Surveying Gatekeepers: Journal Editors’ Perceptions, Responses, and Attitudes Toward De-Westernizing Communication and Media Studies
This study surveys 110 editors from first- and second-quartile journals indexed in Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports to examine how they evaluate and respond to calls to de-westernize and diversify communication and media scholarship through the inclusion of Global South perspectives and scholars. The findings show that editors concerned with geographic imbalances in academic knowledge production identify persistent challenges, such as unconvincing or poorly structured response letters, that contribute to lower acceptance rates for manuscripts by Global South–based scholars. Beyond constraints related to English-language proficiency, limited research funding, and underresourced institutional infrastructures, respondents further point to reviewers’ epistemological biases as a significant barrier—one that requires active editorial oversight, but has become difficult to address amid expanding editorial responsibilities. At the same time, a minority of respondents argue that prioritizing geographic diversity may undermine journal standards, emphasizing peer review as a strictly quality-based process independent of authors’ geographic location.
Jamil Marques, F. P, Sosale, S., Ekdale, B. & Zhang, B. (2026). Surveying Gatekeepers: Journal Editors’ Perceptions, Responses, and Attitudes Toward De-Westernizing Communication and Media Studies. International Journal of Communication, 20. https://doi.org/10.65476/jvavaj13