2026 ICCA-AEJMC Session

A refereed paper session organized by the International Chinese Communication Association (ICCA) was successfully held at the 109th annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) in New Orleans, United States on August 6, 2026, which is a top communication conference worldwide. The theme of this session is “Social Media, AI, and Chinese Society.” Five outstanding papers related to Chinese media and communication were presented in this session.

The chair of this session was Dr. Yuan Wang (associate professor at The Education University of Hong Kong), and its discussant was Dr. Vincent Huang (assistant professor at Hong Kong Baptist University). This session was co-organized by Dr. Céline Yunya Song (professor at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) and Dr. Yuan Wang.

The topics of the papers in this session range from framing educational and journalistic issues on social media and AI to representing marginalized groups. A paper authored by Cheng Chen (Oregon State University), Qi Shen (Fudan University), Xinyue Zou (Fudan University), and Yaohui Cai (Fudan University) won the Best Faculty Paper Award. Another paper written by Baiqi Li and Chunchau Li (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) earned the Best Student Paper Award. The authors of each award-winning paper received USD$200 and an e-certificate, as well as one-year ICCA membership. The information on the presented papers is provided as follows:

1. Beyond the Machine Heuristic: Generative AI as a Representational Medium and the Co-Construction of Ageing Identities

Cheng Chen, Oregon State University

Qi Shen, Fudan University

Xinyue Zou, Fudan University

Yaohui Cai, Fudan University

2. Constructing University Reputation in China’s Platformed Public Sphere: A Comparative Study of Bilibili, Douyin, and Weibo (2021–2025)

Baiqi Li, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Chunchau Li, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

3. Paying for Happiness: Chinese Women's Marketized Emotional Training and Limited Empowerment of Intra-household Bargaining

Runping Zhu, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University

Yuting Wang, Lanzhou University

Yu Huang, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University

Zhongshi Guo, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University

Zunbin Huo, independent researcher

Yaqi Hou, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University

4. The Presence of an Absence: “Investigative Journalist” as Discursive Resource in China, 2014-2025

Haoyin Shi, Fudan University

Yuzhao Zhang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

5. Exploring the Adoption of GenAI in Academia: Perceived Usefulness and Attitudes among Scholars and Researchers in China

Jiazheng Zayn Wang, University of Macau

Yidi Wang, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Yifan Tang, University of Macau and Guangzhou Vocational School of Tourism and Business

Xinshu Zhao, University of Macau