The University of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
June 25–28, 2026
The annual meeting of the Media Ecology Association provides an opportunity for scholars, artists, professionals, educators, and students to exchange experiences and ideas in a friendly environment. We invite proposals for papers and panels related to the field of media ecology.
Our conference theme — crossing [out] borders in our global village — is offered as a generative and open cue. Anyone attending the conference will have crossed some sort of border, and many of us do research that considers the power of relationality and purpose of differentiating. Figuratively, many of us cross borders by blending disciplinary interests or research methods. We chose our theme to suggest that all avenues are open, all topics welcome for review. We look forward to hosting you and convening a vibrant MEA Conference. Marshall McLuhan often spoke of many ways borders were falling — of our world as increasingly “without walls,” in a reapplication of Andre Gide’s original coining. Playing with the multiple divisions cutting through the country, he referred to Canada as “a borderline case.” He saw danger in a wide-open global village but would likely have considered current calls for actual walls and strengthening of national borders as “rear view mirror thinking” — ineffective, change-resistant thinking.
Winnipeg welcomes you as the hometown of Marshall McLuhan, a founding figure of the MEA. There will be an opportunity for you to join a pre-conference tour on June 24 (hosted by the Marshall McLuhan Initiative) to visit several sites connected to McLuhan, such as his family home on Gertrude Avenue.
Call for Papers
Submit paper and session proposals (no longer than 250 words) by November 1, 2025 to MEA2026@uwinnipeg.ca. Include title, abstract and contact information for each participant. A maximum of two submissions per author will be accepted.
Submission guidelines for manuscripts for authors who wish to be considered for the Top Paper or the Linda Elson Top Student Paper award:
- Manuscripts should be 4,000–6,000 words (approximately 15–25 double-spaced pages).
- Include a cover page with your institutional affiliation and other contact information.
- Include an abstract (250-word maximum).
- Submit paper proposal by the regular November 1, 2025 deadline, then submit full manuscript by January 1, 2026. Please indicate the award you are seeking.
Registration details and information about student travel grants are forthcoming.
Hotels and housing options wil be announced closer to the convention.
Contact
For more information, contact convention organizer Jaqueline McLeod Rogers at j.mcleod-rogers@uwinnipeg.ca. She and members of the Department of Rhetoric, Writing and Communications are hosting the convention.