The Twenty-First Annual Convention of the Media Ecology Association
June 17–20, 2020 |
About
Media Ecology is a discipline whose history, perspectives, and scholarly interests incorporate a broad array of academic and professional disciplines focusing on “the study of complex communication systems as environments” (Christine Nystrom, 1973). Every year, the MEA convention provides a unique opportunity for academics and professionals to come together in a relaxed and collegial environment that encourages conversation and creativity.
The theme of the 2020 convention is “Communication Choices and Challenges.” In every act of communication, people make choices. We choose where, when, and how to express ourselves or locate and use information. We choose the medium that seems best suited to the task: are we trying to reach the largest possible audience, get the word out quickly, or ensure that our message reaches future generations? Do we wish to convey a deep sense of intimacy, empathy, authority, or cool distance? Are we looking for information from a wide variety of perspectives, confirmation of what we already believe, or the deepest possible exploration of an issue?
Featured Speakers
Featured speakers at the 2020 convention include Jay Rosen — media critic and author of PressThink.org, What Are Journalists For?, as well as countless articles and essays on American journalism — and Maryanne Wolf — international advocate for children and literacy and author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain (2007), Dyslexia, Fluency, and the Brain (2001), Tales of Literacy for the 21st Century (2016), and Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World (2018).
Convention at a Glance
Click on the session you wish to join and, when prompted, enter the password that has been emailed to you. See “Convention Details” below for more.
All times are EDT (Eastern Daylight Time), UTC/GMT −4 hours
👉 Tweet the convention using the hashtag #MEA2020 👈
Convention Details
To download a PDF of the full program with detailed panel and participant information, click the button below:
Please note: this program is subject to minor updates. For the latest, please check this page, which will always contain the most recent information.
This year, for the first time, the MEA’s annual convention will be held virtually via Zoom. Participants and attendees are encouraged to download the latest version of the app and familiarize themselves with its features in advance, such as screen sharing, which we plan to allow in the concurrent panel rooms so participants can share presentations, videos, etc.
All panels with take place in “meeting rooms” (i.e., 1, 2, 3, and 4), while plenaries and special sessions will take place in meeting rooms or be broadcast as webinars. The links to these meeting rooms and webinars are in the at-a-glance schedule above. Click on the session you wish to join. Each session has its own Zoom link. Note: You will need a password to join the meeting rooms and webinars.
The passwords will be emailed to everyone who has registered for the convention so make sure you’re registered (see below) and check the email you used to register for an email from the Media Ecology Association with the subject line “MEA Convention: Day X password for panels” where X is the day of the convention. In some cases, this email might get routed to your “spam” or “junk” mail folder, so be sure to check there if you don’t see it. There will be a single password for all sessions on a given day.
If you have issues or questions, we recommend first reaching out to your panel chair (who, if you’re presenting, should haved emailed you) before contacting the convention coordinator at mea2020Convention@gmail.com. You can also try reaching out to us via our Contact Us page, or on Facebook or Twitter.
Registrants will be able to attend any session they like, even move between sessions. We ask, however, that everyone practice good “Zoom etiquette” and be cognizant of the presentations and conversations happening in each meeting room, just as you would if attending a face-to-face convention. Participants and attendees can help minimize disruptions by joining sessions before they start with their microphones, as well as perhaps their video, turned off. This can be done by updating your settings on the Zoom app. Just don’t forget to unmute yourself before speaking!
If your torn between attending two panels, know that this year, in another MEA first, registrants will have access to video recordings of all the sessions for a limited period of time after the convention. That way, for instance, you can choose to attend one panel live and watch a recording of the other one(s) you were interested in later. Information about these recordings has been emailed to all convention registrants.
The MEA encourages all presenters to present synchronously (i.e., live in the designated meeting room at the designated time), but if for some reason you would like to present asynchronously, please let your panel chair or our convention coordinator know.
Registration
We have reduced this year’s convention registration fees to reflect the online format:
- Student members: $10
- Regular members: $25
- Non-member students: $25
- Non-member registration: $50
Students may be asked to provide valid student IDs.
Registration deadline for participants: May 20, 2020
Registration deadline for attendees: June 17, 2020
Convention registration entitles you to attend all convention panels, plenaries, and special sessions. All prices are listed in U.S. dollars. Sustaining and Institutional members don’t have to pay for the convention again, though they still must register for it separately above. Those who paid traditional registration prices earlier this year can ask for a refund. However, we invite those members to donate that portion of their membership fees in support of the Association this year.
All convention participants and attendees are encouraged to join the MEA.
Any payment questions should be directed to our treasurer Paul Soukup at treasurer@media-ecology.net or +1 (408) 554-4022.
Last updated June 20, 2020. Please check back for further updates.
To view the original call for papers for this convention, click here.
Convention-related questions? Contact convention coordinator Peggy Cassidy at MEA2020Convention@gmail.com. General questions? Contact us.