[Commlist] Call for Papers — "Media Freedom in Asia: Challenges from Below'

*Call for Papers – Asian Journal of Communication Special Issue
*
*"Media Freedom in Asia: Challenges from Below"
*
_Editors_:
Cherian George, Hong Kong Baptist University ((cherian /at/ hkbu.edu.hk) 
<mailto:(cherian /at/ hkbu.edu.hk)>)
Kyu Ho Youm, University of Oregon

Advancing media freedom has been one of the megatrends in Asian 
communication over the past 30-40 years. Media space has been opened up 
by political revolutions and reform movements, television deregulation, 
the rollout of the internet, and demands for more choice and voice 
by hundreds of millions of better educated and more economically 
empowered citizens.

Over the past decade, however, this trend has slowed, stalled, or even 
reversed in several Asian societies. This is in line with a 
global pattern of “democratic recession” and “authoritarian 
resilience” observed by many analysts. The most obvious cause is the 
emergence of authoritarian leaders. However, top-down explanations do 
not capture fully the current dynamics. One striking feature of the 
state of media freedom in many Asian societies is the ambiguous role of 
the publics that are ostensibly the main beneficiaries of the right to 
freedom of expression.

In some settings, popular responses to state interventions range 
from indifference and apathy to active, partisan support for 
authoritarian leaders’ attacks on media. In other cases, the attacks 
come directly from popular movements. Religious and other identity-based 
groups may even be the main drivers of censorship and self-censorship, 
in societies where government control is less of an issue. Sometimes, in 
the absence of well-functioning independent media accountability 
systems, the public’s legitimate ethical concerns can result in 
interventions that obstruct the media.

We invite papers that expand our theoretical and empirical understanding 
of Asian media freedom’s “challenges from below”. The guest editors’ 
working definition of “media” covers traditional mass media, online 
media, and internet intermediaries and platforms. We will focus on media 
that already or potentially contribute to public discourse and political 
culture, especially news media but also entertainment formats. In line 
with the Asian Journal of Communication’s scope, papers must be grounded 
in one or more Asian jurisdictions, and can address the topic from any 
appropriate disciplinary tradition and methodological approach, 
including historical, legal and comparative methods.

Submissions are invited on questions such as:

  * How and why has support for media freedom changed over time in
    selected Asian countries?
  * How have the rhetorical strategies of populist leaders in Asia
    sought to delegitimise independentmedia?
  * How do decentralised attacks on media, such as through cyber troops
    and vigilante violence, operatein Asia and what are their effects?
  * How do publics in Asia understand media freedom, for what
    historicalor cultural reasons, and to whatextent are their framings
    compatible with the idea of freedom of expression as a universal
    humanright?
  * Based on trends in Asia, how can we better conceptualise media and
    their publics?
  * What makes “free” Asian countries stand out and how in the mostly
    partly free or not free Asia?


Full papers are due by /*11 January 2021.*/
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