Call for Papers

PLATFORM: VOLUME 3 ISSUE 1 (MARCH 2011)

Media coverage and the election ‘race’

30 August 2010: Abstracts/Proposals due (500-800 words)
11 October 2010: Full Papers due (6,000-8,000 words, including 200 word
abstracts and six keywords)

Election campaigns are a constant feature of political and democratic
debate. They are also a time when political communication reaches
extraordinary levels as political leaders and organisations (formal and
informal) try to influence voters to align with their positions and
values. This issue of PLATFORM: Journal of Media and Communication invites
papers that challenge and explore the visibility (and invisibility) of
race and racism in media coverage of political communication and election
campaigns.

Issues of race and racism have been prominent in headlines around the
world over the past decade. The role of the state has been highlighted in
relation to policies such as the proposed banning of Islamic face veiling
in France, Belgium and Quebec; immigration and asylum-seeker policy; land
reform and intertribal conflict in parts of Africa; and anti-terrorism
initiatives such as racial profiling and an increased scrutiny of Muslim
bodies post 9/11 (see for example Goldberg, 2002; Amin, 2010; Lentin,
2004). Over the same period, US President Barack Obama’s 2008 election
victory was described as signifying a ‘post-racial’ era, drawing attention
to the role of these discourses of ‘post-racism’ within political
communications (Edge, 2010).

This issue of PLATFORM is seeking papers that expand or critique our
understanding of the interplay between media and race and racisms in
election campaigns and political debates. How (in)visible is race as a
factor in political discourse or practice, as reflected in media analyses
and challenges? How is this influenced by the increasing mediatisation of
democracy? How do issues such as the rise of citizen journalism and the
increasingly fragmented and cultural ways in which people utilise media
impact or mediate against issues of race?

In addition to submissions to our general section, PLATFORM: Journal of
Media and Communication welcomes thematic submissions by current graduate
students working in the field of media and communications which critically
examine issues of race and racism in media coverage and analysis of
elections and online deliberations around the world. Submissions can
explore any of the intersections between race, identity, class, culture
and history, but should explicitly focus on these in relation to media and
new communication technologies. Suggested topics could include, but are by
no means limited to:

-	The interplay between race and mediatised democracy and online
deliberation, including campaigning technologies, such as opinion polls,
focus groups and televised debates
-	Race and the political economy of media
-	Race and identity in political discourse and campaign rhetoric
-	Race in policy and policy debates (for example immigration and refugee
policy; national security; land ownership; surveillance)
-	Race in neoliberal discourses and policy (Goldberg, 2002)

We would also like to hear from any early career, PhD and master
researchers who are interested in peer-reviewing submissions for this
issue. Please refer to our contact details below.

Submissions to: [log in to unmask]

- All submissions to PLATFORM must be from current graduate students (no
more than 6 months after graduation) undertaking their Masters, Ph.D. or
international equivalent. We recommend that prospective authors submit
abstracts for approval by PLATFORM editors well before this deadline to
allow for feedback and suggestions, so that we receive full papers by 11
October 2010.
- All eligible submissions will be sent for double-blind peer-review.
Early submission is highly encouraged as the review process will commence
on submission.

Note: Please read the Submission Guidelines before submitting work.
Submissions not in house style will not be accepted and authors will be
asked resubmit their work with the correct formatting before it is sent
for review.

For more information contact:
Sandy Watson ([log in to unmask]), Editor-in-Chief of PLATFORM
Volume 3, Issue 1

*** Apply to Peer-Review ***

PLATFORM: Journal of Media and Communication invites early career, PhD and
Masters researchers to peer-review its scholarly submissions. If you would
like to apply, please submit a 150-word bio as well as a CV highlighting
research projects, publications and paper presentations.

<References>
Amin, A. (2010). The Remainders of Race. Theory, Culture and Society, 27,
1-23.
Edge, T. (2010). Southern Strategy 2.0: Conservatives, White Voters, and
the Election of Barack Obama. Journal of Black Studies, 40, 426-444.
Goldberg, D. T. (2002). The Racial State, Oxford and Malden, Blackwell
Publishers.
Lentin, A. (2004). Racial States, Anti-Racist Responses: Picking Holes in
'Culture' and 'Human Rights'. European Journal of Social Theory, 7,
427-443.
Mazzoleni, G. and Schulz, W. (2001). Political Communication, 16, 247-261.