ESSACHESS – Journal for Communication Studies is excited to announce the launch of the Call for Papers for its June 2023 issue on : Crisis Communication and Challenges of Disinformation in an Era of Information Warfare: The Ukraine War.
The complete call is available below.
Guest editors: Sorin NASTASIA, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Public Relations, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, USA, e-mail: (snastas /at/ siue.edu) ; Amiso M. GEORGE, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, Professor of Strategic Communication,TC University, Fort Worth, USA, e-mail: (a.george2 /at/ tcu.edu)
This special issue seeks contributions in English or French, grounded in empirical research and theoretical considerations, and assessing aspects related to the war in Ukraine including those regarding the functions of communication in the conflict, the various state and non-state actors involved, the communication techniques utilized, the types of traditional media and new media employed, and the impact of communication on audiences.
Important Deadlines
- July 25, 2022: submission of the proposal in the form of an extended abstract of maximum 2 pages. The proposal must include a list of recent references and 5 keywords
- August 30, 2022: acceptance of the proposal
- December 1, 2022: full paper submission.
- February 28, 2023: reviewer’s comments to be communicated to authors.
- April 30, 2023: submission of paper with final revisions (after revisions)
Full papers should be between 6,000-8,000 words in length. Papers may be submitted in English or French. The abstracts should be in English or French as well (150-200 words) followed by 5 keywords. Please provide the full names, affiliations, and e-mail addresses of all authors, indicating the contact author.
Papers, and any queries, should be sent to: (essachess /at/ gmail.com)
No payment from the authors will be required.
Call for papers
In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has become more important than ever to examine the communication strategies and tactics employed in the information and communication warfare which accompanies an armed conflict (Ventre, 2016; Henkhaus, 2022). In the context of the war in Ukraine, various forms and means of communication have been utilized by actors involved in and impacted by the conflict, with differing target publics and degrees of effectiveness. For months prior to the invasion, the Presidential Administration in the United States coordinated disclosures through the media of previously classified information, in an effort to disrupt Russian planning, reduce the effectiveness of “false flag” operations, and deter military action. Ukraine’s president has rallied the population of his country and the Western world through speeches focusing on Ukrainians’ determination and sacrifice, disseminated through an array of media venues and on social media platforms. Russia’s president has sought to appeal primarily to the population of his country and in particular to the elderly demographic, promoting official justifications of the invasion through state-owned media while limiting news from international sources. Technology has allowed for the viral spread of pictures and videos of Ukrainians standing up to the invading Russian forces, trying to flee the war zones, seeking refuge in other countries, or being killed in Russian bombardments. Technology has also facilitated global access to information from Russia, with reports that a majority of the population supports the war, yet also with images of some street protests. Such developments have resulted in concerns in regards to how diverging narratives emerge and spread as well as how disinformation may continue to shape this conflict and future conflicts. This special issue seeks to contribute to the understanding of the strategic communication practices related to armed conflict, and in particular of the premises, patterns, and outcomes of the information warfare pertaining to the war in Ukraine. We seek articles focusing on communication lessons from the war in Ukraine in regard to: what constitutes effective communication in situations of armed conflict, ethical implications of communication campaigns and propaganda in times of war, and how we address the alarming issues related to the spread of misinformation and false information From examinations of communication practices in this war that is set to have profound economic, social, political, and geostrategic implications for our planet during this decade and beyond, we hope to gain insight into both the specific area of crisis communication that is wartime communication and the major role played by communication in the manifestation of power (George & Kwansah-Aidoo, 2017; Ventre, 2016). This special issue seeks contributions in English or French, grounded in empirical research and theoretical considerations, and assessing aspects related to the war in Ukraine including those regarding the functions of communication in the conflict, the various state and non-state actors involved, the communication techniques utilized, the types of traditional media and new media employed, and the impact of communication on audiences. This special issue is innovative in that it will allow for reflections on communication in crisis situations related to an ongoing war and it is important because it will offer a critical analysis of an instance of information warfare with global reach. This special issue will constitute a space in which communication experts from academic and industry settings will be able to discuss the framing of the war and its long-term implications.