Democratizing publishing in communication/media studies: a case study of <i>Communication, Culture &amp; Critique</i>

Abstract Purpose The pervasive inequalities in communication/media studies publishing include a significant underrepresentation of scholars in the Global South, as authors and as members of editorial boards in the field’s top-ranked journals. However, to date, there has been little published work on the implementation of strategies to address these disparities. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents discussion in this regard for the journal Communication, Culture &amp; Critique ( CCC ), for which the authors served as editor-in-chief and associate editor. Findings During a four year (2021–2024) term, CCC undertook measures to diversify its board, and increased the proportion of Global South scholars, although Global North scholars remain a large majority. The journal also published several special issues focused on media/cultures of the Global South, which featured a larger proportion of authors with Global South citizenship and location than regular issue articles did; however, articles in Global South-themed issues may be garnering fewer citations than other articles in the journal. A pre-submission mentoring initiative launched in 2022 received almost all its submissions from scholars at Global North universities, and may reinforce Western academic norms. CCC ’s rejection data also shows the disproportionate disadvantage of Global South submitters, although CCC does compare favorably to other Oxford University Press social science journals in the diversity of authors’ reported gender, race, and ethnicity. Practical implications The broader structural character of the disparities we found should be addressed by journals, publishers, and professional associations. Social implications The mixed outcomes of CCC ’s efforts point to the persistence of structural challenges that require broader coordinated efforts to address more effectively. Originality/value This is the first study to provide a detailed account of how one journal sought to democratize its editorial board and increase the publication of Global South scholars.