Planning for the conference in Gold Coast is underway. Please remember that it will be in June 20-24, 2024 – it will not be the usual end-of-May period. As I wrote last month, "communication and human rights" is the conference theme. I wanted to identify a timely issue that has been studied across divisions and interest groups; brings multifaceted, multi-perspective, and global insights and approaches; is relevant inside and outside academia. For a long time, communication scholarship has done important work on human rights. The topic has been a meeting point for scholars interested in different yet overlapping issues, questions, and theoretical arguments. Current interest on human rights is evident in several areas of research: environmental communication, media and migration, digital participation and activism, media policy, children and media, language and politics, popular culture and media, and identity and communication, to name a few. I can envision many conversations within and across divisions and interest groups on these and other topics.
A few announcements.
We will have interdivisional sessions that will require co-submission by three or more divisions and interest groups. So, I suggest chairs/ planners to start thinking about potential sessions and contact colleagues before the ScholarOne submission system opens. We do not accept individual papers to the interdivisional category; this category is only for cross-DIG collaborations in pre-constituted panel form.
We are planning special sessions and social events. We will have a memorial to honor and remember ICA Past President Cindy Gallois. On Saturday evening, we will host our first social event for neurodiverse (and neurodiversity-focused) faculty and students to meet and explore ideas for community building, advocacy, support, and scholarship. We will hold a Communication Scholars at Risk social event to exchange ideas and support among colleagues who face dangers because of their work. Unfortunately, this has been a growing trend in many countries, as scholars are vulnerable to attacks from government officials, organizations, and individuals. If you have any suggestions for sessions and events, please let us know.
From the Toronto conference survey and other feedback, we heard from many members about hybrid/virtual panels and participation. While we always consider a multiplicity of data points (e.g., technical difficulties, panel logistics, conference fees for virtual participants) as well as comments shared in the post-conference survey, we are committed to live, hybrid sessions for Gold Coast. After the Paris and Toronto conferences, this will be the third time that we will offer remote participation via hybrid sessions. After the conference, we will be able to draw lessons to determine the way forward. As you probably know, hybridity is a complex issue that many professional organizations are wrestling with. It has several implications that must be considered: the number of remote attendees, the quality of participation, the inclusion of colleagues who cannot attend in person due to many reasons, and the costs for individuals and ICA. Our goal is always to deliver the highest quality, most inclusive and technologically-agile product possible while staying within a reasonable budget overall so that we may maintain an affordable price point for attendees. If you have any suggestions on these and other issues (that you didn't already share in the conference survey), we welcome your input.
Finally, I wanted to share some travel tips shared by past President Terry Flew. Gold Coast is one of Australia's major tourist destinations, an hour by car from Brisbane.
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Flights: Terry suggests that attendees fly into the Gold Coast airport, Coolangatta (COO) rather than into Brisbane. U.S. and European attendees would fly direct to Sydney or Melbourne, say, and then take a short connecting flight to Gold Coast (as opposed to the other option, which would be to fly direct to Brisbane and then take ground transport for over an hour on an express bus or a train with MANY stops along the way).
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Getting around: Once you're in town, The G-Link light rail provides transportation through the Gold Coast area at a low cost. Cards can be purchased at any news store that indicates they are for sale. It will be an Australian winter, so it will be cool (not cold) in the water.
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The beach: The closest beach is Broadbeach, which is in the middle of the Gold Coast (the sand and ocean are less than fifteen minutes' walk from the front door of our sessions location).
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Excursions: Also, it will be whale migration season, which is something not to miss. Other possibilities include day trips to Moreton Island, kayaking and snorkeling tours, as well as paddle boarding lessons and learn-to-surf classes. Currumbin Sanctuary (about 20km south of Broadbeach) is a fantastic wildlife park where you can feed birds, kangaroos, and wallabies and cuddle koalas. Sea World (unrelated to the SeaWorld company based in the United States), Dreamworld, and Movie World are accessible by car or bus. The Home of the Arts (HOTA) is Australia's newest cultural center, with a strong focus on contemporary arts and culture. The Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre near Tallebudgera Beach provides great opportunities to better understand the culture and heritage of the Yugambeh as the First Nations people of the land. Gold Coast also boasts spectacular rainforests and mountainous locations in the Hinterland that are a short drive from the main centers. These include Springbrook National Park, Tambourine Mountain, Lamington National Park, and Mount Warning.
More information to come in next editions of the Newsletter.