11th Journalism Studies Graduate Student Colloquium
ICA 2025 Denver Pre-conference
Call for Papers
June 11, 2025 – Denver, United States
The Journalism Studies PhD Colloquium brings together graduate students working in journalism studies with experienced scholars in the field. Annually, this colloquium represents the Journalism Studies Division’s commitment to academic mentorship and is being held pre-conference in conjunction with the ICA 2025 Annual Conference held in Denver (USA). The colloquium will be an in-person event nearby Denver (exact location to be announced).
The goal of this annual colloquium is to contribute to the professional development of early-career scholars by giving them an opportunity to present and discuss their research in a constructive and international atmosphere. The colloquium provides an opportunity to meet senior scholars as well as fellow PhD students from different backgrounds working on related topics in journalism research.
The colloquium will focus on work related to the participants’ theses, which can include articles or sections of their theses. Each participating student will receive individual feedback on their paper from an experienced scholar. In addition, the colloquium will feature a discussion with experts about topics of professional development such as publishing in international journals, general career strategies, and grant applications.
This event is open to graduate and PhD students working on topics broadly concerned with journalism studies. The organizers encourage the submission of scholarly work that advances our understanding of how journalism works within individual regions or comparatively across regions. Subject areas include but are not limited to: the functions of journalism in society, the structural and cultural influences on journalism, the attitudes and characteristics of journalists, features of news content and their effects, news audiences and their experiences, and evolving dynamics of media technologies in news production, distribution and consumption, as well as topics related to journalism education. Of interest are the relationships between journalism and power, democratic standards, economic pressures, technological change, and (academic) critique. Conceptual, empirical, and theoretical papers are welcome.
Submission guidelines
Please note: As this year colloquium will be organized as an in-person event this year participants are expected to present their work onsite in the United States. The organizers will prioritize first-time attendees over participants who have participated in the colloquium in previous years.
Applicants should submit an abstract of 500 words (excluding references) that outlines the topic, rationale, theoretical approach, and, if applicable, empirical application. It is also advisable to inform whether the submitted piece is part of a compilation dissertation (article-based dissertation) or part of a monograph dissertation (chapter, overview). Every abstract should include the name, affiliation, and expected graduation date of the PhD student.
Submissions should be sent via email to Mathias Felipe de Lima Santos at mathias.felipe@unifesp.br
Format: submit an abstract in PDF format labelled “Last_Name_JSColloquium2025”.
Email subject: Journalism PhD Colloquium Denver.
Deadline for abstract submission : no later than February 25th, 2025 at 11:59pm AoE (Anywhere on Earth) .
Notifications of acceptance: mid-March 2025.
If accepted, student participants will need to submit a full/working paper of up to 8000 words (including references) by May 1st, 2025 no later than 11:59pm AoE .
The colloquium will be held on June 11th, 2024 onsite in Denver, USA (location to be announced).
