Crisis & Media Society Research Programme

The purpose of the Crisis and Media Society Research Programme is to analyze different types of crises by drawing on a multiple range of theoretical, methodological and empirical approaches to social and cultural analysis. We take it as our premise that crises always occur in certain cultural, historical and social contexts. In order to understand the dynamics, effects and consequences of these crises, it is necessary to study them within those contexts.

The goals of the programme are threefold. Firstly, we aim to develop cross-disciplinary approaches to the subject of research, that is, crisis, media and communication; secondly, theoretical frameworks (mobile theory, risk society, theories of uncertainty, models of circulation and dissemination) are brought into close dialogue with a rich variety of empirical research (case studies conducted on different types of crises); thirdly, the programme aims to cross the borders between academic research and practical orientation. Workshops and seminars are organized to stimulate fruitful collaboration between professions (academics and practioners) in order to develop new practices to prevent and manage crises and disasters better and more effectively in today’s media society.

Contact persons for the research programme are:

Crisis and Communication: A Comparative Study
Researcher in Charge Salli Hakala

Political Crisis: Election Funding Crisis: Media and Politics at Crossroads?
Researcher in Charge Anu Kantola

Circulation – Theoretical and empirical implications for understanding media society
Researchers in Charge Johanna Sumiala & Katja Valaskivi

Amateur images: A comparative study on how user-generated content is shaping journalism
Researcher in Charge Mervi Pantti