Media Theory is an international, open-access and peer-reviewed journal hosted
by the Cultural Studies Graduate Program at Trent University.
Media Theory is an independent (scholar-led), online and (libre) open access journal of peer-reviewed, theoretical interventions into all aspects of media and communications. Resolutely international and interdisciplinary in scope, the editors encourage submissions that critically engage with the theoretical frameworks and concepts that tend to be taken for granted in national or disciplinary perspectives.
Although the journal privileges an emphasis on theory, the editors are not only concerned with theory for theory’s sake. Rather, we are interested in how theoretically-informed and -engaged interventions can contribute to the interpretation of empirical research and critique, as well as to the deprovincialization of theoretical debate – helping us understand, rather than dismiss or describe, objects of critique, and making us reconsider the validity, efficacy and legitimacy of our own particular methodological approaches.
With that in mind, we are keen to stretch the definition of ‘media’, and to receive articles that critically debate the necessity of an emphasis on ‘theory’, or which prefer to emphasise ‘theories’ or ‘philosophy’ instead. As an open access journal, we would also like to provide a forum for debates on open access, peer-review and the future of academic publishing.
The journal is online only, open access and published twice a year. No fees are charged to either readers or authors. All articles are published under a Creative Commons licence (2017-2023 (vols 1 to 7.1): CC-BY-NC-ND; 2023 (vol. 7.2) onwards: CC-BY). Authors retain copyright of their articles and are free to republish them as they wish.