In its 50th year, Communications: The European Journal of Communication Research invites to reconsider what European communication research is – and what it can be. From its start in 1975, the journal’s mission has been to serve as a forum for scholarship and academic debate in the field of communication science and research from a European perspective. But what is in fact a European perspective? The jubilee conference invites us to rethink what constitutes European communication research. This opens up a range of questions like: What are particular European preoccupations and key contributions to the wider debates? On which theoretical and methodological fundaments does European communication research rest that set it apart from other inquiries? Is there a unique European contribution to global communication theories? How do assumedly European values of diversity, solidarity, or democracy shape communication research? How can European communication research explore the concept of a ‘digital Europe’? Where does European communication research lead us, and what can or shall we expect from it that is different from work drawn out in other parts of the globe? How do we deal with linguistic barriers and the diversity of research traditions? And can we think of a European communication research beyond exceptionalism and essentialism?
The conference will begin on Monday, 29 September 2025, and end on Tuesday, 30 September 2025. For updated information concerning the program, registration, accommodation, and travel, please visit our website.