The International Communication (INC) Section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) invites the submission of abstracts for IAMCR 2025, which will be held in Singapore from 13 to 17 July 2025, hosted by the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University.
The deadline for submission is 7 February 2025, at 23h59 UTC.
See the list of all sections and working groups and their remits
See the CfPs of all sections and working groups
The general theme for this year’s conference is Communicating Environmental Justice: Many Voices, One Planet. In an era defined by environmental crises and social disparities, the need for effective communication championing environmental justice has never been more urgent. This theme highlights the critical intersection of diverse voices from various stakeholders and their collaborative action in addressing the pressing challenges of our time.
Consult a detailed description of the main theme
Some of the key topics to be included this year based on the theme are:
- The Role of AI in Environmental Communication: How artificial intelligence can enhance communication strategies around environmental issues, from predictive modelling to targeted outreach. What are the ethical implications of its use?
- Promoting Environmental Journalism: Explore the challenges faced by environmental journalists in various contexts. Evaluate the importance of journalistic professionalism and of promoting the role of journalists in fostering informed discourse on key public issues.
- Diversity in Sustainability Campaigns: How do diverse perspectives enrich sustainability initiatives? Examine case studies that illustrate the importance of representation in campaigns, ensuring that all voices are included in the dialogue around environmental justice.
- Community Engagement and Activism: What role do grassroots movements and community-driven initiatives play in advocating for environmental justice? Explore effective communication strategies that empower local voices and foster collective action.
- Cultural Narratives and Environmental Awareness: How do cultural narratives shape perceptions of environmental issues and influence behaviour? Explore participatory methods such as storytelling as tools for promoting environmental justice and sustainability.
Since the International Communication Section is inherently interdisciplinary, it is well-suited to engage with the theme Communicating Environmental Justice: Many Voices, One Planet in several critical ways. Therefore, we invite abstracts in the following areas (but not limited to these areas only):
- Research exploring how environmental justice issues are portrayed in global media. This includes examining biases, framing, and the visibility of various voices, especially those from marginalized communities or the Global South.
- Research studying how international communication facilitates the exchange of traditional and indigenous knowledge systems related to environmental justice. Research that fosters a deeper understanding of how local and indigenous communities contribute to and benefit from global environmental discourse.
- Research investigating the role of digital communication and social media in promoting transnational environmental activism. This includes how activists coordinate across borders to advocate for environmental policies and justice.
- Research focusing on communication strategies employed by international organizations (like the United Nations) to promote environmental justice and engage member states in collective action against climate change and environmental degradation.
- Research that encourages dialogue among diverse cultural groups. This includes exploration of how cross-cultural communication can mitigate misunderstandings and foster collaborative solutions for environmental justice.
- Research examining how different countries and international bodies communicate risks related to climate change and environmental disasters, aiming to enhance global preparedness and response strategies.
We encourage submissions that leverage the theoretical and methodological tools of international communication in order to offer invaluable insights into how to effectively communicate about environmental justice on a global scale, ensuring that the voices of all communities are heard and respected in the quest for a sustainable future.
Guidelines for abstracts
Abstracts must be submitted exclusively through IAMCR’s submission system from 3 December 2024 through 7 February 2025, at 23.59 UTC. Abstracts submitted by e-mail will not be accepted.
Abstracts are requested for papers to be presented in person at the conference in Singapore. Abstract should be between 800 and 1000 words. It is expected that each person will submit only one abstract. However, no author’s name should appear on more than two abstracts, either individually or as part of any group of authors and authors should not submit more than one abstract to any single section or working group.
Proposals are accepted for both single papers and for panels with several papers (in which several colleagues propose multiple papers that address a single theme). Please note that there are special procedures for submitting panel proposals.
Evaluation criteria
Submitted abstracts will generally be evaluated on the basis of:
- Technical merit
- Readability
- Originality and/or significance
- Use of or contribution to theory
- Relevance to the section and current trends or controversies in its field
- Depth of knowledge of the research, theory and/or literature related to the proposed topic as evidenced in the submission
- Acceptance of proposals may also be conditioned by programme diversity and balance criteria
Statement on use of AI tools
IAMCR does not encourage or condone the use of generative AI tools to create abstracts submitted for consideration for our conferences. IAMCR values originality, integrity, and transparency in academic work, and believes that human-authored contributions best support rigorous and innovative scholarship in media and communication research. Should an author choose to use a generative AI tool in the preparation of an abstract, we require that they include a clear statement within their submission disclosing the tool's use. This statement must specify: (1) the name of any AI tool used; (2) how the tool was used in preparing the abstract, and; (3) the reason for using the tool. Failure to disclose the use of generative AI in accordance with these guidelines may impact the evaluation and acceptance of the submission.
Languages
Abstracts in English, French or Spanish are welcome.
Deadlines and key dates
The deadline to submit abstracts is 7 February 2025, at 23.59 UTC. For other key dates see https://iamcr.org/singapore2025/keydates. Dates are subject to change.
Contacts
If you have any questions and would like to contact any of the members of the INC leading team before submitting your proposal, here are the email addresses where you can reach us:
Chair of the International Communication Section of IAMCR:
- Sudeshna Roy, Marquette University, Wisconsin, USA: sudeshna.roy@marquette.edu
Vice Chairs of the International Communication Section of IAMCR:
- Pinar Aslan, Uskudar University, Turkey: pinar.aslan@uskudar.edu.tr, and
- Anilesh Kumar, Beijing Normal University, PRC: rjanilesh@gmail.com
We look forward to seeing you in Singapore in 2025!
