We are pleased to announce the publication of the second issue of Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) for 2025. Issue 25/2 presents a Thematic Section dedicated to Multimedia political communication, bringing together articles that examine channels, content, usage, and effects across contemporary and historical political communication landscapes.
Read more about Issue 25/2 Published: Multimedia political communication. Channels, content, usage, and impactStudies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is currently inviting submissions for two thematic sections.
Early Digital Multimedia in Motion, edited by Fred Pailler, Valérie Schafer, and Alina Volynskaya (C²DH, University of Luxembourg), focuses on the digital transition of the 1980s and 1990s, with abstracts due by 5 October 2025 and full papers by 1 March 2026.
Images of and for Inclusion: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, edited by Chiara Cauzzi, Sabrina Mazzali-Lurati, and Rosalba Morese (USI Università della Svizzera italiana), addresses the role of visual communication in fostering or hindering inclusion, with abstracts due by 15 December 2025 and full papers by 15 May 2026. Both sections invite contributions to ongoing scholarly debates and will undergo SComS’s rigorous double-blind peer review process.
We are pleased to introduce the first issue of Studies in Communication Sciences in 2025. This issue features three original research articles in our General Section and one book review, offering valuable insights into the multifaceted field of communication research. The topics range from media effects in direct democracy and the discursive construction of Europe on social media to the decentralization of media policy in Switzerland, reflecting the breadth and interdisciplinary richness of our field.
Read more about Issue 25/1 Published: Media Influence, Policy Innovation, and European Identity in FocusThe Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) Best Paper Award for 2024 has been awarded to Benjamin P. Lange (IU University of Applied Sciences and University of Würzburg), Stefanie Lörch (University of Würzburg), and Frank Schwab (University of Würzburg) for their article „Zwischen Wissenserwerb und wahrgenommener Glaubwürdigkeit: Effekte unterschiedlicher sprachlicher Gestaltung in den Fernsehnachrichtensendungen Tagesschau, RTL aktuell und logo!“ (Vol. 24, Issue 3).
Read more about SComS Best Paper Award 2024Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) has adopted a new Open Data Policy to strengthen transparency and reproducibility in communication and media research. Authors are now encouraged to make the data underlying their articles publicly available in trusted repositories, such as SWISSUbase, Zenodo, OSF, or DaSCH.
Read more about SComS introduces new Open Data PolicyDear Colleagues, Authors, and Readers,
We are delighted to announce the release of the third issue of Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) for 2024. This issue features three contributions in the General Section, a workshop review, and a book review in the Books and Review Section.
Read more about Issue 24/3 publishedWe are pleased to announce the publication of the second issue of SComS in 2024, which features a Thematic Section on “What Do We Pay Attention To? Digital Innovations in the Competition for Attention,” with four original contributions. In addition, the Community Section includes Tobias Rohrbach's dissertation summary, Media-Based Mechanisms of Gendered Evaluations of Politicians.
Read more about Issue 24/2 publishedUne décision des plus hautes instances des sciences de la communication en France a placé la revue SComS parmi les revues de premier rang pour les chercheurs et chercheuses francophones. SComS est désormais inscrite sur la liste des revues qualifiantes en « Sciences de l'information et de la communication » (71e section du CNU).
Read more about SComS désormais sur la liste des revues qualifiées en FranceSComS is delighted to announce a significant update to our licensing policy. Starting with issue 24/02, we will shift from the CC-BY-ND-NC license to the more open CC-BY-SA license. This move is aimed at enhancing the unrestricted sharing of knowledge.
Read more about SComS switches to CC-BY-SA license to promote Platinum Open AccessDear Colleagues, Authors, and Readers,
The first issue of SComS in 2024 is published now and it is dedicated to the Thematic Section on “Images, clusters and types – Making sense of (large) image corpora and related practices in and with digital media,” with seven original contributions. The General Section is composed of one study reflecting on how Austrian newspapers portrayed the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020. Furthermore, the issue contains a discussion of an innovative tool leveraging GPT-3 technology for journalists as well as a book review.
Read more about Issue 24/1 publishedThe SComS Best Paper Award for 2023 was awarded to Lena Wuergler and Annik Dubied of the University of Neuchâtel for their paper titled "Performing Investigative Identities: How Print Journalists Establish Authority Through Their Texts."
Read more about SComS Best Paper Award 2023Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is delighted to announce the appointment of Sina Blassning as a new member of the Editorial Team. We are looking forward to working together with her. We also want to thank Silke Fürst for her long-standing commitment to SComS.
Read more about We welcome our new member of the Editorial Team: Sina BlassnigThe executive board of the Swiss Association of Communication and Media Research (SACM) has appointed Philipp Bachmann as journal manager of SComS.
Read more about SComS welcomes Philipp Bachmann back as SComS Journal ManagerDear Colleagues, Authors, and Readers,
The third issue of SComS in 2023 is published now and it is dedicated to the Thematic Section on “Old media persistence. Past continuities in the brand-new digital world” with six original contributions. The General Section is composed of two studies investigating into parasocial relationships with morally ambiguous media characters on the one hand and the COVID-19 discourse in politicians’ speeches in Iran on the other hand. Additionally, the issue contains a dissertation summary, a fact sheet on DOCA as well as two book reviews.
Read more about Issue 23/3 publishedDear Colleagues, Authors, and Readers,
The second issue of this year has just been published. It is dedicated to five research papers in the General Section and contains two book reviews.
Four out of five articles of this issue were already published in our Online First Section. If you would like to be regularly informed about new publications in SComS, we invite you to follow us on Twitter.
Read more about Issue 23/2 publishedThe SComS Best Paper Award for the best paper published in the General Section or a Thematic Section in 2022 is granted jointly to Maija Ozola-Schade, M. A. (Technical University Ilmenau, Germany) for her paper Intergroup relations and media: The effects of media system quality in explaining immigration attitudes published in Vol. 22, Issue 2 and Prof. Dr. Esa Väliverronen (University of Helsinki, Finland), Prof. Dr. Tanja Sihvonen (University of Vaasa, Finland), Prof. Dr. Salla-Maaria Laaksonen (University of Helsinki, Finland), and Prof. Dr. Merja Koskel (University of Vaasa, Finland) for their paper Branding the “wow-academy”: The risks of promotional culture and quasi-corporate communication in higher education published in Vol. 22, Issue 3. Congratulations!
Read more about SComS Best Paper Award 2022Dear Colleagues, Authors, and Readers,
This year’s first issue has just been published. The current issue is dedicated to the Thematic Section on “Historizing international organizations and their communication – institutions, practices, changes” with five original contributions. The General Section is composed of two studies whereas one is reflecting on the issue of fragmentation and thus insufficient integration of findings from individual studies. The other contribution proposes a typology of children media users.
Read more about Issue 23/1 has just been publishedDear Colleagues, Authors and Readers,
SComS is very pleased to announce the renaming of its Advisory Board. The new name is Editorial Board which is in line with international standards.
Read more about Editorial Board (formerly Advisory Board)Dear Colleagues, Authors and Readers,
Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce the extension of its Advisory Board. We welcome Joan Ramon Rodriguez-Amat from Sheffield Hallam University (United Kingdom).
Read more about Welcome to Joan Ramon Rodriguez-Amat as new member of the Advisory BoardStudies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce the appointment of Philip Di Salvo as a second book review editor and thus the enhancement of the team. We are looking forward to working together with him.
Read more about We welcome our second book review editor: Philip Di SalvoDear Colleagues, Authors, and Readers,
The third issue of 2022 has just been published. We are proud having published three issues in one year for the very first time. The current issue is dedicated to a Thematic Section titled “Changing Communication of Higher Education Institutions”. The General Section comprises studies on the value of face-to-face communication in a world where digital communication technologies are omnipresent as well as on the framing of an Imam. Furthermore, the issue contains a dissertation summary, a discussion on working conditions of early career scientists and is complemented by one book review.
Read more about Issue 22/3 publishedDear Colleagues, Authors, and Readers,
The second issue of SComS in 2022 is published now and it is dedicated to the General Section (after having a whole Special Issue on DACH21 in 22/1). The current issue comprises 6 research articles dealing with the identity of communication and media research from a Swiss perspective, the measurement of argument strength, the role of public broadcasting for public value, normative social influence on individual and collective levels, media quality and its impact on attitudes toward immigrants, and issue fatigue from a theoretical point of view. A book review is concluding this issue.
Read more about Issue 22/2 publishedDear Colleagues, Authors, and Readers,
The first issue of SComS in 2022 is published now. The Special Issue is dedicated to the DACH21 three-country conference on communication science comprising 16 research articles dealing with structural transformations of the public sphere and how changing media and communication technologies impact politics, culture, news production, media usage, and everyday life. The issue is complemented by two book reviews.
Read more about Issue 22/1 published – Special Issue DACH21The SComS Best Paper Award for the best paper published in the General Section or a Thematic Section in 2021 is granted to Dr. Nina Wicke and Prof. Dr. Monika Taddicken (both Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany) for their paper “I think it’s up to the media to raise awareness.” Quality expectations of media coverage on climate change from the audience’s perspective published in Vol. 21, Issue 1. Congratulations!
Read more about Nina Wicke & Monika Taddicken receive SComS Best Paper Award 2021Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce the appointment of Thilo von Pape as a new member of the Editorial Team. We are looking forward to working together with him.
Read more about We welcome our new member of the Editorial Team: Thilo von PapeStudies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce that Ulla Autenrieth (Fachhochschule Graubünden), Wolfgang Reißmann (FU Berlin) and Rebecca Venema (USI Università della Svizzera italiana) will guest edit a Thematic Section entitled: "Images, clusters and types – Making sense of image corpora and dispersed visual practices in and with digital media". Deadline for submission of abstracts (max. 500 words) is June 15 2022.
Read more about Call for Papers: Images, clusters and types – Making sense of image corpora and dispersed visual practices in and with digital mediaDear Colleagues, Authors and Readers,
Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce the extension of its Advisory Board. We welcome Didier Courbet from Aix-Marseille Université (France).
Read more about New member of the Advisory Board: Welcome Didier CourbetThe program of the SACM conference 2022 in Zurich is online.
Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce that Gabriele Balbi (USI Università della Svizzera italiana), Berber Hagedoorn (University of Groningen) and Nazan Haydari (Istanbul Bilgi University) will guest edit a Thematic Section entitled: "Old media persistence. Past continuities in the brand-new digital world". Deadline for submission of abstracts (max. 500 words) is February 15 2022.
Read more about Call for Papers Old media persistence. Past continuities in the brand-new digital worldDear Colleagues, Authors and Readers,
Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce the extension of its Advisory Board. We welcome Marko Siitonen from the University of Jyväskylä (Finland).
Read more about New member of the Advisory Board: Welcome Marko SiitonenDear Colleagues, Authors, and Readers,
The second issue of 2021 is published now. It includes a Thematic Section on “Critical perspectives on migration in discourse and communication” as well as a General Section comprising studies on the possibility to make Luhmann’s theory more easily applicable for empirical communication research, on interactions via Facebook Pages in the Brazilian presidential elections, on the coverage of climate change in UK newspapers in a long-term perspective, and on the framing of refugees in German public broadcasting news.
Read more about Issue 21/2 publishedStudies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is honored to be a newly admitted and indexed journal to the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
Read more about SComS indexed in DOAJStudies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce that Erik Koenen (University of Bremen), Arne L. Gellrich (University of Bremen), Christian Schwarzenegger (University of Augsburg), Stefanie Averbeck-Lietz (University of Bremen) and Astrid Blome (Institute for Newspaper Research Dortmund) will guest edit a Thematic Section entitled: "Historizing international organizations and their communication – Institutions, practices, changes". Deadline for submission of full papers is January 30 2022.
Read more about Call for Papers: Historizing international organizations and their communication – Institutions, practices, changesDear Colleagues, Authors, and Readers,
The first issue of 2021 has just been published. It includes a Thematic Section on “Visibility in the Digital Age” as well as a General Section comprising studies on audiences’ perceptions of (hostile) media bias, emotional expressions and shares on political social networking sites, quality expectations of media coverage on climate change, and the assigned relevance to algorithmic-selection applications by Internet users. The issue also contains an obituary for Jost Aregger. It is complemented by one book review and two reports on the recent DACH21 conference and a preconference to the aforementioned both held online.
Read more about Issue 21/1 has just been publishedStudies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce that Silke Fürst, Daniel Vogler, Isabel Sörensen & Mike S. Schäfer (University of Zurich) will guest edit a Thematic Section entitled: "Changes in communication in, from, and about higher education institutions". Deadline for submission of full papers is December 12 2021.
Read more about Call for Papers: Changes in communication in, from, and about higher education institutionsDear Colleagues, Authors and Readers,
Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce the reestablishment of its Advisory Board. We welcome ...
Read more about Advisory Board installedThe programme of the DACH21, the joint annual conference of SACM, German DGPuK and Austrian ÖGK is online.
Read more about DACH21 - The Three-Country Conference on Communication Science OnlineStudies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce the appointments of Jolanta Drzewiecka as a new member of the Editorial Board and of Silke Fürst as a member ad interim. We are looking forward to working together with both.
Read more about We welcome our two new members of the Editorial Board: Jolanta Drzewiecka and Silke FürstThe executive board of the Swiss Association of Communication and Media Research (SACM) has appointed Mike Meißner as journal manager of SComS.
Read more about New Journal Manager of SComSDear Colleagues, Authors, and Readers,
The second issue of 2020 has just been published. It includes a Thematic Section on “The Dissolving Boundaries of Hybrid Journalism” as well as a General Section comprising studies on the language level of online and TV news, music tutorials on YouTube, and digital parenting and grandsharenting. The issue also contains a summary of Florence Van Hove’s PhD thesis that received the SACM Dissertation Prize 2020. The issue is complemented by two book reviews and a report on a recent workshop held in Zurich.
Read more about New issue of Studies in Communication Sciences is out (SComS, 20/2)Dear Colleagues, Authors and Readers,
The first issue of 2020 has just been published. It includes a Thematic Section on "Financial discourse: Narrative, argument and the discursive dynamics of (un-)sustainable trust" as well as a General Section. Moreover, the current issue contains two book reviews and a manifesto that is published in our Community Section. All in all, the articles address a broad range of topics and demonstrate that SComS is a forum for research that crosses disciplinary boundaries, thereby analyzing public communication from various perspectives.
Read more about Issue 20/1 has just been publishedThe programme of the SACM conference 2020 in Winterthur is online. The aim of this conference is to examine media literacy from various perspectives.
Read more about Annual conference of the SACM 2020 in WinterthurThe second issue of 2019 has just been published. It is mainly devoted to the 7th Conference of the ECREA held in Lugano in 2018, but also includes a paper in the general section that examines the state of science communication research in the German-speaking countries.
Read more about Issue 19/2 availableThe executive board of the Swiss Association of Communication and Media Research (SACM) has appointed Silke Fürst as the new journal manager.
Read more about Silke Fürst Is the New Journal Manager of SComSWe are happy to present you the first issue of 2019. As has happened quite regularly since the migration of SComS to the HOPE platform, also this issue features, beyond the general section, a thematic section. This time, our thematic section is devoted to crises seen from a perspective of political communication. We are happy and proud that many authors and contributors are willing to publish thematic sections with SComS, which propose cutting-edge research and open fresh perspectives on communication studies.
Read more about Issue 19/1 availableWe are pleased to announce the launch of our new website and editorial system. The new website and editorial system are more intuitive and also optimized for smaller screens (such as smartphones and tablets).
Read more about New Layout for the WebsiteWe are very glad to announce that Issue 18/2 is now available. The issue comprises a general section as well as a thematic section on Fashion Communication.
Read more about Issue 18/2 availableIt is our pleasure to announce that the volumes of Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) that were published between 2001 and 2011 have been fully retro-digitised for the first time and are now freely accessible on e-Periodica, the platform of the ETH Library for Swiss periodicals. Moreover, the predecessor journals, Medienwissenschaft Schweiz (1991 to 2006) and the Bulletin: Communication Science (1975 to 1990), have been digitised and are also freely accessible on the platform. In total, more than 7,000 pages have been digitized at the highest level of quality.
Read more about Back Issues of SComS and Medienwissenschaft Schweiz have been retro-digitisedStudies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce thatCornelia Brantner (IAWF) and Helena Stehle (University of Hohenheim) will guest edit a thematic section entitled: "Visibility in the Digital Age: Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives".
Read more about Call for Papers: "Visibility in the Digital Age: Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives"
Studies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce that Colin Porlezza (City, University of London) and Philip Di Salvo (Università della Svizzera italiana) will guest edit a thematic section entitled: "The Dissolving Boundaries of Hybrid Journalism Rethinking News Work Between Datafication, Hacking and Activism".
Read more about Call for Papers: "The Dissolving Boundaries of Hybrid Journalism"
It is our pleasure to announce that the second Open Access issue Studies in Communication Sciences is available. We hope you will enjoy reading the contributions of this issue.
Read more about Issue 17/2 now availableStudies in Communication Sciences (SComS) is very pleased to announce that Rudi Palimeri (University of Liverpool), Carlo Raimondo (Università della Svizzera italiana), Andrea Rocci (Università della Svizzera italiana), and Marlies Whitehouse (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) will guest editor a thematic section entitled: "Financial discourse: narrative, argument and the discurse dynamics of (un-)sustainable trust"
Read more about Call for Papers: "Financial discourse"
The Annual conference of the Swiss Association of Communication and Media Research (SACMR) 2018 Conference is being held in Lugano, Switzerland, from 12-13 April 2018, hosted by the Faculty of Communication Sciences, USI-Università della Svizzera Italiana.
Read more about Annual conference of the SACMR 2018 in Lugano
Dear Colleagues, Authors and Readers
It is our pleasure to announce that with this issue Studies in Communication Sciences will be published Open Access. All contents of this and future issues will be freely available for readers worldwide without charge – neither for readers nor for authors. We believe that this Open Access model returns our scholarly publishing to its original purpose, namely the free and open exchange of scientific knowledge and ideas.
Read more about Issue 17/1 now available: SComS becomes open access"Innovations as Challenges for Communication Science and Practice". The conference will take place on April 27-28, 2017 at the HTW Chur, Switzerland. The official website of the conference is http://sgkm2017.htwchur.ch/.
From 2017 Studies in Communication Sciences will become fully open access. The journal will be free to both the authors and readers. Our new publishing home is HOPE, which stands for Hauptbibliothek Open Publishing Environment, which is offered by the Main Library of the University of Zurich based on the infrastructure of the Zentrale Informatik.
Read more about New open access strategyEditorial Team
Sina Blassnig
Jolanta Drzewiecka
Katharina Lobinger
Thilo von Pape
Journal Manager
Philipp Bachmann
Book Review Editors
Philip Di Salvo
Jointly edited by:
Supported by:
SComS on X
Indexed in
