[Commlist] IAMCR 2026: CFP: Peripheries and Connections:,Media, Communication, and Transformation

IAMCR 2026
28 June to 2 July 2026
University of Galway
Ireland

https://iamcr.org/galway2026

Call for Proposals
Peripheries and Connections: Media, Communication, and Transformation

The International Association for Media and Communication Research 
(IAMCR) invites the submission of abstracts for its 2026 conference, to 
be held from 28 June to 2 July 2026 in Galway, Ireland, hosted by the 
University of Galway. The deadline for submission is 3 February 2026 at 
23:59 UTC.

IAMCR conferences cover a wide range of topics defined by our thematic 
Sections and Working Groups (S/WG). Each year, a central theme invites 
participants to engage in shared reflection across these diverse areas, 
fostering dialogue and collaboration. Additional themes are defined by 
the sections and working groups. See the specific CfP of any of the 
sections or working groups: https://iamcr.org/galway2026/swg-cfp

Central theme

The 2026 central theme, Peripheries and Connections: Media, 
Communication, and Transformation, addresses the complexities of 
contemporary media systems in a polarised and interconnected world. By 
interrogating the tensions between centrality and marginality—whether 
geographical, cultural, political, or conceptual—this theme aligns with 
IAMCR’s commitment to fostering critical and inclusive dialogues across 
diverse perspectives. Hosting the conference in Galway, a city renowned 
for its cultural hybridity, creative legacy, and postcolonial identity, 
underscores the unique positioning of Ireland as a site of intersecting 
narratives.

Participants are encouraged to explore how marginality and global 
interconnection shape media and communication systems. The theme seeks 
to generate dialogue on the ways media navigate and challenge 
boundaries, both geographical and conceptual, in an era of rapid global 
transformation.

By emphasising intersections between the global and the local, IAMCR 
2026 will provide a platform for reimagining media’s role in addressing 
critical challenges such as climate change, migration, representation, 
and digital inequalities. Building on the University’s role as an 
Ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals, IAMCR 2026 will 
explicitly address the crucial role of media in fostering sustainable 
development.

The inequalities and imbalances shaping global media landscapes require 
urgent attention. Peripheries, conceptualised as geographic, economic, 
cultural, or political margins, are often sites of resistance, 
creativity, and innovation. Drawing on foundational theories of 
marginality and hybridity (e.g., Appadurai, Tufekci, Mouffe, Kraidy, 
Nederveen Pieterse), this theme particularly invites insights from 
decolonial, feminist, and Global South scholars. These perspectives 
reveal how marginalised spaces function as crucibles of innovation and 
resistance, challenging dominant global media narratives and advancing 
alternative frameworks for power, identity, and community.

However, not all groups at the margins seek to resist the centre; some 
actively pursue alignment with established centres of power, often in 
efforts to secure their own inclusion. This ambivalence can generate 
friction and tension, as different actors navigate between adaptation 
and opposition in pursuit of legitimacy and recognition.

Equally, what was once peripheral can become central—and we may be 
witnessing such global realignments today, with profound implications 
for how both media and resistance might evolve in the near future. There 
is an inherent uncertainty, then, in what constitutes the periphery and 
how these terrains can shift, sometimes rapidly and dramatically.

IAMCR 2026 will continue the Association’s tradition of fostering 
dialogue across borders, disciplines, and perspectives to advance 
critical understanding of media and communication in our changing world.
Guidelines for abstracts

Abstracts must be submitted to a section or working group exclusively 
through IAMCR's submission system from 28 November 2025 through 3 
February 2026 at 23:59 UTC. See https://iamcr.org/galway2026/submit

Submissions do not have to address the central theme. See the calls for 
proposals of individual sections and working groups for additional 
information about their themes.

Abstracts should be between 800 and 1000 words, unless a Section or 
Working Group establishes its own guidelines in this respect.

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 co-author. Authors may not submit more than one 
abstract to any given section or working group nor may they submit the 
same abstract, or a version with minor variations in title or content, 
to more than one Section or Working Group. Such submissions will be 
deemed to be in breach of the conference guidelines and will be 
rejected. Authors submitting the same work to multiple Sections or 
Working Groups may be removed entirely from the conference programme.

Specific technical guidelines, if any, are defined by the individual 
Sections and Working Groups. Before submitting, consult the specific CfP 
of the Section or Working Group or contact the heads of the Section and 
Working Group.

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
    Depth of knowledge of the research, theory and/or literature 
related to to the proposed topic as evidenced in the submission
    Relevance to the section or working group and current trends or 
controversies in its field

Acceptance of proposals may also be conditioned by programme diversity 
and balance criteria. Individual Sections and Working Groups may use 
additional criteria and may assign different weights to the above criteria.

Languages

Different sections and working groups have different policies regarding 
languages. Some accept abstracts and programme sessions in English, 
French and Spanish while others conduct their programmes in only one or 
two languages. Consult the CfP of your section or working group for 
details of its language policy.
Statement on use of AI tools

IAMCR does not encourage or condone the use of generative AI tools to 
prepare 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.
Intention to attend

Each abstract submitted to IAMCR represents a real cost to the 
Association and contributes to the workload of volunteer reviewers and 
organisers. As the number of submissions each year far exceeds the 
available presentation slots, we ask authors to submit only if they 
genuinely intend to attend and present their work at the conference if 
accepted.

Deadlines and key dates

The submission platform will open on 28 November 2025 and the deadline 
to submit proposals is 3 February 2026, at 23:59 UTC. For other key 
dates see https://iamcr.org/galway2026/keydates. Dates are subject to 
change.


--


*Upozornění :*****

*Není-li v této zprávě výslovně uvedeno jinak, má 
tato e-mailová zpráva nebo její přílohy pouze informativní charakter. Tato 
zpráva ani její přílohy v žádném ohledu Univerzitu Karlovu k ničemu 
nezavazují. Text této zprávy nebo jejích příloh není návrhem na uzavření 
smlouvy, ani přijetím případného návrhu na uzavření smlouvy, ani jiným 
právním jednáním směřujícím k uzavření jakékoliv smlouvy a nezakládá 
předsmluvní odpovědnost Univerzity Karlovy. Obsahuje-li tento e-mail nebo 
některá z jeho příloh osobní údaje, dbejte při jeho dalším zpracování 
(zejména při archivaci) souladu s pravidly evropského nařízení GDPR.*

*
*

*Disclaimer:*****

*If not expressly stated otherwise, this e-mail message 
(including any attached files) is intended purely for informational 
purposes and does not represent a binding agreement on the part of Charles 
University. The text of this message and its attachments cannot be 
considered as a proposal to conclude a contract, nor the acceptance of a 
proposal to conclude a contract, nor any other legal act leading to 
concluding any contract; nor does it create any pre-contractual liability 
on the part of Charles University. If this e-mail or any of its attachments 
contains personal data, please be aware of data processing (particularly 
document management and archival policy) in accordance with Regulation (EU) 
2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council on GDPR.*
---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------