Call for Papers Open for Conference on Fact-Checking, Polarization and Digital Narratives

Researchers, journalists, fact-checkers, and practitioners are invited to submit proposals for the conference Democracy in Verification: Fact-Checking, Polarization, and Digital Narratives, to be held on 29–30 October 2026 at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) in Vila Real, Portugal.

The conference aims to foster interdisciplinary discussions on the challenges facing democratic societies in increasingly complex digital information environments. Topics include fact-checking practices, political polarization, disinformation, digital narratives, platform governance, media literacy, and the evolving role of verification in public communication.

The event brings together scholars and professionals interested in understanding how information is produced, circulated, contested, and verified in contemporary digital ecosystems. It also seeks to strengthen dialogue between academia, journalism, and civil society around issues of information integrity and democratic resilience.

Important dates:

• 30 June 2026 — Deadline for abstract submissions
• 15 July 2026 — Notification of acceptance or rejection
• 31 July 2026 — Confirmation of attendance by selected authors
• 1 October 2026 — Publication of the final programme and conference materials
• 29–30 October 2026 — Conference dates

A special publication opportunity will be available for conference participants. Authors of accepted and presented papers will be invited to submit full manuscripts for consideration in a special issue of Rotura – Journal of Communication, Culture and Arts, an open-access journal indexed in Scopus and DOAJ. Submission to the special issue will be subject to the journal’s editorial procedures and double-blind peer-review process. Acceptance for presentation at the conference does not guarantee publication.

The conference will be held at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro in Vila Real, approximately 100 km from Porto. Vila Real can be reached from Porto Airport by car in around one hour or by express bus services connecting Porto and Vila Real.

Further information about thematic areas, submission guidelines, registration, and logistics is available on the conference website:

https://factchecklab.ulusofona.pt/?page_id=538