CFP: Gender, Media, and the 2016 US Election

FEMINIST MEDIA STUDIES

Commentary and Criticism Call for Papers

17.3 Gender, Media, and the 2016 US Election: National and Global Implications

The central roles of gender and race in the 2016 US election have been undeniable. Aside from Hillary Clinton being the first woman to win the popular vote in an American presidential election, questions of gender and difference along multiple vectors loomed large in other aspects of the political campaigns: the blatant misogyny and white supremacy of Donald Trump and many of his supporters, the stereotyping of immigrant and religious groups, gender-inflected conflicts between Clinton supporters and so-called "Bernie Bros" during the primary season, discourse around "women's issues" such as equal pay and family leave, the roles of high-profile women who worked on the campaigns and served as candidate "surrogates" in the media, and many others. Leading up to the election, and particularly in its aftermath, media platforms have been sites not only for the representation of gender politics but also for the building of community around gender identities and gender issues. In the!
  weeks following the election, hate crimes and harassment in US cities have spiked, with an attendant influx of media coverage; the targets have often been represented as women of color, especially Muslim women. Globally, populist sentiments have also found expression fortifying exclusionary forms of nationalisms, which have serious gendered and raced implications. How do we, as feminist scholars, make sense of the complex political and social issues unleashed by the 2016 US elections, in both national and global contexts?

The co-editors of Feminist Media Studies' Commentary & Criticism section are seeking feminist media analyses of the 2016 US election for an upcoming issue. As the journal's readership is international, we are particularly interested in submissions that speak to the international significance of the US election beyond the borders of the United States.

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 mobilize 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 1 February 2017, via email to both Susan Berridge (Susan.Berridge@stir.ac.uk) and Laura Portwood-Stacer (lportwoodstacer@gmail.com). Questions and expressions of interest can also be addressed to Drs. Berridge and Portwood- Stacer in advance of the deadline.

Email submissions directly to both Susan Berridge and Laura Portwood-Stacer, as submissions for Commentary and Criticism will not be correctly processed if submitted through the main Feminist Media Studies site.

Please be sure to follow the Feminist Media Studies style guide, which can be found at the following link: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/journal.asp?issn=1468-0777&linktype=44