In 2023, elections were conducted for the leadership teams of 15 Sections and Working Groups. The voting period concluded on 16 June, and we are pleased to present the election results below.
We would like to thank all the candidates who demonstrated their interest in serving as officers for a section or working group, as well as to everyone who participated in the voting process.
We warmly congratulate the newly elected officers on their successful appointment!
- Communication Policy and Technology Section
- Community Communication and Alternative Media Section
- Diaspora and Media Working group
- Emerging Scholars Network Section
- Health Communication Working Group
- Law Section
- Media, Communication and Sport Section
- Media Education Research Section
- Media Sector Development Working Group
- Political Communication Research Section
- Political Economy Section
- Popular Culture Working Group
- Religion and Communication Working Group
- Rural Communication Working Group
- Visual Culture Working Group
Communication Policy and Technology Section
The Communication Policy and Technology Section currently has two co-chairs and two vice-chairs. All four positions were open for election.
Ballot sent to 191 members
75 votes received (39%)
There were 2 candidates for 2 positions as co-chair.
- Julia Pohle (WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Germany) received 56 votes (75%)
- Weiyu Zhang (National University of Singapore) received 42 votes (56%)
- There were 5 abstentions (7%)
Julia Pohle and Weiyu Zhang are elected co-chairs of the section.
There were 3 candidates for 2 positions as vice-chair.
- Leah Komen (Daystar University, Kenya) received 49 votes (65%)
- Guy Hoskins (Carleton University, Canada) received 38 votes (51%)
- Qiaolei Jiang (Tsinghua University, China) received 22 votes (29%)
- There were 3 abstentions (4%)
Leah Komen and Guy Hoskins are elected as vice-chairs.
The head of the section for the 2023 to 2027 period will be:
Co-chairs: Julia Pohle and Weiyu Zhang
Vice-chairs: Leah Komen and Guy Hoskins
Community Communication and Alternative Media Section
The Community Communication and Alternative Media Section currently has two co-chairs and two vice-chairs. One co-chair and one vice-chair positions were open for election.
Ballot sent to 229 members
88 votes received (38%)
There was 1 candidate for co-chair.
- Vinod Pavarala (University of Hyderabad, India) received 71 votes (81%)
- There were 17 abstentions (19%)
Vinod Pavarala is re-elected as co-chair of the section for the 2023 to 2027 period.
There were 3 candidates for 1 vice-chair position.
- Juan Ramos Martín (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia) received 30 votes (34%)
- Saroj Prasad Paudel (Nepal) received 22 votes (25%)
- Felipe Navarro Nicoletti (CONICET/National University of Río Negro, Argentina) received 18 votes (20%)
- There were 18 abstentions (20%)
Juan Ramos Martín is elected as vice-chair of the section for the 2023 to 2027 period.
Diaspora and Media Working Group
The Diaspora and Media Working Group currently has two co-chairs and one vice-chair. The working group will be changing its Head composition in 2023 to one chair and two vice-chairs. Elections were held for all three positions.
Ballot sent to 103 members
37 votes received (36%)
There were 2 candidates for chair.
- Sumana Chattopadhyay (Marquette University, United States) received 14 votes (38%)
- Brian Pindayi (Cornerstone University/Rusangu University, Zambia) received 17 votes (46%)
- There were 6 abstentions (16%)
Brian Pindayi is elected as chair of the working group.
There were 3 candidates for 2 vice-chair positions.
- Sofia Cavalcanti Zanforlin (Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil) received 25 votes (68%)
- Jessica Retis (The University of Arizona, United States) received 19 votes (51%)
- Noha Mellor (University of Sharjah, UAE) received 9 votes (24%)
- There were 3 abstentions (8%)
Sofia Cavalcanti Zanforlin and Jessica Retis are elected as vice-chairs of the working group.
The head of the working group for the 2023 to 2027 period will be:
Chair: Brian Pindayi
Vice-chairs: Sofia Cavalcanti Zanforlin and Jessica Retis
Emerging Scholars Network Section
The Emerging Scholars Network Section currently has two co-chairs. The section is adding two vice-chair positions. Elections were held for all four positions.
Ballot sent to 183 members
67 votes received (37%)
There were 2 candidates for 2 co-chair positions.
- Steph Hill (University of Leicester, United Kingdom) received 46 votes (69%)
- Wafa Khalfan (University of Sharjah, UAE) received 38 votes (57%)
- There were 8 abstentions (12%)
Steph Hill and Wafa Khalfan are elected as co-chairs of the section for the 2023 to 2027 period.
There were 3 candidates for 2 vice-chair positions.
- Jeremiah M. Nganda (Daystar University, Kenya) received 38 votes (57%)
- Karl Patrick R. Mendoza (University of Canterbury, New Zealand) received 23 votes (34%)
- Nancy Gakahu (University of Leeds, United Kingdom) received 22 votes (33%)
- There were 11 abstentions (16%)
Jeremiah M. Nganda and Karl Patrick R. Mendoza are elected as vice-chairs of the section.
The head of the Emerging Scholars Network Section for the 2023 to 2027 period will be:
Co-chairs: Steph Hill and Wafa Khalfan
Vice-chairs: Jeremiah M. Nganda and Karl Patrick R. Mendoza
Health Communication Working Group
The Health Communication Working Group currently has two co-chairs and two vice-chairs. All positions were open for election.
Ballot sent to 177 members
83 votes received (47%)
There were 3 candidates for 2 co-chair positions.
- Sayyed Fawad Ali Shah (Jacksonville State University, United States) received 40 votes (48%)
- Eliza Govender (University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) received 47 votes (57%)
- Sinikka Torkkola (Tampere University, Finland) received 17 votes (20%)
- There were 11 abstentions (13%)
Sayyed Fawad Ali Shah and Eliza Govender are elected as co-chairs of the working group.
There were 2 candidates for 2 vice-chair positions.
- Adebayo Fayoyin (Caleb University, Nigeria / University of Witwatersrand, South Africa) received 49 votes (59%)
- Monique Lewis (Griffith University, Australia) received 51 votes (61%)
- There were 12 abstentions (14%)
Adebayo Fayoyin and Monique Lewis are elected as vice-chairs of the working group.
The Head of the Health Communication Working Group for the 2023 to 2027 period will be:
Co-chairs: Sayyed Fawad Ali Shah and Eliza Govender
Vice-chairs: Adebayo Fayoyin and Monique Lewis
Law Section
The Law Section currently has two co-chairs and two vice-chairs. All positions were open for election.
Ballot sent to 62 members
32 votes received (52%)
There were 2 candidates for co-chair.
- Rodrigo Cetina-Presuel (Pompeu Fabra University Barcelona School of Management, Spain) received 27 votes (84%)
- Lucas Logan (University of Houston – Downtown, United States) received 16 votes (50%)
- There was 1 abstention (3%)
Rodrigo Cetina-Presuel and Lucas Logan are elected as co-chairs of the section.
There were 2 candidates for 2 vice-chair positions.
- Macdonald Amaran (Bournemouth University, United Kingdom) received 17 votes (53%)
- Fernando Gutiérrez Atala (Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Chile - UCSC) received 26 votes (81%)
- There were 3 abstentions (9%)
Macdonald Amaran and Fernando Gutiérrez Atala are elected as vice-chairs of the section.
The Head of the Law Section for the 2023 to 2027 period will be:
Co-chairs: Rodrigo Cetina-Presuel and Lucas Logan
Vice-chairs: Macdonald Amaran and Fernando Gutiérrez Atala
Media, Communication and Sport Section
The Media, Communication and Sport Section currently has two co-chairs. One of these positions was open for election.
Ballot sent to 72 members
30 votes received (42%)
There was 1 candidate for co-chair.
- Xavier Ramon (Pompeu Fabra University, Spain) received 28 votes (93%)
- There were 2 abstentions (7%)
Xavier Ramon is re-elected as co-chair of the section for the 2023 to 2027 period.
Media Education Research Section
The Media Education Research Section currently has one chair and three vice-chairs. All positions were open for election.
Ballot sent to 148 members
62 votes received (42%)
There were two candidates for one chair position.
- Michael Hoechsmann (Lakehead University Orillia, Canada) received 37 votes (60%)
- Nathalie PIERRE-CHARLES (University of Paris 13, France) received 22 votes (35%)
- There were 3 abstentions (5%)
Michael Hoechsmann was elected chair of the section.
There were 5 candidates for 3 vice-chair positions.
- Rayén Condeza (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) received 30 votes (48%)
- Sisanda Nkoala (Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa) received 25 votes (40%)
- Oscar Mario Miranda-Villanueva (Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico) received 23 votes (37%)
- Devina Sarwatay ((University of Hyderabad, India and Research Associate, FemLab, India) received 23 votes (37%)
- Faith Valencia-Forrester (Griffith University, Australia) received 14 votes (23%)
- There were 5 abstentions (8%)
Rayén Condeza, Sisanda Nkoala are elected as vice-chairs of the section. There was a tie between Oscar Mario Miranda-Villanueva and Devina Sarwatay.
The Media Education Research Section Head will therefore be constituted by:
Chair: Michael Hoechsman
Vice-chairs: Rayén Condeza and Sisanda Nkoala
Alternate vice-chairs: Oscar Mario Miranda-Villanueva and Devina Sarwatay
Media Sector Development Working Group
The Media Sector Development Working Group held elections for two co-chair and one vice-chair positions.
Ballot sent to 56 members
23 votes received (41%)
There were 3 candidates for 2 co-chair positions.
- Susan Abbott (University of Westminster, United Kingdom) received 15 votes (65%)
- Nicholas Benequista (Center for International Media Assistance, United States) received 14 votes (61%)
- Anjani Kumar Srivastava (Circular Global Communication Services Pvt. Ltd., India) received 7 votes (30%)
- There were 2 abstentions (9%)
Susan Abbott and Nicholas Benequista are elected as co-chairs of the working group.
There was 1 candidate for vice-chair.
- Winston Mano (University of Westminster, United Kingdom) received 21 votes (91%)
- There were 2 abstentions (9%)
Winston Mano is elected as vice-chair of the working group.
Political Communication Research Section
The Political Communication Research Section currently has a chair and three vice-chairs. The section is changing its Head composition to two co-chairs and two vice-chairs. All positions were open for election.
Ballot sent to 276 members
111 votes received (40%)
There were 2 candidates for 2 co-chair positions.
- Martín Echeverría (Autonomous University of Puebla, México) received 74 votes (67%)
- Yuan Zeng (University of Leeds, United Kingdom) received 59 votes (53%)
- There were 6 abstentions (5%)
Martín Echeverría and Yuan Zeng are elected as co-chairs of the section.
There were 3 candidates for 2 vice-chair positions.
- Amélia Aben Athar Olinto Ramos (Fluminense Federal University, Brazil) received 49 votes (44%)
- Sara García Santamaría (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain) received 62 votes (56%)
- André Haller (University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tyrol, Austria) received 36 votes (32%)
- There were 8 abstentions (7%)
Amélia Aben Athar Olinto Ramos and Sara García Santamaría are elected as vice-chairs of the section.
The Head of the Political Communication Research Section for the 2023 to 2027 period will be:
Co-chairs: Martín Echeverría and Yuan Zeng
Vice-chairs: Amélia Aben Athar Olinto Ramos and Sara García Santamaría
Political Economy Section
The Political Economy Section currently has two co-chairs and two vice-chairs. One vice-chair position was open for election.
Ballot sent to 222 members
99 votes received (45%)
There were 2 candidates for vice-chair.
- Micky Lee (Suffolk University, United States) received 41 votes (41%)
- Yu Hong (Zhejiang University, China) received 39 votes (39%)
- There were 19 abstentions (19%)
Micky Lee is elected as vice-chair of the section for the 2023 to 2027 period.
Popular Culture Working Group
The Popular Culture Working Group currently has a chair and two vice-chairs. All positions were open for election.
Ballot sent to 238 members
86 votes received (36%)
There was 1 candidate for chair.
- Tonny Krijnen (Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands) received 74 votes (86%)
- There were 12 abstentions (14%)
Tonny Krijnen is elected chair of the working group.
There were 3 candidates for 2 vice-chair positions.
- Florian Vanlee (Ghent University, Belgium) received 47 votes (55%)
- Yongliang Gao (Communication University of China) received 39 votes (45%)
- Niall Brennan (Fairfield University, United States) received 38 votes (44%)
- There were 8 abstentions (9%)
Florian Vanlee and Yongliang Gao are elected as vice-chairs of the working group.
The Head of the Popular Culture Working Group for the 2023 to 2027 period will be:
Chair: Tonny Krijnen
Vice-chairs: Florian Vanlee and Yongliang Gao
Religion and Communication Working Group
The Religion and Communication Working Group held elections for one chair and one vice-chair positions.
Ballot sent to 77 members
40 votes received (52%)
There was one candidate for chair.
- Yoel Cohen (The School of Communication, Ariel University, Israel) received 37 votes (93%)
- There were 3 abstentions (7%)
Yoel Cohen is elected as chair of the working group for the 2023 to 2027 period.
There were four candidates for vice-chair.
- Krishna Sankar Kusuma (AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, India) received 13 votes (32%)
- Joseph Muyangata (Light of the World Bible School / Full Gospel Tabernacle International, United States) received 11 votes (27%)
- Tilak Jha (Times School of Media, Bennett University, India) received 7 votes (18%)
- Victor Khroul (Catholic University in Ružomberok, Slovakia) received 6 votes (15%)
- There were 3 abstentions (7%)
Krishna Sankar Kusuma is elected as vice-chair of the working group for the 2023 to 2027 period.
Rural Communication Working Group
The Rural Communication Working Group comprises two co-chairs. The working group is adding a vice-chair position.
Ballot sent to 73 members
40 votes received (55%)
There was one candidate for vice-chair.
- Maria Stella C. Tirol (College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines Los Baños) received 36 votes (90%)
- There were 4 abstentions (10%)
Maria Stella C. Tirol is elected vice-chair of the working group for the 2023 to 2027 period.
Visual Culture Working Group
The Visual Culture Working Group currenty has a chair and a vice-chair. The chair position was open for election.
Ballot sent to 187 members
75 votes received (40%)
There was one candidate for chair.
- Denize Correa Araujo (Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná, Brazil) received 65 votes (87%)
- There were 10 abstentions (13%)
Denize Correa Araujo is re-elected as chair of the working group for the 2023 to 2027 period.