Applications are open until 31 August for the 3rd Cycle in Communication Sciences at the University of Beira Interior (UBI).

The programme aims to deepen training in Communication Sciences and contribute to the development of research in the field, enabling professionals to carry out independent scientific research. The PhD programme is linked to the four research groups of LabCom: media studies; journalism studies; culture, identity and memory; and strategic communication.

A total of 15 places are available for 2026. Applicants may hold a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences or related fields, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in these areas, provided they have a particularly relevant academic or scientific background.

The programme is taught on a daytime basis and offers suitable conditions for the development of research in areas such as media, journalism, strategic communication, advertising and public relations, among others.

More information about the programme and the application process is available here.

The call for proposals is now open for the VI MeLCi Lab Autumn School, dedicated to the theme “Advanced School on AI Research Practice in Media and Communication”, which will take place online, from 10 to 13 November 2026.

Organised by CICANT – MeLCi and AISIC Labs at Lusófona University, the initiative aims to bring together PhD students, postdoctoral researchers and early-career researchers interested in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research practices in the field of Communication.

The programme combines practical workshops and plenary sessions with international researchers, including: Dennis Nguyen, Utrecht University; Igor Kanižaj, Catholic University of Croatia; Joëlle Swart, University of Groningen; Max Schich, Tallinn University, Estonia; and Petter Törnberg, University of Amsterdam. The Autumn School aims to contribute to the development of skills in the use of AI tools while also encouraging critical reflection on the methodological, ethical and social challenges associated with their use in research.

The proposed topics include the use of AI in literature searches, data annotation using language models, transparency in AI-generated results, media literacy, and issues of ethics, equity and inclusion in AI research.

Proposals must be submitted by 15 September 2026, in English, which will also be the language of instruction. Applicants must submit an updated Curriculum Vitae, a document describing their PhD or research project, and a motivation letter including a reflection on their perspective on AI and its role in the media.

Participation costs €70 for PhD students from Lusófona University/CICANT, €150 for PhD students from other institutions, and €200 for all other participants.

More information about the event is available here.

Google Scholar alerts brought another recommendation for an article on AI and journalism. The paper, entitled “AI News Anchors, Automated Journalism, and the Transformation of Journalistic Authority: A Conceptual Framework“, appeared to have been published in the Journal of AI Communication and Society, a journal that was previously unknown to us. The title suggested that it might be a relevant work to add to the library. At first glance, nothing seemed unusual.

An initial reading revealed the use of key references in this field: Carlson, 2015; Clerwall, 2014; Diakopoulos, 2015; Graefe, 2016; Guzman & Lewis, 2020; Montal & Reich, 2017; Thurman, Dörr & Kunert, 2017; and Wölker & Powell, 2021. The author of the article, however, was an unfamiliar name, Oliver Hughes, affiliated with the University of Sydney.

We searched for his academic profile, including on the website of the university’s School of Art, Communication and English, but without success. The whereabouts of Oliver Hughes, whose contact details consisted of the generic email address “oliver.hughes@academicmail.org“, therefore remained uncertain.

The investigation then turned to the journal itself. The Journal of AI Communication and Society had published only a single issue, on 6 June 2026, containing five articles. A careful reading of these texts revealed a recurring pattern: the same structure, the same theoretical foundations, the same ideas, the same titles… A few clicks later, we concluded that the articles were little more than AI-generated summaries and offered no scientific value.

The concerns became more serious when we attempted to verify the identities of the authors and members of the editorial board. None of the names listed could be found in academic databases, research profiles or other credible institutional sources. In other words, none of the article authors or journal editors actually existed. After contacting one of the universities listed as an affiliation, we received confirmation. Unsurprisingly, Tijmen Lansdaal from the University of Amsterdam noted that the differences between genuine and fictitious journals were noticeable, at least to researchers: “Thankfully, the difference with real journals is quite noticeable. Hopefully, this is also true for the general public“.

This episode illustrates how easily generative AI technologies can produce content, particularly text, that increasingly resembles academic writing. However, the use of AI as a support tool is not, in itself, a problem. The problem arises when AI is used to fabricate content presented as scientific research, or when a website poses as an academic journal by inventing authors, articles and institutional affiliations.

We share this experience as a warning to the academic community.