named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Media Ecology 101
An introductory reading list curated to guide newcomers to foundational texts in media ecology, updated periodically to reflect the evolving field.
Media Ecology Reading List
A comprehensive annotated bibliography of key works in media ecology, including writings by Marshall McLuhan, Neil Postman, Walter Ong, and other central figures in the field.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Academic Research Dissemination 1 activity
- Acts as a clearinghouse for academic programs and resourcesServes as a global clearinghouse for academic programs related to media ecology and promotes scholarly works that define and explain the field as an academic tradition.
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Community Safety and Conduct Enforcement 1 activity
- Advances inclusivity and conduct standards in the communityCreates and sustains an inclusive, diverse, and equitable community of practice by requiring adherence to an inclusivity and conduct policy, with enforcement mechanisms including removal from events and revocation of membership. Provides a formal reporting system for conduct violations via the MEA president or Executive Board.
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University-Specific Endowment and Program Funding 1 activity
- Awards student research grantsFunds student research in urban communication through the Urban Communication Student Research Grant, supported by the Urban Communication Foundation.
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Professional Association Capacity Building 1 activity
- Facilitates professional development and community engagementProvides opportunities for professional growth, networking, and career development in media ecology through virtual coffee sessions, monthly Zoom reading groups on language, technology, and the human condition, and a formal email discussion list. Supports student participation in academic discourse and maintains a network for fellowship and professional contacts.
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Regular Membership Meetings 1 activity
- Hosts annual convention and general meetingsOrganizes and hosts an annual convention that includes a general meeting open to all members, such as the 25th annual convention held at Daemen University in Amherst, NY in June 2024.
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Organizational Governance & Leadership Development 1 activity
- Maintains organizational infrastructure and governance supportSupports leadership succession planning, policy development, program review, and strategic planning through committee work. Maintains archival access to association documents and proceedings and administers an awards program including solicitation of nominations, judge appointments, and award presentations.
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Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
- Publishes and distributes newsletter and archival recordsProduces and distributes the association's newsletter, In Medias Res, and documents, shares, and maintains records of MEA Board meetings and email discussion list archives from November 1, 2003 to present.
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Academic Journal and Scholarly Publication 1 activity
- publishes Explorations in Media Ecology journalProduces and disseminates peer-reviewed academic research through the journal Explorations in Media Ecology, including scholarly articles, essays, research reports, commentaries, teaching strategies, special sections for exploratory pieces, creative writing, scholarly forums, and book reviews. The journal serves as a core publication for advancing media ecology as a field of inquiry.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Conducts and promotes research in media ecologyEngages in the study of media environments, communication systems as environments, and the role of technology in shaping human affairs; promotes the development of media ecology as a preparadigmatic science. Maintains an introductory reading list for the field, first created at the organization's founding and updated in 2019.
- Engages in inter-organizational collaborationParticipates in events and collaborates with external professional organizations such as the Institute of General Semantics and the Canadian Communication Association to advance the field of media ecology.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$33K
Contributions & grants$2K6%
Program service revenue$16K50%
Investment income$7302%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$35K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$2K
balance sheet
Total assets$27K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$27K
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +1.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
board members · 7
- Jeff Bogaczyk — Board member
- Julia Hildebrand — Board member and social media coordinator
- Lance Strate — Board member and awards coordinator
- Matt Thomas — Board member and Internet Officer
- Peggy Cassidy — Board member and journal editor
- Susan Drucker — Board member and Historian
- Tiffany Gilliam — Board member
relationships · 24
Who they work with
- Canadian Communication Association Partner — MEA maintains a liaison relationship to ensure participation in each other's events.
- Daemen University Partner — Host institution for the MEA's 25th annual convention in June 2024.
- Eastern Communication Association Government — Designated recipient of assets if the Association is dissolved.
- Eastern Communication Association Partner — Affiliated organization with which MEA collaborates to showcase members' research.
- Eckerd College Partner — Julia Hildebrand is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Eckerd College and serves as an At-Large Member of the Media Ecology Association.
- Executive Board Partner — Responsible for overseeing adherence to conduct guidelines and responding to reported incidents.
- Facebook Partner — Uses Facebook as a platform to share updates and engage with members and the public.
- Fordham University Partner — Hosted the founding meeting of the Media Ecology Association on September 4, 1998.
- Fordham University Partner — Lance Strate is Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University and represents the institution in his role with the Media Ecology Association.
- Institute of General Semantics Partner — Affiliated organization with which MEA collaborates to showcase members' research.
- Institute of General Semantics Partner — Collaborates by directing participants to its online lecture series during a canceled meeting.
- Institute of General Semantics Partner — MEA maintains a liaison relationship to ensure participation in each other's events.
- Intellect Partner — publishing partner for the journal Explorations in Media Ecology
- International Communication Association Partner — Affiliated organization with which MEA collaborates to showcase members' research.
- National Communication Association Government — Designated recipient of assets if the Association is dissolved.
- National Communication Association Partner — Affiliated organization with which MEA collaborates to showcase members' research.
- New York School Network — Associated with the New York School in media ecology.
- New York State Communication Association Government — Designated recipient of assets if the Association is dissolved.
- New York State Communication Association Partner — Affiliated organization with which MEA collaborates to showcase members' research.
- Penn State Erie, the Behrend Campus Partner — Tiffany Petricini is an Associate Teaching Professor at Penn State Erie, the Behrend Campus, and holds a leadership role in the Media Ecology Association.
- Toronto School Network — Associated with the intellectual tradition of the Toronto School in media studies.
- Urban Communication Foundation Partner — Supports the MEA's Urban Communication Student Research Grant and is an affiliated organization.
- X Partner — Uses X (formerly Twitter) to communicate with members and the broader community about events and initiatives.
- ibiblio Partner — Hosts the MEA email discussion list at lists.ibiblio.org.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Dialogic and Moderated Scholarly Exchangemethodology: dialogue_based_learningBy structuring scholarly engagement through civil, moderated, and dialogue-based formats such as book discussions and curated email lists, the organization enhances the quality and depth of discourse in media ecology because sustained, respectful dialogue fosters critical thinking and collective knowledge-building more effectively than unstructured or adversarial formats.
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Advance Media Ecologymethodology: interdisciplinary_collaborationBy fostering collaboration across academic, private, and public sectors and integrating diverse fields such as technology, culture, language, and consciousness, the organization advances the understanding and application of media ecology because cross-disciplinary engagement enables richer, systemic insights into how media environments shape human perception and behavior.
- Medium Theory as an Analytical Frameworkmethodology: medium_theoryBy applying medium theory—the understanding of media as environments that shape cognition, emotion, and social structures—the organization produces deeper analysis of how communication technologies implicitly influence human behavior and cultural systems because the form of media, not just content, is a primary driver of change.