[ecrea] ISOJ CFP for Digital Media and Democracy in the Americas

CALL FOR PAPERS for #ISOJ Journal 2019

*‘Digital Media and Democracy in the Americas’*

*Guest Editors:*

*Pablo J. Boczkowski, Professor, Northwestern University (USA)*

*Eugenia Mitchelstein, Assistant Professor, Universidad de San Andrés 
(Argentina)*

*Deadline for extended abstracts: August 15, 2018*

*Submission details: isoj.org/research 
<https://isoj.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ISOJCallForPapers2019.pdf>*

Media play fundamental roles in democratic societies: they inform the 
public, help set common agendas for politicians and voters, provide a 
forum for the expression of different viewpoints in civil society, and 
act as watchdogs by holding powerful actors accountable for their 
actions. The capacity of the news media to fulfill these roles varies by 
social and historical contexts, due to either internal or external 
factors, or a combination of both.

During the last two decades, the relationship between media and 
democracy has been tested in several countries across the Americas. 
Tension between presidents and other elected officials and journalists 
have both challenged the role of reporters and made they daily job more 
complicated by reducing access to the politicians they cover. In other 
cases, the ownership structure and market dominance of media businesses 
have made them vulnerable to criticism. Moreover, technological 
innovations have called into question journalism's role as mediator 
between different groups of the population--such as political leaders 
and voters, sports stars and fans, and advertisers and consumers--and 
threatened their financial sustainability in the long term. In addition, 
the emergence and growth of social media have both challenged the 
dominance of established news operations in the information ecosystem, 
and also opened new opportunities for political parties, civil society, 
and social movements to get their message across without the news 
media’s intermediary role.

But these challenges to media have not altered the need for independent 
reporting that provides information on affairs of the polity, represents 
the full spectrum of public opinion, and holds those in power 
accountable. How have the news media performed their democratic duties 
in the Americas? Have journalistic practices changed in response to 
technological innovations and political challenges? How have journalists 
viewed their professional roles in this new environment? What 
regulations have encouraged or hindered independent reporting?Have 
viable alternatives to traditional revenue models emerged? Has the use 
of social media by social movements and political figures affected the 
jurisdictional power of the news media and, if so, how have the latter 
dealt with this change?

#ISOJ Journal, the official research publication of the International 
Symposium on Online Journalism (http://isoj.org/research/), is seeking 
extended abstracts (up to 1,000 words) for a special issue on this 
topic, to be published in conjunction with the next ISOJ symposium in 
April 2019.A subset of the authors of selected extended abstracts will 
be asked to send full manuscripts.All submitted manuscripts will undergo 
a blind review process, and the authors of those articles selected for 
publication also will be invited to present their work at the symposium. 
Empirical work, either quantitative or qualitative (or both), historical 
or contemporary (or both), is encouraged. Non-empirical work that 
contributes substantively to our understanding of the relationship 
between media and democracy in the Americas is also welcome. Both 
comparative and single-country studies are suitable. Research about 
digital media, in line with the call of the special issue is 
particularly desired. Finally, inquiries situated within a wide spectrum 
of disciplines—including, but not limited to, journalism studies, 
communication and media studies, political science, sociology, 
anthropology, and international relations—are welcome.

The issue will be guest edited by Pablo Boczkowski, Professor at 
Northwestern University and co-director of the Center for the Study of 
Media and Society in Argentina (MESO), and Eugenia Mitchelstein, 
Assistant Professor at Universidad de San Andrés and also co-director of 
MESO.

*Notices to selected extended abstracts will be sent by September 7, 
2018. Full papers are expected by October 22, 2018.*

*Inquiries about this call may be directed to both Pablo Boczkowski 
(**(pjb9 /at/ northwestern.edu)* <mailto:(pjb9 /at/ northwestern.edu)>*) or to Eugenia 
Mitchelstein ((emitchelstein /at/ udesa.edu.ar) 
<mailto:(emitchelstein /at/ udesa.edu.ar)>) and should contain the words*
*‘ISOJ Query’ in the subject line.*

*Extended abstracts/full papers should be emailed to ISOJ research chair 
Amy Schmitz Weiss at*
*(aschmitz /at/ sdsu.edu) <mailto:(aschmitz /at/ sdsu.edu)>.*


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