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Media, War & Conflict

Media, War & Conflict


eISSN: 17506360 | ISSN: 17506352 | Current volume: 17 | Current issue: 1 Frequency: Quarterly

Media, War & Conflict is a major international, peer-reviewed journal that maps the shifting arena of war and conflict in media environments and ecologies. It explores cultural, political, social and technological transformations in the conduct, outcome and consequences of intensively mediated war.

Media, War & Conflict is the first inter- and multi- disciplinary journal to be dedicated to this field. It publishes substantial research articles, essays and reviews. It solicits submissions from academics, professionals and practitioners. The editors are looking for innovative work that contributes to existing debates and identifies emerging challenges in the convergence of media, war and conflict.

Topic coverage includes how media, war and conflict converge in subjects such as:

  • Journalism and witnessing
  • Security, politics and militaries
  • Art, aesthetics, photography, film and popular culture
  • Technologies, spatialities and architectures
  • Aftermath, reconciliation, peace processes
  • Memory, commemoration and archives
  • Identity and embodiment
  • Practices, cultures and ethics
  • Audiences and engagement
  • Narratives, legitimation of war and peace

Media, War & Conflict is a major international, peer-reviewed journal that maps the shifting arena of war and conflict in media environments and ecologies. It explores cultural, political, social and technological transformations in the conduct, outcome and consequences of intensively mediated war.

Media, War & Conflict is the first inter- and multi- disciplinary journal to be dedicated to this field. It publishes substantial research articles, essays, reviews, video essays and original short films. It solicits submissions from academics, professionals and practitioners. The editors are looking for innovative work that contributes to existing debates and identifies emerging challenges in the convergence of media, war and conflict.

Topic coverage includes how media, war and conflict converge in subjects such as:

  • Journalism and witnessing
  • Security, politics and militaries
  • Art, aesthetics, photography, film and popular culture
  • Technologies, spatialities and architectures
  • Aftermath, reconciliation, peace processes
  • Memory, commemoration and archives
  • Identity and embodiment
  • Practices, cultures and ethics
  • Audiences and engagement
  • Narratives, legitimation of war and peace
Editors
Piotr Cieplak University of Sussex, UK
Sarah Maltby University of Sussex, UK
Ben O'Loughlin Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
Katy Parry Leeds University, UK
Richard Stupart University of Liverpool, UK
Editorial Assistant
Holly Steel Leeds University, UK
Reviews Editor
Johana Kotišová Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Editorial Board
Sean Aday George Washington University, US
Stuart Allan Cardiff University, UK
Hussein Amin American University in Cairo, Egypt
Akil Awan Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
Babak Bahador George Washington University, USA
Roland Bleiker The University of Queensland, Australia
Gwen Bouvier Shanghai International Studies University, China
Robert Burgoyne University of St Andrews, Scotland
Natalia Chaban University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Lilie Chouliaraki London School of Economics and Political Sciences, UK
Maura Conway Dublin City University, Ireland
Cristina Demaria University of Bologna, Italy
Mohammed el-Nawawy Queens University of Charlotte, USA
Mercy Ette University of Leeds, UK 
Shahira Fahmy American University in Cairo, Egypt
Kevin Foster Monash University, Australia
Romy Fröhlich Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
Jill Gibbon Leeds Beckett University, UK
Lauren Gould Utrecht University, Netherlands
James Gow King's College London, UK
Michael Griffin Macalester College, USA
Philip Hammond London South Bank University, UK
Stephen Jukes Bournemouth University, UK
Richard Keeble University of Lincoln, UK
Sahar Khamis University of Maryland, USA
Steven Livingston George Washington University, US
Tanner Mirrlees Ontario Tech University, Canada
Saumava Mitra Dublin City University, Ireland
Mette Mortensen University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Sarah Oates University of Maryland, USA
Pippa Oldfield Leeds Arts University, UK
Philip O. Onguny Saint Paul University, Canada
Dima Saber Birmingham City University, UK
Howard Tumber City University London, UK
Ingrid Volkmer University of Melbourne, Australia
Gadi Wolfsfeld Reichman University, Israel
Moran Yarchi Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Israel
Barbie Zelizer University of Pennsylvania, USA
  • ArticleFirst
  • Clarivate Analytics: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)
  • EBSCO: Communication Source
  • EBSCO: TOC Premier
  • OCLC: Electronic Collections Online
  • ProQuest: CSA Sociological Abstracts
  • ProQuest: CSA Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
  • Scopus
  • Social Services Abstracts
  • Manuscript Submission Guidelines: Media, War & Conflict

    Please read the guidelines below then visit the Journal’s submission site http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mwc to upload your manuscript. Please note that manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines may be returned.

    Only manuscripts of sufficient quality that meet the aims and scope of Media, War & Conflict will be reviewed.

    If you are submitting a Visual Essay, please read the Visual Essay guidelines here.

    There are no fees payable to submit or publish in this Journal. Open Access options are available - see section 3.3 below.

    As part of the submission process you will be required to warrant that you are submitting your original work, that you have the rights in the work, that you are submitting the work for first publication in the Journal and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere and has not already been published elsewhere, and that you have obtained and can supply all necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyright works not owned by you.

    1. What do we publish?
      1.1 Aims & Scope
      1.2 Article types
      1.3 Writing your paper
    2. Editorial policies
      2.1 Peer review policy
      2.2 Authorship
      2.3 Acknowledgements
      2.4 Declaration of conflicting interests
    3. Publishing policies
      3.1 Publication ethics
      3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement
      3.3 Open access and author archiving
    4. Preparing your manuscript
      4.1 Formatting
      4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics
      4.3 Supplementary material
      4.4 Reference style
      4.5 English language editing services
    5. Submitting your manuscript
      5.1 ORCID
      5.2 Information required for completing your submission
      5.3 Permissions
    6. On acceptance and publication
      6.1 Sage Production
      6.2 Online First publication
      6.3 Access to your published article
      6.4 Promoting your article
    7. Further information

    1. What do we publish?

    1.1 Aims & Scope

    Before submitting your manuscript to Media, War & Conflict, please ensure you have read the Aims & Scope.

    1.2 Article Types

    Media, War & Conflict is the first journal to be dedicated to this field. It publishes substantial research articles, shorter pieces, book reviews, letters and commentary, and includes an images section devoted to visual aspects of war and conflict.

    If you are submitting a Visual Essay, please read the Visual Essay guidelines here.

    The target word count for articles is 8000 words (all text, including notes, references, tables, charts, etc.). Submissions of more than a few hundred words beyond the target will not be considered. Shorter articles of 5,000 words are also accepted. Submissions will be refereed by anonymous reviewers. All articles should be accompanied by an abstract of 150 words and up to 6 keywords.

    Media, War & Conflict also accepts proposals for special issues of the journal. For information on how to submit a proposal for a special issue, please see here.

    Please note that unsolicited reviews of books or other media must not be submitted to Media, War & Conflict through the manuscript submission site. If you have an item you would like reviewed, wish to review, or have an enquiry in this regard, kindly email our Book Reviews Editor, Johana Kotišová at Johana.Kotisova@vub.be

    1.3 Writing your paper

    The Sage Author Gateway has some general advice and on how to get published, plus links to further resources. Sage Author Services also offers authors a variety of ways to improve and enhance their article including English language editing, plagiarism detection, and video abstract and infographic preparation.

    1.3.1 Make your article discoverable

    When writing up your paper, think about how you can make it discoverable. The title, keywords and abstract are key to ensuring readers find your article through search engines such as Google. For information and guidance on how best to title your article, write your abstract and select your keywords, have a look at this page on the Gateway: How to Help Readers Find Your Article Online.

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    2. Editorial policies

    2.1 Peer review policy

    Sage does not permit the use of author-suggested (recommended) reviewers at any stage of the submission process, be that through the web-based submission system or other communication. Reviewers should be experts in their fields and should be able to provide an objective assessment of the manuscript. Our policy is that reviewers should not be assigned to a paper if:

    •  The reviewer is based at the same institution as any of the co-authors

    •  The reviewer is based at the funding body of the paper

    •  The author has recommended the reviewer

    •  The reviewer has provided a personal (e.g. Gmail/Yahoo/Hotmail) email account and an institutional email account cannot be found after performing a basic Google search (name, department and institution). 

    2.2 Authorship

    All parties who have made a substantive contribution to the article should be listed as authors. Principal authorship, authorship order, and other publication credits should be based on the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their status. A student is usually listed as principal author on any multiple-authored publication that substantially derives from the student’s dissertation or thesis.

    Please note that AI chatbots, for example ChatGPT, should not be listed as authors. For more information see the policy on Use of ChatGPT and generative AI tools.

    2.3 Acknowledgements

    All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an Acknowledgements section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, or a department chair who provided only general support.

    2.3.1 Third party submissions

    Where an individual who is not listed as an author submits a manuscript on behalf of the author(s), a statement must be included in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript and in the accompanying cover letter. The statements must:

    • Disclose this type of editorial assistance – including the individual’s name, company and level of input
    • Identify any entities that paid for this assistance
    • Confirm that the listed authors have authorized the submission of their manuscript via third party and approved any statements or declarations, e.g. conflicting interests, funding, etc.

    Where appropriate, Sage reserves the right to deny consideration to manuscripts submitted by a third party rather than by the authors themselves.

    2.3.2 Writing assistance

    Individuals who provided writing assistance, e.g. from a specialist communications company, do not qualify as authors and so should be included in the Acknowledgements section. Authors must disclose any writing assistance – including the individual’s name, company and level of input – and identify the entity that paid for this assistance”).

    It is not necessary to disclose use of language polishing services.

    Please supply any personal acknowledgements separately to the main text to facilitate anonymous peer review.

    2.4 Declaration of conflicting interests

    Media, War & Conflict encourages authors to include a declaration of any conflicting interests and recommends you review the good practice guidelines on the Sage Journal Author Gateway.

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    3. Publishing Policies

    3.1 Publication ethics

    Sage is committed to upholding the integrity of the academic record. We encourage authors to refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics’ International Standards for Authors and view the Publication Ethics page on the Sage Author Gateway.

    3.1.1 Plagiarism

    Media, War & Conflict and Sage take issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism or other breaches of best practice in publication very seriously. We seek to protect the rights of our authors and we always investigate claims of plagiarism or misuse of published articles. Equally, we seek to protect the reputation of the journal against malpractice. Submitted articles may be checked with duplication-checking software. Where an article, for example, is found to have plagiarised other work or included third-party copyright material without permission or with insufficient acknowledgement, or where the authorship of the article is contested, we reserve the right to take action including, but not limited to: publishing an erratum or corrigendum (correction); retracting the article; taking up the matter with the head of department or dean of the author's institution and/or relevant academic bodies or societies; or taking appropriate legal action.

    3.1.2 Prior publication

    If material has been previously published it is not generally acceptable for publication in a Sage journal. However, there are certain circumstances where previously published material can be considered for publication. Please refer to the guidance on the Sage Author Gateway or if in doubt, contact the Editor at the address given below.

    3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement

    Before publication, Sage requires the author as the rights holder to sign a Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement. Sage’s Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement is an exclusive licence agreement which means that the author retains copyright in the work but grants Sage the sole and exclusive right and licence to publish for the full legal term of copyright. Exceptions may exist where an assignment of copyright is required or preferred by a proprietor other than Sage. In this case copyright in the work will be assigned from the author to the society. For more information please visit the Sage Author Gateway.

    3.3 Open access and author archiving

    Media, War & Conflict offers optional open access publishing via the Sage Choice programme and Open Access agreements, where authors can publish open access either discounted or free of charge depending on the agreement with Sage. Find out if your institution is participating by visiting Open Access Agreements at Sage. For more information on Open Access publishing options at Sage please visit Sage Open Access. For information on funding body compliance, and depositing your article in repositories, please visit Sage’s Author Archiving and Re-Use Guidelines and Publishing Policies.

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    4. Preparing your manuscript for submission

    4.1 Formatting

    The preferred format for your manuscript is Word. LaTeX files are also accepted. Word and (La)Tex templates are available on the Manuscript Submission Guidelines page of our Author Gateway.

    4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics

    For guidance on the preparation of illustrations, pictures and graphs in electronic format, please visit Sage’s Manuscript Submission Guidelines.  

    4.3 Supplementary material

    This journal is able to host additional materials online (e.g. datasets, podcasts, videos, images etc) alongside the full-text of the article. For more information please refer to our guidelines on submitting supplementary files.

    4.4 Reference style

    Media, War & Conflict adheres to the Sage Harvard reference style. View the Sage Harvard guidelines to ensure your manuscript conforms to this reference style.

    If you use EndNote to manage references, you can download the Sage Harvard EndNote output file.

    4.5 English language editing services

    Authors seeking assistance with English language editing, translation, or figure and manuscript formatting to fit the journal’s specifications should consider using Sage Language Services. Visit Sage Language Services on our Journal Author Gateway for further information.

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    5. Submitting your manuscript

    Media, War & Conflict is hosted on Sage Track, a web based online submission and peer review system powered by ScholarOne™ Manuscripts. Visit http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mwc to login and submit your article online.

    IMPORTANT: Please check whether you already have an account in the system before trying to create a new one. If you have reviewed or authored for the journal in the past year it is likely that you will have had an account created.  For further guidance on submitting your manuscript online please visit ScholarOne Online Help.

    5.1 ORCID

    As part of our commitment to ensuring an ethical, transparent and fair peer review process Sage is a supporting member of ORCID, the Open Researcher and Contributor ID. ORCID provides a unique and persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers from every other researcher, even those who share the same name, and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between researchers and their professional activities, ensuring that their work is recognized.

    The collection of ORCID iDs from corresponding authors is now part of the submission process of this journal. If you already have an ORCID iD you will be asked to associate that to your submission during the online submission process. We also strongly encourage all co-authors to link their ORCID ID to their accounts in our online peer review platforms. It takes seconds to do: click the link when prompted, sign into your ORCID account and our systems are automatically updated. Your ORCID iD will become part of your accepted publication’s metadata, making your work attributable to you and only you. Your ORCID iD is published with your article so that fellow researchers reading your work can link to your ORCID profile and from there link to your other publications.

    If you do not already have an ORCID iD please follow this link to create one or visit our ORCID homepage to learn more.

    5.2 Information required for completing your submission

    You will be asked to provide contact details and academic affiliations for all co-authors via the submission system and identify who is to be the corresponding author. These details must match what appears on your manuscript. At this stage please ensure you have included all the required statements and declarations and uploaded any additional supplementary files (including reporting guidelines where relevant).

    5.3 Permissions

    Please also ensure that you have obtained any necessary permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere. For further information including guidance on fair dealing for criticism and review, please see the Copyright and Permissions page on the Sage Author Gateway.

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    6. On acceptance and publication

    6.1 Sage Production

    Your Sage Production Editor will keep you informed as to your article’s progress throughout the production process. Proofs will be sent by PDF to the corresponding author and should be returned promptly.  Authors are reminded to check their proofs carefully to confirm that all author information, including names, affiliations, sequence and contact details are correct, and that Funding and Conflict of Interest statements, if any, are accurate.

    6.2 Online First publication

    Online First allows final articles (completed and approved articles awaiting assignment to a future issue) to be published online prior to their inclusion in a journal issue, which significantly reduces the lead time between submission and publication. Visit the Sage Journals help page for more details, including how to cite Online First articles.

    6.3 Access to your published article

    Sage provides authors with online access to their final article.

    6.4 Promoting your article

    Publication is not the end of the process! You can help disseminate your paper and ensure it is as widely read and cited as possible. The Sage Author Gateway has numerous resources to help you promote your work. Visit the Promote Your Article page on the Gateway for tips and advice. 

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    7. Further information

    Any correspondence, queries or additional requests for information on the manuscript submission process should be sent to theMedia, War & Conflict editorial office as follows:

    Holly Steel, Editorial Assistant: h.steel1@leeds.ac.uk

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