01 · Aims

Core focus: Media and religion studies; digital religion and the representation, experience and transformation of religion through media
Distinctive focus: Islam and media, Muslim societies, diasporas and the Global South
Publication languages: Turkish and English
Publication model: International, peer-reviewed and open access
Publication frequency: Twice a year, in June and December

Medya ve Din Araştırmaları Dergisi (MEDİAD)-Journal of Media and Religion Studies is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal that aims to advance original knowledge in media and religion studies and publish research that contributes to the theoretical and methodological development of the field.

MEDİAD provides an international scholarly platform with a particular emphasis on research on Islam and media. The journal welcomes research on diverse religious traditions, societies and geographical contexts, as well as comparative approaches, and promotes scholarly exchange across different bodies of knowledge in media and religion studies.

The journal’s distinctive scholarly focus is to bring research on Islam and media, Muslim societies, diasporas and underrepresented cultural and geographical contexts in the Global South into dialogue with international theoretical debates in media and religion studies. MEDİAD prioritises work that approaches these contexts as sites of knowledge production where existing concepts and theories can be tested, developed or reconsidered, rather than simply as local illustrations. Comparative and original research on other religious traditions is also an integral part of this scholarly orientation.

MEDİAD’s international orientation is not confined to any particular country or region. The journal encourages submissions from researchers in different countries, research involving multiple countries and comparative studies, and original articles examining transnational religious and cultural flows and relationships between media and religion across geographical contexts. Publishing in Turkish and English, MEDİAD prioritises work that engages substantively with international scholarship and offers insights of relevance to researchers in different contexts.

How is international scholarly contribution assessed?
A study’s international scholarly contribution is assessed through its relevance to broader debates in the field, its critical engagement with relevant international scholarship, and the conceptual, theoretical, methodological or empirical value of its conclusions across contexts. Research focused on a single country, community or local case is consistent with the journal’s international orientation when it clearly demonstrates this contribution.

The journal’s readership comprises researchers, postgraduate students and academic institutions worldwide working in media and communication studies, media and religion studies, religious studies, digital religion, sociology and related fields.

02 · Scope

MEDİAD considers work that makes a direct contribution to media and religion studies. Its central research concerns include the representation of religion through media; the production and circulation of religious meanings, knowledge and authority; religious experiences and practices shaped by media technologies; and relationships between media, religion and social change. Digital religion studies is an important component of this framework, although the journal’s scope extends beyond digital environments. The connection between media and religion must be clearly established in the research question, conceptual framework and analysis.

Key Research Areas

• Digitalisation and Transformation
  Digital religion; online religious practices and digital religiosity; mediatisation; social media platforms, algorithms and artificial intelligence; disinformation and misinformation about religion, and verification practices

• Representation and Public Debate
  Journalism, news media, the public sphere and religious representations; cinema, television, advertising and popular culture; media-related Islamophobia, religion-based hate speech, discrimination and polarisation

• Authority, Identity and Community
  The production, circulation and transformation of religious knowledge in media; religious authority, identity, belonging and community relations; media use by religious movements, communities and institutions

• Social and Institutional Contexts
  Secularisation, post-secularity and the construction of religious and cultural memory in media; the production and circulation of debates on religion, politics, law and ethics through media

• Global and Comparative Approaches
  Relationships between media and religion in the Global South, Muslim societies and diasporas; comparative and transnational research; theoretical, methodological and critical bibliometric studies that make an original contribution to the field

MEDİAD welcomes interdisciplinary work drawing on communication and media studies, religious studies, sociology, anthropology, political science, psychology, history, law, philosophy and literary studies. Disciplinary affiliation alone, however, does not establish a submission’s relevance to the journal. The relationship between media and religion must be clearly and substantively developed in the central research problem, theoretical framework and analysis.

Key Criteria for Editorial Assessment

Initial editorial assessment considers both relevance to the journal’s scope and scholarly quality. Scope alignment alone does not guarantee referral for peer review or publication. Submissions are assessed against the following criteria, with due regard to the characteristics of each article type.

• Central relationship
  Is the relationship between media and religion central to the research problem?

• Scholarly contribution
  What does the submission contribute conceptually, theoretically, methodologically or empirically?

• Engagement with international scholarship
  Does the submission engage critically with relevant and current international scholarship in media and religion studies?

• Relevance beyond the immediate context
  Does the submission explain the significance of its findings or arguments for broader scholarly debates?

• Method and transparency
  Are the research or review approach, sources and analytical procedures appropriate to the article type, clearly presented and open to scholarly assessment?

03 · Work Outside the Journal’s Scope

• Studies of theology, religious education, the history of religion, Islamic jurisprudence, secularisation, religiosity or spirituality that lack a media or communication dimension

• General research on media, advertising, public relations, journalism or digitalisation that does not establish a direct and substantive connection with religion

• Psychological and behavioural studies that treat religious content or context merely as a sample characteristic or variable without analysing the relationship between media and religion

• Film, literary or content analyses and descriptions of local cases that neither engage with relevant scholarship in media and religion studies nor demonstrate their contribution to the field

• Work that addresses either media or religion only in the title, introduction or a limited part of the submission

04 · Article Types

MEDİAD primarily publishes original research articles, alongside review articles, technical notes and critical book reviews that make a clear contribution to the development of media and religion studies.

• Research Article
  An original research question, an appropriate and transparent methodology, a robust theoretical framework and a clear contribution to the field

• Review Article
  A critical synthesis that goes beyond summarising the literature to develop a new research agenda, conceptual framework or interpretation

• Technical Note
  A scholarly presentation and validation of a method, tool, dataset, research protocol or technical application directly relevant to media and religion studies

• Book Review
  A critical assessment that situates the conceptual framework, approach and contribution of a book relevant to current debates in the field within the wider scholarly literature

All submissions must relate directly to the journal’s aims and scope, offer an original contribution or critical assessment appropriate to their article type, engage substantively with relevant scholarship and clearly establish the scholarly basis of their arguments. Research articles must explain their methods, data sources and analytical procedures; review articles must specify how the literature was selected and synthesised; technical notes must establish the basis of the proposed tool or application; and book reviews must articulate a critical assessment of the book’s contribution to the field. Academic integrity, ethical compliance and accurate use of sources are required across all article types.