Abstract
Looking back into the history of human communication, it is not difficult to find that the development of communication and the evolution of media technology have always been intertwined, complementary, and reciprocal. For example, newspapers, magazines, books, and other print media go hand-in-hand with the invention of paper-making and printing technology; radio, television media, and broadcasting technology are inseparable like the two sides of a coin. Today as we are confronted with the reality of information technology “explosion,” technological innovation could bring unprecedented changes to the media environment and human communication (Bale et al., 2022).
When the Internet technology transitioned from Web1.0 to Web3.0, human communication, in turn, embraced the era of static web pages, social media, and blockchain; the progress in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology opened the prelude to the era of metaverse communication (Lin et al., 2022); with the advent of big data, artificial intelligence, and particularly the amazing inventions such as ChatGPT, human beings have entered a brand-new era of “intelligent communications” (Qin et al., 2019)! As the continuous progress of information technology paints a constantly changing media landscape for us, we created this journal Emerging Media, with the aim of building a new platform for academic exchange and gathering outstanding scholars from all over the world to address emerging technologies, discuss emerging issues, employ emerging methods, develop emerging theories, explore emerging practices, and cultivate emerging industries. To put it simply, we will use the keyword “Emerging” as a common thread that goes through the themes of this journal.
To embark on an exploration of the communication models of emerging media calls for an urgent expansion of interdisciplinary perspectives. The evolution of emerging media technologies is poised to reshape the narratives within the realm of media, reconstruct content production methods, alter user experiences and behaviors, and incite societal transformations. Furthermore, the subjects of the current study encompass diverse fields such as AI, VR, AR, 3D, 5G, and other engineering technologies, which far exceed the conventional scopes of this field. It is evident that if we were to examine the development of emerging media solely through the lens of traditional communication studies, it would be inadequate to comprehend the media landscape at present. In light of this, our journal advocates for the embrace of a myriad of interdisciplinary perspectives that bridge the gap between the humanities and sciences. We aim to delve into emerging media and the multitude of questions it triggers. By pioneering innovative and diverse theoretical paradigms, our goal is to reveal the intrinsic mechanisms of emerging media and its interactive dynamics with societal development. With the continued advancement of emerging media technologies, the “technology + content” communication paradigm is gradually surging as a pivotal trend in the future of communication. Consequently, interdisciplinary research methods, rooted in the fusion of the humanities and sciences, are bound to gain more significance and vitality. The reason for our journal's endorsement of interdisciplinary perspectives is, in essence, a reflection of our commitment to align with the aforementioned trends in the field.
To explore the development of the emerging media industry, we advocate for a synthesis of theoretical foundations with practical insights. As emerging media continues to evolve, it undoubtedly intensifies the convergence of media and industries, thereby giving rise to multifaceted issues such as governance. These challenges are not merely theoretical but deeply intertwined with practical implications. In light of this, we eagerly anticipate the submission of articles that reflect the dynamic synergy between theory and the evolving landscape of emerging media. By rigorously analyzing the patterns of industrial growth, dissecting emblematic media cases, and summarizing experiences that are valuable for others to emulate, we hope to shed light on a wide array of topics. These contributions, which may encompass but are not limited to the aforementioned areas, will undoubtedly contribute to our collective understanding of this burgeoning field.
We emphasize the need for innovative research methodologies in the study of emerging media, recognizing that “the right tools are needed for the job,” as the ancient Chinese adage wisely articulates. Wilhelm Wundt's establishment of the world's first psychology laboratory marked a significant milestone in the independence of psychology as a discipline (Wehbe and Shackelford, 2022). Likewise, the advancements in big data and artificial intelligence technologies provide an unprecedented opportunity for innovation in “data-driven” communication research methods or the combination of “model-driven” and “data-driven” approaches (Bariah and Debbah, 2022). In this light, our journal will provide fertile ground for original articles on methodological innovation, with the aim of propelling communication theory into new horizons.
In this launching issue, our themed forum is “Defining and interpreting emerging media” with a featured article on “Nascent, Liminal, and Emerging Technologies” written by Rich Ling (2023). Colloquium articles include “Mediated Trust and Artificial Intelligence” (by Terry Flew, 2023), “Risk, resilience, and ethical considerations in AI” (by Patrice Marie Buzzanell, 2023), and “Rethinking communication in the era of artificial intelligence: An HCR special issue” (by Steven R. Wilson, 2023).
Other than the themed articles, our launching issue includes four other research articles. The very first accepted article in Emerging Media is “TikTok Videos and Sustainable Apparel Behavior: Social Consciousness, Prior Consumption and Theory of Planned Behavior” (by Carolyn A Lin et al., 2023). Two articles related to the study of online public forums include one on “Public discourse of GMOs in China: An investigation of commenting and reposting behaviors on social media” (by Nan Yu et al., 2023) and the other one on “Unmasking the Mask Issue on Reddit: An Investigation of Online Public Deliberation around the Mask Controversy in the United States” (by Li and Reed, 2023). The final research article is about the use of emoticons in social media: “Gleaning Emotions from Virtual Stickers: An Intercultural Study” (by Dongdong Yang et al., 2023). In the book review section, the book published in 2021 entitled “AI for Everyone? Critical Perspectives” (Verdegem, 2021), University of Westminster Press, offers an alternative perspective on AI and algorithms is introduced to readers by Liangwen Kuo.
Looking ahead at the future trends of information technology, the envisioned media landscape is not a complete picture but an ongoing and future-oriented one! The thriving development of emerging media on a global scale in the future will continually infuse our journal with new dimensions and fresh vitality. It will also offer authors the opportunity to explore uncharted territories and draw nourishment from the ever-evolving field. At this inaugural moment of our journal, let us join hands to delve deep into the “work in progress,” keenly envision the “future tense,” and craft a brighter future for emerging media!
