[Commlist] IJPP Special Issue call for papers: “Digital Threats to Democracy: Comparative Lessons and Possible Remedies”

I am writing to share the call for papers for a special issue of /The 
International Journal of Press/Politics /on "Digital Threats to 
Democracy: Comparative Lessons and Possible Remedies".

This special issue will build on the proceedings of a workshop hosted by 
the Social Science Research Council in New York on 13-14 June. The 
special issue is open to any contributions focusing on the themes 
described in the call for papers—whether they were included in the SSRC 
workshop or not.

The call for papers is available at 
https://journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cmscontent/HIJ/IJPP_digital_threats_CfP-1560876214363.pdf and 
is pasted below. The deadline for submission of manuscripts is 1 
September 2019.

++++


*Call for Papers for a Special Issue of The International Journal of 
Press/Politics
“Digital Threats to Democracy: Comparative Lessons and Possible Remedies”
Manuscript submission deadline: 1 September 2019*

In recent years, democracies appear to have been caught off guard by 
pitfalls associated with the rise of digital media. Issues such as mass 
surveillance, disinformation, declining trust in journalism, challenges 
to journalistic institutions, electoral interference, partisan 
polarization, and increasing toxicity online threaten democratic norms, 
institutions, and governance.

While these phenomena have raised widespread concerns in the United 
States and have been the subject of vast bodies of US-centric research, 
there is much to be learned from addressing these issues in a 
comparative perspective—by studying digital media and politics both 
inside and outside the US and highlighting generalizable implications. 
The media and political systems in the United States function in ways 
that are quite different from most Western democracies and most of the 
concerns highlighted above have been paramount in the US. However, other 
countries have also experienced high levels of polarization, substantial 
foreign interference, erosion of democratic norms, and weakening media 
institutions. In some cases, these developments occurred and required 
political responses well before the same issues came to the forefront in 
the United States.

Comparative research, both across time and across space, can shed light 
on how countries adapt and respond to digital threats to democracy. How 
can democratic competition, representation, and inclusiveness be 
safeguarded amidst challenges to their foundations? What lessons can we 
learn by comparing how these processes unfold and how institutions 
respond across democratic and non-democratic countries?

*Research Topics*

This special issue of The International Journal of Press/Politics aims 
to shed light on three key sets of questions on the evolving 
relationship between digital media and politics. First, what insights 
can we glean from comparing liberal democracies to each other? How have 
democracies approached the frequently competing goals of protecting free 
speech, privacy, and anonymity, regulating political speech on digital 
media, ensuring fair elections, and promoting competitive digital 
markets? Second, what lessons can we learn from the experiences of 
countries where liberal and democratic norms cannot be taken for 
granted? Finally, how do existing political and media institutions shape 
the political impact of, and responses to, digital disruptions and threats?

We invite submissions that make both theoretical and empirical 
contributions to existing bodies of knowledge in the comparative study 
of political communication, elections, public opinion, digital media, 
and democracy. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, the 
following:

  * *Disinformation Campaigns*: How is the propagation of (or accusation
    of propagating) disinformation used to damage opponents and mislead
    or confuse segments of the public? How are these strategies resisted
    in practice?
  * *Surveillance*: What is the relationship between the need for
    connectivity and the need for privacy? What are the individual and
    systemic consequences of failing constitutional, regulatory, or
    normative protections of privacy?
  * *Violence and Intimidation*: Do mechanisms that allow citizens to
    coordinate collective action also facilitate violence against other
    citizens? Are journalists, politicians, and activists more
    vulnerable to threats and coercion when professional norms require
    they maintain a social media presence that potentially exposes them
    to abuse and limits their privacy?
  * *Mobile Politics*: What are the implications for political equality
    of the global growth in mobile online connectivity, especially among
    sectors of the population that do not use computers? How does
    easy-to-use, ephemeral, and encrypted mobile communication
    contribute to political discourse, mobilization, and engagement?
  * *Platform Politics*: How well can US-born or US-centric platforms
    respond to democratic challenges in other countries? Should digital
    platforms provide bespoke solutions to non-US problems, and how can
    they accomplish that?

An international workshop exploring these issues, hosted by the Social 
Science Research Council, took place in New York on 13-14 June 2019. 
Participants were invited after an open call for proposals. This special 
issue is open to any contributions focusing on the themes described 
here—whether they were included in the SSRC workshop or not.

*Submission Information *

Manuscript submissions for this special issue are due on 1 September 2019.

Please submit your work through our online submission portal 
(https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijpp) and ensure that the first line 
of the cover letter states: “Manuscript to be considered for the special 
issue on Digital Threats to Democracy”. Manuscripts should follow the 
IJPP submission guidelines 
(https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/journal/international-journal-presspolitics#submission-guidelines). 
Submissions will be subject to a double-blind peer review process and 
must not have been published, accepted for publication, or under 
consideration for publication elsewhere.

Authors interested in submitting their work are encouraged to contact 
Cristian Vaccari ((c.vaccari /at/ lboro.ac.uk) <mailto:(c.vaccari /at/ lboro.ac.uk)>), 
Editor-in-Chief of The International Journal of Press/Politics, with 
questions.

*Expected Timeline*

  * Paper submissions: 1 September 2019
  * First decision: 1 November 2019
  * Paper revisions: 1 January 2020
  * Final decision: 1 March 2020
  * Online publication: April 2020
  * Print publication: July 2020


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