The Global Media Policy Working Group of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) invites the submission of proposals for papers and panels for IAMCR 2022, which will be held online from 11 to 15 July 2022. The conference will also have a national hub at Tsinghua University in Beijing. The deadline for submission is 9 February 2022, at 23.59 UTC.
See the CfPs of all sections and working groups >
Conference Themes
IAMCR conferences have a main conference theme (with several sub-themes) that is explored from multiple perspectives throughout the conference in plenaries, in the programmes of our sections and working groups, and in the Flow34 virtual cinema and podcasts stream. They also have many themes defined by our 33 thematic sections and working groups. Proposals submitted to sections and working groups may be centered on an aspect of the main conference theme as it relates to the central concerns of the section or working group, or they may address the additional themes identified by the section or working group in their individual calls for proposals.
The main theme for IAMCR 2022, “Communication Research in the Era of Neo-Globalisation: Reorientations, Challenges and Changing Contexts,” is concerned with possibilities for rethinking communication research agendas in the post-pandemic world, which has seen dramatic shifts in the way we interact and understand our physical, social, cultural, political and material environments.
Eight sub-themes of this central theme have been identified: Reorienting Media and Communication Research in the Era of Neo-Globalisation; Artificial Intelligence in Global Communication Contexts; Cultural Identities and Dis-Identities in the Era of Neo-Globalisation; Communication for Sustainability: Climate Change, Environment, and Health; Media Ethics and Principles in the Digital Age; Media, Communication, and the Construction of Global Public Health; Data/Digital Science and Intercultural Communication; Digital Platforms and Public Service: Science, Technology and Sustainability. See the complete theme description and rationale here.
The 2022 IAMCR conference will focus on the intersections of the global, national and local, addressing shifts and continuities in contexts, and it will therefore address a core interest of the Global Media Policy Working Group. Since its inception over 20 years ago, the Working Group has explored the interplay between policies, policy actors, and governance processes between the local and the global. It has offered a space to analyse how these different levels influence each other; how a variety of actors interact within and across the local, national and global; how new norms and practices of regulation emerge; and how borders and boundaries are overcome, and re-established, in the shaping of communication governance.
The current historical moment offers multiple opportunities to explore these dynamics. While we may be entering a post-pandemic world heralding a phase of neo-globalisation, we continue to operate in the midst of recurring nationalism and unrestrained populism. While some scholars have called our current condition post-globalisation (Flew, 2018), others have alluded to de-globalisation in the past (Bello, 2005). These competing ideas reflect very different contexts and world views, and they find resonance in the manner in which we see the politics of vaccine diplomacy and passports play out, especially in the skewed abilities of countries in the Global South to lay claim to global public health offerings and related communication. Further, we see the expansive power of Big Tech, on the one hand, and the growth of nationalised technology corporations on the other. Data exploitation by transnational business and hegemonic state powers alike is met by data protection regulation and calls for data sovereignty at national and community levels. Content policies, e.g. on hate speech and misinformation, diverge radically across jurisdictions, while some policy issues enter global trade negotiations to avoid national regulation. Localised communication and media practices interface with international interventions (e.g., media development initiatives), while local policy initiatives intervene in international policy debate and affect decisions around the globe. At the same time bottom-up initiatives - both local and transnational - continue the struggle to have fundamental rights and principles considered in regulatory frameworks.
As these examples demonstrate, understanding the intersection of different levels - between the local and the global - and the interaction of different actors - state, business, civil society, citizens, and affected communities - is essential for understanding contemporary global communication governance. How, then, does neo-globalisation intersect with nationalising and communitarian tendencies? Who are the actors who formulate policies for the media in these circumstances and where do their stances derive legitimacy as they operate out of these multi-leveled contexts? How do power dynamics play out in the current reorientation of communication governance and related research?
We invite papers that investigate these dynamics in the making and shaping of global communication and media policy, offer new empirical insights, theorise media policy in this context, and/or innovate methodology in addressing the global/local intersection.
Guidelines for abstracts
Abstracts are requested for the Online Conference Papers component. Abstracts submitted to the Global Media Policy Working Group should have between 300 and 500 words and must be submitted online at https://iamcr.org/beijing2022/submit. Abstracts submitted by email will not be accepted.
The deadline to submit abstracts is 9 February 2022 at 23h59 UTC.
Early submission is strongly encouraged.
See important dates and deadlines to keep in mind
It is expected that authors will submit only one (1) abstract. However, under no circumstances should there be more than two (2) abstracts bearing the name of the same author, either individually or as first author. No more than one 1 abstract can be submitted by an author to the Global Media Policy Working Group. Please note also that the same abstract or another version with minor variations in title or content must not be submitted to more than one section or working group. Any such submissions will be deemed to be in breach of the conference guidelines and will be rejected.
Proposals are accepted for both single Papers and for Panels with several papers (in which you propose multiple papers that address a single theme). Please note that there are special procedures for submitting panel proposals. You can find the detailed procedures when submitting your abstract online in the abstract submission system.
The abstract should describe its main question or research problem; its significance; the theoretical framework; the research method; expected outcomes (or theoretical argument); and its relation with the specific topics addressed in this call.
Submitted abstracts will be evaluated on the basis of their:
- Theoretical and/or research contribution
- Originality and significance
- Sound methodology
- Quality of writing
- Relevance to the work of the Global Media Policy Working Group
The Global Media Policy Working Group (GMP) may co-sponsor sessions with the Communication Policy & Technology Section(CPT). Please indicate if you wish to be considered for a joint CPT/GMP session.
Paper Submission: Accepted authors will be invited to submit short conference papers (1,000 to 4,000 words) to be published on the conference website.
Languages
The Global Media Policy Working Group accepts abstracts in English, Spanish, and French, though an English translation (even a brief summary) of your abstract will be much appreciated.
For further information about the conference contact beijing2022@iamcr.org
For further information about the Global Media Policy Working Group, its themes, submissions, panels, and the content of its upcoming conference sessions please contact:
Arne Hintz (Co-Chair),
hintza(at)cardiff.ac.uk
Claudia Padovani (Co-Chair),
claudia.padovani(at)unipd.it
Preeti Raghunath (Vice-Chair),
preeti.raghunath(at)monash.edu