CFP for Issue 5.1

Call for Papers: A Special Issue of Global Storytelling: Journal of Digital and Moving Images 5.1 (Summer 2025)

Title: Narratives in the Digital Age: Emerging Forms, Global Perspectives

Special Issue Editors: Dr. Jun Lei (Texas A&M University), Dr. Shaohua Guo (Carleton College)

The digital revolution has fundamentally transformed how narratives are created, distributed, and consumed, giving rise to innovative storytelling formats that blur the lines between traditional and digital media and introduce more interactive and immersive experiences. These emerging forms challenge conventional notions of authorship, audience participation, and narrative structure. In the past decade, in particular, diverse digital platforms have become influential cultural mediators, shaping content creation and audience engagement across various regions. This phenomenon is not limited to global giants like Netflix or TikTok, but also includes platforms with strong regional roots. For instance, Russia’s VKontakte (InContact) hosts a thriving community of amateur writers and poets, while also serving as a distribution channel for web series and short films. India’s MX Player has evolved from a video playback app to a content creation platform, offering a mix of user-generated content and professional productions that span multiple languages. These platforms are fostering distinctive narrative ecosystems rooted in local cultural dynamics while also reaching transnational audiences. In addition, South Korean webtoons, a digital comic platform, have found success not only on local platforms like Naver Webtoon but also on global services like Line Webtoon, reaching audiences far beyond East Asia. China’s web novels, popularized on platforms like Qidian and Jinjiang, have inspired visual adaptations and fan translations that circulate globally. The success of digital narratives across these platforms demonstrates the complex interplay between local cultural expressions and global digital trends.

This special issue of Global Storytelling examines the emergence and impact of digital narrative forms and platforms in the contemporary global media ecosystem. It seeks to unravel how technological innovations, platform dynamics, cultural identities, and geopolitical forces are reshaping storytelling practices worldwide. We aim to explorenew frameworks that illuminate the evolving landscape of digital storytelling and enrich ongoing debates about cultural production, media convergence, and transnational flows in the digital age. We welcome both theoretical and empirical research on narrative forms and digital platforms, as well as comparative studies that explore emerging phenomena across cultural and geographical contexts. We seek submissions addressing one or more of the following questions and related topics:

1.              How are emerging digital narrative forms reshaping media landscapes and cultural production norms across different regions, and in what ways do local storytelling traditions adapt to and influence global digital platforms?

2.              How are traditional boundaries between creator, platform, and audience redefined in the context of emerging digital narratives, and how does this vary across cultural and technological landscapes?

3.              How do digital platforms influence the evolution of narrative structures, themes, and interactive or transmedia storytelling strategies across cultural contexts?

4.              What new opportunities and challenges do emerging narrative forms present for creators, industries, and audiences in various regions, particularly in balancing local cultural expression with global accessibility?

5.              What role do algorithms and data-driven content curation play in shaping the creation, distribution, and consumption of digital narratives across different regions?

6.              How do emerging narrative forms intersect with issues of cultural identity, representation, and transnational appeal? 

Important dates:

Abstract submission date: by August 12, 2024; see below for details.

Acceptances/rejections: by September 20, 2024

Full paper submission: by December 30, 2024

Expected publication date: June 2025 

Abstract Guidelines:

Please submit a detailed abstract of 500 words, which states the paper’s main argument, method, and contribution to the theme of this special issue, and key bibliographical entries. Abstracts should be accompanied by a short biography (approx. 200 words). Submissions (abstracts and full papers) should follow Global Storytelling’s guidelines.

Please send abstracts and enquiries to: 

Jun Lei (j2lei@tamu.edu) 

Shaohua Guo (sguo@carleton.edu)