International Association for Media and Communication Research is expanding its Ambassador initiative. This article describes the initiative and incites applications from potential new ambassadors. For more information, contact Mazlum Kemal Dağdelen, who is the coordinator of the ambassador initiative and the assistant of Nico Carpentier, IAMCR president.
What is the Ambassador Initiative?
In 2015, IAMCR began to establish a global network of IAMCR Ambassadors to promote and represent the Association. A call for expressions of interest was issued, and the first four members who met the specified criteria were appointed for an initial term of three years, subsequently extending their mandate until 2021. In 2019, four new ambassadors were appointed.
IAMCR welcomes more Ambassadors to volunteer to be IAMCR Ambassadors in their own country or region for a three-year period. As IAMCR now has two types of ambassadors, which are (1) IAMCR faculty ambassadors and (2) IAMCR PhD ambassadors, we all explicitly welcome IAMCR PhD ambassadors. IAMCR faculty ambassadors are senior/experienced scholars, and IAMCR PhD ambassadors are PhD students or early-stage scholars without a university appointment. The position of IAMCR Ambassador is voluntary, and Ambassadors are expected to generate financial resources for their activities themselves; however, Ambassadors can access IAMCR funds (e.g. the S/WG fund) by collaborating with IAMCR entities to finance their activities.
IAMCR will continue to work on expanding the network of ambassadors to accommodate both types of ambassadors in each region/country and extend the age and gender diversity of representation. Therefore, IAMCR welcomes applications from all members, who meet the criteria to become an ambassador and wish to contribute to IAMCR’s mission by becoming a part of the Ambassador initiative.
See the list of IAMCR´s current ambassadors, their bios and strategic plans here.
How do ambassadors promote IAMCR?
IAMCR Ambassadors are tasked with creatively promoting the mandate, distinctiveness and membership of IAMCR as an international association of communication and media scholars in the countries and/or regions where they are located.
Ambassadors explore opportunities to expand IAMCR's footprint in their country or region through publicity, events, and other strategies that will build and retain the Association's membership and reputation.
Ambassador activities include the following:
1. Communicating the existence of IAMCR to the outside world, and promoting its activities
2. Communicating with IAMCR members
3. Organising at least one regional/national IAMCR event per year
4. Actively contributing to IAMCR membership increase and retention
5. Connecting IAMCR to relevant regional/national associations
6. Collaborating with other ambassadors where possible
7. Reporting relevant information to IAMCR entities (EB, IC, C/TF/C, S/WG, …)
8. Planning and reporting ambassador activities
How to Apply
Those IAMCR members who are interested in becoming an IAMCR ambassador can submit their application throughout the year. Applications will be considered on an ongoing basis.
An application consists of a letter of motivation, a one-page CV and bio (400 words maximum), and a strategic plan for three years addressing how the ambassador tasks will be fulfilled. Members wishing to be considered for the role would submit their application as an email with the attachments in PDF format to the coordinator of the Ambassador initiative.
Ambassadors will be selected on the basis of their connection with the academic community, their knowledge of IAMCR, and the objectives that they stated in their proposed strategic plans.
We look forward to hearing from those interested in becoming involved in this way with IAMCR, the world’s leading professional organisation in the field of communication and media research.
Nico Carpentier,
President, IAMCR