Section & Working Group election results

Photo (cc) Flickr user Trending Topics 2019/electronic vote

13 Sections and Working Groups held elections for their leadership teams in 2021. The voting period ended on 14 September. The results are reported below.

We would like to thank all of the candidates who expressed their willingness to serve as a section or working group office also to all who voted.

Congratulations to the new officers!

Audience Section

The Audience Section currently has two chairs and two vice chairs. The section is adding a third vice-chair position. Two chair and three vice chair positions were open for election.

Ballot sent to 182 members
71 votes received (39%)

There were 2 candidates for 2 positions as chair.

  • Miguel Vicente (Universidad de Valladolid, Spain) received 58 votes (82%)
  • Asta Zelenkauskaite (Drexel University, USA) received 47 votes (66%)
  • There were 4 abstentions (6%)

Miguel Vicente and Asta Zelenkauskaite are elected co-chairs of the section.

There were 3 candidates for 3 positions as vice-chair.

  • Nissim Katz (Kinneret Academic College, Israel) received 38 votes (54%)
  • Maria T. Soto-Sanfiel (National University of Singapore) received 44 votes (62%)
  • Rafal Zaborowski (King’s College London, United Kingdom) received 45 votes (63%)
  • There were 8 abstentions (11%)

Nissim Katz, Maria T. Soto-Sanfiel and Rafal Zaborowski are elected as vice-chairs.

The head of the section for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Co-chairs: Miguel Vicente and Asta Zelenkauskaite

Vice-chairs: Nissim Katz, Maria T. Soto-Sanfiel and Rafal Zaborowski

Comic Art Working Group

The Comic Art Working Group currently has one interim chair and one interim vice-chair. The working group is adding a second vice chair position. One chair and two vice-chair positions were open for election.

Ballot sent to 29 members
17 votes received (59%)

There were 2 candidates for chair.

  • Jorge Salvador Anaya Martínez (Anáhuac University, Mexico) received 7 votes (41%)
  • Laura Nallely Hernández Nieto (Institute for Bibliographic Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico - UNAM) received 8 votes (47%)
  • There were 2 abstentions (12%)

Laura Nallely Hernández Nieto is elected chair of the working group.

There were 2 candidates for 2 positions as vice-chair.

  • Citlaly Aguilar Campos (Mexico) received 10 votes (59%)
  • Iván Facundo Rubinstein (National Autonomous University of Mexico - UNAM) received 7 votes (41%)
  • There were 2 abstentions (12%)

Citlaly Aguilar Campos and Iván Facundo Rubinstein are elected as vice-chairs.

The head of the working group for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Chair: Laura Nallely Hernández Nieto

Vice-chairs: Citlaly Aguilar Campos and Iván Facundo Rubinstein

Communication in Post- and Neo-Authoritarian Societies Working Group

The Communication in Post- and Neo-Authoritarian Societies Working Group currently has one chair and two vice-chairs. All positions were open for election.

Ballot sent to 55 members
27 votes received (49%)

There was one candidate for chair.

  • Katja Lehtisaari (Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, Finland) received 24 votes (89%)
  • There were 3 abstentions (11%)

Katja Lehtisaari is elected chair of the working group.

There were 3 candidates for 2 positions as vice-chair.

  • Anke Fiedler (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Department of Media and Communication, Germany) received 12 votes (44%)
  • Daria Gordeeva (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Department of Media and Communication, Germany) received 7 votes (26%)
  • Anastasia Grusha (Moscow State University, Russian Federation) received 22 votes (81%)
  • There was 1 abstention (4%)

Anke Fiedler and Anastasia Grusha are elected as vice-chairs.

The head of the working group for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Chair: Katja Lehtisaari

Vice-chairs: Anke Fiedler and Anastasia Grusha

Crisis, Security and Conflict Communication Working Group

The Crisis, Security and Conflict Communication Working Group currently has one chair and one vice chair. Rikke Bjerg Jensen (current chair) is stepping down from her position, while Virpi Salojärvi (current vice chair) will remain as chair of the working group.

A vice-chair position was open for election.

Ballot sent to 85 members
30 votes received (35%)

There were two candidates for vice chair:

  • Paul Reilly (University of Sheffield, UK) received 21 votes (70%)
  • Shixin Ivy Zhang (University of Nottingham Ningbo China) received 8 votes (27%)
  • There was 1 abstention (3%)

Paul Reilly is elected vice-chair of the working group.

The head of the working group for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Chair: Virpi Salojärvi

Vice-chair: Paul Reilly

Digital Divide Working Group

The Digital Divide Working Group has one chair and two vice chairs. Two chair positions were open for election.

Ballot sent to 132 members
65 votes received (49%)

There were 2 candidates for 2 positions as chair.

  • Anna Gladkova (Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia) received 54 votes (83%)
  • Massimo Ragneda (Northumbria University, UK) received 43 votes (66%)
  • There were 3 abstentions (5%)

Anna Gladkova and Massimo Ragneda are elected co-chairs of the working group.

The head of the working group for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Co-chairs: Anna Gladkova and Massimo Ragneda

Environment, Science and Risk Communication Working Group

The Environment, Science and Risk Communication Working Group has one chair and three vice-chairs. Two chair and two vice-chair positions were open for election.

Ballot sent to 113 members
47 votes received (42%)

There were 2 candidates for 2 positions as chair.

  • Kerrie Foxwell-Norton (Griffith University, Australia) received 29 votes (62%)
  • Maitreyee Mishra (Manipal Institute of Communication, MAHE, India & Universität Heidelberg, Germany) received 32 votes (68%)
  • There were 4 abstentions (9%)

Kerrie Foxwell-Norton and Maitreyee Mishra are elected co-chairs of the working group.

There were 2 candidates for 2 positions as vice-chair.

  • Joana Díaz-Pont (Autonomous university of Barcelona, Political Science and Public Law, Spain) received 29 votes (62%)
  • Pieter Maeseele (University of Antwerp, Belgium) received 31 votes (66%)
  • There were 2 abstentions (4%)

Joana Díaz-Pont and Pieter Maeseele are elected as vice-chairs.

The head of the working group for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Co-chairs: Kerrie Foxwell-Norton and Maitreyee Mishra

Vice-chairs: Joana Díaz-Pont and Pieter Maeseele

Ethics of Society and Ethics of Communication Working Group

The Ethics of Society and Ethics of Communication Working Group has one chair and two vice-chairs. All positions were open for election.

Ballot sent to 96 members
51 votes received (53%)

There were two candidates for chair.

  • Elvira Garcia de Torres (Department of Communication and Journalism. CEU Cardenal Herrera University, Spain) received 25 votes (49%)
  • Kanchan K. Malik (University of Hyderabad, India) received 23 votes (45%)
  • There were 3 abstentions (6%)

Elvira Garcia de Torres is elected chair of the working group.

There were 4 candidates for 2 positions as vice-chair.

  • Gilberto Alves Araújo (The University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa & Universidade Federal do Pará, Brazil) received 21 votes (41%)
  • Ben-Hur Demeneck (Member of Journalism, Law and Freedom Research Group, ECA-USP, Brazil) received 16 votes (31%)
  • Teresa Nicolás Gavilán (Universidad Panamericana, Mexico) received 25 votes (49%)
  • Esther Martínez Pastor (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain) received 19 votes (37%)
  • There were 4 abstentions (8%)

Teresa Nicolás Gavilán and Gilberto Alves Araújo are elected as vice-chairs.

The head of the working group for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Chair: Elvira Garcia de Torres

Vice-chairs: Gilberto Alves Araújo and Teresa Nicolás Gavilán

Gender and Communication Section

The Gender and Communication Section has two chairs and two vice chairs. The current section's officers Carolina Matos (co-chair) and Patricia Núñez-Gómez (vice-chair) were elected in 2020, while Wajiha Raza Rizvi (co-Chair) and Shweta Sharma (Vice-chair) are ending their terms after extending their mandates for a year.

One chair and one vice chair positions were open for election.

Ballot sent to 235 members
99 votes received (42%)

There were two candidates for chair.

  • Wajiha Raza Rizvi (Film Museum Society and Beaconhouse National University, Pakistan) (University of Hyderabad, India) received 55 votes (56%)
  • Sneh Gupta (Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, India) received 33 votes (33%)
  • There were 11 abstentions (11%)

Wajiha Raza Rizvi is elected chair of the working group.

There was 1 candidate for vice-chair.

  • Faiza Rafique (Forman Christian College, Pakistan) received 75 votes (76%)
  • There were 24 abstentions (24%)

Faiza Rafique is elected as vice-chair

The head of the section for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Co-chairs: Carolina Matos and Wajiha Raza Rizvi

Vice-chairs: Patricia Núñez-Gómez and Faiza Rafique

History Section

The History Section has one chair and one vice-chair. All positions were open for election.

Ballot sent to 103 members
46 votes received (45%)

There was one candidate for chair.

  • Nelson Ribeiro (Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbon) received 43 votes (93%)
  • There were 3 abstentions (7%)

Nelson Ribeiro is elected chair of the section.

There was 1 candidate for vice-chair.

  • Gideon Kouts (University of Paris 8, France) received 40 votes (87%)
  • There were 6 abstentions (13%)

Gideon Kouts is elected as vice-chair.

The head of the section for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Chair: Nelson Ribeiro

Vice-chair: Gideon Kouts

Journalism Research and Education Section

The Journalism Research and Education Section has one interim chair and two vice chairs. One chair and three vice chair positions were open for election.

Ballot sent to 272 members
112 votes received (41%)

There was one candidate for chair.

  • Sadia Jamil (Khalifa University of Science & Technology, Abu Dhabi) received 90 votes (80%)
  • There were 22 abstentions (20%)

Sadia Jamil is elected chair of the section.

There were 2 candidates for 3 positions as vice-chair.

  • Abiodun Salawu (North-West University, South Africa) received 76 votes (68%)
  • Ruhan ZHAO (Communication University of China) received 58 votes (52%)
  • There were 18 abstentions (16%)

Abiodun Salawu and Ruhan ZHAO are elected as vice-chairs.

The head of the section for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Chair: Sadia Jamil

Vice chairs: Abiodun Salawu and Ruhan ZHAO

Mediated Communication, Public Opinion, and Society Section

The Mediated Communication, Public Opinion, and Society Section has one chair and one vice chair. The section is adding a second vice chair position. One chair and two vice chair positions were open for election.

Ballot sent to 176 members
53 votes received (30%)

There was one candidate for chair.

  • Susanne Eichner (Aarhus University Denmark) received 48 votes (91%)
  • There were 5 abstentions (9%)

Susanne Eichner is elected chair of the section.

There were 2 candidates for 2 positions as vice-chair.

  • Ruchi Tewari (MICA, India) received 37 votes (70%)
  • Franziska Thiele (University of Rostock, Germany) received 32 votes (60%)
  • There were 6 abstentions (11%)

Ruchi Tewari and Franziska Thiele are elected as vice-chairs.

The head of the section for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Chair: Susanne Eichner

Vice-chairs: Ruchi Tewari and Franziska Thiele

Public Service Media Policies Working Group

The Public Service Media Policies Working Group has two co-chairs. The working group is adding a vice chair position. Two chairs and one vice-chair positions were open for election.

Ballot sent to 61 members
26 votes received (43%)

There were 2 candidates for 2 positions as chair.

  • Fiona Martin (University of Sydney, Australia) received 20 votes (77%)
  • Anis Rahman (University of Washington, USA) received 16 votes (62%)
  • There were 3 abstentions (12%)

Fiona Martin and Anis Rahman are elected as co-chairs of the working group.

There was 1 candidate for vice-chair.

  • Yik Chan Chin (Beijing Normal University, China) received 20 votes (77%)
  • There were 6 abstentions (23%)

Yik Chan Chin is elected as vice-chair.

The head of the working group for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Co-chairs: Fiona Martin and Anis Rahman

Vice-chair: Yik Chan Chin

Religion and Communication Working Group

The Religion and Communication Working Group has one chair, one vice-chair and one interim vice- chair. One vice-chair position was open for election.

The working group had 58 eligible voters of which 22 voted (38%)

There was one candidate for vice chair.

  • Miriam Diez Bosch (Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations, Ramon Llull University, Spain) received 20 votes (91%)
  • There were 2 abstentions (9%)

Miriam Diez Bosch is elected as vice-chair of the working group.

The head of the working group for the 2021 to 2025 period will be:

Chair: Binod Agrawal

Vice-chairs: Yoel Cohen and Miriam Diez Bosch

Sections and Working Groups