The Official Newsletter for the Media Ecology Association

      

January 2026


Dear MEA Community,

New year, new signals in the environment. As we turn the calendar page, it’s a perfect moment to renew your Media Ecology Association membership and re-enter the ongoing conversation about media, culture, and human futures.  The new year is one of the rare moments when time becomes collectively visible, when calendars, habits, and attention give an illusory reset all at once. That shared pause makes it an ideal moment to step back into conversation and contribution. This month’s newsletter includes several calls for contributions.  We hope you’ll add your voice to the mix


Happy new year from the Media Ecology Association.  We look forward to a great new year! 

--Tiffany Petricini

    Start the Year with MEA: Renew in Jan-Feb 2026

     

    Renew your Media Ecology Association (MEA) membership in January or February to stay current and make the most of your member benefits throughout the year. https://media-ecology.org/membership

     

    At a moment when new technologies like artificial intelligence are reshaping how we write, teach, search, create, and decide what to trust, MEA offers a vital space to think clearly and critically about the hidden effects of media environments on communication, consciousness, and culture.

     

    If you’re interested in the nature, history, and impact of technology, media, and symbol systems; media evolution, information, and cybernetics; media codes, literacy, and education; orality and literacy across oral, scribal, typographic, and electronic cultures; the graphic revolution and image culture; and the work of thinkers like Marshall McLuhan, Harold Innis, Walter Ong, Neil Postman, Lewis Mumford, and Jacques Ellul, among others –MEA is your your intellectual community.

     

    Renew in January-February 2026, and invite a colleague or student to join–because the conversations we build now will shape how we understand and navigate new media next.

     

    And don’t miss our next Media Ecology Association (MEA) convention at The University of Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada), June 25–28, 2026

    https://media-ecology.org/convention

    Calls for Contributions


    "Media, Culture, and Society in the Global Creative Ecosystem: Perspectives from North America and Beyond"


    Frontiers in Communication invites submissions to the Research Topic “Media, Culture, and Society in the Global Creative Ecosystem: Perspectives from North America and Beyond.” This collection, edited by Lance Strate and Laura Trujillo-Liñán, examines media as symbolic environments shaping meaning-making, cultural identities, creative labor, and social values in a globally networked world. Grounded in media ecology and general semantics, the topic foregrounds North American perspectives, particularly from the United States and Mexico, while welcoming globally comparative and interdisciplinary work.

    Manuscript summaries due: February 14, 2026
    Full manuscripts due: September 29, 2026

    To visit the full call, please visit the official CFP website.  

    Reminder:  MEA 2026 Submission Deadline


    Please note the upcoming deadlines for the 2026 Media Ecology Association Convention:

    • Proposal Submission Deadline: January 15, 2026 (this month)

    • Full Paper Deadline (Top Paper Awards): February 1, 2026

    Postdigital Media Ecology Collected Volume CFP Update


    The abstract deadline for the Postdigital Media Ecology call for papers has been extended to January 15. We welcome additional submissions and look forward to engaging a broad range of postdigital perspectives.  Submit proposals to tzr106@psu.edu.

    MEA Book Club:  January and February

    Special Note: Book clubs will now take place at 8:00 p.m. 

    MEA Book Club – February 

    February's reading will be:The Bias of Communication by Harold Innis.

    Often considered one of McLuhan’s most important influences and a foundational figure in the Toronto School, Innis approaches media through political economy, history, and sociology rather than literary or perceptual analysis. This collection of essays and addresses blends grand theory with detailed studies of how media and technologies shape social and cultural development..

    Meeting Date and Time:
    February 2, 2026 | 8:00–9:00 p.m. ET
    Please RSVP using the Registration Link to receive the Zoom link. 


    MEA Book Club – January Reminder

    There’s still time to join us for the January MEA Book Club meeting. 

    Date: Monday, January 5, 2026
    Time: 8:00–9:00 p.m. ET 
    Location: Zoom (link provided upon registration)

    RSVP:Registration Link

    January's reading will be:The Laws of Media (1988) by Marshall and Eric McLuhan. 


    Questions or title suggestions may be sent to Tiffany Petricini at:
    tzr106@psu.edu

    We look forward to reading with you.


    More Ways to Get Involved with MEA

    Are you looking for opportunities to engage with the Media Ecology Association beyond the convention? Here are some exciting ways to participate:

    • 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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