[Note: See especially the second-to-last bullet-pointed topic. –Matthew]

Call for Papers

Digital Battlefields: Communication Technology, Conflict, and the Struggle for Global Attention

Journal of Communication Technology
https://www.joctec.net/special-issue-calls

Submission deadline: September 1, 2024

The Journal of Communication Technology (ISSN 2694-3883), the official journal of the Communication Technology division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, is pleased to announce a Special Call for Papers for an issue on Digital Battlefields.  Note: If you submitted a manuscript to the previous special issue call on “The Digital Armed Conflict: The Battle for Ukraine Online,” please submit it again to be considered for this CFP.

As digital technologies continue to reshape the dynamics of warfare and political conflict globally, the Journal of Communication and Technology (JoCTEC) seeks to examine the ways these technologies are employed by individuals, organizations, and state actors within these landscapes of conflict. Conflicts like the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, the armed conflict in Congo, and the Sudanese Civil War have highlighted how online communication strategies can significantly impact narratives, the spread of information (and disinformation), and global perceptions of these events. The communication strategies and tactics employed in the battle in cyberspace have become an important facet of this digital war of information and communication.

This special issue of JoCTEC welcomes articles focusing on the complexities of communication in digital conflict zones, including but not limited to:

• The shaping of narratives: How do digital media frame conflicts, aiding or countering efforts to influence public opinion? What are the roles of state-owned media, independent outlets, and social media in these contexts?
• (In)visibility and global attention: How does the digital footprint of a conflict influence the global response? What are the factors that lead to some conflicts gaining widespread digital attention while others remain in relative obscurity?
• Ethical dilemmas of the digital age: What are the ethical considerations for those producing and disseminating information from conflict zones, particularly in a context with widespread misinformation campaigns?
• Communication strategies and counter-strategies: What are the digital tactics and technological tools used by state actors, non-governmental organizations, and independent actors within conflict zones to advance their objectives?
• The weaponization of information: How are digital technologies used in the spread of disinformation and propaganda? What strategies exist to counter these efforts?
• Deepfakes and synthetic media: What is the emerging role of deepfakes and other manipulated media in shaping conflict narratives or fueling instability?
• Global mobilization and digital solidarity: How can digital tools foster transnational mobilization and support for those impacted by conflict?

JoCTEC welcomes scholarship from a broad area of inquiry, with the expressed mission to bring together research that facilitates discussion and cultivates understanding of the ways in which communication technologies are changing not only media processes and content but also audiences, institutions, and society at large. JoCTEC is not limited to a particular theoretical and methodological perspective, and welcomes research that informs debates from comparative empirical perspectives and more conceptual and theoretical approaches. What remains at the forefront for our journal is that scholarship is systematic and rigorous concerning communication technologies and their impacts, no matter the disciplinary precision of the inquiry.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

• September 1, 2024: full paper submission.
• December 1, 2024: reviewer’s comments to be communicated to authors.
• March 1, 2025: revised manuscript submission.
• May 1, 2025: notification of acceptance
• July 1, 2025: expected publication date

GUIDELINE FOR PAPER SUBMISSION:

Submissions should follow the manuscript guidelines for JoCTEC.

• Prepare the manuscript using APA (7th ed) citation style, with text of no more than 9,000 words (including abstract, figures/tables, and references).
• Submit the manuscript in Word format with all author-identifying information omitted to allow for blind peer review.
• Confirmed manuscript is not before another journal for consideration, and that the manuscript has not been previously published, including in a language other than English.

Full papers should be emailed to contact JoCTEC Editors via the Submission Form posted on https://www.joctec.net/submit. If you have any questions, please contact the editors Hazel Kwon (khkwon@asu.edu) or Sonali Kudva (skudva@methodist.edu)