Political Communication Section, IAMCR
Newsletter: April 2025
Greetings to all the members of the Political Communication Section of IAMCR. We are back with our first newsletter of this year!
The current newsletter has the following sections:
2025 Singapore: updates on our preparation for the upcoming IAMCR 2025 conference in Singapore.
Job postings: academic job opportunities in political communication or beyond
Call for papers: upcoming calls for papers in relevant conferences or journals in our field.
Publications: publication highlights of our members
Happy reading!
IAMCR 2025 Singapore
This year we received a total of 145 submissions and have had to accept only 63 submissions, due to limited capacity. Authors accepted to present their outstanding research in Singapore come from 31 countries across all continents and cover a wide range of themes in political communication research, reflecting IAMCR’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Authors accepted to present at IAMCR 2025 are invited to apply for our two section paper awards in 2025: 1) Political Communication Research Section Outstanding Early Career Paper Award, 2) Political Communication Research Section Inclusivity Award.
The Outstanding Early Career Paper Award is open to early career researchers (ECRs). Papers should share the section’s broad theme exploring the changes in political communication processes induced by new media and their influence at all levels. Entrants must be presenting their paper at the IAMCR and must be a member of IAMCR. Applicants should either be single or first authors and the papers should not have been already published in a scholarly journal. For co-authored papers, all authors should be ECRs.
The Inclusivity Paper Award recognises scholarly efforts making critical interventions in debates on postcolonialism, gender, race, minorities, migration and equality in the broad context of political communication research. We particularly encourage scholars from under-represented groups to apply. Entrants must be presenting their paper at the IAMCR and must be a member of IAMCR. Applicants should either be single or first authors and the papers should not have been already published in a scholarly journal.
Details on how to apply is to be sent to all presenting authors separately.
Job Postings
Two Research Associate Positions – Cardiff University
Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture is inviting applications for two full-time Research Associate positions as part of a new AHRC-funded project titled ‘Enhancing the Impartiality of Political News’. The project, led by Professor Stephen Cushion and Dr Matt Walsh, has received a two-year £755,625 grant and will examine the production, content, and reception of political news across broadcast, online, and social media platforms in the UK and internationally.
- The first position focuses on audience analysis.
View full job description and apply - The second position leads the content analysis stream.
View full job description and apply
Deadline for applications: April 6, 2025
More about the project
Lecturer in Political Communications and Statistical Methods – Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University’s Department of History, Politics and Philosophy is recruiting a Lecturer in Politics and International Relations with a specialization in Political Communications. This is a full-time, permanent position expected to begin in September 2025.
The successful candidate will be an expert in digital politics, particularly focusing on the impact of digital developments on governance and political participation in authoritarian regimes. They should also have substantial expertise in social data analysis and statistical approaches within the social sciences.
Applicants should have a strong research profile, experience of working in academic teams, a commitment to inclusive teaching practices, and a record of knowledge exchange.
Deadline for applications: April 3, 2025
View full job description and apply
Research Assistant – University of Glasgow
Professor Ariadne Vromen from the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow is hiring a Research Assistant to contribute to projects focused on citizen engagement and digital politics.
The successful candidate will assist with data collection and analysis, as well as contribute to co-authored research publications and funding proposals. Candidates should have both theoretical and practical knowledge of citizen engagement and/or digital politics.
Deadline for applications: April 21, 2025
View full job description and apply
Call for Papers
11th Annual Conference of the International Journal of Press/Politics
National University of Singapore
19–21 November 2025
Deadline for abstracts: 16 May 2025
Submit abstract via this link
The Department of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore will host the 11th Annual Conference of the International Journal of Press/Politics from 19 to 21 November 2025. The event will bring together academic research that examines the relationship between media and political processes across the globe.
The journal and the conference are particularly interested in studies that offer substantial theoretical or methodological contributions from an international perspective. Submissions that adopt comparative approaches and/or focus on under-researched regions in the English-language literature are especially welcome.
Abstracts (maximum 300 words) should clearly outline the research question, theoretical and methodological framework, data and evidence, and the broader implications of the study. Authors are encouraged to provide detailed information about the spatial and temporal context, research design, methods used, and key findings.
A selection of the best papers presented at the conference will be published in The International Journal of Press/Politics following peer review. Editorial insights on the selection and review process for conference special issues are available through recent editorials and past issues.
Frontiers in Communication, Research Topic: Media Under Fire: Right-Wing Populist Digital Hostility
Manuscript Summary Deadline: 31 May 2025
Full Manuscript Deadline: 15 November 2025
Full details available here
This Research Topic invites submissions exploring the intersection of right-wing populism, digital platforms, and hostility toward the news media. Around the world, journalism is increasingly under pressure, with right-wing populist parties and leaders—in both opposition and government—centering media hostility in their communication strategies. The resurgence of Donald Trump in the United States is just one recent reminder of the serious implications such media antagonism can have on democratic institutions.
The digital environment, especially social media, plays a crucial role in enabling and amplifying these attacks. This Research Topic seeks to understand the mechanisms, narratives, and impacts of such digital hostility across different cultural, political, and national contexts.
Publications
Monographs and Edited Volumes
The Palgrave Handbook on Right-Wing Populism and Otherness in Global Perspective
Edited by Rui Alexandre Novais & Rogério Christofoletti
This comprehensive handbook explores how right-wing populist politicians across the globe use exclusionary conflicts and moral divisions to construct "meta-othering" narratives. Through 'upward' othering (targeting elites) and 'downward' othering (scapegoating out-groups), contributors examine diverse cases, particularly from the Global South. Adopting a multidisciplinary lens, this volume offers rich insights into the global variations and strategies of right-wing populist rhetoric.
More info
Risk Communication and COVID-19: Governmental Communication and Management of Pandemic Crises
Edited by Ioana A. Coman, Miloš Gregor & Darren Lilleker
Analyzing 17 global case studies, this book evaluates government risk communication strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022. Using a modified risk communication framework, the book identifies key patterns in message delivery, public trust, and communication adaptation across democratic and authoritarian contexts. The volume offers critical lessons for future crisis communication and public behavioral management.
More info
Citizens, Participation and Media in Central and Eastern European Nations
Edited by Karolina Koc-Michalska, Darren Lilleker, Christian Baden, Damian Guzek, Márton Bene, Larissa Doroshenko, Miloš Gregor, & Marko M. Skoric
This book explores the transformations in civil society and democratic engagement in Central and Eastern Europe. With case studies from countries such as Albania, Hungary, and Poland, it investigates how digital platforms shape political behavior, journalism, and civic engagement in a volatile political landscape. A comparative section is complemented by country-specific chapters.
More info
The Routledge Handbook of Political Campaigning
Edited by Darren Lilleker, Daniel Jackson, Bente Kalsnes, Claudia Mellado, Filippo Trevisan & Anastasia Veneti
Structured into seven thematic sections, this handbook provides a global overview of political campaigning in the digital age. It addresses campaign environments, rhetoric, strategies, citizen engagement, and media roles. Combining theoretical insights with case studies, the book delves into evolving trends in political engagement, including grassroots mobilization and digital activism.
More info
Populism, Territories, Name Disputes, and Hyperreality: Greek Nationalism and the Macedonian Case
By Minos-Athanasios Karyotakis
This monograph analyzes the symbolic power of place-naming disputes, with a primary focus on the Macedonian name dispute (MND). Karyotakis introduces a new typology of symbolic name disputes (SNDs), exploring how hyperreal versus referential disputes influence national identity, political ambition, and international conflict. Case studies from across the globe broaden the framework.
More info
Journal Articles
"Policing the Macedonian name: how the Greek governments protect a territorial name"
Minos-Athanasios Karyotakis, Territory, Politics, Governance (2025)
This qualitative case study explores the political instrumentalization of the Macedonian name dispute in Greece. Through fieldwork and analysis, it reveals how the dispute has been used to criminalize dissent, spread disinformation, and promote nationalist agendas by sustaining a fabricated narrative with significant political impact.
Access article
"Saudi Young Women #Activism: The Online Discourse Against the Male Guardianship System"
Rola Khalid, CyberOrient, Vol. 18, Issue 2, 2024
This article examines the hashtag activism of young Saudi women against the male guardianship system, particularly through the #EndMaleGuardianshipSystem campaign. Using qualitative content analysis of 3,000 tweets, Khalid identifies three communication strategies—political, religious, and social—used to demand reform and challenge oppressive norms in a context where formal political activism is prohibited.
"The communist empty signifier: the Australian League of Rights and the Voice to Parliament referendum"
Brett Nicholls, Continuum, Vol. 38, Issue 6, 2024
Nicholls investigates how the label 'communist' resurfaced in the 2023 "Vote No" campaign against Australia's Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Drawing on Laclauian discourse theory, the paper traces the lineage of this rhetoric to far-right groups like the Australian League of Rights and reveals its enduring power in framing political discourse today.
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Do you have something you want us to share?
Please email us a paragraph (and links, images and other details you would like to share) about new calls for papers, job positions, information on upcoming conferences, or your recent publications (peer-reviewed papers and books of established publication houses) by 27th May, 2025 for our next newsletter. The email addresses are anweshachakrabortyunibo@gmail.com, martin.echeverria@correo.buap.mx and y.zeng@leeds.ac.uk
Best wishes,
Anwesha, Martin, Yuan, Amélia and Sara