How do the media influence who we are, where we belong, and how we understand the community in which we live?
The University Alma Mater Europaea has also placed a current social issue, one that is becoming even more important in the age of digitalization, within the international research arena. Dr. Maruša Mavsar presented her research on regional media in Slovenia and Croatia at the 11th European Communication Conference (ECC 2026) in Brno, Czech Republic, organized by the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA). Held from 8 to 11 September 2026 in Brno, Czech Republic, the conference brought together researchers in communication and media studies from across Europe and beyond.
Presenting at the conference represents an important international research presence for Alma Mater. The paper Identity work in regional journalism: a print–digital comparison was selected through peer review for presentation at one of the central European gatherings of researchers in communication and media studies.
This year’s conference was held under the title Shifting Grounds: Paths, Connections, and Futures and focused on questions concerning the future of communication and media in a time of digital and broader social change. More about the conference is available on the official ECC 2026 website.
Researching issues that concern contemporary society
The research of Alma Mater lecturer Dr. Maruša Mavsar raises a question that goes beyond the field of journalism: how is our sense of belonging shaped in the age of digital platforms, social networks, and changing media habits?
By comparing regional media in Slovenia and Croatia, the research shows that media are not merely observers of social developments. Through their selection of topics, stories, images, and voices, they actively participate in shaping ideas about place and community—and consequently in how we understand ourselves and others.
The comparison between print and digital media environments is especially important in this context. Digital transformation is not only changing the way we access information, but also the ways in which stories about communities, culture, and belonging are created and disseminated.
Alma Mater as part of the European research area
The presentation sparked a lively professional discussion, and the research also attracted the interest of international colleagues in follow-up conversations after the presentation.
For Alma Mater Europaea University, participation in such international scientific gatherings is important, as it places its researchers within European academic debates on issues that directly concern the future of society.
Research into media, identity, and the consequences of digital transformation also reflects Alma Mater’s broader orientation: to create knowledge that is not confined to the academic sphere, but helps us understand the changes we experience as individuals and as a society.
The international presentation of Dr. Maruša Mavsar’s research is therefore not only an individual research achievement, but also a contribution to the visibility of Alma Mater as a university that engages with current European research trends and brings into them topics and insights from the Slovenian and wider regional space.
