Knowledge in Your Ears. Rome, April 10-11, 2025

Knowledge in Your Ears.
Podcasts between research, education and information
International days of studies and listening
Rome, April 10-11, 2025
Università Roma Tre – Dipartimento Filosofi a Comunicazione e Spettacolo
Via Ostiense 139, Roma

For two decades now, podcasts have taken hold in the media landscape, playing multiple roles in the aural experience of contemporary society. They are audio products of various kinds, available online and accessible anywhere through fi xed or mobile digital devices; they are content generated by various types of users – from professionals to non-professionals – as part of various training, information, entertainment and dissemination activities; they are part of educational paths on sound storytelling, or a tool through which young and old, teachers and students, narrate their own experience or knowledge in educational contexts of various kinds – from schools to universities to associative realities, hospitals and penitentiary institutions. under the patronage of CUC – Consulta Universitaria del Cinema and of SISCC – Società Scientifica Italiana Sociologia Cultura Comunicazione

As evidenced by the rich theoretical reflection that has developed around the medium (Gallego 2012; Berry 2015; Bonini 2015; Lindgren 2016; Llinares, Fox, and Berry 2018; Berry 2018; Spinelli and Dann 2019; Sellas and Bonet 2022; Bonini and Perrotta 2023; Sullivan 2024), and the equally rich production of research on the use of podcasts in educational and research contexts (Ractham and Zhang 2006; Salvatori 2009; Smythe and Neufeld 2010; Lomicka and Lord 2011; Mollett, Williams Gilson, and Brumley 2017; McHugh 2022; Beckstead, Cook, and McGregor 2024, to name a few), the conference “Knowledge in Your Ears. Podcasts between Research, Education, and Information” aims to enhance the specific field of study that has emerged at the intersection of media studies, studies on digital sound storytelling, its production and business models, and the use of the podcast medium in training, educational, reeducational and scientific dissemination paths. We are also interested in reiterating the fundamental role of podcasts in the formation of a culture of listening to spoken content of an informative and informative nature, which, in times of crisis in the fruition of traditional information products, is the basis for the construction of an informed citizenship.

The conference, therefore aims to explore the increasingly central role of podcasts as a tool for disseminating knowledge and connecting different fields: education, academic research and information.
The call is open to researchers from all disciplines, with a focus on those working in media studies, cultural studies, education studies, and related disciplines, as well as audio professionals, teachers, journalists, and authors who would like to contribute their input to the exploration of the issues in this list:
● Podcasts and innovative teaching in various educational contexts;
● The impact of podcasts in popularizing humanities and science disciplines;
● Podcasts as tools for research dissemination and communication among researchers;
● Podcasts, journalism, information and disinformation; the role of podcasts in political communication;
● Between podcasts and audiovisual products: relationships, derivations and intertextuality;
● Technological and production aspects: accessibility and inclusiveness in audio content creation;
● Artificial intelligence and automation in podcast creation;
● Podcasts as an empowerment tool for minorities and marginalized voices;
● The role of podcasting in building community and social networks; the role of podcasts in building a culture of political participation;
● Monetization and financing of podcasting projects: independent podcasts vs. corporate productions – advantages and challenges;
● Podcasts and the future of knowledge.
● Ethics and responsibility in the production and dissemination of audio content.
It was decided to propose a limited number of topics, with the understanding that any proposals exceeding these hypothetical boundaries will also be considered. Proposals for individual papers of up to 1,000 characters, accompanied by a brief biographical profile and four keywords, should be sent to roma3radio@uniroma3.it by Feb. 28, 2025. The outcome of the selection will be announced by March 5, 2025. Selected talks should be 20 minutes in length.
The conference is organized in collaboration with WePod; We produce podcasts www.wepodproject.eu. WePod is an innovative multipartner and cross-border project to support the growth and sustainability of the European podcasting ecosystem, funded by Creative Europe (Journalistic Partnership). Developed in response to the evolving journalism sector in Europe, WePod is promoting a collaborative framework for the production, distribution, promotion and monetization of journalistic podcasts. Roma Tre University is the scientific partner in this production network and oversees ongoing co-production research.
The conference will be an opportunity to conduct an English-language workshop on sound storytelling intended for secondary schools in Rome and coordinated by NewsDecoder as part of the WePod project. To apply, write to marta.perrotta@uniroma3.it.
Scientific direction: Marta Perrotta, Dipartimento. Filosofi a Comunicazione e Spettacolo (Filcospe) Università Roma Tre
The scientific committee is composed of faculty and researchers from various departments of Roma Tre University:
Francesco Agrusti (Dip. Scienze della Formazione), Luca Aversano (Dip. Filcospe), Alice Balestrino (Dip. Filcospe), Nicolas Bilchi (Dip. Filcospe), Enrico Carocci (Dip. Filcospe), Mattia Cinquegrani (Dip. Filcospe), Antonietta De Feo (Dip. Filcospe), Leonardo De Franceschi (Dip. Filcospe), Ilaria Antonella De Pascalis (Dip. Filcospe), Giuseppe Episcopo (Dip. Lingue Letterature e Culture), Lucia Esposito (Dip. Lingue Letterature e Culture), Lia Luchetti (Dip. Filcospe), Fridanna Maricchiolo (Dip. Scienze della Formazione), Edoardo Novell (Dip. Filcospe),i, Stefania Parigi (Dip. Filcospe), Maddalena Pennacchia (Dip. Lingue Letterature e Culture), Ivelise Perniola (Dip. Filcospe), Paola Perucchini (Dip. Scienze della Formazione), Elena Pettinelli (Dip. Matematica e Fisica), Giacomo Ravesi (Dip. Filcospe), Gino Roncaglia (Dip. Filcospe), Melissa Stolfi (Dip. Filcospe), Raff aele Torino (Dip. Scienze Politiche), Anna Lisa Tota (Dip. Filcospe), Elio Ugenti (Dip. Filcospe), Christian Uva (Dip. Filcospe