Law Section - Call for Proposals

The Law Section (LAW) of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) invites the submission of proposals for papers and panels for IAMCR 2024, which will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 30 June to 4 July 2024.

The deadline for submission is 7 February 2024, at 23h59 UTC.

See the CfPs of all sections and working groups

Theme

IAMCR conferences address many diverse topics defined by our 33 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, as well as in some of the sessions of the sections and working groups.

The 2024 central theme is Whiria te tāngata / Weaving people together: Communicative projects of decolonising, engaging, and listening.

Whiria te tāngata, weaving people together in English, is a Māori proverb (whakataukī) about the strength that comes through common purpose. The whakataukī highlights multiple issues that we invite conference participants to explore.

It invites analysis of commonality in mediated communication, given the weaker power of place-based mass media, the rise of algorithmic culture, the challenges of engaging with difference in multicultural contexts and the crises facing neoliberal globalisation.
The use of a Māori proverb also invites particular attention to analysis of indigenous communication and other attempts to challenge or rework colonial structures.
More broadly, the theme invites reflection on the terms and models appropriate to describe contemporary communication, including the political and moral goals embedded in them. It therefore also points to alternative ways of theorising or evaluating communication alongside dominant imaginaries such as the public, and of the colonial and gendered histories that are part of those imaginaries.
Weaving emphasises the agency of the communicator and directs attention to the valuing of communication as a project or skill, whether that is focused on social change, community or economic gain.
Weaving also reminds us of the goal of a conference to build common purpose amongst participants.

IAMCR’s Law Section invites proposals for panels and presentations related to any area of the law in the field of media and communications that are of interest to the Law Section, including but not limited to the five interconnected topics proposed for IAMCR 2024 and related to the main conference theme Whiria te tāngata / Weaving people together: Communicative projects of decolonising, engaging, and listening as long as they are analyzed from a legal perspective. Thus, proposals may address the following topics inspired by the themes of the. main conference:

Communication rights, and the rights to receive, seek and impart truthful information and to disseminate ideas and opinions freely, exploring how the guarantee and exercise of this right fosters commonality in communication, and barriers to these rights intrude with the formation of a common reality through mass media. These proposals may address, from a legal or ethical point of view specific challenges related to multicultural contexts and to a healthy public sphere.
Explorations of the history and present of freedom of expression that address specific challenges related to indigenous communications, to the reformulation of colonial structures or challenges to gender equality and the redefinition of gendered stories.
Challenges to contemporary communication, including the political and moral goals embedded in them and threats and roadblocks to these goals including issues related to information disorders such as disinformation or media manipulation and their effect on healthy public debates, polarization, manipulation, or free and fair elections among other topics. Legal and regulatory to these responses may address all forms of media and recent regulatory developments around the world in media governance, platform regulation or Artificial Intelligence, data privacy or copyright regulation, among others.
Exploration, history and legal analysis of regulation, ethical guidelines or other forms of governance that aim to protect journalism or foster the agency of communicators, the strengthening of media companies either as a business, as a social institution devoted to serving the public or as an institution essential for governmental accountability and the rights to seek, receive and impart information and ideas.
Regulation of emerging digital technologies in media and communication and the effects on conventional media practices, including the emergence of threats to communication rights in ways that interfere with the weaving of people together, as well as any matters arising in ethics, law and implications for communication rights, data privacy or intellectual property rights.

More broadly, the IAMCR Law Section also invites abstracts and panel proposals that center around questions of media and communication from a legal an ethical perspective more generally, included but not limited to sustainability, fighting climate change, and navigating challenges related to ensuring a just, safe, and healthy space for media and communication in societies. This will necessarily include works dealing with regulatory and policy responses to fighting disinformation and the delicate equilibrium between moderating content that goes against these goals and preserving the rights of freedom of expression and communication.

Beyond that, topics that currently are of general interest to legal scholars that study media and communication are most welcome, including explorations of, for example the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act in the European Union as well as novel legislation enacted or proposed around the world, including rules and regulations related to content moderation regulatory responses to disinformation; algorithmic regulation and the law; transparency requirements for media companies and internet platforms; the regulation of online political advertising; media and e-commerce regulatory authorities; fighting online harms; data privacy and personal data protection, copyright, artificial intelligence regulation, among others.

Guidelines for abstracts

Abstracts are requested for papers to be presented in person at the conference in Christchurch. Abstracts submitted to the Law Section 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 7 February 2024, at 23.59 UTC.

It is expected that each person 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. The same abstract, or a version with minor variations in title or content, must not be submitted 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 by the abstract submission system, by the Head of the section or working group or by the Conference Programme Reviewer. Authors submitting the same work to multiple Sections or Working Groups risk being removed entirely from the conference programme.

Proposals are accepted for both single papers and for panels with several papers (in which you propose multiple papers that address a single theme). Please note that there are special procedures for submitting panel proposals.

See important dates and deadlines to keep in mind