In Media Res

The Official Newsletter for the Media Ecology Association

February 2026

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Editor's Notes

As media ecologists, we are attentive not only to what is communicated, but to the environments through which communication takes place, and to who is included or excluded by those environments. In that spirit, this newsletter reflects an ongoing effort to make MEA communications more accessible, readable, and welcoming to a wide range of members.

We are striving to improve practices such as descriptive hyperlinking, clear structure, and screen-reader–friendly design. These choices are not simply technical accommodations. They are media decisions. They shape attention, participation, and the conditions under which meaning is made.

Accessibility, from a media ecology perspective, is not an add-on. It is part of the communicative environment itself. As the Association continues its work across conferences, classrooms, and public scholarship, we remain committed to reflecting critically on how our media choices influence inclusion, engagement, and understanding.

Thank you for being part of this ongoing conversation.

— Tiffany A. Petricini
Editor, In Medias Res

From the Association

Meet the 2026 MEA Executive Board

As the new year begins, the Media Ecology Association welcomes several new faces to the Executive Board. We invite members to take a moment to visit our site and meet the new (and continuing) leaders helping guide the work of the Association in the year ahead.

View the full 2026 Executive Board.

Annual Convention Updates

Pre-Convention Tour with the Marshall McLuhan Initiative

The 2026 convention page has been updated with details about a special pre-conference tour hosted by the Marshall McLuhan Initiative. Participation requires selecting the tour option during convention registration and includes an additional $25 fee.

Learn more on the Convention page.

Student Travel Grants Still Available

We are pleased with the strong response to this year’s convention, but we also want to continue encouraging student participation. Student travel grants are available, and eligible students are encouraged to apply via the convention page.

Details and application information

Call for Future Convention Hosts (2028 and Beyond)

The MEA is currently seeking institutions interested in hosting future conventions beginning in 2028. Hosting is a meaningful way to support the Association, foster scholarly community, and shape the future of media ecology.

Learn more about hosting.

MEA in the Field

MEA Panel at ICA 2026

The Media Ecology Association will be hosting a panel at ICA 2026 in Cape Town from June 4-6. We invite members attending ICA to join us and help extend media ecological perspectives within broader communication scholarship.

Panel details

MEA at ECA 2026: Program Highlights and Draft Schedule Available

The Media Ecology Association will have a strong and visible presence at ECA 2026 to be held in April in Pittsburgh, with multiple paper panels, a roundtable, and a business meeting spanning Thursday through Saturday. The draft program reflects the breadth of contemporary media ecology scholarship, including work on gender, culture, health, spirituality, phenomenology, food, and artificial intelligence.

A draft schedule of MEA-sponsored and affiliated sessions is now available. Please note that this is a working program and session times or details may change.

Program Highlights

Thursday

  • Paper Panel: Emerging Intersections of Media Ecology: Gender, Culture, Health, and Reason

  • Competitive Paper Panel: Conflict, Resistance, and Spirituality: Media Ecology Approaches

Friday

  • Roundtable: Systems, Rhetoric, and Phenomenology: Media Ecology’s Emergence

  • Media Ecology Business Meeting (MEA members encouraged to attend)

Saturday

  • Co-Sponsored Paper Panel: The Philosophical, Historical, and Rhetorical Meaning of Food: “The Medium Is the Sandwich”
    (Co-sponsored with the Philosophy of Communication Division)

In addition to MEA-sponsored sessions, members are encouraged to attend related programming organized by MEA affiliate organizations, including the Institute for General Semantics (IGS) and the Urban Communication Foundation (UCF). This year’s ECA convention includes a substantial amount of media ecology–related scholarship across divisions.


View the draft ECA program and ECA bulletin

Opportunities

Student Research Grant with the Urban Communication Foundation

In partnership with the Urban Communication Foundation, the MEA is offering a student research grant to support emerging scholarship in media ecology and related fields. Applications are due this spring.

Application details

More Ways to Get Involved with MEA

Virtual Coffee Meetings

Do you have questions about media ecology, need advice on a study, or want to invite an expert to speak in your class? Schedule a virtual coffee meeting with an MEA scholar! To arrange a meeting, visit our website

If you’re an experienced media ecologist interested in volunteering for these meetings, we’d love to hear from you!

Book Reviewers Wanted

Have you read a great book related to media ecology? Consider writing a review for Explorations in Media Ecology!  For more details and a format template, contact jbogaczyk@gmail.com.

Join the Listserv

Stay connected with the MEA community by joining the discussion group. The discussion group is open to all for sharing views, exchanging information, and learning about events related to media ecology.

Follow MEA on Social Media

Connect with us on social media to stay updated on news, events, and discussions. Follow us on Facebook and X to join the conversation!

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