Diaspora and Media Working Group

Call for Proposals

The Diaspora and Media (DIM) Working Group invites the submission of abstracts for its 2027 conference, to be held from 18 to 22 July 2027 in São Paulo, Brazil, hosted by the School of Communications and Arts at the University of São Paulo (ECA/USP) in partnership with the Associação de Apoio à Arte e Comunicação (ARCO).

The deadline for submission is 12 February 2027 at 23:59 UTC.

Download this call for papers as a PDF file

Central theme

The 2027 central theme, Multilateralism, Democracy, Diversity: Communication for a More Just World, is a globally resonant and critically urgent call to action. It centers communication as the pivotal force in navigating three interconnected crises defining our contemporary moment: 1) the fraying of global governance, 2) the erosion of democratic institutions, and 3) the deepening of social fragmentation. By uniting these concepts, the theme invites a comprehensive, interdisciplinary inquiry into how media and technology either perpetuate global injustice or serve as instruments for building equitable systems.

The 2027, marking 70 years since the first IAMCR conference held in Paris in 1957, will serve as a platform to challenge hegemonies, prioritizing the decolonization of media studies and communication for social justice and create a truly inclusive space for global dialogue: a space that not only showcases the diversity and creativity of communication scholarship, but also strengthens collective capacities to imagine fairer, more sustainable, and democratic communicational futures.

Consult a detailed description of the main theme

DIM focus and themes

Our Working Group welcomes contributions that explore the nuances of the conference theme: “Multilateralism, Democracy, Diversity: Communication for a More Just World".

The DIM Working Group also welcomes proposals that address the working group’s interest in diaspora and media. We are particularly interested in contributions that address key topics from interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives. Now more than ever, academic work must address, from a critical perspective, the need to rethink borders and boundaries, physical and imaginary. We seek research that addresses theory and practice, examine theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, as well as analyze findings in lieu of their contribution to the field.

The Diaspora and Media Working Group aims to provide a fertile terrain for academic exchange, discussions and collaboration among the contributors. We encourage submissions that address diasporic transnationalism and media representation, (mis)representation, and auto-representation of migrants in the public sphere, as well as the relationship between migration and environmental justice. We are also looking for research on new narratives in translocal contexts and the connective role of media spaces within diasporic groups.

Contributions could further be built on, but not limited to, the following key topics:

Studies on digital diasporas that are contributing to the discussion on new approaches when studying migration, mobility, diaspora and transnational scenarios
Theoretical studies on new trends in the era of neo-globalization and the consequences fot migration studies
Discussions on new methodological approaches to the study of diaspora and media in a post-digital era
Studies on the relationship between borders, securitization, and the relationship with climate change and climate crises
Precarization, labor, and labor migration between the Global North and South
Rights, access to services for migrant populations post-pandemic and in relation to the climate crisis
Climate migrants and their relationship with the media: activism, representations and access to channels of assistance in climate disasters.
Climate refugees: framings, problematizations and media discourses.
The politicization of migration in polarized democracies: political rhetoric, media framing and digital platform dynamics surrounding migration, asylum and displacement
The construction of migrants and diasporic communities as threats or political “others” and the role of diasporic media and counter-narratives
Structures, Infrastructure, and Migration Corridors
The Ambiguous Role of Technology: Between Surveillance and the Need for Connection
The Geopolitics of Migration and Technologies for Managing Migrant Flows

Guidelines for abstracts

Abstracts submitted to the Diaspora and Media Working Group should be about 800 words and must be submitted through IAMCR's submission system from 9 December 2026 through 12 February 2027 at 23:59 UTC. Abstracts submitted by email will not be considered.

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.

Proposals are accepted for both single papers and multi-paper sessions. Please note that there are special procedures for submitting multi-paper sessions. You can find the detailed procedures when submitting your abstract online in the abstract submission system.

If your abstract is accepted, you are expected to submit your full conference paper (up to 8000 words) by the deadline for the IAMCR 2027 conference. Please check the Key dates page for further information.

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 the proposed topic as evidenced in the submission
Relevance to the working group and current trends or controversies in its field

Acceptance of proposals may also be conditioned by programme diversity and balance criteria.

Languages

The Diaspora and Media Working Group welcomes abstracts in English and Spanish (two of IAMCR’s official languages) and Portuguese (the language spoken in Brazil). We will accept abstracts in all of these three languages, but English is preferred, because we have a limited number of reviewers who can evaluate abstracts in other languages. If a submission is in Spanish (one of IAMCR’s official languages) or Portuguese (which is not one of IAMCR’s official languages), accepted presenters will be asked to provide supporting materials (e.g., slides) in English. We also ask that members correspond with the chairs in English, where possible.

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.

Accepted papers must be presented in person by the authors designated as PRESENTING authors in the submission platform. For co-authored papers, at least one of the authors must attend and present the paper. Only authors or co-authors of an accepted paper are permitted to present it. If none of the authors is able to attend and present, the paper will be removed from the conference programme.