In Media Res The Official Newsletter for the Media Ecology Association April 2026 |
 |
| Editor’s NotesApril is often reduced to the phrase»April showers bring May flowers.» This serves as a familiar reminder that what feels inconvenient or disruptive may be part of a longer process of growth. It is a comforting idea, but also an incomplete one. Showers do not guarantee anything. They introduce conditions. What follows depends on what is already in place, what has been planted, and what is able to take hold.In media ecology, we are often working within similar conditions. We do not control the environments in which meaning circulates, but we participate in shaping them. This is a month where much of that work becomes visible. Deadlines close. Conferences approach. Submissions are finalized. What has been in progress begins to take form not as finished products, but as contributions entering into shared spaces of inquiry.This issue reflects that moment. You will find invitations to participate, to attend, to submit, to renew, and to contribute. These are not administrative details. They are the ongoing practices through which the field sustains itself.If March signaled movement, April reveals what that movement is carrying forward.— Tiffany A. Petricini Editor, In Medias Res |
| From the AssociationMEA @ ECA: Featured ProgrammingMany of us will be gathering next week at the Eastern Communication Association conference, with panels that engage questions of culture, health, spirituality, rhetoric, and the conditions of thought in contemporary media environments.We encourage members to attend, share, and help amplify MEA’s presence. Here is the lineup at a glance: Thursday, April 911:30 AM – 12:45 PM (EST) Paper Panel: Emerging Intersections of Media Ecology: Gender, Culture, Health, and ReasonThis panel brings together work examining media ecology across domains of public space, nationhood, health communication, artificial intelligence, and family systems.2:30 PM – 3:45 PM Competitive Paper Panel: Conflict, Resistance and Spirituality: Media Ecology ApproachesPapers in this session explore historical and contemporary media environments—from medieval communication systems to digital resistance networks, religious mediation, and the losses embedded in digital life.Friday, April 101:30 PM – 2:45 PM Roundtable: Systems, Rhetoric, and Phenomenology: A Discussion of Media Ecology’s EmergenceFeaturing a distinguished group of scholars, this roundtable reflects on the theoretical foundations and future directions of media ecology as a field.3:00 PM – 4:15 PM MEA Business MeetingAll members are encouraged to attend.Saturday, April 118:30 AM – 9:45 AM Co-Sponsored Panel (with Philosophy of Communication): The Philosophical, Historical and Rhetorical Meaning of Food: “The Medium Is the Sandwich”This session explores food as medium—from classical philosophy to political rhetoric, cultural identity, and communication pedagogy.Final Call for Membership RenewalsThis is our last call to join or renew your membership in the Media Ecology Association. We are now in the MEA membership and renewal season, and this is an especially timely opportunity to become part of a vibrant and welcoming community dedicated to media ecology, communication, technology, culture, and the evolving media environment.MEA offers a space for thoughtful dialogue, scholarly exchange, and meaningful collaboration. It is a great moment to join the conversations, relationships, and initiatives helping shape the future of the field. We warmly invite you to take advantage of this opportunity and join us.If you know colleagues, students, or friends who may be interested in media ecology, we would also be deeply grateful for your help in sharing this invitation with them.Join or renew your membership. ![Promotional graphic for the 27th Annual Convention of the Media Ecology Association, held June 25–28, 2026, at the University of Winnipeg, Department of Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications. The theme reads “Crossing [Out] Borders in Our Global Village,”](https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NZzNAFh6JyCY4rX98U-7TPozw0dQydL6Tcl5B4Jv8Mtv3St3M-lFb-8CKibD5Y4BGdUTJiEcMbOI19KwPYH741MrWxKzmc9zCNB1TtETpPlBW96CNLulnq9CIChl3OZaA=s0-d-e1-ft#https://media-ecology.org/resources/Pictures/2025_08_MEA_WebsiteHeader.jpg) Presentation Registration DeadlineIf you plan to attend the 2026 MEA Convention in Winnipeg, please register by April 24 to ensure your proposal is included in the program. The convention will be held at the University of Winnipeg from June 25–28, 2026, and the Convention page now includes updated registration details, featured speakers, lodging options, and pre-convention tour information.Register for the 2026 MEA ConventionPre-Convention Tour UpdateConvention registrants also have the option to sign up for the June 24 pre-convention tour, hosted by the Marshall McLuhan Initiative. The tour includes a series of McLuhan-related sites in Winnipeg and concludes with an evening event connected to the transformation of 507 Gertrude into the Marshall McLuhan Centre. Additional tour details are now available, and attendees can add the tour during convention registration. The Convention page notes that the pre-convention tour is hosted by the Marshall McLuhan Initiative and that Winnipeg, McLuhan’s hometown, will offer visits to sites connected to his life and legacy.Learn more about the pre-convention tour OpportunitiesDiscourse, Dialogue, and Democracy II (Free Online Symposium)Join the Institute of General Semantics on Saturday, April 25 for Discourse, Dialogue, and Democracy II: An Online Symposium.As the title suggests, this event continues the conversation begun at the in-person Discourse, Dialogue, and Democracy symposium held alongside the 2025 Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture in New York City.The symposium is free and open to both members and non-members, though registration is required. It will be held via Zoom, with access information distributed in advance. Sessions will also be recorded and made available afterward.More information and registration Meaning in Motion: How Words Become Worlds (IGS Summer Seminar, London)The Institute of General Semantics will host its 2026 summer seminar, Meaning in Motion: How Words Become Worlds, from July 14–17 in London.This four-day, in-person seminar offers an immersive introduction to general semantics and its contemporary relevance, bringing together theory, application, and experiential learning. Participants will engage with questions at the core of media ecology: how language structures perception, how meaning is formed and misformed, and how communication shapes both personal and public life.The seminar is designed for a wide range of participants. Those new to general semantics will gain a foundational understanding of the tradition, while those already familiar will find opportunities for deeper engagement, extension, and application. The program also offers particular value for educators interested in teaching language, communication, and evaluation.Led by a group of Institute trustees including Mary P. Lahman, Lance Strate, Nora Bateson, Dom Heffer, Peggy Cassidy, and Thom Gencarelli—the seminar combines lecture, discussion, and guided exercises across four full days of instruction.Registration includes course materials, breakfast and lunch, and access to all sessions.More information and registration ETC Special Issue on AI/AGIETC: A Review of General Semantics, the official journal of the Institute of General Semantics, seeks submissions for a special issue dedicated to AI/AGI.The issue welcomes work that addresses the many ways we continue to grapple with and understand how developments in artificial intelligence and artificial general intelligence are affecting the human condition, including our ways of knowing and our ways of living. Because ETC is not a refereed academic journal, the editor also welcomes think pieces, probes, fiction-based approaches, and related forms.Acceptance is rolling, with publication currently anticipated for the end of 2026, depending on the number of submissions received.Please send submissions, as MSWord documents, to Thom Gencarelli, Editor of ETC, at thom.gencarelli@manhattan.edu |
| More Ways to Get Involved with MEAMEA Book ClubThe MEA hosts a monthly reading group on language, technology, and the human condition via Zoom. Anchored in the tradition of media ecology, the group is open to seasoned scholars and curious newcomers alike, including both MEA members and nonmembers.Acquiring and reading the book is strongly encouraged but not required. Curiosity and thoughtful dialogue are always welcome. Upcoming Meetings (8–9 PM Eastern Time):April 6, 2026 – Walter Ong, The Presence of the WordMay 4, 2026 – Walter Ong, Orality and LiteracyJune 1, 2026 – Walter Ong, An Ong Reader, (Thomas J. Farrell and Paul A. Soukup, eds.)Attendance is free, but Zoom registration is required to receive the meeting link.Visit the MEA Book Club webpage. Virtual Coffee MeetingsDo 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 websiteIf you’re an experienced media ecologist interested in volunteering for these meetings, we’d love to hear from you! Book Reviewers WantedHave 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 ListservStay 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 MediaConnect with us on social media to stay updated on news, events, and discussions. Follow us on Facebook and X to join the conversation! |
Blog de Octavio Islas 