Department of Mediatization, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin
Wrocław Academic Centre
and
Academia Europaea Wrocław Knowledge Hub
in partnership with ECREA TWG Communication and Sport
announce a call for participation in the online workshop:
Towards Development of Mediatization Research IX: Youth, Sports, and Media
MS Teams, 5 December 2025
Continuing our series of research meetings focused on specific issues in mediatization research — chaired in past years by eminent experts such as Göran Bolin (2017), Johan Fornäs (2018), Andreas Hepp (2019), Mark Deuze (2020), André Jansson (2021), Andrew Hoskins (2022), Kirsten Frandsen (2023), and Carlos A. Scolari (2024) — this year’s workshop will be held online on 5 December 2025.
It will be led by Michael Skey from Loughborough University.
The title of this year’s edition is: Youth, Sports, and Media.
We invite researchers who wish to discuss their current projects within a focused and closed group of media scholars, under the guidance of an expert.
The Idea Behind This Year’s Edition
This year, the workshop will be dedicated to topics including, but not limited to:
- Changes in the relationship between sport and media in the context of young audiences and users
- The use of media technologies by young people in sport, physical activity, and recreation
- The role of sport, physical activity, and recreation in digital disconnection and the (de)mediatization of young people’s lives
- Changes in how youth consume and perceive sports content and technologies
- The importance of young media users for sports institutions, and of young sports fans for media institutions
- The dynamics of the mediatization–commercialization relationship in the context of young consumers interested in sport
- The emergence and distinct characteristics of new sports formats designed for younger participants (e.g., Baller League, Twenty20 cricket, Rugby Sevens, Grand Slam Track League, 3x3 basketball, etc.).
- The growing influence of e-sports on young users, sports organizations, and the creative industries
- Methods of researching the mediatization of young people's lives, sport, physical activity, and recreation
- Conceptualizations of relationship between mediatization, engagement, and community among sportive young technology users
- The construction of mediated youth identity in the context of sport and physical activity
- The issue of authenticity in the relationship between sport, media, and youth
Workshop Format and Principles
The workshop will follow a closed, specialized format that has proven effective in previous editions:
- Participants will work on various types of materials (e.g., articles, works in progress, proposals, theses, reports, presentations/slides, drafts, etc.) under the guidance of the expert
- The meeting will be preceded by thorough preparation by both the expert and all participants, based on materials shared in advance
- The workshop will focus on group discussion and expert feedback, with minimal presentations and formal speeches
- The session will begin with an introductory lecture delivered by the workshop leader
There is no conference fee.
Schedule
- 27 October 2025 – Submission of abstracts (max. 500 words)
- 30 October 2025 – Notification of acceptance
- 19 November 2025 – Submission of materials for discussion by all accepted participants (PDF format only)
- 20 November – 4 December 2025 – Preparation for the workshop by the leader and all participants
- 5 December 2025 – Closed online workshop
For any substantive questions about the workshop, please contact:
Katarzyna Kopecka-Piech
Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin
katarzyna.kopecka-piech@mail.umcs.pl
