Call for abstracts and panels
The organizing committee of the IX International Conference on Online Journalism (#9COBCIBER) invites interested researchers
to submit proposals to be presented at the Conference, taking place on 18 and 19 November 2026,
at the Anfiteatro Nobre of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto.
Throughout its various editions, the International Conference on Online Journalism has followed the transformations
of journalism in the digital environment, from the first experiments in participation and convergence to the current challenges
posed by platformisation and artificial intelligence. In this journey, it has established itself as a space for critical reflection
on emerging practices, models and dynamics in the field of cyberjournalism.
The 2026 edition proposes to shift the analytical gaze towards the relationships of influence and power that run through
the digital information ecosystem. Rather than introducing new objects of study, the aim is to encourage a critical reading of
how power is distributed, negotiated and exercised in the processes of information production, circulation and reception.
In this context, platforms, algorithms, political actors, content creators, metrics and emerging technologies cease to be merely
elements of the media system and are instead analysed as active agents in shaping informational visibility, authority and legitimacy.
With this in mind, submissions should address cyberjournalism, with a particular focus on this edition's theme,
"Journalism, Influence and Power", and may cover, among others, the following topics:
- Journalism, platforms and the reconfiguration of informational power
- Digital influence, content creators and new mediators of current affairs
- Political power, propaganda, strategic communication and journalism
- Disinformation, manipulation and influence operations in the digital public sphere
- Artificial intelligence, automation and the redistribution of journalistic authority
- Algorithms, visibility and attention hierarchies
- Business models, monetisation and economic dependencies of digital journalism
- Metrics, performance and editorial constraints
- Regional and local journalism: proximity, legitimacy and power relations
- Communities, participation and forms of mediated public engagement
- Credibility, trust and disputes over informational legitimacy
- Ethics, transparency, regulation and accountability in the digital ecosystem
Proposals, in the form of an extended abstract, may be written in English, Portuguese, Spanish or French.
Each submission should be between 400 and 500 words and must include, in particular, the identification
of the topic and its relevance, the central hypothesis or argument, the theoretical and methodological framework,
expected results, and up to five keywords.
Proposals must be submitted via a dedicated online form, by 30 June 2026.
Call for panels
This year, the International Conference on Online Journalism also opens the possibility of submitting thematic panels,
aligned with the general theme of this edition, "Journalism, Influence and Power". The panels aim to stimulate collective
and in-depth debate around specific issues in contemporary online journalism, promoting the participation of research networks,
collaborative projects, and national and international working groups. Panel proposals should be articulated with the Conference topics
and may focus, among other possibilities, on the relationships between journalism, platforms, influence, artificial intelligence,
political power, disinformation, metrics, digital communities, regional and local journalism, informational legitimacy,
or the transformation of professional practices and mediation models. Each panel should include between
4 and 6 participants, including a coordinator/moderator, and will have an expected duration of 60 to 90 minutes.
Proposals should include:
- panel title;
- general summary of the proposal (400 to 500 words);
- identification of participants and their institutional affiliation;
- title and brief abstract of each contribution.
Panel proposals should also be submitted by 30 June 2026, via the same form.
The evaluation of proposals will be carried out by the Scientific Committee of #9COBCIBER,
with results communicated to authors by 31 July 2026.
Full papers must be submitted by the date of the Conference. Selected works may be included in
subsequent scientific publications, in formats to be defined, and will be subject to a new review process.
#9COBCIBER will be held in person on 18 and 19 November 2026, and online on the afternoon of 18 November,
at the Anfiteatro Nobre of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto.
The Conference is organized by ObCiber - Cyberjournalism Observatory,
CITCEM - Transdisciplinary Research Center for Culture, Space and Memory and
FLUP - Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto.
Timetable
Opening of the call for papers (extended abstracts): 07.04.2026
Call for abstracts close: 30.06.2026
Communication of results: 31.07.2026
Closing of the 1st registration phase: 30.10.2026
Closing of the 2nd registration phase: 13.11.2026
Congress: 18 e 19.11.2026
Deadline for submitting full articles: 18.11.2026
Programme
To be announced soon
Speakers
To be announced soon
Registration
Attendance options
In-person (October 18th and 19th) / Online (afternoon of October 18th)
In-person
1st phase (until October 30th) – 90€; Students– 45€
2nd phase (until November 13th) – 140€; Students – 70€
Online
1st phase (until October 30th) – 180€; Estudantes – 90€
2nd phase (until November 13th) – 280€; Estudantes – 140€
Scientific Committee
Alejandro Rost (Univ. Nacional del Comahue, Argentine)
Amy Schmitz Weiss (San Diego State Univ., USA)
Ana Isabel Reis (Univ. Porto, Portugal)
António Granado (Univ. Nova de Lisboa, Portugal)
Beth Saad Corrêa (Univ. São Paulo, Brazil)
Concha Edo (Univ. Complutense de Madrid, Spain)
Elvira García de Torres (Univ. CEU Cardenal Herrera, Spain)
Fernando Zamith (Univ. Porto, Portugal)
Gerson Luiz Martins (Univ. Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil)
Helder Bastos (Univ. Porto, Portugal)
Helena Lima (Univ. Porto, Portugal)
Inês Amaral (Univ. Coimbra, Portugal)
Javier Díaz Noci (Univ. Pompeu Fabra, Spain)
João Canavilhas (Univ. da Beira Interior, Portugal)
Koldo Meso (Univ. País Vasco, Spain)
Lyudmyla Yezers’ka (Univ. Piura, Peru)
Luís António Santos (Univ. Minho, Portugal)
Marcos Palacios (Univ. Federal da Bahia, Brazil)
Oscar Westlund (Oslo Metropolitan Univ., Norway)
Paulo Frias (Univ. Porto, Portugal)
Pedro Jerónimo (Univ. Beira Interior, Portugal)
Ramón Salaverría (Univ. Navarra, Spain)
Ricardo Morais (Univ. Porto, Portugal)
Suzana Barbosa (Univ. Federal da Bahia, Brazil)
Xosé Pereira (Univ. Santiago de Compostela, Spain)
Organization
Organizing Committee
Catarina Meireles
Fernando Zamith (Coordinator)
Helena Lima
Luísa Torre
Paulo Frias
Pedro Jerónimo
Ricardo Morais
Susana Ferrador
Organization
Observatório do Ciberjornalismo (ObCiber)
CITCEM - Centro de Investigação Transdisciplinar Cultura, Espaço e Memória
Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto
obciber.com 