Doctoral Summer School - Gureiker Research Group

Basic information

July 2 & 3, 2025

School of Communication Sciences
León Tolstoi St.
Málaga

Introduction

25 years after the appearance of the first online media, interest in digital communication is still fully valid. During this time, research has been prolific and has offered academia its own concepts and methods to account for a rapidly changing reality.

This advance of disruptive technologies that deepen the digitalization of the media is affecting aspects that were previously considered exclusively human. In the specific field of the media, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have given rise to various applications in all stages of the information process (Wu, Tandoc & Salmon, 2019; Marconi, 2020; Sánchez-García et al., 2023), which cover a wide range of resources, from the use of algorithms to analyze consumption habits to the monitoring of trends on social networks, including the development of tools to identify misinformation (Ruffo & Semeraro, 2022; García-Marín, 2022) or the moderation of the comment sections. In contrast, more specifically journalistic uses are commonly related to automation and generative AI, that is, algorithmic processes that convert data into narrative texts and news with little or no human intervention, beyond the initial programming process (Carlson, 2015).

From the communicative perspective of the media, the use of AI can imply a redefinition of existing models, since these technologies can act as content-generating agents, not simply as intermediaries in human communication (Guzman & Lewis, 2020).

Thus, AI not only presents challenges derived from the adoption of a new technology in the continuous digital transformation of journalism, but also issues that affect its intrinsically human nature. Automated models raise new ontological paradigms in the relationship between human beings and technology (Primo & Zago, 2015; Lewis, Guzman & Schmidt, 2019).

In this context, the 4th Doctoral Summer School of the Cibercom Network seeks to respond to the challenges posed by the adoption of artificial intelligence in cybermedia and digital communication, providing reflections on its impact and methodological tools for its study.

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Cibercom network

The Cibercom Network (Online Media and Digital Communication in an Information Ecosystem in Transformation) is a Network of Excellence recognized and financed by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RED2022-134211-T) and made up of research groups focused on the study of cybermedia and digital communication.

The Cibercom Network aims to deepen the knowledge of the future of journalism on the Internet and its challenges, both academic, professional and social (Allan et al., 2021), through the collaboration of experts who work in the field. All of this in a context in which the narrative and professional potential offered by innovations such as transmedia stories, immersive journalism or the applications of artificial intelligence, coexist with social challenges derived from its expansion, such as misinformation or polarization.

The main objective of this Network is to consolidate the relationship and work between researchers working in the field of online journalism and digital communication in Spain.

Among its specific objectives, the Cibercom Network proposes:

Coordinate the research activity of the groups and create opportunities for joint work.
Promote the training of young researchers.
Create spaces and opportunities for the social and professional transfer of research results.
Promote the internationalization of participating groups and researchers.
Contribute to media literacy and social debate on issues related to cybermedia and digital communication.

The member groups of the Cibercom Network are:

Gureiker (University of the Basque Country)
Digilab (Ramon Llull University)
Digidoc (Pompeu Fabra University)
MEDIO (University of Málaga)
GICOV (Miguel Hernández University)
Democracy Research Unit (University of Salamanca)
Digital News Media (University of Navarra)
Novos Medios (University of Santiago)
Gabinete de Comunicación y Educación (Autonomous University of Barcelona)
Grupo Crossmedia (UCM & CEU Cardenal Herrera).

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Proposal submission and registration

Registration form

https://forms.gle/oVTsdU9QCJUbts8g6

Modalities

Type
Participation with presentation	50€
Attendance without presentation	30 €

All people registered in either of the two modalities (participation with presentation or attendance without presentation) may attend the plenary presentations and the workshop.
In addition, participants who submit a presentation will be able to present their research in a mentoring session with two specialists in the field of communication research. To do this, they must send a summary of their research through this form. To carry out its evaluation, the selection committee will take into account its predoctoral nature, its fit with the proposed thematic lines and its scientific quality. The maximum number of accepted proposals is 50. The communication presentation sessions will be held in Spanish and English, grouped thematically.

Registration