The Media Sector Development Working Group of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) invites proposals for IAMCR 2023, to be held in Lyon, France, from 9 to 13 July (Lyon23) with an Online Conference Papers (OCP23) component from 26 June to 5 July.
The deadline for submission of proposals is 9 February 2023 at 23h59 UTC.
See the CfPs of all sections and working groups >
Conference themes
IAMCR conferences have a main conference theme that is explored from multiple perspectives throughout the conference in plenaries and other moments, including the programmes of the thematic sections and working groups. Additionally, each section and working group also defines some of its own themes, which are described in their individual calls for proposals. Proposals for contributions to the conference are submitted to the sections and working groups and may focus on an aspect of the main conference theme as it relates to the concerns of the section or working group, or address a theme identified by the section or working group.
Main theme – Inhabiting the planet: Challenges for media, communication and beyond
The main theme for IAMCR 2023, “Inhabiting the planet: Challenges for media, communication and beyond”, is concerned with the implications of digitalization and technological transformation for society and human progress. The conference theme asks two overarching questions: What does it mean to be human in a digital world, and what does it mean to build a common future?
Five sub-themes of this central theme have been identified: Humanity and progress; democracy; media, information, and communication; cities and territories; and environmental accountability.
Consult a detailed description of the main theme and its sub-themes
The Media Sector Development Working Group invites proposals that address the general IAMCR conference theme "Inhabiting the planet: Challenges for media, communication and beyond" in relation to ongoing debates and discussions related to media sector development. We also invite proposals that address our working group theme: Shaping the Media that Shapes our World
These proposals may explore issues related to:
Democratizing media development
Both scholars and practitioners are currently concerned with how to structure international media assistance to be more bottom-up, long-term, and transformative. At stake in this endeavor is the ability of citizens around the world to imagine and shape media systems that can sustain peace, social progress, environmental sustainability, and human rights. Central to these concerns are questions of power, agency, localization, and institutional logic within the structures of international development—and within the globalized technological and market forces that are reshaping media systems. How should international assistance be configured to enable a truly inclusive and global movement for media development?
Reconceptualizing norms for trusted news media
Amid the spread of disinformation, political propaganda, hoaxes and hate speech on online platforms and growing threats to the independence of journalists, public trust in news media has been on the decline. These trends are associated with growing polarization and an erosion of social cohesion, which threaten the ability of societies around the world to find solutions to complex problems. In what ways is digital convergence changing the frames and norms for news production, and how can media development be reconceptualized to respond to the challenges of sustaining trustworthy news? What have we learned about how media development efforts can contribute to a healthier information ecosystem?
Fostering resilience of news media systems
A resurgence of authoritarianism and populism, the collapse of news media sustainability, growing risks to the security of journalists in the digital world, and faltering public support for the norms of open debate and dissent: news media seems to be confronting an existential crisis. The threats are especially acute for small, local news outlets; female journalists; news outlets serving minority ethnic and linguistic groups; and outlets that produce investigative, watchdog-style coverage. What constitutes resilience of media systems in this environment, and how can it be fostered?
In addressing the above themes, and other themes of relevance to the Working Group, we welcome both empirical studies and contributions that are normative in character or aimed at conceptual/methodological development. Proposals can be about single national case studies or be comparative/cross-national in scope. We also welcome historical studies that can contribute, through the lens of the past, to a critical understanding of contemporary issues facing the media development sector. We are an inclusive and geographically and culturally diverse working group and we welcome contributions from both practitioners and academics.
Contributing to the conference: Lyon23 and OCP23
There will be two ways of joining IAMCR2023:
- If you are not able to or don’t want to join the face-to-face conference in Lyon but do want to submit an online-only paper, submit your abstract to OCP23 only. If accepted, you’ll later submit your full paper to the online platform, which will be open for discussion from 26 June to 5 July.
- If you do want to join the face-to-face event, submit your abstract to Lyon23 and OCP23. If accepted you’ll submit your paper to the online platform and present it at the face-to-face conference.
Guidelines for abstracts
Abstracts submitted to the Media Sector Development Working Group should have between 300 and 500 words and must be submitted online here. Abstracts submitted by email will not be accepted.
The deadline to submit abstracts is 9 February 2022 at 23h59 UTC.
It is expected that authors will submit only one (1) abstract. However, under no circumstances should an author submit more than two abstracts as a single author or as the lead author of a co-authored paper and no author will submit more than one abstract to the Media Sector Development Working Group. 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).
Proposals for panels can only be submitted to Lyon23 and OCP23. Panel submissions must include an abstract for each paper submitted here and a description & supplemental information submitted via this form on the conference website
If your abstract is accepted, you will need to submit your full conference paper (up to 8,000 words) in order to be included in the programme.
See important dates and deadlines to keep in mind
Languages
The Media Sector Development Working Group will accept abstracts in English and Spanish for the 2023 conference.
For further information about the Media Sector Development Working Group, its themes, submissions, and panels please contact:
Co-chairs:
Nick Benequista NickB [at] ned.org
Susan Abbott susanabbott1 [at] gmail.com
Vice-Chairs:
Winston Mano W.Mano [at] westminster.ac.uk
Jairo Lugo-Ocando jlugoocando [at] sharjah.ac.ae
