The ICA Publications Committee is soliciting nominations for the editor of the Annals of the International Communication Association (Annals) and Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (JCMC). Self-nominations are welcome. The appointments are for four years, to begin in January 2026; transitions will begin in fall 2025. 

• Annals: Annals of the International Communication Association (Annals) is a relatively new peer-reviewed quarterly journal publishing state-of-the-discipline literature reviews and essays dedicated to the exchange of interdisciplinary and internationally diverse scholarship relating to communication in its many forms. The Annals continues the traditions established in Communication Yearbook by providing an updated context for key research from across the Association.

• JCMC: Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication is an open access, peer-reviewed scholarly journal that publishes original social science research on communicating with computer-based media technologies. The journal is methodologically diverse and broadly interdisciplinary, publishing work by scholars in communication, business, education, political science, sociology, psychology, media studies, information science, and other disciplines.  

The Publications Committee seeks applications from individuals or small teams of scholars from the ICA membership. The successful applicant(s) will be expected to build an editorial structure that reflects the tremendous diversity of the communication discipline around the globe. Multiple factors are considered when evaluating candidate applications, including, but not limited to:

• Clear understanding of the mission of the journal amongst the other ICA journals

• Clear articulation of an intellectual and operational vision for the journal

• Demonstrated openness to a range of epistemologies and methodologies appropriate for the scope and nature of the journal

• Demonstrated interest and/or openness to interdisciplinary work

• Demonstrated communication skills and diplomacy

• Reputation and excellence of academic output

• Editorial, managerial or administrative experience

• Institutional support

Team submissions should also demonstrate an articulation of how the workflow will be managed among team members. 

A complete nomination package should include:

• A letter of application

• A vision statement for the editorship

• A CV for each candidate

• 2 letters of support from scholars familiar with each candidate’s work, speaking to the quality of the candidate’s research and experience and/or suitability for journal editing

• A letter of institutional support from each candidate’s home institution

Within the scope of their work for ICA, editors of ICA publications should be committed to respecting and enhancing diversity in terms of interest areas, gender, ethnicity, and national origin. 

Students and early career scholars represent the future of our field and the future of ICA. This is why I was honored to learn that I was elected as the Board Student & Early Career (SEC) representative last October. This role is designed to voice the needs and concerns of SEC members to the Board. ICA in general and our SEC community features diverse life stages, professional trajectories, and geographies. I believe that my own life experience and trajectory may reflect some unusual pathways in our academic community that may resonate with some of our SEC members who, in some cases, may feel like outsiders.

Let me introduce myself: my name is Daniela Jaramillo-Dent. I defended my PhD in late 2022, and I am currently a Senior Research and Teaching Associate at the University of Zurich. My doctoral research focused on immigration discourses and actors on visual social media, and I am now expanding this focus toward the field of creator studies. I would like to share a bit about my story and how it may shape my contribution to our ICA SEC academic community.

A non-traditional path to Academia

Academics often migrate to access specific research programs or educational opportunities. In my case my migration experience began early. I was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. I migrated to the United States as a 20-year-old and waited four years to obtain my residency due to bureaucratic issues. During this time I worked and supported myself as an undocumented student at Montgomery College in Maryland. Upon finishing and obtaining my residency, I was awarded a full-ride scholarship to pursue my BA at the University of Maryland (UMD). My educational experience at UMD was my first contact with communication research. Two recent ICA Fellows were my most valued professors at UMD: Dr. Monique Turner and Dr. Brooke Fisher-Liu. They introduced me to research methods, exciting research projects, and planted the seed that would later motivate me to pursue a PhD in this field.

Support systems are key to all academics but especially those who require a life change to pursue academic work. In my case, ten years went by—life happened: marriage and two wonderful children. I moved three times (across three countries and two continents). I worked as a communication professional in the field of Education across diverse roles in different countries. My academic dreams seemed to slip away, but that seed planted at UMD remained. Thanks to strong support systems, a lot of passion, wonderful mentors, colleagues, and flexible working arrangements, I was able to carry out my PhD research. During this time I was introduced to ICA service opportunities and served as SEC representative for the Intercultural Communication Division (ICC), learning and working with a dear mentor and Chair of ICC Prof. Amanda Alencar.

Academics who follow non-traditional journeys often have experiences that range widely between precarity and privilege. In my case, I am currently living the privileged part of my academic journey.  Just days after my 39th birthday and a few days before defending my dissertation, I started my position as Senior Research and Teaching Associate at the University of Zurich, at the Media Change and Innovation Division. Once again, I found an academic home—a space of support and intellectual growth for which I am profoundly grateful.

Highlighting Diverse Academic Experiences

As the incoming ICA Board Student & Early Career representative, I want to acknowledge the range of experiences and life trajectories present in our academic community. I think it is important to cater to the specific needs of key groups within our SEC community, who are following non-traditional academic trajectories. I believe ICA is doing great work in this regard, and I am honored to be able to be part of it.

ICA membership is a community of scholars from various professional methodologies, with expertise, unique talents, and diverse cultural influences from around the globe. Our ever-growing member base is the backbone of our organization. We are continually grateful to those who participate in the association's success. In this column, we will periodically introduce you to some of ICA’s members.

Q&A with 

Tammy Jih-Hsuan Lin

Distinguished Professor

National ChengChi U, Taiwan

Q. Tell us how long you've been an ICA member, why you joined ICA, and which was your first conference?

1. I have been an ICA member since 2009 (Chicago, USA) and Chicago was my first conference. I was a third-year PhD student at Michigan State University at that time.

Q. What is your academic/research focus and your methodological approach?

1. I employed experiments (mostly) and surveys (sometimes) to study human's well-being and physical activities through virtual reality, digital games, and social media.

Q. How have you benefited from being an ICA member?

1. I met so many academic friends throughout the world, and I started to collaborate with them extensively. I published papers with scholars from the Games Studies Division. Talented scholars from around the world also apply to join my research team as a postdoc. Now, I got invited to submit panel proposals every year with outstanding scholars around the world and this has broadened my mind so much! The coolest thing is that my research got to grow and be seen through ICA and affiliated journals. The most fun thing is that I get to see everyone's dance moves at the dance party.

Q. Tell us about your favorite interaction you’ve had within ICA or at the conference?

1. I love all the receptions from all schools and divisions. It is a great way to catch all old friends and meet new scholars. Business meetings from divisions are also great to connect scholars to work for greater things. Dance parties are a must for all of us--I just wish it was not that late at night. Finally this year in Australia I won't have serious jetlag.

Q. What divisions and interest group(s) do you participate in and why did you make that selection?

1. The Games Studies Division is the one that I belonged to since I was a PhD student. It was the Games Studies Group at that time and I had the honor to witness its prospering into a division. I conducted games studies when I was a PhD student, and I won top faculty papers three times over the past decade (first in 2012, sounds too few now). I also served as an international liaison from 2015-2019-

ish?

Q. What advice would you offer new members or to those starting in the field?

1. Find one or two divisions which are a great fit to your expertise, and stick with them! Engage in all the activities. Make connections and present your research. Start the dialogue regarding your research and get to know other people's work. You will find these as your academic communities super rewarding.

Q. Which was your favorite ICA conference you’ve attended, and why?

1. I guess it was Toronto, Canada 2023, because it was like the first full physical conference after the COVID-19. I really enjoyed the conversation with all the scholars from the world. The fire alarm allowed us to all gather in the lobby so you get to catch all friends there. :P The best thing is that I received two top papers (from two awesome teams) in 2023. It was also the first conference that other scholars started to recognize my work when hearing me introduce my name. (Wow! I finally grew from a PhD student to a scholar with my own work that I get to talk about) --appreciate all these with friends from ICA a lot!

Q. Which professional accomplishment are you most proud of, and why?

1. When I introduce myself, then people can directly talk about the work I published in JCMC, JOC, and other great journals. (Wow! There are people who actually read and know my work...amazing!)

Q. Who is your mentor/who inspires you and why?

1. My mentors are Dr. Robert LaRose and Dr. Wei Peng from Michigan State University. I have learnt so much from them through conducting great research and publishing papers under their mentorship. They have offered me countless guidance for my work and opportunities for me to grow. I deeply appreciate and am grateful for their mentorship at and after Michigan State till now.

Q. Have you published in an ICA journal? 

Lin, J. H. (2013). Identification matters: A moderated mediation model of media interactivity, character identification, and video game violence on aggression. Journal of Communication, 63(4), 682-702.

https://academic.oup.com/joc/article-abstract/63/4/682/4086091

Lin, J. H. T. (2019). Strategic social grooming: Emergent social grooming styles on Facebook, social capital and well-being. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 24(3), 90-107.

https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/24/3/90/5382474

Lin, J. H., Cook, C. L., & Yang, J. W. (2024). I wanna share this, but...: explicating invested costs and privacy concerns of social grooming behaviors in Facebook and users’ well-being and social capital. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 29(1), zmad038.

https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/29/1/zmad038/7442023

Getting to know Tammy on a more personal level:

Q. When you have 30 minutes of free time, how do you pass the time?

1. Play video games (monster hunter now).

Q.  If you could meet anyone (living or deceased), from the past or present, who would you want to meet & why?

1. Einstein--I want to digitally clone him using AI and 360 capture--so we can continually discuss all the great knowledge and inventions.

Q. What could you teach a whole class on that has nothing to do with your actual field of expertise?

1. I can teach you how to play a pipe organ! :) I also have absolute pitch--see if you can pass my perfect pitch.

Q. What is one talent or skill that you wish you had?

1. Teleportation--that is too fictional.

Q. What's one thing people are generally surprised to learn about you?

1. I wear pretty dresses but I am a hard-core VR/game player, while I also play the pipe organ and piano.

Your ICA membership is so much more than just the conference; it's a journey of growth, connection, and impact in the field of communication. As we approach the end of the 2023 – 2024 term, we invite you to renew your membership. The current term ends soon on 30 September.

What’s in Store For Next Year?

A Year of Opportunities

Imagine the new research you’ll explore, the ideas you’ll share, and the connections you’ll make with individuals from 90+ countries. Renewing your ICA membership ensures you don’t miss the chance to be at the forefront of communication scholarship.

Your Community Awaits

Whether you’ve been part of ICA for years, or just joined us recently, the ICA Community is ready to support you. From vibrant discussions on The Link, to meaningful collaborations across the globe, your involvement is a critical part of making ICA an intellectually valuable, and globally enriched, academic home for scholars.

Stay Ahead with Exclusive Resources & Benefits

As a member, you have access to the latest research, exclusive member discounts on the ICA Career Center, engaging affinity groups and many opportunities to showcase your work such as ICA Member Spotlights in the ICA Newsletter. 

In the Words of Our Members

“ICA is really my academic home. It has brought me in touch with research collaborators, academic mentors and mentees, and now decades-long friends! ICA has given me a chance to practice professional leadership and community-building. It has also brought me to so many wonderful places throughout the world to have smart conversations with people who I learn from and learn with.” - Evelyn Ho (Member Spotlight)

“I have been a member since 2003, when I went to my first ICA in San Diego as a Masters student. Initially, I joined because I got accepted to the conference. I am now a proud lifetime member because I know how important this association is whether or not I get accepted at the conference.” - Lee Humphreys (Member Spotlight)

“The biggest benefit of being a member of ICA is meeting incredible people from all over the world. I am particularly grateful for the other scholars of colour I have met and developed deep relationships with. Being a person of colour in a historically white field can be a lonely, solitary experience. I find that attending the ICA annual conference, having found a community of academics who share similar experiences to me, is actually replenishing and gives me energy and impetus when I return to work.” - Anamik Saha (Member Spotlight)

Looking Forward to ICA25 Denver

As we gear up for ICA25, in Denver, Colorado, USA, we’re excited to bring you an event that celebrates ICA’s 75th anniversary in a way that is certain to inspire and connect you to our global community. Whether you plan to attend the annual conference in person or remotely, your participation will be integral to our shared success.

Ready to Renew?

Your continued membership ensures you remain a vital part of this thriving community. Renew today and make the 2024 – 2025 term the best one yet!

[Click here to renew now]

Need Assistance?

Our Member Services Team is here to help. Contact us at membership@icahdq.org with any questions or concerns.

Important Dates

• Renewal Deadline: 30 September 2024

• Grace Period Ends: 30 November 2024

Thank you for being a valued member of ICA. We look forward to another year of collaboration and growth.

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The fine print.
ICA membership runs from 1 October – 30 September each term, with a 60-day grace period. If you do not renew your membership by 30 September, then you will have 60 days to renew before your ICA membership access is officially suspended. ICA welcomes new and renewing members to join/renew throughout the year. Members joining/renewing mid membership year receive full membership benefits upon enrollment, including online access to all previously published ICA journals. Dues are not prorated based on the date joined. For this reason, we recommend renewing your membership now to maximize your access to a year's worth of member benefits.

The importance of communicating information on the environment and climate change has, over the years, been a discourse that received minimal attention among many communication and media studies scholars globally. Currently, concerns about the impacts of climate change everywhere, and the growing trends regarding the climate change scholarship, have attracted more attention and debates about the importance and related dynamics of communicating climate change especially in relation to adaptation and mitigation.

Scholars have underscored the importance and need to communicate better with communities, governments, policy-makers and the society in general about the realities and future regarding climate change to influence appropriate policies in adaptation and mitigation strategies. Through communication, climate change risks can be changed, magnified, dramatised and minimised within knowledge, and to that extent they are particularly open to social definition and construction. Various communication systems (such as different media outlets), together with other systems and structures in the society (such as scientific and legal professions) are in charge of defining risks to become key social and political positions.

Issues related to climate change such as expensive and extensive scientific investigations are often not really noticed in the agency that ordered them until communication through channels such as television or a mass-circulation newspaper reports about them. Communicating climate change offers proper use of (communication) processes, techniques and media to help people attain a greater awareness of their climate change situation and their options for change, to resolve related conflicts, to work towards consensus, to plan actions for change and sustainable development, to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to improve their condition and that of their society, and to improve the effectiveness of institutions.

This description of the role of communication in the society as it relates to climate change emphasizes the abilities and skills of people to deal with climate change issues affecting their lives, based on the knowledge of and experience with an issue of interest. In doing so, people may employ a variety of approaches ranging from modern media outlets or communication systems to village communication channels or indigenous communication systems as well as many approaches and tools. For instance, a study by Gaiballah and Abdalla (2016), ‘Understanding the pastoral production system of East Africa’, established that extensive use of communication, especially the transmission of indigenous knowledge and information enabled pastoralists and their animals to survive in extremely difficult conditions in the East Africa’s arid and semi-arid environments and managed to cope with the harsh conditions.

Climate change currently is not only a scientific or environmental topic; however, as pointed out by many scholars, the public understands it as packaged within more hybrid arrangements that construct scientific and socio-political or moral ordering. As a result, through communication systems and their processes, climate change (and climate change adaptation and mitigation) is now an established fact in public debates, with only a few exceptions. Climate change has become political, financial, and ethical as much as scientific. Hence, for those who are involved in the communication process, such as journalists and the public, their critical and useful roles include interpreting or framing of such climate change issues.

Scholars have clearly identified the significant roles that communication systems or media play in relation to climate change and related processes such as adaptation and mitigation. These involve translating the abstract threats of climate change reported by science into the language of the public; informing people’s opinions; shaping perceptions and reactions to the danger climate change poses; serving as mediaries between the people, science, business and policy makers; and prescribing responsibility for the creation and resolution of problems.

Notwithstanding, climate change communication is very instrumental in the process of continuous and contingent historical-cultural formations of societies and nations in this regard. Climate change communication is an important socialization agent as it is centrally involved in the social construction of ‘climate change reality’ and reproduces related dominant (and other/contesting) social norms, beliefs, discourses, ideologies, and values. Meanwhile, communication systems such as media play a crucial role in disseminating useful climate information to effectively guide practices, public debate and understanding on climate change. Regular and accurate communication on climate change is the first step towards developing coping mechanisms in many parts of the world.

Understandably, it is within these lines that emphasize the importance of communicating climate change in modern times, the International Communication Association (ICA) has placed climate change communication among its priority areas and established the ICA Climate Change Committee. Similarly, it is thus imperative for ICA members to embrace climate change communication, arguably, in terms of Christians et al. (2009) basic roles and tasks of communication systems or media in contemporary societies as identified in their seminal book ‘Normative Theories of the Media: Journalism in Democratic Societies’, that are classified under three main categories. These include, as far as communicating climate change is concerned in this context: observing and informing, primarily as a service to the public; participating in public life as an independent actor by way of critical comment, advice, advocacy and expression of opinion; and providing a channel, forum, or platform for extra media voices or sources to reach a self-chosen public.

ICA India Chapter Report  by Padma Rani

The ICA-India chapter was inaugurated in April 2024. In June, with the ICA regional hub Manipal. The ICA India chapter held an Emerging Scholars Network on June 21, 2024. The event's resource persons were Vibodh Parthasarathi, Jamia Millia Islamia, India; Sundeep Muppidi, Hartford University, USA; and Jatin Srivastav, the President of SACA, Ohio University, USA. Prof B P Sanjay, President of the ICA-India Chapter, chaired the event. Research scholars and early career researchers from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan participated in the event. The network focuses on publishing in highly reputed journals by scholars. The resource persons focused on different aspects of publishing, from choosing the topic to journal selection, basic guidelines for writing, and ways to deal with reviews. As all the participants are interested in publishing, they appreciated the tips they gathered from the resource persons.

ICA Kenya Chapter Report by Sr. Agnes Lucy Lando and Dr. Dinah Keino

On 2nd August 2024, ICA Kenya Chapter select members met at Grace House Resort in Nairobi to evaluate the #ICA 74 Nairobi Regional Hub. The team identified areas of improvement when they host the next Regional Hub in 2025. The meeting resolved that in 2025, ICA Kenya will seek to address the desire of other universities and institutions outside Nairobi. This is because some people who wish to attend still find it expensive to travel to Nairobi, and find accommodation and upkeep during the conference period.  The same review meeting also resolved that the ICA Kenya Chapter will hold a physical meeting at Multi Media University (MMU) on 20th September 2024 to review ICA 2025 Global Conference materials and support each other in understanding the 2025 Annual Theme and submission process. Finally, we hope that by the end of October we will have concluded the official government registration of the ICA Kenya Chapter. This will be followed by the ICA Kenya Chapter members convening to celebrate this milestone. In the coming months, ICA Kenya Chapter will continue with a membership drive, to register more people for the Kenya Chapter and ICA Global. 

ICA France Chapter Report by Angeliki Monnier

ICA France organized an ICA Regional conference on “Food and Communication” on May 23-24, 2024 in Dijon. It also organized a workshop on publishing in English-speaking scientific journals, including those by ICA, on June 7, in Nancy, France (during the National Congress of the French Society of Information and Communication Sciences, presented by Zhao Alexander Huang, member of ICA France founding committee). In September 2024, we are launching the  “Les Rencontres de l’ICA France 2024-25 / ICA France Talks," a series of webinars that aim to stimulate discussions regarding research conducted in international contexts. The first webinar, to be held on September 20, 2024 from 3 to 4.30 pm Paris time, is titled “Les défis de la cotutelle de thèse / The challenges of international joint PhD supervision.” Participants are welcome to register here. A second webinar (with speakers from India) is scheduled in November.  A hybrid event is also in preparation, which will occur in March 2025. 

ICA Nigeria Report by Ekaete George

The 6th Quarterly Seminar Series (QSS), an initiative of the ICA Nigerian chapter since its inauguration in March 2023, was held on June 20, 2024. The event took place on the sidelines of the  ICA24 at the mini theatre, Mass Communication Department, University of Calabar. The theme of the QSS was Communication and Human Rights: Matters arising. Dr. Njah B. Etta, lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, and Ms. Betty Abah, journalist, women, and child’s rights activist, spoke at the Seminar. The presenters focused on the conference's theme as it concerns issues related to current issues in the socio-political landscape of Nigeria. They highlighted that any nation serious about promoting human rights needs to pay attention to the media. In addition, there is a correlation between advocacy for human rights and communication if journalists and activists are to speak truth to power and make social change happen. The ICA Nigeria 6th QSS was moderated by Ekaete George, ICA Nigeria Chair (University of Port Harcourt), and attended onsite by the ICA24 Calabar hub attendees and virtually by the entire ICA Nigeria membership from the academia and industry across Nigeria. ICA Nigeria 7th Quarterly Seminar is scheduled for Thursday, 26 September 2023.

ICA Indonesia Chapter Report by Dorien Kartikawangi

The ICA Indonesia Chapter celebrated its first anniversary on March 7, 2024, with a webinar on AI and Communication. The webinar consisted of two sessions. The first session focused on AI and Sustainability, with Dr. Nia Sarinastiti and a speaker from Amerta, an Indonesian NGO. The second session discussed AI and Regulation, with  Noshir Contractor and Dr. Nyoman from the Ministry of Information and Technology as the speakers. In addition to the anniversary celebration, the ICA Indonesia Chapter led a discussion with stakeholders on AI, Ethics, and Regulation to contribute to the Ministry of Information and Communication. ICA Indonesia also hosted two hubs during the ICA annual conference 2024: Medan Hub and Jakarta-Bandung Hub. Looking ahead, the ICA Indonesia Chapter has planned several collaborations with organizations and institutions in the coming months: (1) ICA Indonesia —360Info.org—Monash Uni. Indonesia: Workshop on Research-Based Agenda Setting of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Issues in Mass Media on September 6, 2024. (2) ICA Indonesia Chapter - ICOSAPS (Sebelas Maret University): Workshop on Ushering Post-Pandemic Social Progress through Accelerating the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals on October 17, 2024; (3) the 1st ICA Indonesia Chapter Conference: Topic on "Digitalisation, AI, and Sustainability,” and ICA Indonesia support for the World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) in Bali, November 19 to 21,  2024

ICA China Chapter Report by Zhang Di 

The International Communication Association (ICA) China Chapter, established in 2023, has been actively promoting academic exchange and advancing communication research in China. The chapter has made significant strides in fostering collaboration between Chinese and international scholars, organizing impactful events, and planning for future growth. On 27 May, 2024, the ICA China Chapter celebrated its first anniversary, marking a significant milestone in its development. In May 2024, the ICA China chapter initiated its lecture series. The inaugural speaker was Professor Guo Lei, from Fudan University, who presented "Network of News and News in the Network." Her talk explored innovative research paths in news communication, focusing on content and dissemination directions from a network perspective. ICA China has scheduled two lectures for September: (1)  Sun Ping from the Chinese Academy of Social Science will deliver a lecture on platform economy, a topic on which she has conducted influential research in China; (2) Gong He, professor at Renmin University of China, will share her extensive experience in Chinese national-level grant applications, providing valuable insights for young scholars. These lectures are part of our ongoing effort to bridge Chinese and international academia and provide valuable benefits to our members. We plan to continue this series with both global and Chinese domestic scholars. ICA China also plans to conduct Interviews with ICA Fellows who are not widely known in the Chinese journalism and communication community. These interviews will be published in top Chinese journals. Finally, ICA China has scheduled meetings in late August with the ICA France Chapter to discuss further collaboration possibilities. These initiatives reflect the ICA China Chapter's commitment to fostering academic exchange and promoting communication research in China and internationally.

Pictures:

Soumia Bardhan (Associate Professor of Communication and Interim Director of International Studies, U of Colorado Denver) uses qualitative and rhetorical approaches to explore the role of media, AI, and communication in the cultural-political transformation of Middle Eastern and South Asian societies. Due to the global emphasis of her work, Soumia is also invested in contributing to the internationalization of the communication discipline. Soumia serves as director on the board of the ICA and chair of its Membership and Internationalization Committee; she was chair of ICA's Intercultural Communication Division until 2021. She moved to Colorado in the fall of 2019 and enjoys yoga, dancing, and travel. She is at soumia.bardhan@ucdenver.edu.

David Boromisza-Habashi (Associate Professor, U of Colorado Boulder) studies the relationship among culture, language use, and mobility. He is particularly interested in why and how speakers around the world have come to think of some discursive resources (such as the Anglo-American speech genre “public speaking” – think TED Talks) as universally meaningful and valued, and available to everyone, everywhere. He has also researched the rich local meanings of “hate speech” and “communication” in his home country of Hungary. He and his family have been proud to call Colorado their home for the past 16 years. His email address is dbh@colorado.edu.

David Coppini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media, Film and Journalism Studies at the U of Denver. His research is in the areas of political communication and journalism. He is particularly interested in the relationship between different forms of political polarization, media consumption and media trust in the United States and Italy. In addition, he has worked on several projects that examine the quality of local news in Colorado and the level of trust towards news organizations in the state. Born and raised in Italy, he has lived in Denver for the past seven years. His email address is david.coppini@du.edu.

Jessica Johnson (she/her) is a seasoned instructor at CU Boulder, U of Denver, MSU Denver, and Front Range Community College. She specializes in rhetoric, culture, and health. Her area of focus concentrates on revealing and challenging issues of inequity and injustice in history, policy, and public health. Using an intersectional lens to analyze text and human behavior, she examines how dominant and culturally-marginalizing ideologies are spread between nations in the guise of health messages. With over 18 years in the Communication field, Dr. Johnson regularly travels, learns, and teaches around the world. Jessica is excited to partner with an international educator through the COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) program this Winter and embraces the opportunity to widen students’ cultural networks and broaden their perspectives. Her email address is jejo5944@colorado.edu.

Parameswari Mukherjee (Assistant Professor, Metropolitan State U of Denver) is a health and organizational communication scholar. Her work is situated at the intersections of culture, health, globalization, and community participation. In her current project, she blends local cultural narratives on health at the margins with organizational theories of capital accumulation and disposable bodies. She specifically examines how individuals from underserved communities marked by inaccess to material resources and discursive platforms in rural India communicate about health and access health resources organized by various international health organizations and local community members. She moved to Colorado in the summer of 2023. When she is not working, she loves to spend time in nature, plan adventures, and take naps. Her email address is pamukherje@msudenver.edu.

Blessed E. Ngoe (Lecturer, U of Colorado Boulder) uses the ethnography of communication and related methodologies to study how cultural practices and communication strategies can be leveraged to address socio-political challenges, especially in the context of the Global South. He is passionate about decolonizing communication theory and integrating indigenous knowledge (such as the African concept of Ekoaɗo) into our academic and policy discussions. Outside of academia, he leads an effort to foster intercultural dialogue and diplomacy through the Global Bridges Initiative. He serves as an Oroko Language and Culture Consultant for a project on Cuban Abakua, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Blessed lives in the beautiful city of Colorado Springs and can be reached at blessed.ngoe@colorado.edu.

Planning an annual ICA conference is probably the most impactful part of the job of every President-Elect in this association. The conference is the primary academic event for many of us; it is a heavy lift, and expectations are high. As an association, we are blessed to have an extremely committed and incredibly experienced ICA headquarters to carry out the massive operation of the conference organization. You can tell the difference if you ever attended conferences of other academic associations in the field.

In planning next year’s annual conference, it is always very insightful to closely evaluate the most recent conference survey results. This data provides valuable information about the quality of the conference experience, both in-person and remote, and about aspects of the conference that have worked well and those that still need to. There is much to learn regarding programming and administration for future conference planning.

First, thanks to all of you who completed the Gold Coast conference survey! The 2024 conference has been notably smaller than many conferences in previous years, yet almost 500 colleagues have responded to the survey this year. Here is what I took away from their answers:

Overall, ICA is delighted that attendees were overwhelmingly satisfied with the Gold Coast conference. Survey respondents appreciated their conference experience as excellent (30%), very good (41%), or good (20%) – which is a significant improvement over the previous year. Two-thirds of the respondents rated the overall quality of the sessions they attended as excellent or very good. Furthermore, according to those who responded to the survey, ICA Headquarters did a fantastic job in communicating with attendees before (89%) and during the conference (88% rated it “good” or better).

Looking at the various types of program elements, about nine of ten respondents gave high marks (excellent, very good, or good) to regular paper sessions, panels, and roundtable discussions (89, 92, and 89%, respectively). The ICA-wide Awards Ceremony and Presidential Address achieved top ratings (95%; congratulations to Eun-Ju Lee!), while survey respondents were slightly more critical of high-density panels (78%) and poster sessions (84%), while it is worth noting that 56 percent of the respondents reported that they did not attend the posters.

The research escalator is a relatively new type of session, which received excellent or very good evaluations from 86% of the respondents. This type of session was implemented as a mentorship opportunity for early career scholars, those new to ICA, or scholars with a work-in-progress to receive feedback and support on a project that is being developed. The results from the Gold Coast conference survey are a further encouragement to continue with the research escalator in future years.

Like in previous years, respondents very positively received the ICA Kids' Picnic and childcare service provided during the conference. One respondent stated in the survey: "The ICA family picnic was really the highlight. The childcare was phenomenal. We took advantage of 3-4 hours each day. It was top notch care.”

The Gold Coast conference survey offers many more insights; let me highlight two issues of particular relevance for future conferences: Blue Sky Workshops and remote/hybrid sessions.

(1) Blue Sky Workshops belong to a session format with a strong interactive component. This year, ICA featured five categories of Blue Sky Workshops. Big Ideas Workshops aim to engage participants in critical discussions of current concerns within the discipline. Workshops may be built around a critical review of theories, concepts, or methods and the collective development of new research strategies or best-practice recommendations for a particular subfield of communication. Other workshops have a pronounced practical component, such as Professional Development Workshops (created for any career stage around specific skill sets), Pedagogical Workshops (related to teaching topics), Administrator Workshops (supporting attendants in administration positions), and SECAC Skills Workshops (career skills for students/early-career attendees).

Those who attended Blue Sky Workshops during ICA 2024 liked them a lot; nine of ten survey respondents who participated in them rated their experience as (very) good or excellent. However, attendance was relatively low; it ranged between 17 percent (SECAC Skills Workshop) and 24 percent (Big Ideas Workshop). As many survey respondents noted, one of the reasons was that they did not know about these workshops.

We may need to feature the Blue Sky Workshops even more prominently in the program and the conference website. There is a strong demand to continue these workshops at future conferences, particularly for Big Ideas Workshops, Professional Development Workshops, and Pedagogical Workshops. About half of the survey respondents said they would likely attend these workshops in the future (55, 51, and 46%, respectively).

By the way, proposals for Blue Sky Workshops are not bound to ICA divisions; participation is open to all attendees. Anyone may propose a workshop in this line; ICA accepts proposals on the same timeline as the conference papers, but via a separate form outside the submission management system as this format has different components from regular sessions. Respondents to the 2024 conference survey suggested that future Blue Sky Workshops feature a range of potential topics, including academic mental health, work-life balance, grant writing, professional development for mid-career researchers, and scholarly writing for non-native English writers and speakers.

(2) Opinions about future hybrid options for our annual conferences are split. Remote attendees of this year's conference were relatively satisfied with the hybrid conference experience. Sixty percent of them reported that they felt connected to their colleagues online despite not participating in person (26% disagreed). They also felt they interacted well with the in-person conference (59% agreed; 23% disagreed). At the same time, 48 percent of the in-person attendees felt that the remote presenters and attendees were integrated well into the conference (29% disagreed). However, a good number of attendees were only partially satisfied with the hybrid conference experience, as the many answers in the open-ended sections of the survey indicate. Survey respondents noted minimal attendance and a need for better integration of in-person and remote participants.

ICA's headquarters and Executive Committee closely monitor this issue and routinely reexamine our hybrid conference strategy if needed. As a leading academic association, ICA remains committed to providing hybrid and remote participation options in future conferences. There are many reasons why people may deliberately choose to participate as remote attendees, including concerns about carbon footprint, travel costs, health reasons, care responsibilities, and visa restrictions. Offering hybrid and remote conference participation aligns with ICA's strong commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and access.

For next year’s conference in Denver, hybrid sessions will consist of all ICA-wide sessions, including the Opening Plenary; Fellows' sessions; Presidential Address, Awards Ceremony, and Fellows' Induction; New Member Orientation; Student & Early-Career Business Meeting; Scholars at Risk; the REACHing Out Session; the Steve Jones Internet Lecture; and the Affiliate Journals session; as well as all theme sessions and presidential sessions selected to specifically appeal to a global remote viewership. In addition, ICA25 will feature a new type of hybrid-format interdivisional sessions that accommodate panels and paper presentations cutting across several ICA divisions and interest groups.

To be sure, the 2025 ICA annual conference will be a special one as we will celebrate the association's 75th anniversary. There will be many celebratory events during the conference, so you better look out for them – and do not forget to bring your party hat!

LOCATION & DATES

This year we will be in scenic Denver, Colorado, USA, with sessions at both the Hyatt Regency (our headquarters) and the Grand Hyatt, which are 2.5 blocks (0.2 miles) apart. The conference dates are Thursday, 12 June to Monday, 16 June 2025. 

FORMAT

ICA25 will feature:

• 700+ in-person sessions

• 23 to 70 ICA-wide hybrid sessions, completely supported by professional A/V tech personnel. This includes the opening plenary, presidential address, Fellows’ sessions, Theme sessions, interdivisional sessions, and more. The number of additional interdivisional and theme sessions we have beyond the standard ICA-wide sessions will be determined once submissions close on 1 November. 

• Three in-person poster sessions, hosting 90 posters total, with an ICA-Wide Top Poster competition each day

• Blue Sky Workshops, a Student and Early-Career track, satellite events, receptions, DIG business meetings, curated tours, etc. 

Divisions and interest groups will not independently accept remote presentations this year; all DIG presentations will be in-person only. Those who will need to present remotely should submit their work to either the theme or the interdivisional section, both of which will present hybrid sessions along with all ICA-wide sessions.

VENUE/HOTEL

The two Hyatts and three overflow hotels we currently have booked are all within one 0.3 mile (3.5 block) square block. This is a comparable but slightly shorter distance than it was to travel between the Star and the convention center in Gold Coast last year. Two-thirds of the sessions are at the Hyatt Regency with the other third at the Grand Hyatt. The other three hotels only have sleeping rooms and no sessions. 

HOTEL BLOCK

The room block will be handled the same as in prior years. We will make the booking site link available in early March 2025:

1. Day 1: to Tier B & C/Global South pre-registrants (who registered before the cutoff date) 

2. Day 2: to Tier A pre-registrants who registered before cutoff

3. Day 3: to all those who have registered

4. Day 4: open to all 

Hotels sign a “lowest rate” clause, meaning that they cannot legally offer rooms at a lower rate than what we have negotiated, even to discount sites. 

There are rental options in Denver and you are welcome to use those, but you book at your own risk; ICA cannot help you cancel your reservation at an offsite property. We receive messages every year from attendees requesting assistance because their AirBnb was canceled by the host at the last minute, or was locked, dirty, or unsafe, or didn’t have running water when they arrived. Regardless of what you choose, we highly recommend you procure travel insurance from Allianz or another reputable agency to cover your flights, lodging, etc. 

HOTEL RATES

ICA’s heavily discounted rates apply for three days before and after the event dates. Please note that it is not customary for American hotels to include breakfast in their nightly rates; the rates below do not include breakfast. All of the hotels in our block this year allow pets (fees and restrictions vary); none of the properties currently contracted offer kitchenettes. Please note that you must wait and book through ICA’s booking site to get the rates below.

HYATT REGENCY DENVER CONVENTION CENTER (Headquarters hotel, hosts ⅔ of sessions including all ICA-wide sessions)

Corner of 15th and Welton

Standard single/double occupancy US $206, triple $221, quad $236. Rates include wifi.

Upgrades are available but are not in the block; request when reserving. 

GRAND HYATT DENVER (hosts ⅓ of sessions)

Corner of 17th and Welton

Distance from Regency: 0.2 miles/ 321 metres/ 2 blocks 

Standard single/double occupancy US $206, triple $221, quad $236. Rates include wifi. Upgrades are available but are not in the block; request when reserving. 

MAGNOLIA (Tribute Portfolio by Marriott Bonvoy)

17th and Stout

Distance from Regency: 0.3 miles/ 480 metres/ 3.5 blocks 

Standard single/double $206. Wifi and tax included. 

ALOFT (Marriott Bonvoy) 

15th and Stout

Distance from Regency: 0.16 miles/ 280 metres/ 1.5 blocks 

Standard single/double $199. Wifi and tax included. 

POPULUS - the first carbon-positive hotel in the U.S.

14th and Court

Distance from Regency: 0.3 miles/480 metres/3.5 blocks)

Standard Queen or King $239. Wifi and tax included. 

No resort fees or other service charges are applied if in the ICA block. 

Please note that the Populus has a unique design and is environmentally focused and carbon positive - because of the design, they have very few rooms that work with a two-bed configuration (please see the link for photographs of the rooms), so this is not the property to pick if you are planning to have a roommate. 

ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSION

As in recent years, the ICA 2025 Conference will include:

• Accessible sleeping rooms available for booking in all hotels

• Personalized accessibility assistance from ICA staff, who will work with our providers to obtain what you need (please indicate your need for services when you register)

• Non-alcoholic beverage options easily accessible at all ICA-sponsored events via separate bars

• Provision of a ‘Quiet Room’ throughout the conference and a religious observance room

• Gender-neutral restrooms and medically-accessible single-stall restrooms throughout both venues

• Wheelchair accessibility in every ICA-utilized area of both Hyatt properties 

• A private ‘family room’ for attendees with infant-related needs (nursing parents, refrigerated storage for breastmilk, etc)

• Availability of ICA-subsidized childcare through our accredited provider during conference hours, including free childcare for student parents

• More information on details of our accessibility and inclusion offerings will be provided in our FAQ and in our Accessibility & Inclusion page, both due soon within our ICA25 mini-site. 

TRAVEL GRANTS

ICA gives out over US$75,000 each year via the Michael Haley Travel Fund. There are also waivers and grants available through each of the 33 divisions and interest groups (for these, contact the DIG officers directly for their guidelines). The application for travel grants will open when paper acceptances go out on 15 January. 

VISAS

Once your submission has been accepted, you can download a personalized acceptance letter from the submission system with all the information you need to apply for your visa. The ICA25 FAQ page (which will go live by mid-September) will have more details on what information to gather and best practices for applying for a US visa, what type to apply for, what to expect, and what to bring with you on your person when you travel. While ICA’s seven-person staff is too small to personally assist thousands of members with their individual visa applications, we do all we can to prepare you with everything you’ll need in advance to set you up for an easy process and a quick acceptance. 

NEED-TO-KNOW CONFERENCE DATES (all deadlines at noon Headquarters time):

August 8-30 Pre- and postconference proposals and Regional Hub proposals 

September 9 Pre and postconference and Regional Hub decisions

September 3 Paper Submission Period opens

November 1 Paper Submission Period closes

January 15     Submission results; registration opens; travel grants open

January 31  Last day to register to qualify for early housing block access

March 3 Housing block opens to first groups of early registrants