Calls

Call for Applications: ECREA Political Communication Section Management Team (2026–2028)

The ECREA Political Communication Section is inviting applications for a new Section Management Team. After more than two terms of service, the current leadership team will step down following the Section Business Meeting at the ECREA 2026 Conference in Brno.
With more than 400 members, the Political Communication Section is one of the largest and most active sections within ECREA. The section brings together scholars from across Europe and beyond who study political communication, journalism, digital platforms, public opinion, campaigns, and democratic processes. It organizes a highly successful biennial section conference, contributes to ECREA’s main conferences, supports early-career scholars, and facilitates exchange within a vibrant international community.
We are therefore looking for a new team to help shape the future of the section.

Positions

The Management Team should consist of:

  • One Chair
  • At least one Vice-Chair
  • One Communications Officer

Following ECREA tradition, candidates are strongly encouraged to run as a team and indicate how responsibilities would be distributed among team members. While individual candidacies are possible, experience suggests that team candidacies provide continuity, distribute workload effectively, and allow for a shared vision for the section.
Management team members are elected for a two-year term. Teams are encouraged to think beyond a single term and consider succession arrangements—for example, by having a Vice-Chair transition into the Chair role after two years. Such arrangements have proven valuable for ensuring continuity and a smooth transfer of responsibilities within the section.

What does the Management Team do?

The Management Team is responsible for the strategic development and day-to-day coordination of the section. Key responsibilities include:

  • Representing the section within ECREA and liaising with ECREA headquarters
  • Organizing and supporting the biennial Political Communication Section Conference
  • Coordinating the section’s activities at ECREA main conferences
  • Managing communication with members through mailing lists and social media channels
  • Working together with the section’s YECREA representatives (a separate call for YECREA representatives will be issued by ECREA shortly)
  • Supporting networking, mentoring, and community-building initiatives

In addition, we strongly encourage applicants to continue the highly successful Political Communication Mentorship Program, which would enter its fourth edition in early 2027.

Why run?

Serving on the Management Team is an opportunity to:

  • Shape the future direction of one of ECREA’s largest sections
  • Help build and strengthen the political communication community in Europe
  • Develop leadership and organizational experience
  • Expand your professional network across institutions and countries
  • Support the next generation of political communication scholars

We particularly encourage applications from diverse teams and from colleagues representing different institutions, countries, and career stages.

Application Process

Applications should include:

  1. A one-page statement outlining:
    • Why you are running
    • The role(s) you are applying for
    • The team that you are running with
    • Your vision and plans for the section during the next term
  2. A short CV for each candidate (for internal use only)

The motivation statement will be shared with the section membership prior to the election.

Please send applications to:

Jakob Ohme
Section Election Officer
jakob.ohme@weizenbaum-institut.de

Deadline: 29 June 2026

Candidate materials will be circulated to the membership ahead of the election, which will take place during the Section Business Meeting at the ECREA Conference in Brno on 10 September 2026.

Interested but unsure?

The current Management Team will host an informal Q&A session about the section and the responsibilities involved in serving on the Management Team. If you are considering running, looking for potential team members, or simply curious about what the role entails, we warmly encourage you to join. The session will also provide an opportunity for informal matchmaking and discussion among prospective candidates.

24 June 2026, 16:00 CET

Please register here to receive the Zoom link
https://forms.gle/PZTXJhS5Htx77zi48

We warmly encourage all interested members to join.

For Early-Career Scholars

As any member, early-career scholars are also welcome to run and join teams with more senior members.

In addition, if you are an early-career scholar interested in becoming involved in section activities, please also keep an eye out for the upcoming call for Political Communication YECREA Representatives, which will be announced separately by ECREA in the coming weeks.
We look forward to receiving your applications and to welcoming many of you to the Business Meeting in Brno.