The event took place on 18-19 April, 2025 in Shanghai, China. It was organised by the School of Media and Communication at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and sponsored by IAMCR. The theme of the forum was Intelligent Transformation and Communication Innovation.
The Political Communication Research Section issued its April newsletter including updates on Singapore 2025, the latest calls for papers, job opportunities, and publications that might be of interest to the section's members.
The Gender and Communication Section has released its April newsletter, featuring a call for session chairs, an interview to Carolyn M. Byerly, and the 4th International Intersex Forum. Read it here.
On 11 March 2025, the Political Economy Section hosted a webinar to launch the book "Intersectionality, Political Economy, and Media" by Carolyn Byerly. The webinar explained the logic of integrating feminist theory, critical race theory, and critical political economy theory. Watch the recording here.
The Gender and Communication Section has released its February newsletter, featuring a call for session chairs and reviewers for IAMCR 2025, as well as other updates of interest to section members. Read it here.
The Inclusive Communication and People with Disabilities Working Group recently organised two webinars on inclusive communication, bringing together leading scholars to advance international discussions on inclusivity, accessibility, and equity in media and communication research. Watch the recordings here.
IAMCR books
Public Communication in Freefall is the latest title in the Palgrave/IAMCR book series Global Transformations in Media and Communication Research. It examines the challenges facing political communication in the 2020s, drawing on and critically updating Jay Blumler’s work to explore what publicness and democracy mean in a changing media and political environment.
Edited by Sudeshna Roy (2025)
This book delivers an authoritative exploration of a variety of critical conflicts in the world and a spectrum of approaches to peace communication.
Members' books
Democratising Spy Watching: Examines how public actors across Southern Africa have stepped in to oversee intelligence-driven digital surveillance where formal oversight mechanisms fall short. Co-edited by Jane Duncan, an IAMCR member, the book highlights public oversight as a critical response to expanding surveillance powers.
Mongrelisation: Reinterprets why diversity and inclusion matter by reclaiming the figure of the “mongrel” as a source of dignity and worth. By IAMCR member Colin Chasi, the book draws on African moral traditions such as Ubuntu and Maat to foreground hybridity, mixing, and crossing as central to human history and culture.
Navigating Trauma in African Journalism: Scholarly Foundations and Secondary Trauma: Examines how sub-Saharan African journalists navigate secondary trauma from reporting violence and crises. Edited by IAMCR members Kealeboga Aiseng and Chikezie E. Uzuegbunam, it foregrounds care, resilience, and mental health in journalistic practice.
Mediating Imperfect AI explores how journalists emotionally and ethically navigate the integration of artificial intelligence in their work. Written by Carolina Escudero, the book advances a human-centred, critically reflective approach to AI beyond simple acceptance or resistance.