The Official Newsletter for the Media Ecology Association

October 2023

Feel That Chill in the Air . . .

This month's issue of the newsletter contains a message from the president and a reissue of the calls for papers and conferences previously published. We've also included the results of the MEA Executive Board elections and information on book publications from MEA members. 

In this issue . . . 

• Message from the President, Mike Plugh
• CfP: Explorations in Media Ecology Special Issue
• CfP: 25th Annual Convention of the Media Ecology Association, June 6-8th, 2024, at Daemon University in Amherst, NY
• Media Ecology Student Symposium Call: Enlarging the Field
• CfP: 2024 Orality & Literacy Conference @ Geneva College
• MEA Executive Board Election Results
• MEA Board Elections
• New Book Publication: Hindsight of the Twenty/20s by Dr. Bernadette"bird" Bowen 
• How to follow MEA on Social Media
• Contribute Content to In Media Res!

Message from the MEA President Michael Plugh

Greetings from the desk of the Media Ecology Association president. I’m happy to report that the business of the Association is moving along successfully, with a number of updates to share as we run headlong into the Autumn.

By the time you’re reading this, our sibling organization, The Institute of General Semantics, will be holding its annual Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture and Symposium. Our keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Lera Boroditsky, Professor of Cognitive Science at the University of California San Diego. Her talk is entitled, “Language and Cognition,” and will review the ways in which both the languages we speak, and the particular constructions we are exposed to within those languages, shape the ways we think. The lecture will precede a robust weekend symposium, where speakers from our media ecology community will be well represented, as usual. We hope you’ll join us for this annual event, as media ecologists always find themselves right at home in our proceedings.

I’d also like to report that many members of our MEA family participated in the recent New York State Communication Association convention, held October 13-15 at the Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center in the beautiful Catskill Mountains. The NYSCA convention has long been a home away from home for MEA members, as our community has deeply invested in the administration and scholarship of the organization, thanks in large part to Neil Postman, who introduced his many graduate students to the community. NYSCA’s mentorship award is named for Postman, and media ecology is a central part of the annual proceedings. Many of our own Executive Board officers, and past presidents, have served in the same capacity for NYSCA as a nurturing and supportive environment for junior scholars and faculty. NYSCA draws participation and membership from many neighboring states, and many of the principal contributors in recent years have hailed from MEA-friendly institutions such as Duquesne University, among others.

We’re excited to continue our planning and preparation for our 25^th annual MEA Convention, to be held June 6-9, 2024 at Daemen University in the Buffalo, NY area. You’ll find our call for papers in this newsletter, and via the link here as well. We’re also continuing progress on our inaugural MEA Student Symposium, to be held virtually on February 3^rd, 2024. The call for papers is also featured in this newsletter and can also be found on our website. These 2024 milestones will be among the many important topics our Executive Board will be discussing at our upcoming Fall meeting, conducted online on Saturday, November 4^th. I’ll be very happy to share an update about that meeting with you in the next edition of our newsletter.

In the meantime, stay connected to the MEA. Join us for panels at the annual National Communication Association, Eastern Communication Association, and International Communication Association conferences, where we love touching base with old friends and making new ones as well. As you can tell from this quick note, we seem to be everywhere! Find us and help us grow our community, Association, and more.

Hope to see you soon.

Mike Plugh

President, Media Ecology Association

mplugh01@manhattan.edu

This special issue aims for paper submissions that discuss connections between media ecology and artificial intelligence. Coined by Mollick (2023), this new “AI Tide” is ripe for exploration in field of media ecology. AI has become a transformative force shaping the very fabric of our media landscape. As media technologies evolve, AI’s pervasive influence impacts content creation, distribution, consumption patterns, and the overall media ecosystem. Understanding the interplay between AI and media is crucial to grasp the implications for communication, culture, and society.

Walter Ong argued that artificial intelligence could never approach human intelligence, as intelligence is embedded in culture, persons, their bodies, and even silence. He wrote, “Despite all the work to achieve ‘artificial intelligence’ through the computer, the computer always lacks the living silence in which, as we have seen, human thought and language are embedded, it lacks the unconscious in which human thought and language are also embedded, and it lacks the biological substructures in which human thought and language are embedded” (Ong, 2018).

All disciplines have been impacted by the recent generative AIs that have entered the public sphere. Conferences throughout 2023 have seen discussions about AI, even our own at Fordham in June. Media ecologists have many valuable perspectives to contribute to this global conversation, and this special issue is welcoming media ecologists a space to explore AI.

Possible topics welcomed in this special issue include, but are not limited to:

• AI and higher education
• AI and culture
• AI and language
• Implications of media ecology on the development of AI
• Media ecology and the global village
• The digital divide and AI
• Human consciousness and AI
• Language and AI

Abstracts (300 words) and a short biographical note should be submitted by December 11, 2023 via email to Tiffany Petricini tzr106@psu.edu with the subject line “AI and Media Ecology.”

About the journal Explorations in Media Ecology

Explorations in Media Ecology, the journal of the Media Ecology Association, accepts submissions that extend our understanding of media (defined in the broadest possible terms), that apply media ecological approaches, and/or that advance media ecology as a field of inquiry. As a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary publication, EME welcomes contributions embracing diverse theoretical, philosophical and methodological approaches to the study of media and processes of mediation.

Important Dates

• Abstract submission (300 words): December 11, 2023
• Manuscript submission: January 11, 2024
• Notifications: February 15, 2023
• Final manuscript submission: March 31, 2024
• Target publication date: June, 2024

Paper Submission Format

Contributors are asked to submit original papers between 4000-6000 words in the journal’s requested manuscript format. You can find more information about formatting on the publisher webpage:   https://www.intellectbooks.com/asset/8837/1/NfC_EME_16_1.pdf.

Special Issue Guest Editor

Tiffany Petricini is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Communication at Penn State Shenango and Program Coordinator of the Penn State Western Corporate Communication Consortium. Her publications have reflected interests in phenomenology, interpersonal communication, technology, philosophy, ethics, and media ecology, including her work Friendship and Technology, available through Routledge. Tiffany has been an invited speaker on the international radio program “Spark” on CBC Radio One and the first external speaker to ever be invited to the SUNY Plattsburgh at the Ethics Institute. She also serves as the social media expert for NBC affiliate WFMJ 21 News.

Call for Papers

The 25th Annual Media Ecology Association Convention

June 6–9, 2024
Daemen University, Amherst, NY

“Cultivating Community: A Celebration of MEA’s 25th Anniversary”

THE MEDIA ECOLOGY ASSOCIATION (MEA) invites the submission of abstracts of papers and proposals for panels for presentation at its 25th Annual Convention, which will be held from June 6–9, 2024 at Daemen University in Amherst, New York. The deadline for submissions is February 1, 2024.

In recognition of the Media Ecology’s 25th anniversary and convention setting, the theme of the 2024 conference is community. The conference will take place on the Daemen University campus in Amherst, NY. Amherst is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in America due to a community focus and investment in outlets for cultivating “relationally modern” young adults who are able to withstand and navigate intricacies of contemporary life in a digital landscape (Singer, 2014). The Daemen campus is just minutes from Buffalo, colloquially referred to as The City of Good Neighbors — a moniker evidenced by citizen responses to public tragedy and remarkable weather events.

Media ecology has roots in, borrows from, and advances notions pertinent to the intersection of community, democracy, culture, and the nature of cities. Many principal figures in the tradition of media ecology scholarship have worked closely in these areas, from Mumford’s attention to life in urban environments, to Carey’s concerns about democratic participation, as well as Gumpert and Drucker’s many talks and publications dealing with the intersection of said themes.

The annual meeting of the MEA provides an opportunity for our community of scholars, educators, professionals, artists, and practitioners to exchange experiences and ideas in a friendly environment. Participants at MEA conventions address a wide diversity of topics in our program. We encourage submissions that explore media ecological approaches from any number of different disciplines and fields of knowledge and social practice. We are interested in papers, thematic panels, roundtable discussion panels, creative projects, performance sessions, and other proposals of interest to media ecologists.

While we are open to explorations on any topic of interest to media ecologists, we also include a convention theme with the aim of generating further discussion and probes involving multiple perspectives. Submissions do not have to address the theme, but are invited to do so.

Guidelines for Submission

Please submit paper and panel proposals, in English, by February 1, 2024 to MEA2024@daemen.edu. A maximum of two submissions per author will be accepted. Authors who wish to be considered for the Top Paper or Top Student Paper award must indicate this on their submission(s).

Submission Guidelines for paper and panel proposals:

1. Include title(s), abstract(s) (maximum 250 words), and contact information for each participant.
2. Outline, as relevant, how your paper or panel will fit with the convention theme.
3. Authors with papers submitted as part of a panel proposal or as a paper proposal who wish to be considered for Top Paper or Top Student Paper (see our Awards page for more details) must send the completed manuscript (see guidelines below) to the convention planners before the convention.

Submission guidelines for manuscripts for authors who wish to be considered for the Top Paper or Top Student Paper award:

1. Manuscripts should be 4,000–6,000 words (approximately 15 to 25 double-spaced pages)
2. Include a cover page with your institutional affiliation and other contact information.
3. Include an abstract (maximum 150 words).

Please stay tuned for more information. Questions? Contact us.

CALL FOR PAPERS THE FIRST MEDIA ECOLOGY ASSOCIATION STUDENT SYMPOSIUM ONLINE

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3RD, 2024

The Media Ecology Association is proud to announce our first student symposium, scheduled for Saturday, February 3rd, 2024, exclusively conducted online. This symposium is aimed at offering students of all levels an opportunity to present their media ecology scholarship as the centerpiece of an official organizational event. The symposium will feature panels of student work throughout the day, conducted via Zoom, and each panel will be assigned a respondent from the MEA Executive Board for constructive feedback aimed at celebrating and advancing scholarship in our field.

Participation is limited to undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students, officially enrolled at institutions of higher learning. Attendance is open to the general public. Registration is free to all MEA members. Non-Members will be able to register for a fee of $10.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION

Please submit paper and panel proposals, in English, by October 31, 2023 to MEAStudentSymposium2024@gmail.com. A maximum of two submissions per author will be accepted. Authors who wish their papers to be considered for the Top Paper award must indicate this on their submission(s).

Submission Guidelines for paper and panel proposals: Include title(s), abstract(s) (maximum 250 words), and contact information for each participant. Outline, as relevant, how your paper or panel will fit with the convention theme. Authors with papers submitted as part of a panel proposal or as a paper proposal that wish to be considered for Top Paper must send the completed paper to the convention planner by December 1, 2023.

Submission guidelines for manuscripts eligible for MEA award submissions: Manuscripts should be 4,000–6,000 words (approximately 15 to 25 double-spaced pages) Include a cover page with your institutional affiliation and other contact information. Include an abstract (maximum 150 words).

Please visit media-ecology.org for more information about the Media Ecology Association, our annual convention, and our publication profile.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

2024 Orality & Literacy Conference

April 4th-5th

Geneva College

Beaver Falls, PA

Geneva College welcomes submissions for a conference entitled: “Orality and Literacy in an Age of Social Media”

Deadline for Submission: Saturday, October 30, 2023, 11:59 p.m. EST Proposal Submissions: Attn. Sarah S. Speicher, sbspeich@geneva.edu

Walter J. Ong’s discussion in his influential books The Presence of the Word and Orality & Literacy invite us to ask, what are words and how do words work? Such basic questions, often taken for granted historically, technologically, and theologically, should instead prompt further inquiry. Ong’s contributions suggest we might find fruitful cues for thought by continuing to study modern means of communication. Ong’s reflections on oral patterns of thinking, transitions in writing and printing, and prescient insights regarding our social media technologies provoke stimulating questions worth considering. In this light, we call a conference entitled “Orality and Literacy in an Age of Social Media,” inviting convivial conversation around this question “How might people-like us interpret ‘In the beginning was the Word’ for our time?

Paper proposal submissions should be a 300-500 word abstract with a bibliography. Submissions should have all author identification (author name, university affiliation, etc.) removed. Abstracts can be submitted either as a Microsoft Word document or a PDF. Please email submissions to Sarah Speicher, at sbspeich@geneva.edu

DEADLINE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2023 at 11:59PM EST

Submit ALL papers/sessions/panels to INDICATE if you need any A/V equipment. Requests must be made at the time of the paper, session or panel submission and should be kept to essential equipment only, please.

If you have any questions, please contact the program planners for questions regarding the conference or submission at sbspeich@genva.edu. By mail at: Geneva College, 3200 College Ave, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, Or by phone at (724) 847-670

RESULTS OF THE MEA

EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTIONS

Congratulations to everyone elected to the executive board. NEw executive board members will include: 

Laura Trujillo Liñan, Universidad Panamericana, in the position of Vice President Elect

Jacqueline McLeod Rogers, University of Winnipeg, in the position of Recording Secretary

Austin Hestdalen, Purdue University Northwest, in the position of Newsletter Editor

Tiffany Gilliam, University of Texas, in the position of Officer at Large.

Please be sure to visit the MEA online to learn more about the executive board positions and elections!

NEW POETRY BOOK: Hindsight of Twenty/20s by Dr. Bernadette "bird" Bowen

Dr. bird's nine-part poetry book explores identity-based violence and the socio-sexually violent landscapes of the United States from the 1990s to the present. Each section delves into different themes such as adolescence, troubled youth, drug use, suburban life, abuse, masking one's true self, femininity, sexual harassment, depression, trauma, and various coping mechanisms. The poems also touch on topics like millennial-aged unrealized non-binary autistic sexuality, love, codependency, alcoholism, memory, passion, existentialism, and survivorship. The collection about their twenties and 2020s reflects on experiences surrounding lung cancer, grief, coping with loss, dysfunctional family dynamics, and the influence of COVID-19. Dr. bird faced setbacks but continued to digitally create, exploring themes of blogging, identity, loss, sobriety, vulnerability, solitude, transmutation, and the interplay between reality and perception. The collection's language and imagery provoke contemplation of deep emotions and experiences regarding ongoing societal issues, love, relationships, nature, and identity in the envirusment era.

Purchase a copy now!

Stay in Touch w/ the MEA via on Social Media and Email!

Historically, the MEA’s email discussion list has provided online conversation for members and friends of the Media Ecology Association. Subscribers use the list to share views, exchange information, and learn about interesting events related to media ecology. And don't forget to follow MEA on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter)

Are you interested in media ecology and have some questions about it? Are you working on a study related to media ecology and searching for advice? Are you an instructor looking for a media ecology expert to invite as a virtual guest speaker to one of your classes?

Get in touch with us! We are happy to schedule a “virtual coffee” appointment with you. Simply fill out the form below to set up a short call or virtual meeting with a scholar from the MEA.

The format is open to all. We especially encourage students and early-career scholars interested in media ecology to get in touch with us.

Do you have a background in media ecology and would like to volunteer for virtual coffee meetings with those looking to learn more about it? Send an email to Julia M. Hildebrand.

Arrange a Virtual Coffee appointment on our website. 

Book Reviewers Wanted!

Have you read a good book with connections to Media Ecology?  Please consider submitting a review for publication in Explorations in Media Ecology.  Are you reading a new book for use in an upcoming class?  Please consider submitting a review and helping out other scholars looking for new texts.  Do you just like writing book reviews? Consider writing one for EME!!  :)  Contact jbogaczyk@gmail.com for more information and to get a format template.  Reviews should be between 1000 and 2000 words.

Back Issues of EME

Pedagogy Sections Include Online Teaching

Access all back issues of Explorations in Media Ecology in the Members Area on the MEA website. These back issues include pedagogy sections that contain information about teaching, including teaching online.

MEA Membership Renewal Reminder

It is not too late to renew your membership by paying your dues.  Please log into the website at www.media-ecology.org, and then log in using your email ID and password and follow the directions. You may pay online via PayPal or pay by check made payable to the Media Ecology Association and mailed to our treasurer, Paul Soukup, S.J., at the Communication Department; Santa Clara University; 500 El Camino Real; Santa Clara, CA  95053 USA. For those outside the U.S., you may also pay by Western Union money order sent to psoukup@scu.edu.  If you wish to change your membership, please drop Paul Soukup a note. 

*Please note: The Media Ecology Association Executive Board decided that the newsletter will be available online to all interested readers. However, only members can be featured in the newsletter itself. If you are a MEA member, please fill out this form (include a call to submit material+ link). 

Message from the Editor: A Year in Rear-View

Austin Hestdalen, Duquesne University

I invite members to submit content in any of the below areas of interest listed for publication in our monthly newsletter. 

• Media Ecology - Booknotes: A segment originally appearing in the first few issues of In Media Res. Booknotes offers membership the opportunity to contribute short reviews of books that are either directly or tangentially related to the study of media ecology and offer the potential for reconsidering important aspects of media ecological study.
• Media Ecology - Scholarship In Brief: The scholarship in brief segment appeared in the earliest issues of the newsletter and offered frameworks for revisiting what might be described as the foundational texts of media ecology. This segment offers membership the opportunity to discuss both old and new interpretations of 'canonical' works in media ecology. 
• Media Ecology at Work: An older segment in which members have the chance to parse the professional and practical implications of media ecology in their daily lives. Contributions take an almost essayistic format in which membership contemplate how media ecology might inform everyday activities of work, play, and anything in between. 
• Media Ecology and the Arts: This segment focuses on ever-emerging considerations of media in music, and the visual, literary, performance, and plastic arts. Contributions contemplate media and the artistic counter-environments that allow us to negotiate media constraints.
• Cornering Media Ecology: A new segment that invites media ecologists to offer critical understandings of media and the competing ecologies they generate in human communication. Contributions can include anything from critical reinterpretations of media ecological texts to those that parse the implications of the media ecological approach in a variety of contexts. 
• General Letters to the Editor: This segment invites membership to share thoughts both on the newsletter and the MEA as whole and is open to any form discussion and critique. Contributions are encouraged to offer insights into how the newsletter and association might extend the study of media ecology in ways that reflect the interests of the membership. 

Contributions to any of the above segments should be submitted to the newsletter editor, Austin Hestdalen (ahestdalen1229@gmail.com).

Please be sure to include the name of segment for which you are submitting in the subject line.

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