2025 ICA Media Sociology Postconference Theme: Theorizing Disruption and Consolidation in Media Sociology: Youth, News, Inequities, & Politics Tuesday June 17, 2025 Hosted by the University of Denver Sponsored by the ICA GCSC Global Communication and Social Change KEY DATES: SUBMISSIONS Submissions Open: December 1, 2024 Submissions Close: May 12, 2025 Notifications: Rolling by May 14, 2025 KEY DATES: REGISTRATION Registration Opens January 15, 2025 Registration Closes May 17, 2025 Link to Registration <https://forms.gle/V8kcgVzp2tZ14n7q9> Organizers: The Media Sociology Postconference Team is represented by Dr. Grant Blank and Morgan Vodzak who will be on-site as our On-Site Lead Organizer and Organizational Manager respectively. Additional organizational support will be provided by members of the Standing Leadership Committee Wenhong Chen, Muyang Li, Katia Moles, Sonia Virginia Moreira, Massimo Ragnedda, Laura Robinson, Maria Laura Ruiu, Jeremy Schulz, and Julie Wiest (alphabetical order). Our local hosts at the University of Denver are Professor Lynn Schofield Clark and Associate Professor Erika Polson from the Department of Media, Film & Journalism Studies. Registration Fee: $30 for on-site participation Free registration available for scholars from the Global South Live Stream free to the public with registration. Sponsors: University of Denver, UT Austin, Department of Anthropology & Sociology at West Chester University, Santa Clara University, and Emerald Studies in Media & Communications. Description: Contributing to the 75th Anniversary of the ICA, the Postconference will be a critical venue to consider the ways that sociology, and in particular the field Media Sociology, has contributed to the theorizing of media and communication and/as “disruption” and/or “consolidation.” Over the last three years of the Media Sociology Postconference, interest in the contributions of media sociology has grown from researchers across the broad compass of communication scholarship, with scholars increasingly speaking to practitioners and policymakers. In 2025 the Media Sociology Symposium continues to pursue our goals by providing a venue for bolstering works-in-progress scholarship on the Global South and on vulnerable populations, as well as enlarging the tent of “media sociology” as a growing and inclusive field in Communications. We will continue to offer an inclusive environment welcoming scholars from a broad range of geographic locations, disciplines and methodological approaches. By bringing this diverse group of scholars and practitioners together, the event celebrates the power of communication networks to enact social change. Local Hosts: This postconference leverages ICA’s global meeting in Denver and ICA’s partnership with faculty at the University of Denver who will be hosting the event, with Professor Lynn Schofield Clark and Associate Professor Erika Polson serving as lead local organizers. Regular Submissions: The event aims to bring together scholars working in the interdisciplinary spaces of media sociology and will focus on supporting those writing and producing original scholarship as forms of disruption and consolidation. We invite researchers to explore the complex dynamics of disruption brought by digital technologies and their impact on youth, news production, political discourse, and the perpetuation or mitigation of social inequities. We encourage papers that explore the intersections of these themes and provide new theoretical insights into the ongoing transformations within media environments. The key challenges for the future will be balancing innovation with ethical considerations, ensuring that digital advancements do not exacerbate existing inequalities or infringe on fundamental human rights. Workshop Opportunity In addition to keynotes, scholars who participate will be invited to submit works-in-progress that will be presented in the morning, with the afternoon devoted to workshopping their works with peers and other curated activities providing important space for reflection on writing and knowledge production as disruption and consolidation. Event Venue: University of Denver The University of Denver is an appropriate host given the intellectual leadership in the Media, Film & Journalism Studies and Sociology Departments at the University of Denver, with their signature centers of excellence: the Estlow International Center for Journalism and New Media, the Center on Immigration Policy and Research, and the IRISE Research Institute. The Estlow Center supports research and undergraduate education focused on utilizing media for civic and political engagement. The Center on Immigration Policy and Research supports research that is of vital interest to refugee, asylum seeking, and immigrant communities in local, national, and international venues. The expertise at the IRISE Research Institute on researching “issues of inequality, social justice, and inclusivity” further aligns with the ICA@75 call to address power dynamics that “disadvantage certain types of research and scholarly communities, including those from the Global South.” In addition there are a number of NFP organizations in Denver that work with refugee, asylum seeking, and immigrant populations that also align with the event’s focus on the Global South where several faculty of the local host institution are active. ne example is Casa de Paz, an organization that supports families separated due to ICE immigrant detention as Denver/Aurora area has the 8th largest population of Ethiopians in the U.S. Faculty members involved in this project will speak about how they write research for academic, policy, and immigrant communities, and how they navigate these differing stakeholders as researchers and community members, offering food for thought for those conducting and writing research in media sociology and in related fields. Transportation: The venue is located just outside downtown Denver, making the campus easily accessible by public transportation or ride sharing. As in the past, directions and options will be provided to participants. Questions? Email mediasociologysymposium@gmail.com -- Dr. Jeremy Schulz Senior Researcher, ISSI UC Berkeley