Call for participants open for the international conference Beyond the Headlines: Journalism, Religion, and Society, to be held in Fez, Morocco, next October, 14-15, 2026.

The conference will be hosted by USMBA-Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah in partnership with the IARJ, and it will bring together journalists, media practitioners and scholars to critically examine the current state of religion reporting in the Arab world.

The conference will feature panel discussions and breakout sessions exploring a wide range of topics, including:

  • Arab culture and sensitivities
  • Islam and identity politics
  • ethics and safety in religion reporting

If you are a journalist, an editor, or a documentary filmmaker with professional experience and you wish to take part in the conference, submit an essay explaining your interest in religion reporting and how you would contribute to the discussion, and three published/broadcast works.

Submissions can be send in Arabic or in English.

Deadline for submissions: 15th July, 2026

Notification of acceptance: 1st August, 2026

You can submit your works by scanning the QR code in the flyer or by emailing to [email protected]