*Call for papersVirtual Conference of the International Journal of Press/PoliticsZoom, 13-16 September 2021Deadline for abstracts: 5 July 2021* On *13-16 September 2021*, the seventh conference of the International Journal of Press/Politics, focused on academic research on the relationship between media and political processes around the world, will be held virtually. *Professor Young Mie Kim* from the University of Wisconsin will deliver a keynote lecture. The deadline for submission of abstracts is *5 July 2021*. Attendees will be notified of acceptance by *12 July 2021*. Full papers based on accepted abstracts will be due *1 September 2021*. A selection of the best full papers presented at the conference will be published in the journal after peer review. *The conference will be free to attend*. There will be a voluntary conference registration fee for presenters of GBP 30. Attendees will need to register to receive the secure link to participate in the conference, and those who want to contribute to the conference budget will be able to make a symbolic donation of GBP 5. The software will be able to host up to 500 participants at any time. Recordings of the conference video feed will be made available to the public shortly after the event. The virtual conference brings together scholars conducting internationally oriented or comparative research on the intersection between news media and politics around the world. It aims to provide a forum for academics from a wide range of disciplines, countries, and methodological approaches to advance research in this area. The conference will be held on four days, in half-day sessions alternating mornings and afternoons that will include presentations and networking sessions. The program of the 2020 conference, which adopted a similar format, is available at https://cristianvaccari.com/2020/07/21/program-of-the-2020-international-jou... . Examples of relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the political implications of changes in media systems; the importance of digital media for engaging with news and politics; analysis of the factors affecting the quality of political information and public discourse; studies of the role of entertainment and popular culture in how people engage with current affairs; studies of relations between political actors and journalists; analyses of the role of visuals and emotion in the production and processing of public information; and research on political communication during and beyond elections by government, political parties, interest groups, and social movements. The journal and the conference have a particular interest in studies that adopt comparative approaches, represent substantial theoretical or methodological advances, or focus on parts of the world that are under-researched in the international English language academic literature. Titles and abstracts for papers (*maximum 300 words*) are invited by *5 July 2021*. The abstract should clearly describe the key question, the theoretical and methodological approach, the evidence the argument is based on, as well as its wider implications and the extent to which they are of international relevance. Please send submissions via the online form available at http://bit.ly/ IJPP2021. The conference is organized by Cristian Vaccari (Loughborough University, Editor-in-Chief of IJPP). Please contact Professor Vaccari with questions at c.vaccari@lboro.ac.uk. More about the journal and the keynote speaker. The International Journal of Press/Politics <https://journals.sagepub.com/home/hijb> The International Journal of Press/Politics is an interdisciplinary journal for the analysis and discussion of the role of the media and politics in a globalized world. The journal publishes theoretical and empirical research which analyzes the linkages between the news media and political processes and actors around the world, emphasizes international and comparative work, and links research in the fields of political communication and journalism studies, and the disciplines of political science and media and communication. The journal is published by Sage Publications and is ranked 16th by Scopus (SJR) and 17th by Journal Citation Reports in Communication. Professor Young Mie Wim, University of Wisconsin <https://journalism.wisc.edu/news/staff/young-mie-kim/> Young Mie Kim is a Professor of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and a Faculty Affiliate of the Department of Political Science. Kim is a 2019 Andrew Carnegie Fellow. Kim’s research concerns data-driven, algorithm-based, digitally mediated political communication. Kim’s recent research project, Project DATA (Digital Ad Tracking & Analysis), empirically investigates the sponsors, content, and targets of digital political campaigns across multiple platforms with a user-based, real-time, ad tracking tool that reverse engineers the algorithms of political campaigns. Kim and her team’s research, “The Stealth Media? Groups and Targets behind Divisive Issue Campaigns on Facebook,” identified “suspicious groups,” including Russian groups on Facebook. The work received the Kaid-Sanders Best Article of the Year in Political Communication (2018), awarded by the International Communication Association. Kim testified at the Federal Election Commission‘s hearings on the rulemaking of internet communication disclaimers and presented her research at the Congressional briefings on foreign interference in elections. Kim also spoke at the European Parliament on her research on data-driven political advertising and inequality in political involvement. Cristian Vaccari ****************************************************** Professor of Political Communication, Loughborough University <https://www.lboro.ac.uk/subjects/communication-media/staff/cristian-vaccari/> Co-Director, Centre for Research in Communication and Culture <https://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/crcc/> Editor-in-Chief, *The International Journal of Press/Politics <https://journals.sagepub.com/home/hijb>* ****************************************************** Personal website: https://cristianvaccari.com/ Google Scholar profile <https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3_TethEAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao> Twitter: @prof_vaccari <https://twitter.com/prof_vaccari>