July 12-16, 2020

Beijing, China

Deadline: February 10, 2020

The International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) invites the submission of abstracts of papers and proposals for panels for the 2020 Congress of the Association, which will be held from 12 to 16 July, 2020 at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. The deadline for submission is 10 February 2020, at 23.59 UTC.

IAMCR conferences address a wide diversity of topics defined by our 32 thematic sections and working groups. We also propose a single central theme to be explored throughout the conference with the aim of generating and exploring multiple perspectives. This is accomplished through plenary and special sessions, and in some of the sessions of the sections and working groups. The central theme for 2020 focuses on our digital future. Not all submissions have to address the central theme. See the individual calls for proposals of the sections and working groups for other themes and for other perspectives in the central theme.

Download this call for proposals as a PDF file

Consult the calls for proposals of IAMCR's 32 thematic sections and working groups

Submit your abstract

Reimagining the Digital Future: Building Inclusiveness, Respect and Reciprocity

At the critical juncture of the second decade of the 21st century, the world is facing tremendous challenges. The past three decades of cultural, economic and communication globalisation have created sharp income and wealth inequities, a divisive international community, dysfunctional media, an increasingly fragmented digital culture and an accelerating environmental crisis. We witness growing populism and protectionism and a dissolving consensus on global engagement and international collaboration. We see deepening technological contestation in digital media and artificial intelligence between the world’s two economic powerhouses. We also witness a sharp decline of the quality of national and international information flows as a result of widespread misinformation facilitated by social media.

These developments pose urgent questions and challenges for media and communications scholars. What are the reasons for the division, gaps and fragmentation we now see? What roles have digital media communication played in these developments at both the local and global levels? What values should inform our proposals for addressing them?

This year’s conference aims to respond to those challenges by re-examining the roles and patterns of global communication while including local voices, seeking critical reflections on the relationship between them, and exploring feasible agendas for a shared digital future based on inclusiveness, respect and reciprocity.

In the context of growing divisions between elites and citizens, the economically secure and the marginalised, mainstream and minority cultures, and intensified political polarization, calls for greater inclusiveness of different voices in the media and equality of access and opportunities, become even more pressing. As researchers we need a more comprehensive understanding of the factors promoting and impeding inclusiveness in the ‘legacy’ print and audio-visual media media domestically and globally and the roles played by existing and emerging digital media.

Having a public voice and opportunities for expression, however, does not in itself guarantee that diverse contributions to a common culture will be listened to attentively or treated with respect. IAMCR 2020 addresses respect for both diversities and shared values. Respect embodies respect for local cultural experiences and developmental models as well as respect for human dignity and international law and institutions. It embodies respect for role of ethics in developing the digital technology and for the safety and security of personal data and privacy. Exploring these issues requires us to reconsider to what extent the current global communication and technological landscapes have facilitated these dimensions of respect for diverse voices, experiences and models; and to ask what communicative values and goals would be guaranteed in the future.

Promoting inclusiveness and respect are essential preconditions for (re)imagining and developing a shared digital future that challenges and transcends political, religious, and cultural boundaries. But pursuing this goal also requires a commitment to reciprocity based on relations between public, governments and business communities, rooted in a shared commitment to inclusiveness, respect and avoiding exploitation or exacerbation of divides and conflicts.

Organised by two leading Chinese universities in Beijing and Suzhou, two ancient capitals mixed with the chic of postmodern metropolis, IAMCR 2020 is set to bring together different perspectives on how multi-stakeholders of the global and local communication and media spaces negotiates among heterogeneous communities and institutions in the hope for building an inclusive, harmonious and respectful digital future. Bringing IAMCR to China offers members a unique opportunity to access analysis and commentary on the China’s experience of employing media and digital communication technology.

Languages

Different sections and working groups have different policies regarding languages. Some accept abstract and programme sessions in English, French and Spanish while others conduct their programmes in only one or two languages. Consult the individual CfPs for details on the language policy of each section.

Guidelines for proposals

Abstracts should be between 300 and 500 words. All abstracts must be submitted at https://beijing2020.iamcr.org/submit. Abstracts sent by email will not be accepted.

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 part of any group of authors. No more than one (1) abstract can be submitted to any section or 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. Authors submitting them risk being removed entirely from the conference programme.

Proposals are accepted for both single Paper/presentations and for Panels with several papers/presentations (in which you propose multiple speakers/presentations to address a single theme). To submit a proposal for a panel, see the detailed instructions on the submission website and here.

The deadline to submit abstracts is 23:59 GMT on 10 February 2020.

For other important dates and deadlines, please see IAMCR 2020 key dates on the conference website.

Technical guidelines, if any, are defined by the individual Sections and Working Groups. If you have questions, consult the Section or Working Group's specific CfP or contact the head of the Section and Working Group that interests you.

For further information about the conference, consult the IAMCR Beijing 2020 webpage or contact beijing2020@iamcr.org.