Journalism and Media MDPI

27/07/2026

📘 We are delighted to announce the publication of the reprint of the Journalism and Media MDPI Special Issue, Sociality and Digitality: An Exploration of New Forms of Digital Social Connection and Belonging in Africa.

Edited by Anthea Garman and Nonhlanhla Ndlovu (Rhodes University), the articles presented in this Special Issue seek to answer one of the defining questions of our time: what does it mean to be social, to belong, and to seek recognition in an age of pervasive digital connectivity? This question acquires particular urgency and texture when asked from the vantage point of Africa. Across the continent, digital and mobile technologies have proliferated at a remarkable speed, reshaping how people communicate, organise, socialise, mourn, laugh, protest, and imagine futures. Yet the terms on which this transformation is theorised—and by whom—remain contested. This Special Issue is an attempt to shift that conversation, to insist that Africa is not merely a site where global digital trends play out, but a place where digitality itself is being remade. African countries and citizens face a rapidly changing digital environment and a rapidly changing socio-political environment in which the structures, hierarchies, and exclusions inherited from colonial and apartheid histories persist, even as formal political independence has been achieved. Against this layered, contested terrain, what do digital affordances make possible? And how are mobile and social media being used not merely to communicate, but to constitute new forms of selfhood, community, and political association?

📖 We invite you to explore this valuable collection:

🔗 https://brnw.ch/21x4s9q

Congratulations to our Guest Editors, Anthea Garman and Nonhlanhla Ndlovu, and to all authors and reviewers whose expertise and commitment made this publication possible. Thank you for your valuable contributions.

The articles presented in this Special Issue seek to answer one of the defining questions of our time: what does it mean to be social, to belong, and to seek recognition in an age of pervasive digital connectivity? This question acquires particular urgency and texture when asked from the vantage poi...

24/07/2026

During their recent visit to Italy, our Deputy Managing Editors, Suncica Djordjevic and Hristina Banic, had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Fabiana Battisti from the Scuola IaD, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.

It was a great opportunity to discuss Dr. Battisti's research interests, current academic activities, and potential future collaboration with the journal.

We are pleased to highlight one of Dr. Battisti's recent publications, co-authored with Prof. Lorenzo Dalvit, from Africa Media Matrix, Rhodes University, South Africa

"Humor That Hurts: An Exploration of Jokes About Black Women with Disabilities on TikTok in South Africa"

📜 Read the full Open Access article here: 👇
https://brnw.ch/21x4ou9

📚 This article is part of the Special Issue "Sociality and Digitality: An Exploration of New Forms of Digital Social Connection and Belonging in Africa", which has recently been published as a reprint volume. Through a range of contributions, this collection explores digital media and evolving forms of social connection across Africa, offering answers to one of the defining questions of our time: what does it mean to be social, to belong, and to seek recognition in the digital age?

Explore the complete reprint volume here: 👇
https://brnw.ch/21x4oua

20/07/2026

During their business trip to Italy, our Deputy Managing Editors, Suncica Djordjevic and Hristina Banic, had the pleasure of meeting Prof. Gianpietro Mazzoleni from the University of Milan, a distinguished Editorial Board Member of Journalism and Media MDPI since the journal's establishment.

The meeting provided an excellent opportunity to discuss the journal's continued development, exchange perspectives on current trends in journalism and media research, and explore future collaboration opportunities. We greatly appreciated Prof. Mazzoleni's valuable insights, constructive feedback, and longstanding commitment to the journal.

We sincerely thank Prof. Mazzoleni for his continuous support, dedication, and valuable contributions to Journalism and Media. We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration.

16/07/2026

🎉 We are excited to share that the recording of our webinar is finally available!

🌍 Global Media, Local Voices: The Dynamics of Diversity

Journalism and Media MDPI was delighted to host this engaging webinar, bringing together internationally recognized scholars to discuss media diversity, digital transformation, and the future of journalism and communication research.

📺 Watch the webinar recording on YouTube: https://brnw.ch/21x4aIs

🌐 You can also access the webinar page and recording on MDPI Sciforum:
https://brnw.ch/21x4aIt

The webinar was chaired by Prof. Dr. Toby Miller (Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey), and featured inspiring talks from:

🎤 Dr. Sharon Coen – The University of Salford, UK
🎤 Prof. Dr. Stina Bengtsson – Södertörn University, Sweden & Lusófona University, Portugal
🎤 Dr. Emiliano Trere – Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain & Cardiff University, UK
🎤 Prof. Dr. Cristina Pulido – Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

We would also like to thank Suncica Djordjevic, Deputy Managing Editor of Journalism and Media MDPI, for hosting the webinar, and to Ivana Vuleta, Managing Editor, whose vision and dedication made this event possible.

We sincerely thank our distinguished speakers and everyone who joined us. We look forward to welcoming you to future Journalism and Media MDPI webinars!

13/07/2026

🎉 Looking back on , we would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who took the time to connect with Journalism and Media MDPI during the conference.

Our Managing Editor, Ivana Vuleta, and Deputy Managing Editor, Suncica Djordjevic, were pleased to connect with members of our journal community, including Editorial Board Members, Guest Editors, authors, reviewers, long-standing collaborators, and new scholars. We truly appreciated every conversation, whether it focused on publishing experiences, Special Issue ideas, future collaborations, or the latest developments in journalism, media, and communication research.

Your valuable feedback, insightful discussions, and continued support help us strengthen our journal and foster an engaged international research community.

Thank you to everyone who visited our booth, met with us throughout the conference, and shared your ideas and expertise. We are grateful to be part of such a vibrant and collaborative academic community, and we look forward to continuing our collaborations in the months and years ahead.

13/07/2026

🤝 It was a pleasure to reconnect with our Guest Editor, Dr. Mathias Felipe de Lima Santos, at the ICA 2026 Conference in Cape Town.

Our Managing Editor, Ivana Vuleta, and Deputy Managing Editor, Suncica Djordjevic, had the pleasure of discussing the continued growth of Journalism and Media MDPI and hearing Dr. de Lima Santos' valuable insights and feedback on the journal. As both an Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor, Dr. Mathias Felipe de Lima Santos has been a valued member of our journal community since its early years.

📚 We also highlighted his Special Issue, "Unravelling the Media’s Role in Technological Innovation and AI's Environmental, Social, and Economic Impacts":

🔗https://brnw.ch/21x45wO

We are currently preparing the Special Issue Reprint, bringing together this outstanding collection of articles in a single volume. Stay tuned for its release!

A sincere thank you to Dr. Mathias Felipe de Lima Santos for his continued collaboration, commitment, and valuable contributions to Journalism and Media MDPI. We look forward to continuing our collaboration in the years ahead.

08/07/2026

🌍 Building new connections at the 76th ICA Conference in Cape Town!

Our Managing Editor, Ivana Vuleta, and Deputy Managing Editor, Suncica Djordjevic, had the pleasure of meeting Prof. Lawrence Ekwok, Dean of the University of Calabar (Nigeria), Dr. Ekaete Georgeradi from ICA Nigeria, along with members of their team, during the conference.

It was a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas on strengthening international collaboration and supporting communication and media researchers through publishing opportunities and other initiatives that help increase the global visibility of African scholarship.

Thank you to everyone for the inspiring conversations. We look forward to continuing these discussions and exploring future collaboration opportunities.

06/07/2026

During the 76th International Communication Association Conference in Cape Town, our Managing Editor, Ivana Vuleta, and Deputy Managing Editor, Suncica Djordjevic, had the pleasure of meeting with our Guest Editor, Prof. Dr. Louisa Ha (Bowling Green State University).

We were delighted to receive Prof. Ha's valuable feedback and are sincerely grateful for her continued collaboration, support, and commitment to Journalism and Media MDPI. It is always a pleasure to exchange ideas with dedicated members of our editorial community, whose expertise and engagement help strengthen the journal and foster impactful research in journalism, media, and communication studies.

📢 We would also like to highlight Prof. Ha's ongoing Special Issue:

From Clicks to Coins: The Evolution of Media Business Models

🗓️ Submission deadline: 30 December 2026

🔗 Learn more and submit your manuscript:

https://brnw.ch/21x3UMX

We look forward to receiving your contributions and continuing to foster impactful research in media and communication.

01/07/2026

📢 Special Issue “Journalism in a Fragmented Media Ecosystem: Democratic Responsibility, Narrative Innovation, and Civic Engagement” is open for submissions!

📝 Guest Editors: Raúl Terol Bolinches (Universitat Politècnica de València) and Luis Miguel Pedrero Esteban (Universidad Francisco de Vitoria)

📅 Deadline approaching soon: 31 March 2027

🔗 To submit your manuscript:
https://brnw.ch/21x3Nlf

📚 This Special Issue seeks to examine how journalism responds to this fragmented world through ethical commitments, narrative innovation, and civic engagement. We welcome contributions that address the structural transformations of news organizations, the sustainability of journalism in platformed environments, the impact of artificial intelligence on newsroom practices, and the role of fact-checking and verification in countering disinformation. We are also interested in research on audio journalism and podcasting as expanding forms of public-interest reporting, as well as on immersive storytelling, local journalism, media literacy, and the relationship between journalism and democratic participation.

We welcome empirical studies, theoretical contributions, systematic reviews, and comparative analyses addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

➡️ Disinformation, political polarization, and journalistic responses.

➡️ Business models and sustainability of journalism in digital environments

➡️ Artificial intelligence in journalistic practice and ethics

➡️ Audio journalism, podcasting, and sonic storytelling

➡️ Environmental journalism and climate crisis communication.

➡️ Media literacy and digital audience education

➡️ News consumption habits of younger generations

➡️ Fact-checking, data verification, and the fight against disinformation

➡️ Immersive journalism: augmented reality, virtual reality, and extended reality formats

➡️ The transformation of local and proximity journalism

25/06/2026

Another reason to celebrate at Journalism and Media! 🎉

Following the recent increase of our CiteScore to 3.2, we are thrilled to announce that our 2025 Impact Factor has reached 2.5, with the journal now ranked Q1 in the Communication category (Web of Science, ESCI).

Success after success, and we couldn't have done it without our amazing community. Thank you for being part of the Journalism and Media journey! 💜