Journal Description
Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (JMCQ) is the flagship journal of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). It is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal ranked in the Journal Citation Reports that focuses on research in journalism and mass communication. Established in 1924, JMCQ or the Quarterly is the oldest refereed scholarly journal in mass communication and provides leadership in scholarship for the field. It serves all the divisions and interest groups of AEJMC and publishes original articles and book reviews on topics including but not limited to theoretical and methodological developments in journalism and mass communication, international communication, media technologies and society, advertising, public relations, journalism history, media law and policy, media management and economics, political communication and health communication.
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Journal Feed
- by Daniela DimitrovaJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print.
- by Shannon ScovelJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print.
- by Claudia KozmanJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. This study applies a media systems approach to examine the performance of journalistic roles in the news of five Arab countries: Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The content analysis of 13,299 news stories in newspapers, radio, television, and online sites revealed the practice of loyal-facilitator, watchdog, interventionist, service, civic, and infotainment roles is a result of the intersection of several factors. Overall, findings point to the overarching power of the political system that is manifested in media ownership, media political alignment, and countries’ specific conditions.
- by Francis L. F. LeeJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. Recent research has shown that, under certain circumstances, active news avoidance can be a situational strategy and topical in scope. It does not entail substantial reduction in news consumption. Against this background, this article extends the literature by examining how several factors may moderate the avoidance–consumption relationship under democratic backsliding. Survey data analysis shows that active topical news avoidance relates negatively to mainstream news use mainly among people who see the media as inefficacious, do not adapt well to difficult circumstances, and seldom engage in political communication via social media. Similar conditional […]
- by Fredrik Ludwik Jhon WanimboJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print.
- by Matthew L. ConatyJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print.
- by Yiming WangJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. In an era of intergroup tensions and conspiracy theories, our study examines whether threat-mitigation news frames can counter U.S. public beliefs in China-related conspiracy theories. Using a preregistered online survey experiment, we analyzed the effects of news articles that either emphasize or mitigate threats from China. Results show that threat-emphasizing frames did not heighten conspiracy beliefs, likely due to preexisting media framing. However, threat-mitigation frames effectively reduced conspiracy beliefs and improved factual understanding of China. This underscores the potential of responsible news reporting in fostering informed views, mitigating intergroup tensions.
- by Mischa J. T. DekkerJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. What leads journalists to adopt feminist framings by linking news topics to gender-based inequalities? While scholarship often mobilizes individualized explanations, such as journalists’ personal beliefs, this article investigates how structural factors inform feminist journalism. It draws from Dutch and French media reports on street harassment and interviews with journalists and their sources. Concepts of gender-based violence were largely absent from Dutch articles, whereas feminist framings dominated French reports on this issue. This article shows how the institutionalization of feminism and the existence of newspaper sections dedicated to gender issues inform whether journalists […]
- by Annie WaldherrJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. Computational communication science is transitioning from an emerging to an established field within communication research, creating a need for proper guidelines and methodological standards. This forum gathers experienced computational communication science scholars to debate the merits and drawbacks of standardization and discuss the tension between innovation, rigor, and inclusion. The assembled perspectives review current standards for data collection, sharing, and documentation, offering best practices for future research. They argue that high standards and inclusive practices can coexist, enhancing creativity and accessibility. By adopting inclusive guidelines, the computational communication science community can welcome […]
- by Sayyed Fawad Ali ShahJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. Following the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan, journalists and media organizations face unique challenges. This study uses field theory to highlight the voices of this marginalized community, missing from the dialogue on journalistic practices. Through 23 in-depth qualitative interviews, we explore how the Taliban’s rule is reshaping Afghanistan’s journalistic field. Findings reveal that journalists are adopting pragmatic strategies to bring some equilibrium to the field amid Taliban pressures. The existing practices involve renegotiating journalistic approaches where certain aspects are modified and others totally abandoned due to authoritarian constraints. This evolution underscores the profession’s […]
- Book Review: Political Communication, Culture, and Society., by Patricia Moy and Rico Neumann (Eds.)by Job Allan WefwafwaJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print.
- by Andy BechtelJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print.
- by Elyes ChaouchJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print.
- by Austin Y. HubnerJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. Two online experimental studies (nstudy1 = 318, nstudy2 = 462) were conducted to examine whether social media informant type (celebrity influencer vs. expert) and presentation type (numeric vs. generic information) influenced behavioral intentions. Results from Study 1 found that expert-authored posts with numeric information were more persuasive for credibility assessments and, in turn, intentions to obtain the COVID-19 booster vaccine. In Study 2, we retest our hypotheses in the context of support for police reform. Contrary to expectations, neither message manipulation persuaded individuals. Partisanship, however, played a key role in behavioral intentions.
- by Myungok Chris YimJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. This study examines public expectations regarding Corporate Social Advocacy (CSA) using the framework of strategic issue management (SIM). A 14-item, single-factor scale was developed to measure CSA expectations, which was validated through four surveys. The CSA expectancy scale will assist businesses in effectively navigating CSA initiatives, preventing stakeholder support withdrawal, and thus bolstering organizational sustainability and social impact.
- by Utku BozdağJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. This paper analyzes whether articulated populist dichotomies or fractured populist styles attract more user engagement on social media focusing on the 2023 Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections via Twitter, considering the tweets of individual candidates and parties (n = 4,139). Negative binomial regressions revealed that the explicit populist style, which articulates “the people” and “the harmful others” in the same message unit, predicts user engagement. The study shows that explicit populism triggers more favorites, retweets, and replies than any other populist style. Although implicit people-centrism has positive associations with retweets and replies, […]
- by Ejae LeeJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. This study focuses on the impact of authenticity in organizational advocacy for polarizing sociopolitical issues. The study examined how individual publics’ perceptions of authenticity influence the quality of the relationship between an organization and the public, as well as the level of support for the organization. The study also compared these effects across different polarizing sociopolitical issues. Through an online survey (N = 387), findings revealed a positive association between authenticity in organizational advocacy and the quality of an organization’s relationship with individuals, which led to increased support. Furthermore, the multigroup analysis […]
- by Teresa Vernal-VilicicJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. Few studies at the Ibero-American level have delved into the gender gaps present in expert and academic sources in the media. Therefore, through a media content analysis, 1,069 news items related to COVID-19 from three Chilean newspapers were analyzed, and 2,844 primary and secondary sources were identified, of which the minority were women. Therefore, in line with the objective of this study, low visibility of Chilean academics, experts, and politicians as predominant sources during the pandemic was observed, although positive advances in the use of feminine names to refer to them were […]
- by Lars WillnatJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print. Data from six decades underpin this representative survey of 1,600 U.S. journalists conducted in 2022 that analyzes changes in journalists’ characteristics, values, and attitudes. Findings indicate the “interpretive-investigative” function remains prominent, while endorsement of the “disseminator” role has dropped dramatically. Social media usage is now routine but concerns about its adverse effects on journalism have risen sharply since 2013. While lack of diversity is still a problem in U.S. newsrooms, women have made strides in numbers and leadership and are now at parity on salaries. Alarmingly, six in 10 U.S. journalists report […]
- by Morgan BadurakJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, Ahead of Print.