Call for submissions: The Center for Advance Research for Global Communication Fellows 2025 Biennial Conference: Unsettling Global Media and Communication Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 10-11 April 2025. Deadline: 15 December 2024.
In April 2023, CARGC hosted the Fellows’ Symposium, centered around “Doing Global Communication and Media Studies.” Since then, the world has witnessed a surge in political violence, multiple genocides, media censorship, and a subsequent dependence on social media for news. During this time, student activists across college campuses raised awareness about what the United Nations and the International Court of Justice believe to be evidence of a genocide in Gaza. As the intersections of manufactured humanitarian and media crises continue to evolve, this symposium asks not what a global approach to media and communication can achieve today, but rather, what it should strive to accomplish. What are the conditions under which we produce knowledge in our field, and what are the outcomes of that production — is there a media scholarship crisis? This symposium reflects upon our tools and methodologies to rethink entrenched power structures and disrupt prevailing narratives of objectivity and neutrality.
This conference asks: historically, what has been the role of media and communication scholars in times of global crises? To what extent is the “political” — whether understood broadly or through specific contextualization — linked with the civic, ethical, elemental or epistemic underpinnings of global media scholarship? How can scholarly practices — methodologically and pedagogically — challenge and unsettle existing ideological frameworks? Certainly, media reporting on Palestine and the erasure of its people raises questions regarding the responsibilities of media studies scholars in and out of academic spaces. What broader insights can we glean from this crisis about the strengths and limitations of global media studies? Additionally, how can a critical analysis of these crises deepen our understanding of the historical, geographical, and future dimensions of the field?
Her research interests include intercultural communication, media representation, and the role of communication in community development, with a particular focus on addressing the unique needs of marginalized populations. Ifeoma is passionate about exploring how cultural contexts influence communication practices and how intercultural dialogue can be used to promote inclusivity and social cohesion. She is also interested in the integration of media literacy and health education within intercultural settings, aiming to enhance public health communication strategies and support diverse communities.
She holds a BA in Mass Communication from the National Open University of Nigeria, and her areas of specialization include Media and Communication, Intercultural Dialogue, and Community Engagement. Her research interests span Intercultural Communication, Social Media for Social Change, Community Outreach, Cultural Representation in Media, and Advocacy for Inclusive Dialogue.
As of October 2024, Stellina has joined the Center for Intercultural Dialogue (CID) as an intern, collaborating with her team, “3 Connect-1 Voice,” to develop initiatives centered on intercultural dialogue. In her role at CID, Stellina focuses on creating 
