Ferments in the Field: The Past, Present and Future of Communication 
Studies (Special issue). Journal of Communication 68 (2): 219-451.
Edited by Jack Qiu and Christian Fuchs

https://academic.oup.com/joc/issue/68/2

Journal of Communication (JoC) published its special issue “Ferment in 
the Field” in 1983 (vol. 33, no. 3). Thirty-five years later there still 
is a great interest in discussing the origins, current state, and 
prospects of our field. This special issue titled "Ferments in the 
Field: The Past, Present and Future of Communication Studies" presents 
20 articles, plus an introductory essay/reflection (by Fuchs/Qiu), with 
the intention to assess the field and provoke discussions about the 
status of communication studies. By proposing a new “Ferments in the 
Field” issue to JoC, our goal was to renew, repeat and update the spirit 
and critical discourses of the 1983 special issue.

With contributions by:
Christian Fuchs/Jack Qiu, Osei Appiah, W. Lance Bennett/Barbara Pfetsch, 
Paula Chakravartty et al., Miyase Christensen/Annika E. Nilsson, 
François Cooren, Robert T. Craig, Robert M. Entman/Nikki Usher, Cindy 
Gallois/Bernadette M. Watson/Howard Giles, Rosalind Gill/Akane Kanai, 
Natascha Just/Manuel Puppis, Marwan M. Kraidy, Sangeet Kumar/Radhika 
Parameswaran, Graham Murdock, W. Russell Neuman, Mary Beth Oliver et 
al., Colin Sparks, Slavko Splichal/Boris Mance, Joseph Turow/Nick 
Couldry, Nathan Walter/Michael J. Cody/Sandra J. Ball-Rokeach, Herman 
Wasserman