krems Press: Read here
In this chapter, the gradual erosion of the “old world” in Eastern European landscapes in apocalyptic games is explored, reflecting regional histories, memory politics, and cultural imaginaries of decline.
By Andrea Miconi and Nico Carpentier
Rethinking Media and Communication: A Critical Sociological Lens: Read here
This book chapter develops a multidimensional theoretical model of data fetishism by bridging Marxist and Freudian perspectives to better understand the ideological and psychological dynamics underpinning contemporary data practices.
By Panos Kompatsiaris, Sara Cannizzaro, Nico Carpentier, Babette Lagrange, Sofie Van Bauwel, Miloš Hroch, Vaia Doudaki, Jim Ingebretsen Carlson, Ioanna Archontaki, and Andrea Miconi
European Journal of Cultural Studies: Read here
The authors investigate how migration is represented through gender and intersectional articulations on European social media platforms, demonstrating how inclusive and exclusionary discourses communicate migrant identities.
By Nico Carpentier and Vaia Doudaki, with contributions from Benjamin De Cleen, Miloš Hroch, Andrea Miconi and Jeffrey Wimmer (in alphabetical order)
Mapping Media for Future Democracies (MeDeMAP): Read here
This MeDeMAP report includes analyses of European political information environments, examinations of media legislation, media supply and audience use, and develops a comparative framework to assess the democratic roles of the media and their political implications.
ENGAGING – Dialogue with Academia & Civil Society
Events
CULCORC Seminar Series: “Children, Media & Society” (October 21, 2025).
This seminar was a roundtable discussion with Karolína Šimková, Tereza Javornicky Brumovská and Mazlum Kemal Dağdelen. Presentations focused on current perspectives, research, and debates on the intersections between childhood and media.
See more at the CULCORC website
Policy Lab Learning Webinar: “Citizens’ Parliament: Lessons in Public Participation” (October 24, 2025).
The event, organised by the IPS Policy Lab at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (National University of Singapore), featured Nico Carpentier and Vaia Doudaki sharing insights from the Czech Citizen Parliament (MeDeMAP). Moderated by Nicholas Thomas, the webinar explored how deliberative initiatives build trust, networks, and shared understanding to enhance public engagement and collaboration.
Read more at the IPS website
PhD Course on “Discourse Studies and Method: Using Discourse-Theoretical Analysis and Discourse-Material Analysis” (November 3-7, 2025).
This course, open to 20 participants, discussed Discourse-Theoretical Analysis (DTA) and Discursive-Material Analysis (DMA) and their practical applications. The course, taught by Nico Carpentier, included lectures and workshops with theoretical and research components.
Read more at the ICSJ website
Roundtable: “Democracy and Media in Europe: Emerging Challenges” (November 13, 2025).
Hosted by Uppsala University’s Department of Informatics and Media, this roundtable explored contemporary challenges in European democracy and media, discussing Nico Carpentier and Jeffrey Wimmer’s “Democracy and Media in Europe: A Discursive-Material Approach” (2025). Nico Carpentier, Göran Svensson, Johan Lindell, and Matilda Tudor were the participants. The event was moderated by Peter Jakobsson.
Read more at the UU website
MeDeMAP Seminar: “Regulating Media for Future Democracies: Political and People’s Voices” (January 13, 2026).
Members of the European Parliament, national parliamentarians, European Commission officials, representatives from the Citizens’ Parliaments, and policy actors discussed the intersection of media regulation and democratic governance. This event marked an important step in sharing MeDeMAP’s research outputs with policymakers and practitioners.
Read more at the MeDeMAP.eu website
MeDeMAP Debate & Workshop: “Mapping Media for Future Democracies” (January 13, 2026).
As part of the MeDeMAP seminar in Brussels, a debate and workshop were also held, presenting the project’s multi-layered map of European political information environments. Participants interacted with a spatial data interface that provided quantitative information on media systems. The sessions allowed for discussion of how these environments shape democratic communication across Europe.
Read more at the MeDeMAP.eu website
CULCORC Seminar Series: “Seminar On the Czech Citizen Parliament: Analysing Media Change, Participation and Democracy” (January 28, 2026).
The debate was moderated by Nico Carpentier, who also presented alongside Vaia Doudaki, Miloš Hroch, Jeffrey Wimmer, and Štěpán Šanda. Respondents included Josef Seethaler and Andreas Martin from the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, ÖAW). The seminar used the Czech Citizen Parliament as a case study to explore how shifting media environments shape civic expression and democratic cultures. Drawing on MeDeMAP findings, speakers reflected on the opportunities and challenges of participatory models in contemporary democracies.
Read more at the CULCORC website
Guest Lecture: “Interventionist Research: The Case of the Czech Citizen Parliament on Media and Democracy” (March 4, 2026).
Hosted by the Cyprus Policy Center (CPC) and the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Eastern Mediterranean University, Nico Carpentier examined how interventionist research engages with democratic processes. Using the Czech Citizens’s Parliament as a case study, the conference explored participation, media, and knowledge production, fostering debate on democracy and public participation.
Read more at the CULCORC website
Guest Lecture: “From hope to change: Stimulating participation in the fields of media and the arts through interventionist research” (March 10-11, 2026).
At the CICANT Scientific Retreat held at the Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Nico Carpentier delivered a guest lecture on interventionist research and participatory practices in media and the arts. The retreat, organised by CICANT, brought together researchers to discuss developments in communication, culture, and technology.
See more at the CULCORC website
INTERVENING – Policy & Democratic Engagement
Project Updates
The Czech Citizen Parliament on Media and Democracy (March–May 2025).
As part of the MeDeMAP (Mapping Media for Future Democracies) research project, CULCORC organised the Czech Citizen Parliament to explore the role of media in Czech democracy. Over a three-month period, 20 people from diverse backgrounds participated in structured deliberations, discussing challenges such as media trust, access to information, and community participation. The process yielded 31 resolutions, offering concrete recommendations to strengthen media literacy, support community media, and enhance democratic engagement through media. The project highlights CULCORC’s commitment to combining theoretical research with participatory practice, bridging academic insight and public dialogue.
Read the full Resolutions Report at the medemap@fsv website
Infographics
These infographics represent the resolutions of the Czech Citizens’ Parliament:
1. The Czech Citizen Parliament’s Resolutions about Media and Information Literacy / Usnesení občanského parlamentu týkající se mediální a informační gramotnosti.
Citizens outlined practical measures to enhance media literacy, critical thinking, and access to reliable information in Czech society.
2. The Czech Citizen Parliament’s Resolutions about Community Media / Usnesení občanského parlamentu týkající se komunitních médií
Participants proposed strategies to strengthen community media, promoting local engagement, diversity, and inclusive public discourse.
3. How Czech Citizens Reimagine the Role of the Media in Democratic Societies / Jak čeští občané přemýšlejí o roli médií v demokracii?
The Parliament generated 31 resolutions reflecting citizens’ perspectives on the media’s role in supporting democracy, participation, and informed public debate.
CREATING – Arts-based Research & Film
Screenings
AGON: Constructions of Democracy is a film essay that reflects on the meaning of democracy and its challenges. The work was developed within the framework of the MeDeMAP project and has been screened on several occasions:
1. Premiere at Ponrepo Cinema, Prague, Czech Republic (October 23, 2025)
The premiere, held at the Ponrepo Cinema in Prague, was attended by the authors, actors, collaborators, and other interested guests. Afterwards, the conceptual and creative processes behind the work were discussed.
2. Media Mondays I, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic (December 8, 2025)
The film was screened as part of an invited lecture entitled “Using Arts-Based Research in Communication and Media Studies: The Film Essay AGON as an Example.” It provided an opportunity to explore how audiovisual research can function as a methodological and pedagogical tool in communication and media studies.
3. Guest Lecture at 7th MCAP Doctoral Spring School, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Islamabad, Pakistan (February 2, 2026)
The session, using the practical example of AGON, explored how audiovisual research can critically interact with communication and media theory.
4. 11th MCAP-BNU International Media Conference, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan (February 12, 2026)
The AGON screening sparked discussion about integrating audiovisual media into scholarly inquiry.
5. Screening at the Department of Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design, Doğu Akdeniz Üniversitesi, Famagusta, Cyprus (March 3, 2026)
Upcoming Events
Upcoming screenings of AGON: Constructions of Democracy
1. Media Conference 2026: Journalism, Freedom, Data, Privacy, Tallinn University, Estonia (March 26, 2026)
The film essay will be screened as part of the conference presentation titled “The Shifting Political Center, Democracy, and the Foundations of Journalism:How to Survive in Today’s Polarized Political Landscape?”
Read the full programme at TLU website
2. Institute of Marketing and Communication Sciences, Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary (April 23, 2026)
The event will provide an opportunity to present AGON within an academic setting, fostering dialogue on arts-based research and its relevance for communication and media studies.
CULCORC IN MEDIA
Article – European Journalism Obseratory (EJO): Štěpán Šanda (December 8, 2025 / February 26, 2026) Přemýšlet se zvukem a obrazem. Audiovizuální eseje představují odlišný druh vědecké práce / Thinking with sound and images: Audiovisual essays as a different way to represent scientific work
How could scholars make use of formats other than text, asks Štěpán Šanda in this article for EJO. Based on the insights of Nico Carpentier and Veronika Hanáková, we can explore other ways of thinking and researching through audiovisual formats.
Read in Czech or in English at the EJO website
Article – PnbOnline: Campos, Safira (December 15, 2025) Nico Carpentier destaca a importância do ensaio audiovisual.
This article highlights that the film essay in the academy is a way to engage diverse audiences. Exploring the visual arts to explain theoretical concepts in the research field is a legitimate approach that does not entail a loss of rigour.
Read in Portuguese at the PnbOnline website
Social Media Feature – On Instagram @jsemvobraze: Bazlerová, Johana (March 9, 2026) Občanské parlamenty
This video discusses the Czech Citizen Parliament on Media and Democracy, organised as part of the MeDeMAP project, highlighting how deliberative forums can create spaces for public dialogue and help address complex societal issues beyond traditional political processes.
Watch on Instagram
Article – Gündem Kıbrıs Gazetesi: (March 14, 2026) DAÜ’de medya ve demokrasi semineri düzenlendi.
This article reports on the lecture titled “Interventionist Research: The Case of the Czech Citizen Parliament on Media and Democracy” given by Nico Carpentier at the Department of Political Science and International Relations of Eastern Mediterranean University on the 4th of March 2026.
Read in Turkish at Gündem Kıbrıs Gazetesi website
Stay Connected
The next CULCORC members’ meeting will take place in the week of April 27, 2026.
Past Newsletter Issues
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