The Media Ethics Division seeks a diverse range of original faculty and graduate student paper submissions related to ethics. Media ethics pertain to all communication types and practices, and we welcome submissions that address both traditional and emergent issues in our changing media landscape. Ethics-related topics and concerns include but are not limited to: issues of justice, power, and representation; the ethics of storytelling; the ethics of diversity, inclusion, and belonging; ethical decision-making; moral development; truth-telling and deception; privacy; credibility; accountability; the relationship between journalism and democracy; organizational norms and routines; global ethics; the impact of technology on ethics; the relationship between economic structures and ethical practices, audience considerations; applied ethics in journalism, advertising, public relations, digital technology (such as social media and platforms), or entertainment; the pedagogy of media ethics; and the relationships between law, history, and ethics.
The division seeks scholarship on all media contexts such as journalism, advertising, public relations, entertainment, digital media, social media, etc.; from a range of theoretical/paradigmatic approaches including philosophical, critical, sociological, psychological, pedagogical, etc.; and using a range of methods including qualitative, quantitative, critical cultural, and mixed methods. Essays grounded in ethics theory are also welcome. All papers should adhere to APA style (7th ed.); must be no more than 25 pages (excluding title page, references, figures, illustrations, and/or appendices); should be double-spaced, use 1inch margins and 12point Times New Roman; should be saved as Word or PDF; should include an abstract (maximum 75 words); and must otherwise conform to the rules outlined in the AEJMC Uniform Call for Papers.
Research-in-Progress: ETHC also accepts Research-in-Progress (1,000-1,500 words) submissions following the Research-in-Progress Call Guidelines for AEJMC. The new Research-in-Progress category supports projects still in progress at the time of the conference. Submissions should be developed for meaningful peer feedback during the review process but not substantially complete or under review elsewhere. Projects must be actively in progress (e.g., data collection, analysis, or writing should be underway) and submissions must include sufficient detail for reviewers to evaluate scholarly potential. The project proposal should include the following: (1) purpose and significance; (2) theoretical framework and/or literature grounding; (3) research questions and/or hypotheses; (4) methodology; (5) expected contribution to the field; (6) preliminary results or findings; (7) areas needing feedback that would benefit the project; and (8) references, tables, and figures (not part of word count).
Papers or Research-in-Progress that do not conform to these rules or contain information identifying the author(s) will be disqualified. The deadline is Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 11:59 p.m. (Central Daylight Time). Authors will be notified by May 20, 2026. Reviewers’ comments will be accessible through the submission portal.
Anonymize your paper: Submissions with author identifiers will be disqualified. Before submitting, we strongly suggest conducting an internet search to learn how to remove metadata from your chosen document type (Word or PDF) based on your use of either Windows or macOS. Implementing those steps ensures identifying factors are not present (as can especially happen when someone “saves as pdf” even after clearing metadata from a Word doc). AEJMC’s Uniform Call for Papers includes helpful solutions to self-citations. The division strongly advises authors to submit papers with sufficient time to review them in the AEJMC submission system and ensure identifying information is removed.
Submitting a paper or Research-in-Progress to the Media Ethics Division implies that the author (or one of the coauthors) intends to present the paper in person at the conference.
James Whalen Award for Student Research: All students who submit papers to the Media Ethics Division are encouraged to enter their papers in the James Whalen Award competition. The Media Ethics Division teams with the University of St. Thomas to sponsor this special paper competition for students. The award is named in honor of Father Whalen in recognition of his national reputation as a journalism educator, ethicist, and founder of the University's journalism program. Its goal is to encourage research on media ethics and excellence in professional practice. Students are invited to submit papers on any topic related to media ethics: public relations, entertainment, journalism, advertising, etc. The winning paper will receive the University of St. Thomas James Whalen Award for Outstanding Student Research in Media Ethics. The award includes a $500 cash prize. The runner-up will receive a $200 cash prize. Authors for the top two submissions will receive a small travel assistance stipend and be invited to present their papers at the 2026 conference in New Orleans. The winner will be invited to accept his or her prize at the conference's Kappa Tau Alpha Awards Luncheon.
Division Awards: Professional Relevance Award: The Division gives special recognition to a paper considered the most relevant to working professionals in the media industry. The recipient will be selected from the open and special calls.
Top Faculty Paper: The division specializes in faculty papers judged to be the best papers submitted by faculty authors.
The Penn State Davis Ethics Award: Scholars who have successfully defended ethics-related dissertations in the 2025 calendar year are encouraged to apply for the Penn State Davis Ethics Award. The award provides a $1,000 honorarium, travel support to present their scholarship in a session of the Media Ethics Division at the 2026 AEJMC annual conference, and a fully supported guest lecture visit to Penn State’s Bellisario College of Communications. The Don W. Davis Professor in Ethics at Penn State, Patrick Lee Plaisance, will administer all aspects of the award competition and selection process.
Applications should include a cover letter stating the applicant’s ethics-related focus and contact information, defense date, full dissertation (either in PDF format or as a web link), and dissertation adviser contact information. All applications are due April 1, 2026, and should be sent to plp22@psu.edu. The award will be presented at the Media Ethics Division’s Business Meeting during the 2026 AEJMC conference. This award is intended to recognize new scholarship in media and communication ethics and is sponsored by the Davis Program in Ethical Leadership at Penn State. A guest lecture visit to Penn State will be arranged for Fall 2026 based on recipient availability.
Questions regarding submission should be directed to Media Ethics Division Research Chair, Lana Medina, University of St. Thomas, medi6836@stthomas.edu.