Media Asia analyzes repression and assertion in latest issue
An international peer reviewed journal bravely confronts a sensitive issue plaguing selected parts of Asia.
Published by the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) and Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, the Media Asia journal released Volume 47 (Numbers 1-2) with the theme “Repression/Assertion.” The online edition may be retrieved from the journal’s website (https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rmea20/current).
The issue is composed of four refereed articles and three non-refereed commentaries that focus on the realities of repression and intricacies of assertion in Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan), Pakistan and the Philippines.
The authors of the refereed articles are Nyan Lynn (University of Kansas, USA), Deborah N. Simorangkir (Swiss German University, Indonesia), Hazrat M. Bahar (Shanghai University, China) and Mengmeng Zhao (Hang Seng University of Hong Kong).
Those who wrote the non-refereed commentaries are Muhammad Ittefaq (University of Kansas, USA), Syed Ali Hussain (Arizona State University, USA), Maryam Fatima (University of Education, Pakistan), Beatrice Puente (University of the Philippines Diliman) and Sammy Westfall (Yale University, USA).
The editorial describes the contents of the seven articles: “Nyan Lynn (The danger of words: Major challenges facing Myanmar journalists on reporting the Rohingya conflict) and Deborah Simorangkir (Work-related sexual harassment and coping techniques: the case of Indonesian female journalists) analyze the predicament of journalists in covering sensitive issues and protecting themselves from those who exploit them. Meanwhile, Hazrat Bahar (Social media and disinformation in war propaganda: How Afghan government and the Taliban use Twitter) studies how warring parties weaponize social media in spreading “fake news” and discusses why deprivation of relevant information is a form of repression. Mengmeng Zhao (How do leading companies in Greater China communicate CSR through corporate websites? A comparative study of Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) focuses on the use of corporate social responsibility and explains why corporations need to increase awareness and prevent skepticism at the same time. [xxx] Beatrice Puente (Muzzling the media: The perils of the critical press in the Philippines) and Sammy Westfall (Growth of a young journalist amid the pandemic and media repression) provide first-person accounts on the struggles of campus journalists as they are faced not just with the global pandemic but also a repressive government. Muhammad Ittefaq, Syed Ali Hussain and Maryam Fatima (COVID-19 and social-politics of medical misinformation on social media in Pakistan) present their views on how social media have been misused amid the global pandemic when accurate information is needed.”
Starting with this 2020 issue, Media Asia adopts a “new look” as designed by Karl Castro (Philippines). The cover design is inspired by the constantly evolving media landscape. Front covers are rendered in “black and white” but the nuances of each image display a much broader gamut of color, symbolizing the media’s constant struggle with truth-telling, perception, and subject position, the examinations of which are part of the raison d’être of this journal. In contrast to the black and white covers, the spines and back covers are rendered in bright fields of color. These hues are taken from both broadcast and print tests, emphasizing the spectrum of our media landscape.
The journal is indexed/abstracted in Scopus, EBSCO Research Databases (Bibliography of Asian Studies, Associates Programs Source Plus, Communication & Mass Media Complete, Communication Source, Military Transition Support Center, Vocational Studies Complete) and ProQuest (Business Premium Collection, Asian & European Business Collection, ProQuest Central, ProQuest Central Basic, ABI/INFORM Professional Advanced, SIRS Editorial, eLibrary).
Danilo Araña Arao (University of the Philippines Diliman) is the editor of Media Asia. The associate editors are Lisa Brooten (Southern Illinois University Carbondale), Pamela Custodio (University of the Philippines Los Baños), Roselyn Du (California State University Fullerton), Ma. Theresa M. Rivera (Far Eastern University Manila) and Nick Y. Zhang (Hong Kong Baptist University).