Call for Paper Proposals

The World Media Economics and Management Conference 2025

Reinventing Management for Turbulent Times: Confronting the Next Wave of Digital Disruption

May 20-24, 2025

City host: Warsaw, Poland

Submission system is now open!

Abstract submissions for: individual papers, panel sessions and posters are now open.

Go to submission page

Background

Media economics and management studies have widely reacted to transformational change in media industries both in the impact on consumers and the media companies, organizations and business. There is now a considerable body of published research examining- the dynamic digital media landscape and industry activities to adapt in social, economic, environmental and organizational terms. Regardless of geographical location, media industries continuously refine strategies and practices of adaptation to cope with the so-called the shift between the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions. More evidence and deeper understanding is needed regarding causes, drivers, and implications, including characteristic path dependencies that affect and may be affected by media consumers with ramifications for dependencies in future generations. As we deal with the multifaced uncertainties of today’s media environment, deeper understandings are especially needed to clarify a complex and turbulent context characterized by climate change, military conflicts, misinformation and propaganda, cybercrime, AI, populism, an erosion of democratic values, perforations of media ethics and imbalances in the plurality of voices.

Media management and economics in turbulent times is a timely focus for the 2025 conference. The WMEMC community will investigate, discuss and work to develop insights on contemporary conditions and emerging challenges in the media environment for media industries and organizations, business and revenue, citizens and societies, devices and technologies, politics and policies. Putting the discipline of media management and economics research at the center of a troubled context invites critical interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary analytical perspectives on the influences and implications of pressing contemporary challenges that will shape and reshape the future.

Focus and Objectives

The focus for the WMEMC 2025 centers on examining, analyzing and developing insights to deepen understandings of the rapid pace and complexity of change in media industries to both advance theory in the field and support practical efforts to develop media in the many aspects of key interest. These certainly include financial, structural, technological, cultural, societal, political and ideological aspects of media and media-society relations. We seek answers to questions of fundamental importance for understanding what and how media industries, organizations, and professionals need to prepare for the future and how both professional practice and media research and education must adapt to be useful.

The Purview of Research

WMEMC is a diverse and inclusive community of researchers and practitioners from around the world. We welcome submissions on the conference theme from a wide range of approaches and themes from all parts of the world. Past conferences have welcomed participants from the Americas, Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe and many countries in Global South and north. We are keen to invite interdisciplinary and diverse approaches to answering questions about the effects of turbulence on economic and managerial aspects of media. We welcome policy makers, experts and academics from every discipline and  all media industries with cognate interest to join the discussion. We believe multidisciplinary and cross disciplinary exploration is crucial for innovation in theory and practice. We therefore invite paper proposals addressing the following areas in particular, and are open to other aspects as well:

  1. Economic and managerial implications of turbulent times for companies, organizations and strategies within and across media industries and related cultural, creative and communications sectors.
  2. Implications of technological developments in AI, AR/VR/MR, algorithms, data and metadata, platformization and networked organizations, smart zones and consequences for the media economy, media management and digital well-being.
  3. Changes in the profile of media users and audiences, in user expectations, and implications related to patterns across generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha.
  4. Challenges for media ethics and in media policy and regulatory environments, sectors and society, sustainability of media systems.
  5. Projects and initiatives related to media economics and management that are pertinent to innovation in media industries in turbulent times.
  6. Other questions and issues that challenge, extend and/or add to contemporary knowledge in the fields of media economic and management.

How to Submit (system opens at September 1, 2024)

Abstracts and fee payments may be submitted via our WMEMC 2025 platform. All abstracts will be reviewed prior to acceptance and published in an online book of abstracts. Additionally, for those who are interested we aim to negotiate publishing opportunities for selected fully developed papers with respected journals/publishers.

Please fill out the form by choosing the type of submission and adapt your submission to these criteria:

  1. Individual paper:
    • choose the theme for your paper from the list (from 1 to 6);
    • add your data: name, affiliation, contacts (e-mail), phone number, short bio (100 words)
    • and personal data of your co-author(s): names, affiliations, contacts (e-mail), short bios (100 words)
    • send a paper proposal between 350 and 600 words consisting of a short theoretical background, goals and research questions, methodology, assumed results, theoretical and practical contribution and three of the most important references
    • one author may submit up to two papers
    • co-authored papers are welcome
    • in case of any difficulties, please get in touch with us via the website or e-mail at wmemc2025@wdib.uw.edu.pl
  1. Panel session
    • proposals, from a single organizer, for a panel session (consisting of a maximum of four presentations) are welcome
    • choose the theme for your paper from the list (from 1 to 6);
    • add your data: name, affiliation, contacts (e-mail), phone number, short bio (100 words)
    • add personal data of your guests: names, affiliations, contacts (e-mail), short bios (100 words)
    • send a paper between 700 and 1000 words consisting of a short introduction with the session’s reasoning, goals and description of each invited paper (with theoretical background, goals and research questions, methodology, assumed results, theoretical and practical contribution and three the most important references)
    • in case of any difficulties, please get in touch with us via the website or e-mail at wmemc2025@wdib.uw.edu.pl
  1. Poster:
    • choose the theme for your poster from the list (from 1 to 6);
    • add your data: name, affiliation, contacts (e-mail), phone number, short bio (100 words)
    • send a poster’s description between 200 and 400 words consisting of a short theoretical background, goals and research questions, methodology, assumed results, theoretical and practical contribution and three of the most important references
    • one author may submit up to one poster
    • co-authored posters are not allowed
    • in case of any difficulties, please get in touch with us via the website or e-mail at wmemc2025@wdib.uw.edu.pl

What criteria will be used by your reviewers to evaluate submissions?

1. Relevance to the conference themes (10 points): Is the paper’s topic relevant to WMEMC2025 areas? 
2. Documentation of sources/background information/literature review (10 points): Does the paper demonstrate an adequate understanding of the relevant literature in the field? Does it include references to well-known and current studies on the topic under discussion? 
3. Methodology (10 points): Is the paper’s argument built on an appropriate base of theory, concepts, or other ideas? Are the methods of data collection and analysis relevant to the research problem? 
4. Analysis/Logic of argumentation (10 points): Are results presented clearly and analyzed appropriately? Do empirical findings adequately align with the paper’s main idea and theoretical background? Are the conclusions or findings justified? 
5. Originality (10 points): Does the paper contribute to or complement the state of knowledge? Does it introduce outstanding and original ideas? Does it identify any implications for research, practice or society? 
 6. Format (completeness, language and style) (10 points): Does it contain all the required elements? Is it well-organized and well-written, or does it need formal editing? 

Participation Fees

Participation Early Bird (Euro) Received BEFORE on March 7, 2025 (12:00, noon, London time) Regular Bird (Euro) Received BETWEEN March 8, 2025-April 15, 2025 (12:00, noon, London time) Late Bird (Euro) Received BETWEEN April 16, 2025-May 15, 2025 (12:00, noon, London time)
TIER A TIER B TIER C TIER A TIER B TIER C TIER A TIER B TIER C
PhD Student 250 200 150 300 250 200 350 300 250
Experienced Researcher 350 300 250 400 350 300 450 400 350
Post-WMEMC social event (Saturday) for attendents and accompanying people 120 E/person

Tier system according to World Bank Country and Lending Groups – World Bank Data Help Desk

*We offer a special 10% discount for the Polish Communication Association.

Conference Schedule

May 22, 2024
Call for papers announcement

September 1, 2024
Submission system opens

October 30, 2024
Submission system closes

November 15, 2024
Notifications of acceptance

December 1, 2024
Registration and payment system opens (Early Bird, in Euro)

March 7, 2025
Early Bird closes (12:00, noon, London time)

March 8, 2025
Regular Bird (Euro)

April 15, 2025
Regular Bird closes (12:00, noon, London time)

April 16, 2025
Late Bird opens (Euro)

May 15, 2025
Late Bird closes (12:00, noon, London time)

May 20-23, 2025
WMEMC

May 24, 2025
Post-WMEMC social activity

Publication Possibilities

Please check Call for Papers for its special issue: “Reinventing Media Management for Turbulent Times: Confronting the Next Wave of Digital Disruption!”. More information about the Journal: International Journal on Media Management | Taylor & Francis Online (tandfonline.com)

Please check Call for Papers for its special issue: “Reinventing Media Economics for Turbulent Times: Confronting the Next Wave of Digital Disruption!”. More information about the Journal: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/hmec20/about-this-journal