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Call for submissions

FEMINIST MEDIA STUDIES

Commentary and Criticism

 

19.5 PREGNANCY AND THE MEDIA

 

The broad expansion of the post-feminist media landscape of the past couple of decades brought about an increased visibility of spectacularised and idealised ideas of pregnancy – a romanticised “new momism” (Douglas and Michaels, 2004). Alongside these romanticised discourses, though, exist numerous examples of mediated pregnancies that sit outside of such glamorised and perfect representations of pregnancy. This context has also opened up new networked spaces for people to seek and offer support online in relation to pregnancy, as well as spaces to search for or share (self-)representations of pregnancy. The editors of Commentary and Criticism invite short essays that critically consider pregnancy and contemporary media. Possible topics might include, but are not limited to:

 

·         Media representations of pregnancy

·         Pregnancy in the media industries

·         Online users and communities’ uses of digital media related to pregnancy

·         Celebrity pregnancies

·         Mediated pregnancy in relation to diverse intersectionalities including: LGBTQ+, age, race, class, ability

·         Audiences’ consumption of mediated pregnancy

·         Pregnancy in the context of health communication or health policy in the media

·         Onscreen pregnancy and genre

·         Neoliberalism, pregnancy and media

 

The Commentary and Criticism section of Feminist Media Studies aims to publish brief (~1000 words), timely responses to current issues in feminist media culture, for an international readership. Submissions may pose a provocation, describe work in progress, or propose areas for future study. We will also consider book and event reviews, as well as contributions that depart from traditional academic formats. We encourage all submissions to strategically mobilise critique to also offer a productive contribution to both feminist politics and media studies. Submissions must go beyond mere description in order to be considered for publication in Commentary and Criticism.

 

Please submit contributions by 26 April 2019, via email to both Melanie Kennedy ([log in to unmask]) and Safiya Noble ([log in to unmask]). We also welcome questions and expressions of interest in advance of the deadline.

 

Submissions for Commentary and Criticism will not be correctly processed if submitted through via the Feminist Media Studies site, and should be emailed directly to Drs Kennedy and Noble using the email addresses above.

 

Please be sure to follow the Feminist Media Studies style and referencing guides, which can be found here.

Dr Melanie Kennedy

Lecturer in Media and Communication

Programme Director of BA Media and Communication and BA Media and Society

School of Media, Communication and Sociology, University of Leicester, Bankfield House, 132 New Walk, Leicester, LE1 7JA

Tel: 0116 223 1624

https://leicester.academia.edu/MelanieKennedy

Associate Editor, Commentary and Criticism for Feminist Media Studies (Routledge)