Communicating Narratives, Imaginaries and Epistemes of Hope Conference Announces Its Programme

The programme has been announced for the IAMCR Communication, Social Justice and Democracy Working Group conference and ECREA 2026 pre-conference, titled Communicating Narratives, Imaginaries and Epistemes of Hope. Taking place at the Hollar Building on 7 September 2026 from 9:00 to 17:30, the event will focus on the constructive force of hope and explore how visions, discourses and practices of hope associated with democracy, peace and justice are expressed in media and communication. 

The opening session, titled Hope, Change and Critique, will feature two keynote lectures. Ilija Tomanić Trivundža from the University of Ljubljana will present A Non-Paper on Post-Hope by the Ministry of High-Beam Headlights and Better Future of Cyber Yugoslavia, which engages with the concept of “post-hope” and the vision of a better future in cyberspace. Meanwhile, Nico Carpentier from the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism at Charles University will focus in his lecture From Hope to Change on ways to foster participation in the fields of media and the arts through interventionist research. 

The rest of the programme will comprise eight thematic sessions focusing on visions of sustainable futures in public discourse, young people’s voices in digital environments, artistic and cultural forms of hope, democratic practice and public disillusionment, the communication of peace and conflict, civic engagement, and the relationship between media, protest and political imaginaries. 

The conference will bring together researchers from a wide range of countries and academic institutions. In addition to Nico Carpentier, the ICSJ will be represented by Vaia Doudaki, David Ongenaert, Uxía Sánchez Lorda, Maedbh Pierce, Ali Minanto, Yaroslava Kutsai, Elisabeth Wennerström and Anirban Chakroborti, among others. The individual contributions will explore how different actors negotiate, represent and employ hope in journalism, political communication, activism, art, popular culture and digital media. 

The full programme is available here. 

The conference is organised by the Culture and Communication Research Centre (CULCORC) and the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism at Charles University.