The Field of I.C.
International Communication is a recognised field of study that is taught in most Western countries today. As a field of inquiry and research, international communication, or global communication, is in a state of ferment and evolution. In its human dimension, international communication is altering, and has been altered by, the rise of post cold war political systems, the recognition of terrorism as a global threat, the interactions and confrontations between cultures, the search for identity, the development of non-governmental agencies of international scope, and the rise of electronic commerce.
Scholarship in International communication is firmly established. The field has its own sections in several international organizations including Association for Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and International Studies Association (ISA). The Global Communication Research Association (GCRA), closely affiliated to IC, focuses on Communication and Development, a sub field of International Communication.
Sub-fields of inquiry include communication and development, cross-cultural communication, intercultural communication, media and foreign policy, international public relations and political economy of international communication.