Call for papers: third Arcom study day

The French regulatory authority for audiovisual and digital communication (Arcom) is responsible for protecting the creative process and its players, ensuring the economic balance of the audiovisual industry, supervising the means used by online platforms to protect audiences while guaranteeing freedom of expression, and ensuring plurality on the airwaves. Its broader aim is to protect all audiences in the audiovisuel sector and online.

The research community conducts studies that shed light on the functioning of the audiovisual and digital industries, and on certain phenomena that can occur within them, such as the manipulation of information or online hatred. Arcom is therefore keen to follow and benefit from the contributions of academic production on subjects related to its areas of expertise.

The 2nd Arcom Study Day was held on November 16. Around twenty researchers from various disciplines (economics, sociology, infocom, law, political science, data science, etc.) and 7 countries presented their work on the challenges facing the audiovisual and digital media industry. The event attracted over a hundred spectators on site, and was widely followed on social networks, with nearly 6,000 single visiters on LinkedIn or Twitter. The event provided an opportunity for the research community to come together around common research issues, from a multidisciplinary perspective, to meet industry players and exchange views with Arcom college members and teams. The program for the day, the list of speakers, and the recording of all presentations are available on the Arcom website.

The French regulatory authority for audiovisual and digital communication is renewing this event, in partnership with the Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, and is summoning contributions with a view to organizing the 3rd Arcom Study Day, to be held on November 14, 2024 at Arcom headquarters in Paris.

On this occasion, researchers in the humanities and social sciences whose research topics fall within the field of audiovisual and digital creation and media are invited to submit their applications to take part in this new edition. French and foreign researchers are invited to submit papers in French or English. These works may include a technical/computational dimension (e.g. computational social sciences, algorithmic auditing).

Research topics

Research topics may include the following (non-exhaustive list):

• information economy and digital transformation of traditional media: functioning of advertising and attention markets; changing uses of information consumption in audiovisual and digital media; socio-economic impact of artificial intelligence tools on the audiovisual industry; environmental challenges of digital uses;
• protection of audiences, challenges for social cohesion and representation of society in the media and online: measuring the plurality of opinion trends; moderation, regulation and self-regulation of platforms and algorithmic biases, particularly with regard to the persistence of stereotypes and discrimination; representations and support for the ecological transition; work on the consumption and regulation of harmful content; challenges for education in audiovisual and digital media; uses and consumption of young audiences;
• regulation of digital platforms, social networks and systemic risks: work on the manipulation of information and virality, the diffusion of infox and hate content; studies on the technical application of the Digital Services Regulation; identification and understanding of systemic risks in data use, particularly in the field of health, digital citizenship and democratic life;
• economics of creation, production and piracy issues: news and perspectives on legal supply; economics of streaming, influencer marketing and alternative business models; challenges in financing the production and promotion of European and French content; technical and socio-economic challenges in piracy and the use of illegally content.

Terms of participation

Works likely to be presented and discussed at this study day may be recent research articles intended for publication in scientific journals, or research projects at an advanced stage.

The call is open to the entire scientific community, and applications from both experienced and younger researchers (PhD students, post-docs), from France and abroad, are encouraged.

Researchers wishing to participate in this study day and present their work are invited to submit a single document containing :

• the name(s) and contact details of the author(s) (with details of the speaker(s)), including e-mail address(es) ;
• a short biography or presentation of the work of the speaker(s), together with their institution(s) or laboratory(ies);
• anabstract of the paper to be presented, no longer than two pages. The abstract should indicate the research question, the methodology adopted and the main results of the article. Authors may, if they wish, specify the stage of progress of the paper in the academic publication process and, where appropriate, provide a full version of the article.

Submissions must be sent electronicallyby September 6, 2024. Arcom, in collaboration with the members of its scientific committee, will make a selection of the contributions retained for this third study day.

Course of the study day

The seminar will be attended by all selected participants, members of the Collège de l'Arcom and its Scientific Committee, and industry players.

The day will be structured around several themed sessions, moderated by guest speakers or members of the Collège de l'Arcom. Presentations can be given in French for French-speaking researchers, or in English.

Presentations will be broadcast online, by Arcom means, via video-conferencing software and subtitled in French.

Important dates

• May 15, 2024: opening of applications for the study day
• September 06, 2024 (midnight ): deadline for submissions
• September 2024: information on selected contributions and opening of registration for the event
• November 14, 2024: event held