Call for papers: Special Issue, Communication Research and Practice 'Communicating through Chaos: Emerging Research'
Updated 5 June 2023
Abstracts due: 30 June 2023
The ANZCA 2022 conference showcased new directions for research focusing on fundamental changes occurring across the broad sectors of communication, journalism, digital health, and digital media. This includes burgeoning research and methodological frameworks in public and health communication, civic participation, and community-building.
The apparent deepening of digital divides and the prevalence of misinformation in an era marked by significant global crises presents a unique opportunity to re-evaluate existing frameworks for communication analysis and examine a range of issues that intersect with digital, social, and virtual communities and Web futures, as well as the ascendency of streaming services and social gathering platforms.
The emergence, adoption, propagation, and extension of new community cultures and practices, and the connected policy and governance mechanisms invite the consideration of questions such as: What are some of the new testing grounds for human creativity and for overcoming post-COVID challenges in this interdisciplinary arena? How can the discipline of communications respond to the challenges of unprecedented change?
Following the conference, we invite abstracts of 300 words (and a 50 word author biography) for a special issue of Communication Research and Practice focused on the theme ‘Communicating through Chaos: Emerging Research’. In particular, we wish to highlight the work of emerging and aspiring scholars (HDRs and ECRs) interested in interrogating new communication developments, connections, and disruptions that have transpired during the COVID pandemic era, and these submissions will be prioritised.
Key topic areas may include, but are not limited to:
- The transformation and impacts of COVID-era organisational, intercultural, and interpersonal communications, and responses to misinformation;
- New and dynamic forms of public relations and health communication, and the creative use of digital media tools among communities of creative practitioners, commentators, audiences, fans, and policymakers;
- The evolution of virtual communication and social engagement in networked, mobile, augmented reality, and online spaces in the COVID era, and the environmental/carbon impact of these forms of engagement; and
- Adaptions made to civic and community-building communication practices that are designed to support participation in society during periods of lockdown, isolation, and restricted mobility.
Please send abstracts, and any questions to the issue co-editors: Chris Comerford (ccomerfo@uow.edu.au) and Renée Middlemost (reneem@uow.edu.au).