Revista Comunicando (thematic Section)

Deadline: March 21, 2025

Thematic editors: Miguel Midões (Polytechnic Institute of Viseu/ Communication and Society Research Centre, University of Minho, Portugal) and Giovanni Ramos (Polytechnic University of Coimbra, Portugal) 

“There is no journalism without proximity, whether it's proximity to the sources, proximity to the subjects, or proximity to local, regional, national or international communities, and this proximity takes many forms: geographical, emotional, cultural, affinity, among many others. Everything outside of this that we commonly call journalism is something that may still be undefined, but it is not journalism” (Midões & Martins, 2024). 

Coverage of local and community issues, proximity in journalism that allows a close relationship with sources and the discussion of local issues has long been seen as a way of promoting democracy. Proximity in journalism strengthens active citizenship by providing direct information on issues that impact citizens' lives, stimulating civic involvement and providing a space for the expression of diverse voices and perspectives. Focussed on the needs and concerns of communities, local media have a responsibility to promote transparency in public policies and local authorities, making them essential for building a more participatory and inclusive society. 

In a scenario marked by financial constraints and a shortage of resources, the future of local media is increasingly uncertain. A sector strongly marked by cutbacks, the closure of publications, local and regional broadcasters, the centralisation of content production and a lack of specialised human resources, local media have been facing the challenge of finding new ways to react to a context marked by profound transformations. 

In this thematic section we would like to receive works that show the reality of proximity media and proximity in the media, as well as those that analyse the relationship between the media and communities and the impact that technological advances, new publishing platforms and current production and distribution models have on this relationship. 

Topics of interest for this section include, but are not limited to: 

• Local media and technological advances 
  
• New publishing platforms 
  
• Old and new forms of funding and/or business models 
  
• Local and community media, democracy and strengthening communities 
  
• Public sphere: traditional journalism versus new social media dynamics 
  
• Media and the hinterland: production, distribution and use of local news 
  
• Local media: independence, political and financial control 
  
• Co-operation strategies in local and regional media 
  
• Local media, disinformation and fake news 
  
• Alternative media and collaborative journalism 

The works in the thematic section will be published between July and December 2025, in a continuous edition. 

All papers are subject to a double-blind peer review process. There are no associated publication fees (article processing fees or APCs). 

Full text submission period: from 2 January to 21 March 2025 

Languages: Portuguese, English or Spanish 

Sections: articles, interviews, reviews and experience reports 

Submission guidelines: https://revistacomunicando.sopcom.pt/index.php/comunicando/about/submissions 

For more information, please contact: revistacomunicando[at]gmail.com