Unpacking Visual Literacy and Global Media

The Athens Institute is organizing a Microsymposium on “Critical Visual Literacy and Global Media” as part of the 12^th Annual International Conference on Library and Information Science, 28-31 July 2025, Athens, Greece 

Selected papers will be considered for publication in a special issue on “Critical Visual Literacy and Global Media” in the Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications.

Since the advent of movable type, technological advances have, through various media formats, disseminated messages on a global scale. This special session of LIBMED provides an interdisciplinary platform to critically analyze visual messages and the social construction of meaning in visual media. Panel members will unpack images through the lens of visual literacy; the social construction of meaning by applying visual literacy theories; the interdisciplinary nature of global media; a variety of global media for its liberating power of democracy and undemocratic political structures,  social messages on race, gender, class, and cultural dimensions; ideas and practices to the deconstruction of visual literacy as a political activity.  

Each presentation will use theories of visual literacy to critically analyze the practice of visual literacy and the selected media to present how this type of media enhances liberating or oppressive powers through the social construction messages on race, gender, class, social, cultural, and other o dimensions. In a sense, all signs are representations. In all media, the position of the subject is constructed differently. This condition provides us with the basis for critical analysis of global media.
Keywords: visual literacy, global media, social construction of meaning

You may participate as a presenter of one paper and/or an attendee. Selected papers will be considered for publication in the Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications after a double blind peer review process. The ejournal is open access and no fee is required.

Please submit an abstract (by email only) to: atiner@atiner.gr, using the abstract submission form by 17 June 2025 to: Dr. Yan Ma, Academic Member, Athens Institute & Professor, University of Rhode Island, USA. Abstracts should include the following details: Title of Paper, Full Name (s), Affiliation, Current Position, an email address, and at least 3 keywords that best describe the subject of your submission. Decisions are reached within 4 weeks.

Fee structure information is available on www.atiner.gr/fees.

Special arrangements will be made with a local hotel for a limited number of rooms at a special conference rate. In addition, a number of special events will be organized which give a great opportunity to further discuss the issues presented at the conference. From Athens Institute’s long experience these events bring together scholars from different countries and disciplines which may result to research collaborations and joint publications. These events include a pragmatic symposium (as organized in Ancient Athens but fine-tuned to synchronous ethics), a special one-day educational island tour, a Mycenae and island of Poros visit, an Athens educational walking tour, a day trip to Delphi, and an ancient Corinth and Cape Sounion visit. Details of the social program are available here.