The official newsletter of the National Communication Association: July 2026

Email from National Communication Association

Issue 27 | July 2026

NCA Convention Spotlight

Get Ready for New Orleans!

Registration and housing are now open

You can save with discounted early bird registration rates, plus even more savings for NCA members!

Before registering, confirm your membership is active through Dec. 1, 2026, or later to receive member rates.

All attendees are strongly encouraged to reserve their hotel rooms through NCA’s official room block to lock in the lowest rates.

Key Convention Dates

Early Aug.: Call for Convention volunteers
Early Aug.: Online program release
Sept. 16: Early bird registration deadline
Oct. 10: Hotel block deadline
Nov. 18: Pre-conference & Day of Service
Nov. 19–22: 112th Annual Convention
Nov. 19–21: Camp NCA (child daycare)

Travel Tips & Discounts

Review our travel guides, hotel block details, and airfare discounts for attendees to assist you in preparing for your visit. For international travelers, due to delays in processing, we recommend starting your passport and/or visa application now.

Get Travel Tips

Student Member Travel Grants

In support of our commitment to promoting diversity within the discipline, NCA offers travel grants for student members to attend the Convention. Application submissions for the 2026 NCA Student Caucus Travel Grants open in early August.

Research in Research Competition at NCA Convention

Apply to the new Research in Research (RinR) Graduate Student Pitch Competition for your research.

View the Details

Visiting New Orleans

Discover things to do, dining, local attractions, transportation options, visitor safety resources, and more in New Orleans during the Convention.

Get to Know NOLA

Need Help

Questions about registering or booking your hotel room? Contact convention@natcom.org

Questions about becoming or renewing your NCA membership? Contact memberservice@natcom.org

News & Announcements

NCA Best Practice Guidance for Authorship Disagreement

NCA’s new policy provides exclusive guidance for NCA Journal authors, issue editors, and editors to resolve disputes over authorship, order, or contributions before or after publication. This document is only for the listed stakeholders and cannot be used by anyone else.

Access the Full Document

Call for Members: NCA Generative AI Policy Task Force

NCA invites members to apply to serve on the newly instituted NCA Generative AI Policy Task Force. The task force approved by the NCA Executive Committee (EC) will develop clear, NCA-wide policies for the EC to review and approval that address the ethical and transparent use of generative artificial intelligence in convention submissions, research publications, peer review, and grant submissions and reviews.

Apply to Join Task Force

2027 NCA Leadership Nominations

NCA is seeking members to serve in roles such as Second Vice President, the Legislative Assembly, Councils, Standing Committees, National Award Selection Committees, and more. All positions selected through this cycle will begin service in 2027. The nomination deadline is Sept. 4.

Nominate NCA Leaders

NCA Strengthens Partnerships in China

NCA continues to increase its global involvement through meaningful international partnerships and collaboration. NCA First Vice President Shaunak Sastry (pictured above) recently visited Xiamen, China, for the NCA Xiamen Summit: Global Communication and Global Governance, co-hosted by NCA and organized in conjunction with Past President Stephen Hartnett and several NCA members.

NCA Communities Launches

NCA recently launched NCA Communities, a brand-new online platform for collaborating and communicating within Interest Groups. With the launch of NCA Communities, NCA is sunsetting the Interest Groups email groups on Nov. 1. Interest Group community administrators will inform their members of the timeline for transitioning to NCA Communities. This effort will foster improved communication and engagement within the interest groups.

Log into NCA Communities

NCA Welcomes New Staff Members

Igor Ristić, Ph.D., joined NCA as a Research Associate. He is a longtime member, having attended his first NCA Convention in 2010. He is inspired by communication work that supports research and translates complex information into compelling stories for the public.

Michael Marriott joined NCA as its digital engagement specialist. In this role, Michael leads NCA’s digital and multimedia content strategy to highlight the vital work, research and impact of NCA and its members.