Abstracts Submission
The following issues are currently accepting abstract submissions:
Innovating Social Media Research in a Paid-API Era
Academic Editors: Jacob Groshek (Institute for Representation in Society and Media / Kansas State University) and Todd Vogts (Institute for Representation in Society and Media / Sterling College)
- Submission of Abstracts: 1-15 June 2025
- Submission of Full Papers: 15-30 October 2025
- Publication of the Issue: January/June 2026
By this point, it is well known that social media data is increasingly hard to source as free APIs are mostly locked down by exorbitant paywalls and may also require technological expertise to access and analyze data. This situation has become more dire in recent months and has further bifurcated social media researchers into data “haves” from data “have nots”—and our field is currently adrift as to what the most viable portals and best practices for acquiring social media data are, which has resulted in isolated data vaults and fragmented efforts.
This thematic issue invites proposals from visionaries working in this turbulent space, whether they are media scholars, data vendors, or technological experts looking to help others not only access social media data but also create innovative ways to store, model, and share this data.
Development of historical and contemporary datasets are welcome, as are collaborative enterprises that cross disciplines, regardless of for-profit or non-profit statuses. Indeed, as the days of “free data” have come to a close for many (if not all) social media platforms, the most potent and viable solutions may well originate with industry and market research.
We don’t place parameters on submissions, but some starting points may include, but are not limited to:
- Who is capable of not only sourcing data, but also analyzing data once acquired—Does everyone need to learn Python, SQL, R, or other coding languages?
- What sources of data are available for various social media platforms, and which tools or vendors can be used to access that data?
- Where can we store social media data so that it is at once shareable for academic research but still respectful of privacy and safety concerns?
- When does data speak for itself? When is enough data enough, and when is it possible to move research into the 21st century with AI and machine learning automations in real time?
- How do interfaces work—Are they text or image based, and how can our tools leverage what is available to make a contribution to various cognate areas?
Non-ethical issues are paramount here, and while we can all appreciate the ability to problematize the collection and hyper-personalization of exploitative marketing through social media data, we are seeking solutions to existing problems. Essays or thought pieces that don’t advance tangible steps for the collection and analysis of large-scale social data are not the emphasis of this particular thematic issue as we attempt to move at the pace of data to overcome an existential crisis in our field.
Readers across the globe will be able to access, share, and download this issue entirely for free. Corresponding authors affiliated with any of our institutional members (over 90 institutions worldwide) publish free of charge. Otherwise, an article processing fee will be charged to the authors to cover editorial costs. We defend that authors should not have to personally pay this fee and encourage them to check with their institutions if funds are available to cover open access publication costs. Further information about the journal's open access charges can be found here.
Communication in Election Campaigns: Staggering Changes or Same Old, Same Old?
Academic Editors: Viorela Dan (University of Innsbruck), Uta Rußmann (University of Innsbruck), Anne Schulz (University of Zurich), and Philipp Müller (University of Mannheim)
- Submission of Abstracts: 1-15 June 2025
- Submission of Full Papers: 15-30 October 2025
- Publication of the Issue: January/June 2026
Election campaign communication is a core area of political communication research. Although it is increasingly common to hear that the differences between election campaign periods and campaign-free periods are fading and that we are living in times of “permanent campaigning,” election campaigns remain key phases of political communication (Sarcinelli, 2011). In times when democracies are under attack, elections and election campaigns are all the more important, and result in groundbreaking decisions for the democratic constitution of states. After a super-election year in 2024—with elections for the European Parliament, presidential elections in the USA, national elections in Austria, state elections in Germany, etc.—our thematic issue invites studies focusing on the topic of election campaign communication. The aim is to discuss which content is communicated with which strategies and in which channels, which actors play an important role, and what effects election campaign communication achieves. While we will consider manuscripts on various aspects pertaining to communication in election campaigns, the following topics are of particular interest:
- Potential changes prompted by digitalization;
- The increasing tendency toward entertainment;
- The growing importance of visual communication;
- The rise of “non-political” actors such as influencers on Instagram and TikTok;
- The strategic use of (relatively) new platforms to reach young voters.
In light of these trends, questions arise about the continuity of scientific findings on election campaign communication: Are research findings generated in the 1990s and 2000s still applicable today? To what extent do our research approaches and methods need to be adapted to take account of changed conditions of election campaign communication in the digital era?
References
Sarcinelli, U. (2011). Wahlkampfkommunikation: Modernisierung von Wahlkämpfen und Modernisierung von Demokratie. In U. Sarcinelli (Ed.), Politische Kommunikation in Deutschland (pp. 225–246). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-93018-3_12
Readers across the globe will be able to access, share, and download this issue entirely for free. Corresponding authors affiliated with any of our institutional members (over 90 institutions worldwide) publish free of charge. Otherwise, an article processing fee will be charged to the authors to cover editorial costs. We defend that authors should not have to personally pay this fee and encourage them to check with their institutions if funds are available to cover open access publication costs. Further information about the journal's open access charges can be found here.
Exploring Engagement With Complex Information: Perspectives on Generative AI as an Information Intermediary
Academic Editors: Monika Taddicken (TU Braunschweig), Esther Greussing (TU Braunschweig), Evelyn Jonas (TU Braunschweig), Ayelet Baram-Tsabari (Technion—Israel Institute of Technology), Inbal Klein-Avraham (Technion—Israel Institute of Technology), and Shakked Dabran-Zivan (Technion—Israel Institute of Technology)
- Submission of Abstracts: 1-15 May 2025
- Submission of Full Papers: 1-15 September 2025
- Publication of the Issue: January/June 2026
The thematic issue aims to facilitate a multi-perspective reflection on the intricate relationship between generative AI and public engagement with complex information. With the introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022, generative AI has emerged as a new intermediary for information, reshaping the dynamics of information flow within society. Occupying a unique position, generative AI functions both as a channel or tool and as a communicator, actively generating and disseminating information.
In the realm of public engagement with complex information, the thematic issue aims to understand how and for what reasons people use generative AI. The focus shall be on the potential benefits offered by generative AI to diverse audiences—evident in enhanced information access, personalized content experiences, and efficiency—and the corresponding risks of misinformation, reinforced biases, polarization, and the erosion of traditional structures of knowledge production. As such, generative AI introduces new complexities that complicate the public’s engagement with information and may challenge conventional notions of well-informed democratic discourse.
The thematic issue thus aims to advance our understanding of how generative AI affects the way complex information is generated, disseminated, and received in society. Generative AI might elevate the issue of the digital divide to the next stage. In the era of generative AI, the source credibility of information becomes critical, particularly when dealing with complex information of high social relevance, where misinformation can yield far-reaching consequences. Therefore, implications for information literacy should also be reflected, along with strategies to empower individuals in navigating the rapidly changing digital information landscape. Moreover, the use of generative AI in different countries, cultures, or languages should be elucidated from various levels and perspectives.
Contributions may: cover individual or societal perspectives; apply national or particularly comparative approaches; be theory-based or empirical; and focus on specific generative AI systems or functionalities, or use a wider perspective.
Readers across the globe will be able to access, share, and download this issue entirely for free. Corresponding authors affiliated with any of our institutional members (over 90 institutions worldwide) publish free of charge. Otherwise, an article processing fee will be charged to the authors to cover editorial costs. We defend that authors should not have to personally pay this fee and encourage them to check with their institutions if funds are available to cover open access publication costs. Further information about the journal's open access charges can be found here.
New Weapons of Democratic Destruction
Academic Editors: Stephen Harrington (Queensland University of Technology), Timothy Graham (Queensland University of Technology), Ella Chorazy (Queensland University of Technology), and Aljosha Karim Schapals (Queensland University of Technology)
- Submission of Abstracts: 1-15 June 2026
- Submission of Full Papers: 15-30 October 2026
- Publication of the Issue: January/June 2027
Over the past decade, emergent technologies have opened new avenues for political actors to shape public opinion, discredit rivals, and gain advantage—often by subverting established norms of political communication. Billionaires purchase media platforms to influence discourse, influencers are paid to spread covert political messages, and bots and trolls distort opinion and stoke discord to serve hidden agendas. Meanwhile, journalists, institutions, and the public struggle to respond in a chaotic, attention-driven environment where information is weaponised and trust eroded.
This climate has empowered malevolent actors who stage public spectacles to distract attention while operating behind the scenes to weaken democratic norms and concentrate power without scrutiny. While recent research on disinformation and “fake news” has focused on tracking problematic content and its effects, scholars now increasingly recognise that these are not external threats but systemic tools often wielded by elite actors. Yet, there remains a lack of understanding around how specific actors exploit new media to pursue anti-democratic goals.
This thematic issue brings together global scholars to explore how technological affordances are exploited to undermine political institutions, destabilise liberal democracy, and promote nativism, racism, and authoritarianism. By investigating these strategic communication tactics, we aim to identify the roots of political dysfunction and build resilience against these threats.
We welcome research on the communication practices of malign elites and extreme actors, especially from the Global South and East, and non-Western political systems. We also seek work examining intersections with colonial legacies, wealth inequality, and gendered harm.
Topics of interest include:
- Strategic political communication in the attention economy, such as micro-targeting;
- How “culture war” topics and/or polarisation discourses are used to drive anti-democratic or anti-establishment sentiment;
- The strategic use of disinformation tactics and/or conspiracy theories for political advantage;
- Use of AI and automation by malign political actors;
- Media manipulation strategies, such as the relationship between political actors and hyper-partisan media outlets;
- Efforts to erode public trust in institutions and governance.
Readers across the globe will be able to access, share, and download this issue entirely for free. Corresponding authors affiliated with any of our institutional members (over 90 institutions worldwide) publish free of charge. Otherwise, an article processing fee will be charged to the authors to cover editorial costs. We defend that authors should not have to personally pay this fee and encourage them to check with their institutions if funds are available to cover open access publication costs. Further information about the journal's open access charges can be found here.