An international gathering of media, communication scholars, and industry stakeholders is set to convene at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Lagos, Nigeria, for the 5th Annual Academic Conference and General Meeting of the Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).
The high-level academic event, scheduled for December 3rd and 4th, 2025, will center on the critical theme: “ISSUES IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: The Media and Democracy.”
Interrogating the Digital-Democratic Nexus
The conference will serve as a vital platform for rigorous scholarly and professional examination of the profound transformation brought about by the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across global societies, economies, and, most critically, the realms of mass media and democratic processes.
AI presents a complex duality: it offers unprecedented opportunities to revolutionize news distribution, content creation, and audience engagement, while simultaneously introducing severe challenges related to:
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Misinformation and Deepfakes
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Algorithmic Bias and Data Ethics
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Erosion of Trust in Democratic Institutions
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Data Privacy and Digital Surveillance
Key Objectives and Call to Action
In a statement, AMCRON President, Professor Eserinune McCarty Mojaye, urged broad participation, emphasizing the urgency of scrutinizing AI’s role in shaping media practices and democratic participation. The event is open to a diverse group of participants, including academia, media practitioners, policymakers, and social researchers. The opening ceremony is slated for Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 10:00 am.
Dr. Kehinde Oyesomi, AMCRON’s South West Zone Coordinator, further encouraged attendance, stressing the need to critically analyze the opportunities and navigate the risks associated with unchecked technological adoption.
The conference aims to foster global dialogue, share innovative research, and generate actionable insights that will inform the development of necessary policy, ethical frameworks, and innovations. The ultimate goal is to strategically harness AI’s power to uphold democratic integrity and balance technological advancement with core human values and media accountability in this era of digital flux.
Core Discussion Tracks
The academic tracks and panel discussions are designed to explore the intricate intersections of the theme through specific lenses, including:
| Track Focus | Core Areas of Inquiry | ||||||||
| AI and Democracy | Public policy formulation, civic participation, digital surveillance, political campaigning, micro-targeting, voter attitudes, and electoral accountability. | ||||||||
| The Mass Media, AI, and Democracy | AI’s influence on journalism ethics, content creation, digital colonialism, data sovereignty, media literacy, and the impact of generative AI on the future of truth. | ||||||||
| Ethics and Accountability | Examining algorithmic bias, data ethics, fairness, and the preservation of freedom of expression within AI-driven content systems.
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