[Commlist] Call for Papers: Literary Journalism in the German-speaking World

Call for Papers

“Literary Journalism in the German-speaking World”
Special Issue Literary Journalism Studies

Guest editors: Tobias Eberwein (Austrian Academy of Sciences) & Hendrik 
Michael (University of Bamberg)

Journalism’s ‘information paradigm’ has been under scrutiny not just 
since the digital transformations of our mediascape in the last decades. 
For almost half a century, Gaye Tuchman’s diagnosis of a ‘strategic 
ritual of objectivity’ has served as a foil against which many critiques 
of conventional news journalism can be projected, e. g. its lack of 
transparency and bias towards institutional sources and ideologies as 
well as the impersonal stance news journalism often assumes to report 
and comment on events and ideas in the here and now. The recent crisis 
of media trust and accountability may arise in parts from these 
deficits. At any rate, it is largely undisputed that journalism needs to 
reflect (and possibly: adapt) its professional identity and its modes of 
presentation if it wants to continue to fulfil its social function in 
the long run.

In this context, it is worthwhile to turn attention to alternative forms 
of journalism that rely much more on personal experience, in-depth 
research, the presentation of different perspectives, and an authentic 
journalistic voice to make news, but also overcome social boundaries and 
engage readers emotionally. One of these approaches can be found in the 
concept of Literary Journalism. By combining aesthetic forms of 
literature with journalistic methods of research, Literary Journalism 
presents readers with a mix of discursive strategies and professional 
practices that differ substantially from standard reporting.

However, Literary Journalism – which is also known as narrative 
journalism, literary reportage, reportage literature, New Journalism, 
and the non-fiction novel, as well as literary non-fiction and creative 
non-fiction – is a deep-layered and arbitrary phenomenon. For over a 
decade the International Association of Literary Journalism Studies 
(IALJS) has helped to establish a shared foundation of knowledge and 
explored manifestations of journalistic narratives in various cultural 
contexts. What has become apparent in this ongoing scholarly debate is 
that different countries and cultures adopt different names for the 
phenomenon.

In Germany, for instance, the term Literary Journalism is not 
widespread. Instead of tapping into the vast research on the subject in 
recent decades, literary forms of journalism are often discussed with 
regard to the (mostly North-American) New Journalism of the 1960s and 
1970s or to the tradition of the great reportage (e. g. Kisch and Roth). 
More generally, it can be stated that an overarching critical scientific 
discourse about the history, practices, forms, and functions of Literary 
Journalism that joins the global debate has not evolved in Germany yet.

Therefore, it is the aim of this special issue of Literary Journalism 
Studies to shed light on the phenomenon in the German-speaking world (i. 
e., essentially, in Germany, Austria, and the German-speaking parts of 
Switzerland) from all possible perspectives. How and when did the genre 
that is described as Literary Journalism come up in the German language? 
How did it evolve over the centuries? What are notable examples in the 
(digital) media landscapes of today? Do any continuities exist? These 
and further questions are expected to be answered on the basis of 
selected research articles.

Possible topics of contributions for the special issue “Literary 
Journalism in the German-speaking World” may include, but are not 
limited to:

• theoretical justifications of a German Sonderweg of Literary Journalism;
• the origins of Literary Journalism in the German-speaking World;
• historical phases of literary journalism from the Kaiserreich to the 
Federal Republic;
• the prototypes and pressures of professionalization in German-language 
Literary Journalism;
• the current structures (and notable media) of Literary Journalism in 
Germany, Austria, and Switzerland;
• German-language practitioners and projects of Literary Journalism in 
the era of digital news;
• the effects and consequences of Literary Journalism in the 
German-speaking World;
• examples of literary reporting from the margins in German media;
• examples of media criticism in German-language Literary Journalism;
• ethical reflections of Literary Journalism in the German language;
• the role of Literary Journalism in journalistic training programs in 
Germany, Austria, and Switzerland;
• and many more.

Literary Journalism Studies (https://ialjs.org/publications/) is a 
peer-reviewed journal sponsored by the International Association for 
Literary Journalism Studies (IALJS). The journal is international in 
scope and seeks submissions on the theory, history, and pedagogy of 
Literary Journalism throughout the world. All disciplinary approaches 
are welcome. All manuscript authors are obliged to participate in the 
double-blind peer review process. No fees or charges are required for 
manuscript processing and/or publishing materials in the journal.

Submission guidelines:

All submissions for the special issue of Literary Journalism Studies 
should be informed with an awareness of the existing scholarship. 
Interested authors are invited to submit an abstract of their paper (500 
words max.), along with 4–5 keywords and an author bio of no more than 
50 words, to the guest editors Tobias Eberwein 
((tobias.eberwein /at/ oeaw.ac.at)) and Hendrik Michael 
((hendrik.michael /at/ uni-bamberg.de)). The deadline for abstract submission 
is 15 August 2020. Authors will be notified about the 
acceptance/rejection of their submission by 1 September 2020.

Full papers are due on 31 December 2020 and should be between 5,000 and 
8,000 words in length, including notes. E-mail submission (as a 
Microsoft Word attachment) is mandatory. A cover page indicating the 
title of the paper, the author’s name, institutional affiliation, and 
contact information, along with an abstract (250 words), should 
accompany all submissions. The cover page should be sent as a separate 
attachment from the abstract and submission to facilitate distribution 
to readers. No identification should appear linking the author to the 
submission or abstract. All submissions must be in English Microsoft 
Word and follow the Chicago Manual of Style (Humanities endnote style) 
(http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html). All 
submissions will be blind reviewed. The special issue is scheduled to be 
published in December 2021. Copyright reverts to the contributor after 
publication with the provision that if re-published reference is made to 
initial publication in Literary Journalism Studies.

Important dates:

Abstract submission: 15 August 2020
Notification of acceptance/rejection: 1 September 2020
Submission of full papers: 31 December 2020
Publication of special issue: December 2021

Contact:

Any questions with regard to the special issue should be addressed to 
the guest editors:

Dr. Tobias Eberwein Institute for Comparative Media and Communication 
Studies (CMC)                       Austrian Academy of Sciences / 
University of Klagenfurt
Postgasse 7/4/1 | 1010 Vienna, AUSTRIA (tobias.eberwein /at/ oeaw.ac.at)

Dr. Hendrik Michael
Institute for Communication Studies
University of Bamberg
An der Weberei 5 | 96045 Bamberg, GERMANY
(hendrik.michael /at/ uni-bamberg.de)
---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------