[Commlist] Call for Contributions for Special Issue "Media Capture in the Western Balkans and Beyond: Tools, Actors, and Effects" for Global Media Journal - German Edition

GLOBAL MEDIA JOURNAL- GERMAN EDITION

**Call for Papers for a Special Issue – Summer 2026**

“MEDIA CAPTURE in the WESTERN BALKANS AND BEYOND: TOOLS, ACTORS, and 
EFFECTS”

Guest Editors:

Jelena Kleut (University of Novi Sad)

Lejla Turčilo (University of Sarajevo)

In the last decade, the concept of media capture has gained relevance, 
and it has been used to scrutinise the manner in which governments 
exercise control over the media in semi-authoritarian and illiberal 
regimes. Similar to other concepts related to state control over the 
media and news content, media capture also encompasses more covert 
mechanisms, in which states and private actors (such as media owners and 
advertisers), as well as political parties, play a role in influencing 
journalists, media institutions, and media organisations. Media capture 
manifests through various types and strategies of undue influence. It 
occurs in two interconnected realms: the political sphere, encompassing 
media policy, regulatory frameworks, and appointment procedures within 
public service media; and in the economic domain, involving media 
financing mechanisms, subsidies, and advertising.

Whilst the majority of cases are found in transitional democracies in 
Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the toolkit of media 
capture has expanded alongside the rise of illiberal tendencies worldwide.

In a special section of the Global Media Journal – German Edition, we 
invite both early-career and senior authors to submit contributions in 
English on this topic, focusing primarily – though not exclusively – on 
the Western Balkan countries. Contributions with a comparative 
orientation – whether within Western Balkan countries, or between EU and 
non-EU member states – are especially welcome, as they will enrich 
existing scholarship with insights into cross-border dimensions of media 
markets and policy alignments.

Research topics and questions for this special issue include, but are 
not limited to:

•             Comparative and single case studies observing different 
tools and types of media capture.

•             Role of different actors – state, political parties, 
regulators, advertisers, media owners, public and private media, 
journalists and media users – in the processes of media capture.

•             Wider political, economic and technological 
changes/disruptions that contribute to media capture.

•             Effects of media capture on democratic processes, 
journalism and audiences.

•             Theoretical considerations of the media capture concept 
and adjacent terms such as media clientelism, political parallelism, 
party colonization of media, media instrumentalization.

•             Micro and macro resilience and resistance strategies 
against media capture.

**Submission Guidelines**

Diamond Open Access, no APCs (no author processing charges!)

https://www.globalmediajournal.de/index.php/gmj/submission-guidelines

**Timetable**

Submission of abstracts: 15 September 2025

Response to authors: End of September 2025

Deadline for full papers: 31 January 2026

Notification after review: mid-March 2026

Publication: July 2026

**Formats for contributions**

Academic articles (peer-reviewed); essays and commentaries; media 
practice & research reports; graduate section; interviews; book reviews

Abstract: 200-300 words (PDF), in English

Submission of abstracts: by email to Jelena Kleut 
((jelena.kleut /at/ ff.uns.ac.rs)) and Lejla Turčilo 
((lejla.turcilo /at/ fpn.unsa.ba)) by 15 September 2025.

Submission of full manuscripts: via Submit Manuscript button 
www.globalmediajournal.de

**Manuscript Design**

You will find all necessary information regarding formatting, paper 
length, and other requirements here:  
https://globalmediajournal.de/index.php/gmj/libraryFiles/downloadPublic/7

For citations, please use APA style, 7th edition

If you have any questions about content-related aspects, please contact 
the guest editors Jelena Kleut ((jelena.kleut /at/ ff.uns.ac.rs)) and Lejla 
Turčilo ((lejla.turcilo /at/ fpn.unsa.ba)); for editorial queries, please 
contact GMJ-DE editor Katharina Nötzold ((gmj /at/ polsoz.fu-berlin.de))

**Aims and Scope**

The GLOBAL MEDIA JOURNAL – GERMAN EDITION (ISSN 2196-4807) is a diamond 
open access, peer-reviewed journal for the publication of scholarly 
contributions dealing with issues of international, transnational, 
intercultural and transcultural communication and media, published in 
English and German twice a year. No article processing charges (APCs) 
are incurred. The journal is indexed in DOAJ, ERIH PLUS, EBSCO, EuroPub, 
BASE and Ulrich`s. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. This 
means that your articles can be submitted any time for our various 
sections (peer-review, essays, from the field, graduate section, book 
reviews). We are also open to discuss guest-edited issues.

Website: https://www.globalmediajournal.de


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