Commencement, Community, and the Continuing Conversation

Dear MEA Community,

As graduation season wraps up and summer begins, we’re reminded that media ecology is not only an intellectual tradition—it’s a living conversation that extends across classrooms, communities, and generations. This month’s newsletter celebrates that continuity.

We begin by spotlighting the remarkable work of undergraduate student Penelope Peck, whose short film Derail: The Master and Margarita Imagined offers a striking creative response to the media ecological ideas explored in her coursework. It’s a powerful reminder that the concepts we teach continue to evolve and echo in the hands of our students.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to officially launch the Media Ecology Book Club, a new monthly gathering open to all who wish to read, reflect, and converse across disciplines and time zones. With a summer reading list that spans foundational texts and field-defining thinkers, this is a wonderful entry point, or reentry, for those looking to engage more deeply with media ecology.

We also share final details for the upcoming MEA 2025 Convention in Mexico City, where questions of AI, ethics, and innovation will take center stage, as well as the Call for Papers for the 2025 Institute of General Semantics Symposium, where our shared traditions of dialogue and inquiry continue to thrive.

Whether you're stepping away for a reflective summer or stepping forward into new academic and creative projects, we invite you to stay in touch and to help us celebrate the many ways media ecology continues to inspire, challenge, and connect.

--Tiffany Petricini

Convention Updates

Final Call: Join Us in Mexico for MEA 2025!

The countdown is on for the 26th Annual Convention of the Media Ecology Association, taking place June 5–8, 2025 in Mexico City!

This year’s theme—“From Natural Selection to Artificial Intelligence: Balancing Opportunities, Ethics, and Challenges”—invites us to probe the intersections of technology, communication, and human futures. As AI reshapes our media environments, MEA 2025 will be a space for critical reflection, interdisciplinary dialogue, and inspired innovation.

Share Your MEA 2025 Experience!

Attending the convention? We'd love to feature your photos and moments in the next newsletter!

Tag us on social media using #MEA2025 and mention the Media Ecology Association.
Or email your favorite photos and reflections directly to Tiffany Petricini at tzr106@psu.edu for consideration.

Let’s gather to explore, question, and co-create the future of media ecology—together.

¡Nos vemos en México!

Member Accomplishments

Our members continue to make significant contributions to the field of media ecology through their research, publications, and creative projects. This section highlights recent achievements, from book releases to awards and other professional milestones. If you have news to share, we encourage you to reach out so we can celebrate your work with the MEA community!

Student Spotlight: Penelope Peck’s “Derail” and the Classroom Echo of Media Ecology

This month, we’re proud to highlight a powerful student production that emerged directly from the influence of media ecology in the classroom.

Penelope Peck, an undergraduate student, created a 5-minute short film titled Derail: The Master and Margarita Imagined as her final project. Deeply inspired by the course’s engagement with Lance Strate’s article “The Issue of Is,” Penelope used the literary framework of The Master and Margarita, a novel known for its resistance to censorship, to craft a political allegory about truth, language, and ideological control in contemporary America.

As educator Dr. Marianne Pabis explains, “Everything I teach bears the influence of media ecology, but I was still surprised—and moved—by how deeply Penelope absorbed and transformed those ideas. The MEA and IGS should take pride in helping to foster this kind of reflective, courageous student work.”

The film is not only a striking artistic achievement, but also a vivid demonstration of media ecological thinking in action. It invites viewers to consider how language, perception, and systems of power are shaped by (and shape) the media environments we inhabit.

Watch the film below:

You’re Invited: The Media Ecology Book Club

A Monthly Reading Group on Language, Technology, and the Human Condition

The Media Ecology Book Club is officially launching! Join a welcoming community of readers, educators, and media ecologists as we explore one book each month that deepens our understanding of how media shape perception, behavior, and culture.

Anchored in the tradition of media ecology, this club is open to seasoned scholars and curious newcomers alike, inviting everyone into rich, generative dialogue around the tools that extend—and sometimes erode—our humanity.

July Kickoff

Book: Media Ecology: An Approach to Understanding the Human Condition by Lance Strate (2017)
Date: Thursday, July 7, 2025
Time: 7:00–8:00 PM ET / 4:00–5:00 PM PT
Location: Zoom (link provided upon RSVP)

RSVP here: Register for July Book Club

Order the book here: Media Ecology: An Approach to Understanding the Human Condition

For questions or to suggest a title, email Tiffany Petricini at tzr106@psu.edu.

We look forward to reading with you!

Institute of General Semantics Updates

The Institute of General Semantics (IGS) continues to offer valuable resources and opportunities for scholars, researchers, and practitioners interested in general semantics, media ecology, and related fields. Below are some key updates

Call for Papers: 2025 IGS Symposium

Discourse, Dialogue, and Democracy
October 3–5, 2025 | The Players, New York City

The Institute of General Semantics, in collaboration with the Media Ecology Association, New York Society for General Semantics, International Bateson Institute, Tomkins Institute, and the 404 Festival of Art and Technology, invites submissions for the upcoming symposium Discourse, Dialogue, and Democracy, to be held October 3–5, 2025, at The Players, 16 Gramercy Park South, New York, NY.

This annual gathering welcomes papers and proposals that address the symposium theme or explore topics related to general semantics, linguistics and semiotics, media ecology, communication and culture, science and the empirical method, epistemology and phenomenology, cybernetics and systems theory, technology and society, art and perception, cognition and consciousness, evolution and emergence, and human potential.

For more information, view the full Call for Papers.

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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