Media, Communication and Sport Section - Call for Proposals

The Media, Communication and Sport (MCS) Section 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 central theme for 2024 focuses on "Whiria te tāngata / Weaving people together: Communicative projects of decolonising, engaging, and listening" - which draws upon a Maori proverb about the strength that comes through common purpose.

Consult a detailed description of the main theme

The Media, Communication and Sport section has traditionally been a platform for inter/trans/multi-disciplinary inspired work and we encourage such papers again. We invite submissions from all theoretical and methodological perspectives. In 2024, we particularly welcome contributions that bridge the study of media, communication and sport and the conference’s central theme.

Authors should consider any of the ideas listed below as relevant to the Media, Communication and Sport Section. This list does not exhaust the potential categories of submissions. Some of the topics that may be addressed are:

  • Diversity, inclusiveness, and respect in sports communication: Gender, media and sport, Sporting masculinities/femininities, Race and ethnicity portrayals in media, Minority sports, Disability sport, Sexual diversity, Sport and social inclusion
  • Communication, sport and indigenous peoples, groups, and cultural manifestations
  • Media, communication and sport in Aotearoa New Zealand and Oceania
  • Sporting mega-events: politics, representation, and consumption
  • Media, sport, and cultural citizenship
  • New trends and challenges in the global sport media ecosystem
  • Evolution of the sports media rights market in the age of media portals
  • The role of emerging technologies in sport communication: digital and mobile media, eSports, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality, and beyond
  • Social networking sites and their use by athletes, fans, media, and professional sports organizations
  • Ethics and accountability in sports journalism
  • Innovations and developments in sports journalism
  • Sport, sustainability, and the communication of environmental issues
  • Crisis communication and image repair in sport

All papers, from the full range of perspectives on the study of Media, Communication and Sport will be considered.

Guidelines for abstracts

Abstracts are requested for papers to be presented in person at the conference in Christchurch. Abstracts submitted to the Media, Communication and Sport 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

Evaluation criteria

Submitted abstracts will generally be evaluated on the basis of:

  1. Technical merit
  2. Readability
  3. Originality and/or significance
  4. Use of or contribution to theory
  5. Relevance of the proposal to the work of the Media, Communication and Sport Section

Languages

The Media, Communication and Sport Section only accepts and programmes sessions in English.

See resources for IAMCR conference preparation and participation

For further information about the Media, Communication and Sport Section, its themes and submissions please contact the co-chairs of the section:

Alina Bernstein, PhD
School of media studies, College of Management Academic Studies (COMAS)
The Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Tel Aviv University, Israel
alinabernstein@gmail.com

Xavier Ramon, PhD
Department of Communication, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain
xavier.ramon@upf.edu

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