IAMCR Newsletter - January 2024

In this issue...

Fireside chat with the President

From his home in wintry Prague, IAMCR President, Nico Carpentier, has recorded a final fireside chat. In it he reflects on some of the challenges and achievements of the past four years and, with the nomination period for candidates ending on 5 February, he also offers timely encouragement to members who might want to get involved in the upcoming Executive Board and International Council elections. Join Nico here.

IAMCR 2024 - Ōtautahi Christchurch

CfP deadline – 7 February

The IAMCR 2024 conference will take place from 30 June to 4 July, hosted by the University of Canterbury in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand. We encourage you to submit your abstracts by the deadline on 7 February 2024 at 23h59 UTC. Read the general CfP and the CfPs of our 33 thematic sections and working groups.

There will be two possibilities to present work remotely this year: Pitopito kōrero, a special call for short videos on the conference theme, and Flow34 virtual cinema and podcasts. Both of these have the same 7 February deadline. 

Linda Tuhiwai Smith to offer opening keynote

The local organisers of IAMCR 2024 are delighted to confirm that Linda Tuhiwai Smith will open the IAMCR 2024 conference. Smith is Distinguished Professor at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, an Indigenous institution of higher learning, and has been globally influential in forcing the recognition of indigenous philosophies and methods in scholarly practice in a wide range of areas, including communication studies. Awarding her the Rutherford Prize the Royal Society of New Zealand described her influence on education as creating “intellectual spaces for students and researchers to embrace their identities and transcend dominant narratives". 

Well-known for her seminal book “Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples”, which critiques Western research methods as instruments of colonisation and shows ways of doing research based on Indigenous knowledge, Smith’s knowledge and experience make her particularly suited to address the conference theme, Communicative projects of decolonising, engaging, and listening.

Activities for participants

A number of events alongside the conference have also been confirmed. Like always, they’ll be a gala dinner and informal meetings of IAMCR’s Sections and Working Groups, but you’ll also be able to get your hands dirty and leave your mark in Aotearoa (New Zealand) by planting a tree, or several trees, at Waitara, a coastal reforestation project an hour from the city. Tūhaitara is managed by the local subtribe, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and an elder will discuss the goals of the project and the relationship with the land underpinning it.

There will also be a guided walk of the city centre, telling the layered story of the place and you can visit the vibrant, multicultural Riverside Markets, near the conference venue, where, as an IAMCR participant, you’ll be able to enjoy a meal at a discount. Other options include taking the tourist tram that loops past the conference venue and around the city, or visiting one of several art exhibits, including one feathering people and their radio sets.

Resources for participants

First time at an IAMCR conference? Check out our resources for conference participants page on the IAMCR website. The collection includes guidelines for presenters, tips for session chairs and discussants, and the recording of a recent webinar organised by the Emerging Scholars Network and the Media Education Research Section with insights into IAMCR conference submission and the review process.

Awards and Travel Grants available

Several awards and grants for members participating in our 2024 conference. These include 25 travel grants of up to US$2,000 each, awards for excellent papers dealing with climate change communication, urban communication, rural communication services, and new award in memory of Annabelle Sreberny. Read more >>

Pre-conferences    

Several pre-conferences are being organised for the days prior to the conference, including some IAMCR/ICA bridge conferences (being both post-conference events for the International Communication Association and pre-conferences for IAMCR). Pre-conferences are announced on the conference website as they are confirmed. See the current list here. 

Pre-conferences can be organised by individual or institutional IAMCR members alone or in partnership with others. The final deadline to submit a pre-conference application is 9 February. 

IAMCR News

Executive Board and International Council Elections

Nominations are now open for candidates for IAMCR’s Executive Board (president, two vice presidents, secretary general and treasurer), and twenty-five members of the International Council. Shape the association's leadership by participating in the election process. The deadline for nominations is 5 February 2024. See the elections page for further details and the call for nominations.

Call for new working groups

The 15 February deadline to propose new thematic Working Groups is approaching. We aim to add up to three new Working Groups to our current 15. This expansion will foster collaboration and exploration of fresh topics in media and communication. Read all the details here >>

New Disability and Accessibility Task Force

Chaired by Katie Ellis, the Disability and Accessibility Taskforce provides advice on disability inclusion, participation, and accessibility issues and initiatives in relation to the organization of conferences, the advancement of disability inclusion in IAMCR and other key activities and functions in IAMCR.

Renew your membership

The membership renewal campaign is already underway. Thanks to all our members who have already renewed their memberships for 2024. If you have not yet done so, send an email to membership@iamcr.org and we’ll send you a renewal link.

If you are a representative of an institutional member, you can login to your account and select My membership from the menu to see if your institution's membership has been renewed. While you are logged in, you can also see a list of your institution’s representatives, including the administrator, who is the person who renews the membership.

PhD webinar on “De-Westernizing Global Media Studies”

The IAMCR Presidential PhD Research Webinar titled “De-Westernizing Global Media Studies: Bridging Disciplinary, National, and Regional Divides for a More Inclusive and Decolonized Future” convened by Karl Patrick R. Mendoza and Samuel I. Cabbuag, examined potential strategies for de-Westernizing global media studies, such as promoting the incorporation of non-Western perspectives and theories and reconsidering the role of Western theories and approaches in shaping the field. Watch the recording here.

Section and Working Group news

S/WG elections

This year several Sections and Working Groups will be holding elections for their leadership teams. They are:

  • Community Communication and Alternative Media Section
  • Gender and Communication Section
  • Global Media Policy Working Group
  • International Communication Section
  • Islam and Media Working Group
  • Media, Communication and Sport Section
  • Media Production Analysis Working Group
  • Media Sector Development Working Group
  • Music, Audio, Radio and Sound Working Group
  • Participatory Communication Research Section
  • Visual Culture Working Group

The call for candidates will be launched in March. To stand for a position or to vote you must be a member of the section or working group. Log in to your IAMCR account to see or change the sections/working groups you are a member of. Want to get more involved in the work of a section or working group? Contact the current heads for details about what the available positions entail.

Comic Art Book and Podcast

Celebrating its 35 anniversary, The Comic Art Working Group (COA) is pleased to announce the release of a book and a Podcast series, both projects founded by the Section and Working Group Project Fund:

(First) Top Ten - A Comic Art Working Group Collection
Edited by former Chair Geisa Fernandes, the book comprises a selection of the best papers presented in the Comic Art Working Group at IAMCR conferences in recent years.

Comments on the Top - A COA Podcast
Explored over two seasons, the podcast delves into the study of comic art within mass communication scholarship, aligning with the group's dedicated mission since its 1984 inception.

You can also read a two-part article by Geisa about the making of the book and podcast.

ESN-MER webinar for Early Career Scholars

 The Media Education Research and Emerging Scholars Network Sections organised the webinar "Taming the butterflies: How to write good abstracts and constructively review for Early Career Scholars" with insights into IAMCR conference submissions and the review process. Watch the recording here.

Diaspora and Media roundtable on Latin America

 In June 2023, the Diaspora and Media Working Group concluded its series of roundtables, titled "Global South Perspectives on International Migration, Diasporas, and Mobility in the Post-digital Era" with a focus on Latin America. The final roundtable, organized by Dr. Sofia Zanforlin and Dr. Jessica Retis, followed two prior ones held in 2022, dedicated to Africa and Asia. Watch it here. 

Publications

New IAMCR/Palgrave book

IAMCR is pleased to announce the publication of "Global Communication Governance at the crossroads", the 20th title in the Palgrave/IAMCR book series Global Transformations in Media and Communication Research. Edited by Claudia Padovani, Véronique Wavre, Arne Hintz, Gerard Goggin and Petros Iosifidis, all members of IAMCR’s Global Media Policy Working Group, the collection celebrates 20+ years of the Working Group’s activities, addressing current challenges, trends and transformations in global communication governance. 

IAMCR members are entitled to a special 35% discount on all titles in the series. Email GlobalTransformations@iamcr.org with "global transformations discount" as the subject of your message for details on how to get your discount.

Members' books

IAMCR members are invited to announce their recently published books and book chapters to the IAMCR community and website visitors. Click here to see the most recent ones.