Islam and Media Working Group - Call for Proposals 2023

The Islam and Media Working Group (ISM) 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 possibilities for rethinking communication research agendas at a time when the irreversible effects of climate change is compounded by stark geopolitical, sociocultural and religious tensions in human communities. At this juncture, urgent reflection and research is needed on how we can hope to flourish today and in the future, and also how media and communication tools and environments can be positive forces and spaces for change.

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

Our particular worldview essentially and inevitably affects our understanding of the world/universe, and provides different answers to the general and fundamental questions about it for example, what is the character and general structure of the universe/planet in which we live? How are we related to it? Islam maintains that this universe is a growing universe and not an already completed product which left the hand of its maker ages ago, and is now lying stretched in space as a dead mass of matter to which time does nothing, and consequently is nothing. According to the Quran, the character of the universe which we inhabit is not the result of a mere creative sport, it is a reality to be reckoned with (3: 190-191). To seek answers to what is our relation with the universe, Islam's teachings are to the effect that our conscious experience sees that to live is to shape and change ends and purposes and to be governed by them. When human beings interact with the forces of the environment around them, they have the power to shape and direct them. Thus, in their inmost being human, is a creative activity, an ascending spirit who, in their onward march rises from one state of being to another.

This perspective of human agency and empowerment, in Islam, is thought-provoking and poses certain responsibilities for the kind of conduct that befits the place we occupy. Therefore, we need to evolve the inner richness of our being. In this process of progressive change, God becomes a co-worker with us, provided we take the initiative: “Verily God will not change the condition of men, till they change what is in themselves” (13: 11). But the life and the onward march of the spirit of humanity depend on the establishment of connections with the reality that confronts human beings, for example, we are facing deteriorating climate conditions, increasing gaps between haves and have-nots, exacerbating crises of human rights and so on.

In this regard how can we use media and communication to make ourselves feel the inward push of advancing life? Media and communication have the potential to shape a society based on informed democracy, empathy, inclusivity, and the inner richness of humanity.

The Islam and Media Working Group invites papers that inspire and support how media and communication impact this planet and people’s lives and how media and communications’ stakeholders have the potential to design a better communications landscape to benefit societies for common good and ensure sustainable futures beyond. We invite you to write on themes but not restricted to the following themes:

Global solidarity and media in the Muslim world
Media in the Muslim world and social movements for social change
Media for Environmental accountability in the Muslim world
Media and marginalized communities in the Islamic world
Muslim women and media for social change
Algorithmic bias and Muslim issues

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 Islam and Media 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 Islam and Media 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 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

See important dates and deadlines to keep in mind