Special Issue: In Media We Trust

Concerns about trust in media are not new. Scholars have long examined how trust in news and media institutions intersects with democracy, public knowledge, political identity, credibility, and social cohesion. Yet the current technological environment demands renewed attention. The rapid development of “smart” and ubiquitous technologies, the platforming of everyday life, and the growing presence of AI across media systems have intensified questions about what, whom, and how we trust.

This special issue of Platform explores how individuals, institutions, and communities navigate contemporary information environments and digital systems. Drawing on the language of faith, In Media We Trust asks how new media networks organise belief, authority, repetition, allegiance, and doubt, and how questions of media literacy, contested sources, myths and rumours, factual accuracy, and unequal access to information shape our attachments to media, truth, and technology.

Platform is a peer-reviewed journal for Graduate Researchers and Early Career Researchers globally.

Abstract submissions due: 11:59pm (AEST), Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Full paper submissions due: 11:59pm (AEDT), Monday, 1 February 2027

Abstracts should not exceed 350 words and must be accompanied by a brief biographical note for each author. All abstracts should be submitted via email to platformjmc@gmail.com

See full CFP here: https://platformjmc.com/call-for-papers/