International research conference

THE PERIODICALS AND A CHANGING SOCIETY

The 200th Anniversary of the Lithuanian Periodical Press

Vilnius, 19–20 October 2023

The periodical press, as a means of mass communication, reflects the collective relationship with a society. It is the fourth estate governing humankind without any laws or punishments and responsible to readers and the state. East, Central and North Europe regions entered the age of the periodical press at different times–mid-17th c. to early 19th c. – however, all of them strived to adapt to the changing conditions of the period in a modern way. The predecessor of periodicals “Nusidavimai Dievo karalystėje” (News in the Kingdom of God), published in 1823, in Tilžė (Lithuania Minor, the kingdom of Prussia), was a part of this consistent process of development and change of information and communication. It has its origins in the continuous publications and calendars of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Prussia. The volume of the world press grew day by day, and the repertoire of Lithuanian periodicals also expanded (in 1760, a newspaper in Polish was launched in Vilnius, in 1802 the first newspaper in French was published, in 1810 – in German, in 1841 – in Hebrew, 1862 – in Belarusian). Societies were changing simultaneously by immersing themselves into a multidimensional informational existence, and the press became an integral part of the image of a modern person. The first digital periodical in Lithuania was launched in 1998, nowadays, we have dozens of them. The periodical press has transformed itself in a digital age; new ways of publishing, new forms and formats to present information have been invented. The conference is dedicated to celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Lithuanian periodical press and discussing the research on historical change of periodicals and their heritage, specific features of contemporary publishing and dissemination of the periodical press, highlighting the most important changes in publishing of contemporary periodical press faced by network societies in the Baltic States and neighbouring countries.

Conference organizer
The Faculty of Communication at Vilnius University

Partners
The Association of Lithuanian Serials
Crossref

Conference language
English

Conference format
Online

Key dates
Until 31 March 2023 – Final deadline for proposals of individual paper abstracts
Until 15 May 2023 – Assessment and notification of acceptance
Until 30 June 2023 – Publication of the program
19–20 October 2023 – Conference date