Inaugural Issue of the Mediterranean Edition of the GMJ

Global Media Journal-Africa publishes works that assess existing media structures and practices, such as global media concentration, globalization of TV genres, global media and consumer culture, the role of media in democratic governance and global justice, propaganda, media reception and cultural practice, commercialization of news, new media technologies, media regulations, regional media, alternative media, and other timely and relevant research issues.

The African Edition of Global Media Journal is hosted by the Institute for Media Analysis in South Africa (iMasa), Stellenbosch, South Africa

www.imasa.org

Call for Papers

Global Media Journal

African Edition

www.imasa.org

Deadline: 31 January 2006

(Articles may be submitted in English and French)

All scholarly refereed articles should adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Articles and essays must be written according to the Harvard Method – for information see the latest edition of the Chicago Style Manual.

2. Manuscripts for GMJ-A must be submitted by e-mail in Microsoft Word to the Editor (asdebeer@imasa.org ) or the Co-Editor (hwasserman@imasa.org ).

3. Articles must include:

a. Article title (keep to less than 10 words).

b. Abstract of 200 words (indication of topic, problem statement, methodology and outcome) – only for research peer-reviewed articles.

c. Author name/s (first, middle and last name/s).

d. Academic qualification (e.g. PhD).

e. Current position/affiliation.

f. Brief personal biography (maximum 25 words).

g. e-Mail address (also during holiday periods).

h. Physical mailing addresses.

i. Telephone and fax numbers.

j. URL for author/s' personal web page.

k. The above should be on a separate page.

l. Page two of peer-reviewed research articles must start with the title only.

m. Do not overly format the article. The less formatting, the better. But do have a look at the example supplied on the website for the format the article should adhere to.

n. All sub-headings should be numbered, though it will not be used in the final version.

o. Submissions must be professionally edited and be proof-read. If not, the articles will not be processed.

p. Articles must in camera-ready format, including tables, graphs, charts, etc. within the text.

q. Research articles must between 6000 and 7000 words; all other articles should be between 800 and 1200 words.

r. Authors should, where relevant, include a list of links to references, web pages, or sites related to their articles, as this is a strong advantage of electronic publications.

s. Scholarly research articles will go through a blind peer review process, while other submissions (including invited articles and commentaries) will be reviewed by the GMJ-A editor and co-editor.

t. Where uncertainty emerges re the suitability of a particular article for publication, editorial board members will be consulted.

u. Authors are responsible for obtaining any necessary permission from copyright holders for reproducing previously published material, including charts, graphs, photos, tables, etc. The publishers could not be hold responsible for any transgression in this instance, or for any other form of plagiarism.

v. Authors are to tick off the list above, and make sure that all aspects are correctly dealt with.

Global Media Journal – African Edition

Vol 1(1): First issue background

Focus: Information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development in Africa

· What exactly constitutes development and how ICTs are playing a role in this, is the main focus of the first issue of GMJ-A.

· As in the case of GJM-India, the focus of the first issue of GMJ-Africa will focus on the rapid increase in the growth of information and communication technologies, in GMJ-A’s case: Africa.

· Developing nations and continents, such as India and Africa (especially sub-Saharan Africa) have made a giant leap in a few decades from that of being predominantly agricultural societies to that of becoming more and more part of the global information society. The question however is what place in this society Africa occupies, and how global power relations impact upon the use of ICTs in the African context.

· Although a much-debated issue, neither the concept of development nor that of ICTs has been settled. The dynamic nature of the dissemination and use of technological advancements in day-to-day life is affecting, however the continent to a large extent.

· The articles for GMJ-A vol 1(1) could be either conceptual or based on fieldwork, and can discuss any of the areas that impact the social, cultural and political life of individuals or organisations. In short, what are the development prospects in Africa, with its growing democracies, but also internal strife, and what role may ICTs play? How is the role of ICTs in Africa related to the continent’s position in the global political economy and processes of unequal globalization?

· Deadlines:

1. Contributors to the scholarly research section must send a 250-word proposal for their articles before 1 December, 2005. If accepted after the reviewing process, the final articles will have to be submitted before 31 January 2006

2. Contributors to the other sections must send a 25-50-word proposal for their articles before 1 December, 2005. The final articles must be submitted before 1 January 2006.

The inaugural issue of Global Media Journal-African Edition will be published online May 1, 2006

Editor: Arnold S de Beer, PhD, Research Director: Institute for Media Analysis in South Africa (iMasa).

asdebeer@imasa.org

Co-Editor: Herman Wasserman PhD, Senior research consultant, iMasa. hwasserman@imasa.org

Mailing address: PO Box 106 Stellenbosch 7599 South Africa. Tel: +27 (0)841 767 7058