Istanbul 2025

Topic

Legacy and Non-Legacy Media in Polarized Media Systems and Societies

Date & location

Date
7–8 November 2025

Location
Istanbul Bilgi University, Silahtaraga Campus, Istanbul, Türkiye

Hosted by
Istanbul Bilgi University

Program

The European Media Management Association (emma) represents scholars from European  higher education and research institutions focusing on media management, digital media studies, and communication. The association hosts an innovative workshop format, the emmahub, which bridges the research community and media professionals to explore media management themes in collaborative and interdisciplinary ways.

This year’s emmahub 2025 workshop in Istanbul will address the growing complexities of media production, engagement, and sustainability within polarized media systems, with a particular focus on the evolving relationship between legacy and non-legacy media actors. In today’s rapidly evolving media landscape, especially young audiences are increasingly engaging with non-institutionalized media makers—such as influencers, content creators, and independent digital platforms—challenging the long-established dominance of traditional media institutions. This shift presents both significant opportunities and pressing challenges for media management, audience engagement, and the long-term viability of mainstream media organizations. Rather than examining these actors in isolation, the emmahub 2025 in Istanbul aims to understand how legacy and non-legacy media interact—competing, converging, and sometimes collaborating—within fragmented political, technological, and economic environments.

Workshops with academics and practitioners, accompanied by ignite talks and round table sessions with media representatives, will address the following guiding questions:

  • How do audiences navigate between legacy and non-legacy media sources in polarized contexts, and what drives their trust and engagement?
  • In what ways do non-legacy media actors challenge or reinforce the authority of traditional institutions?
  • How do legacy media organizations adapt to decentralized content ecosystems and respond to audience migration?
  • What are the ethical, regulatory, and political dilemmas that arise in the convergence and contestation between traditional and emerging media actors?
  • What kinds of business models and innovation strategies are emerging at the intersection of legacy and non-legacy media in the platform economy?
  • How do platform dependencies (algorithms, monetization, visibility) shape both sectors, and how do they reproduce or mitigate polarization?
  • How can collaboration between legacy and non-legacy actors offer pathways to depolarization and democratic renewal?

Goals of the overall event:

The key theme of the event will be approached as both a pressing societal challenge and a valuable academic research area, integrating practical insights from media entrepreneurs,  influencers, and established institutions. The outcome of the workshop is planned to contribute to a special issue of the Journal of Media Business Studies or an edited volume with a leading academic publisher. By fostering exchange between practitioners and academics, emmahub 2025 in Istanbul aims to support media makers in addressing the strategic, ethical, and business challenges of polarized contexts, while also contributing to democratic resilience and innovation in media systems. The event also seeks to generate public and political awareness, with anticipated interest from the Turkish and international media sectors.

Key Topics of Interest:

We welcome submissions addressing (but not limited to) the following topics:

  • (Young) audiences and their evolving media consumption behaviours
  • The rise of influencers and independent content creators as news sources
  • Challenges for traditional media in competing with non-institutionalized media makers
  • Trust and credibility in the age of non-legacy media
  • Multi-platformization strategies in non-legacy media
  • Business models and revenue generation for independent media creators
  • Strategies for collaboration between legacy and non-legacy media actors
  • The role of social media platforms in shaping young audiences’ media habits
  • Ethical and regulatory challenges for non-legacy media

Workshop Themes:

The event will be structured around two core workshops:

Workshop A – Audience Agency Between Legacy and Non-Legacy Media: Trust, Influence, and Engagement in Polarized Contexts. This workshop investigates how (young) audiences navigate between legacy and non-legacy media platforms, shaping media legitimacy, participatory culture, and trust in the context of political and algorithmic polarization.
Moderator: (to be announced)

Workshop B – Legacy and Non-Legacy Media in the Platform Economy: Business Models, Innovation, and Strategic Interactions in Polarized Contexts. This workshop focuses on the strategic and entrepreneurial interactions between legacy institutions and independent creators within the platform economy, exploring monetization, innovation diffusion, and sustainability in polarized contexts.
Moderator: Anna Jupowicz Ginalska, University of Warsaw.

Who Should Participate?

The emmahub workshops encourage contributions from:

• Scholars in media management, digital media studies, and communication
• Media professionals from both traditional and emerging media organizations
• Social media influencers and content creators
• Policy-makers and regulatory authorities
• Media entrepreneurs and platform developers

Special Issue “Diasporic Media: Business Models, Audiences, and Innovation” in the Journal of Media Business Studies (JOMBS) connected to the emmahub in Istanbul

There is an opportunity for selected works presented at the emmahub in Istanbul to be published in the special issue “Diasporic Media: Business Models, Audiences, and Innovation” in the Journal of Media Business Studies (JOMBS). Click here for the emmahub call for papers 2025.

Application and Selection Process for emmahub in Istanbul:

  1. We welcome contributions in the form of papers, talks, or other presentations. To apply, please submit a 600–900-word letter of motivation (excluding references) outlining your interest in the workshop and its theme, including problematization, methodology, (expected) results, and your contribution to the workshop themes,  along with a brief author biography and contact information.
  2. The emmahub is a no-registration fee event; however, an active emma membership  is required for those whose abstracts are accepted and who will actively participate in the workshop. Please follow this link: Get your Emma membership.

We look forward to your participation in this timely and crucial discussion on the evolving relationship between (young) audiences, non-legacy media makers, and traditional media institutions.

If you wish to participate in the emmahub, please submit your abstract or send any questions to: emmahub@bilgi.edu.tr

Program

emmahub 2025 Preliminary program