This year’s Trends in Media and Communication (TiMC) Research Conference kicked off with renewed calls for academics, researchers, and industry professionals to critically rethink innovation in Africa’s rapidly evolving communication space.
The biennial event organized by the Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana brought together scholars and practitioners from different parts of the world to deliberate on the emerging disruptions reshaping African media and communication.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the three-day event held from November 5 to 7, 2025, Provost of the College of Education, Professor Samuel Nii Ardey Codjoe, described the conference as a timely reflection on the changing face of media practice and scholarship in Africa.
“Disruption is no longer an occasional visitor; it is the permanent neighbor living next door to every newsroom, PR department, creative agency, and university,” he said.
Head of the Department of Communication Studies, Prof. Gladys Nyarko Ansah, also speaking at the opening ceremony, highlighted the need to deepen research conversations that critically examine Africa’s evolving media realities and enrich global scholarship.
“We gather at a time of profound change where citizen journalism, digital activism, and algorithmic bias are reshaping Africa’s media landscape,” she said. “These disruptions, though challenging, open new possibilities for innovation and inclusion, redefining what ‘media’ means on our continent.”
The 2025 edition, which marked the third TiMC Conference, explored how artificial intelligence, influencer culture, platformization, and digital innovation are reshaping the continent’s media landscape and redefining the boundaries between scholarship and practice.
About 150 participants including scholars, students, and media professionals converged online via Microsoft Teams for the three-day event, held under the theme “Disruptions in African Media and Communication Spaces.”
Conference Convener, Dr. Aurelia Ayisi, expressed excitement about the growth of the TiMC initiative since its inception in 2021.
“What began as a platform for emerging research has evolved into a vibrant space for interrogating new technologies, shifting audience dynamics, and the political, ethical, and cultural implications of digital change,” she said.
Dr. Ayisi added that the conference provides a meeting ground for scholars, students, and professionals who care deeply about the future of media and communication in Africa.
The conference explored nine major sub-themes including: Rewriting Power and Representation in African Digital Media, Navigating Influencer Culture and Media Trust in Africa, Sustainability and Climate Reporting in the Digital Age, AI, Automation, and the Future of African Communication among others.
Participants delivered presentations across the various sub-themes and received constructive feedback aimed at strengthening their research and perspectives. Conversations throughout the sessions revealed the twofold impact of digital disruption revealing both its challenges and its capacity to support creativity, inclusivity, and innovation.
“The speed of innovation leaves us exhilarated, yet it also challenges us to think more critically about ethics, governance, and equity,” Prof. Codjoe had noted.
The highlight of the conference was the final day (November 7), which featured a Doctoral Colloquium, providing participants with the opportunity to learn about the formalities of publishing a research paper. The discussion centered on the theme “Publishing Your Research: What Research Students and Early Career Faculty Must Know.”
The panel featured leading journal editors, including Professor Winston Mano (Journal of African Media Studies), Professor Viola Milton (Communicatio), and Professor G. Etse Sikanku (Journal of Communication, Media and Society), who offered practical insights into academic publishing and research visibility.
The TiMC 2025 Conference reaffirmed its role as a space where scholarship meets practice, bridging academic inquiry and professional innovation. As Dr. Ayisi remarked in her closing note, “Even in times of disruption, knowledge remains our most powerful tool for transformation. Together, we can shape media and communication that are more ethical, inclusive, and authentically African.”
The event concluded with a renewed call for collaboration across institutions and generations to advance critical research and practice in African communication.
Call for Papers
Theme: Disruptions in African Media and Communication Spaces
Mode: Virtual
Conference Dates: November 5 – 7, 2025
The Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana invites scholars, researchers, media practitioners, and industry experts to submit abstracts for the Trends in Media and Communication Conference (TiMC) 2025. This online conference seeks to critically examine the disruptive forces reshaping the African communication and media landscape, driven by technological advancements, economic shifts, regulatory challenges, and changing audience behaviors.
The contemporary communication landscape in Africa is undergoing significant shifts amidst the rise of algorithm-driven communication, AI-generated content, and the dwindling fortunes of traditional media. These are complemented by the pervasive spread of digital falsehoods, the increasing sway of social media influencers on news dissemination, and the ongoing struggle between established media and grassroots reporting among other things. Importantly, significant shifts in storytelling approaches and resources, brand-initiated conversations and the forever burning issue of credibility present dynamics as do increasing efforts towards media literacy education (Benmelit, 2024; Adjin-Tettey et al., 2024). These factors collectively challenge long-established assumptions about media and communication industries and their future (Ciortea-Neamțiu & Szabo, 2016).
Examining disruptions in Africa’s media and communication industries and spaces and how these are shaping the future is therefore crucial in light of global shifts in communication and media ecologies. This conference invites empirical studies, theoretical analyses, and industry insights to foster cross-field [academia and practice] discourses on the prospects and obstacles confronting African media in an era of disruption.
Thematic Areas
We invite contributions that address disruptions in African media and communication spaces and industries, including in particular,
- The Rise of AI and Automation in African Communication Industries – submissions that examine AI-driven content creation, algorithmic biases, and the implications for content credibility, communication industry jobs, and public trust.
- Disruptions in Media Business Models - submissions that explore the decline of legacy media business models, the rise of digital subscriptions, crowdfunding, and new monetization strategies.
- The Power and Perils of Influencer Culture –submissions that analyse the impact of digital influencers on news consumption, brand communication, political discourse, and misinformation in Africa.
- Regulation in the Age of Digital Disruptions – submissions that evaluate the tension between free expression and press freedom and emerging digital policies, including social media taxes, content moderation laws, and online censorship.
- Media and Information Literacy (MIL) as a Tool for Resilience – Submissions that investigate how MIL can counteract disinformation, hate speech, and digital manipulation in Africa’s evolving media landscape.
- The Data Privacy and Surveillance Dilemma – submissions that assess the implications of data breaches, online surveillance, and digital rights within African media ecosystems.
- Sustainability and Climate Reporting in the Digital Age – submissions addressing how media innovations reshape environmental journalism and public awareness in Africa.
- Content Creation in a Fragmented Digital Space – submissions that explore the shift from traditional media gatekeeping to decentralised, user-generated content and its effects on media credibility and political engagement.
- Gendered Disruptions in communication spaces and industries submissions that examine how digital disruptions reshape gender portrayals in media, and work cultures in communication industries.
- Crisis Communication in an Age of Disinformation – Submissions that examine strategies for responding to misinformation and media manipulation during health crises, conflicts, and disasters in Africa.
Dates to Note
- Abstract submission deadline extended to 16th June 2025
- Notification of Acceptance: 30th June 2025
- Full Paper Submission Deadline: 21st October 2025
- Registration Opens- Closes: 15th September 2025 - October 21st 2025
- Conference Dates: November 5 – 7, 2025
Submission Guidelines
Authors should submit an abstract of no less than 250 words and no more than 350 words. Abstracts must clearly state the problematic, research assumptions and main arguments, objectives and research questions, theory, methods and, where applicable findings. Proposed research must be original and show promise for making enriching current knowledge and scholarly debates.
Conference fees:
Ghanaian participants: GHS 300
International participants: USD 30
For inquiries, contact Dr Aurelia Ayisi at aayisi@ug.edu.gh
We look forward to your contributions to an engaging and insightful conference.
Registration is opened now. Click on the link below to register
Registration Link
Submit Your Manuscripts Using The Link Below
Manuscript Submission link