Press Room

National Communication Association’s 102nd Annual Convention to Focus on Civic Engagement and Social Justice

November 2, 2016
Association News
NCA News, Social Justice
Philadelphia, PA  -  More than 5,000 Communication researchers, teachers, and students are expected at this year’s National Communication Association (NCA) Annual Convention to explore the theme of “Communication’s Civic Callings.” Communication scholars will convene in Philadelphia to discuss relevant domestic and international issues such as social activism, feminism and gender identity, race and religion, technology, media and entertainment, and more.
 
This year, NCA is proud to host its first Social Justice Exchange (SJE), a three-hour event where scholars and activists from Philadelphia-based organizations will gather to exchange ideas on how communication can be used to ignite discussion, unite communities, and be a catalyst for meeting important challenges that face our country.  
 
To attend: Journalists are invited to attend the convention to learn more about the highlights listed below and to explore more than 1,200 sessions in which NCA members will present new research and discuss emerging issues in Communication.  
 
WHAT: National Communication Association’s 102nd Annual Convention
 
WHEN: November 10-13, 2016
 
WHERE: Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, 1201 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
 
To obtain press passes: Media personnel must register at the registration booth and show working press or media credentials. Register in advance with Jenna Sauber to have your press pass ready.
 
Highlights: 
 
For full program information, visit www.natcom.org/convention or contact Jenna Sauber at 202-534-1104 or jsauber@natcom.org.
 
Opening Session (Thursday, 11/10: 5-6:30pm) 
  • Three distinguished Communication scholars, Dr. Bryant Keith Alexander of Loyola Marymount University, Dr. Mohan Dutta of National University of Singapore, and Dr. Billie Murray of Villanova University, will lead “Putting Bodies on the Line and Words into Action: Celebrating the Joys of, Challenges in, and Opportunities for Civic Engagement,” a discussion about using communication to address issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. 
Social Justice Exchange (Friday, 11/11: 9:30am-12:15pm) 
  • This special gathering is designed to bring together NCA attendees, activists, community leaders, and practitioners from the greater Philadelphia area to network, collaborate, and engage in dynamic conversation about communication and how it can be used to unite people for the good of society. Nearly 40 organizations are participating!
NCA Social Justice Film Festival (throughout the Convention) 
  • Filmmakers will present short documentaries on race, identity, the environment, and justice.
Carroll C. Arnold Distinguished Lecture (Friday, 11/11: 5-6pm)
  • Dr. Kirt H. Wilson of Penn State University will present “Dreams of Union, Days of Conflict: Communicating Social Rights Justice and Civil Rights Memory in the Age of Barack Obama.” 
NCA Presidential Address and Awards Ceremony (Saturday, 11/12: 5-6:30pm)
  • NCA President Christina S. Beck will speak on moving the Communication discipline forward within the context of difficult economic constraints, vexing societal problems, and the fragmented, hyper-mediated nature of contemporary life.
  • 36 Communication scholars will receive awards for their research, teaching, and service.

Politics

  • Scholars will present on a variety of political communication topics, from debate rhetoric and gender norms, to reflecting on this year’s election and predicting the impact on future elections.
Entertainment
  • The Marvel Cinematic Universe as Media Phenomenon (11/11, 9:30-10:45am)
  • Broadcasting Queerly: Gender, Sexuality, & Race in Contemporary Television (11/13, 9:30-10:45am)
Race & Ethnicity
  • Are they Protesters or Rioters? A Debate About Public Reaction to Police Brutality (11/10, 8-9:15am)
  • Using College Radio to Facilitate Civic Engagement in the Spanish Speaking Community (11/10, 8-9:15am)
Gender & Identity
  • Womentoring: Did They Really Just Say That? How Do I Deal with Microaggressions? (11/12, 3:30-4:45pm)
  • Sex, Race, Weight, Politics & Other Polite Subjects (11/11, 11am-12:15pm)
Teachers & Students
  • Integrating Classroom Bullying into Instructional Practices (11/11, 8-10:45am)
  • Trigger Warnings: A Pedagogical Debate within the Civic Calling of Communication (11/11, 2-3:15pm)
About the National Communication Association

The National Communication Association (NCA) advances Communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media, and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry. NCA serves the scholars, teachers, and practitioners who are its members by enabling and supporting their professional interests in research and teaching. Dedicated to fostering and promoting free and ethical communication, NCA promotes the widespread appreciation of the importance of communication in public and private life, the application of competent communication to improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use of knowledge about communication to solve human problems. NCA supports inclusiveness and diversity among our faculties, within our membership, in the workplace, and in the classroom; NCA supports and promotes policies that fairly encourage this diversity and inclusion.

For more information, visit natcom.org, follow us on Twitter at @natcomm, and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NationalCommunicationAssociation.