Call for Papers: Exploring the History and Contemporary Trends in Black Radio
Special Issue of The Journal of Radio and Audio Media
Dr. Tia C.M. Tyree and Dr. Melvin L. Williams
The Journal of Radio and Audio Media (JRAM), the world’s premier radio research journal, is published semi-annually by the Broadcast Education Association. JRAM is dedicated to radio research and the new technology redefining radio’s traditional use. With this in mind, a special issue for the journal is set to explore critical historical issues as well as contemporary trends in Black radio. For the purpose of this special issue, Black radio is defined as traditional radio as well as Internet, satellite and podcasts that target and reach African Americans. This focus is ripe for exploration. Despite the multitude of entertainment and information options available, radio still reaches over 90% of the Black population per month (Nielsen, 2022), underscoring its relevance and importance in society.
With diverse audiences cutting across genders, age, socio-economics, and geography, Black radio continues to have a notable and transformative impact on the African-American community. Thus, the editors of this special issue seek contributions that significantly add to the world’s understanding of Black radio, including its national and regional impacts on the dissemination of information, music, advertising, community and health outreach, civic engagement and social movements. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Impact of Black Radio on social movements (e.g., Civil Rights Movement, Black Lives Matter, Me Too Movement)
- Conversion of Black Comedians to Radio Hosts
- Historical Figures and their Impact on Black Radio (e.g., Cathy Hughes, Peter Greene, Wendy Williams, Tom Joyner, Melvin Lindsey, Dyana Williams, and Chuck Leonard)
- Stereotypes in Early Radio
- Entrepreneurship and Black Radio
- Ownership, Policy and Regulation Issues and Black Radio
- Health Communication and Black Radio
- Journalism and News on Black Radio
- Religion and Black Radio
- LQBTQ+ Representations on Black Radio in Podcasts
- Connections between Black Radio and Social Media
- Black Radio and the Spread of Hip Hop Culture
- Black Artists and Disk Jockeys on Internet and Satellite Radio
- Podcasts and Their Impacts on Black Culture
- Trends and Innovations in Black Radio Programming
- Impact of Cameras in the Radio Studio
Submission Instructions
Contributions should be no longer than 6,500 words, inclusive of tables and references. Only original manuscripts will be accepted, and all submissions will undergo a blind peer-review, per the journal’s policies. Invitations to submit full papers will be issued shortly after the deadline for call, and all final papers will undergo a peer-reviewed process for final publication. For specific information about the journal’s requirements and the submission process, please see the “Instructions for Authors” page on the JRAM site. Manuscripts should be submitted through Manuscript Central link on https://www.beaweb.org/wp/?page_id=571 or https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/hjrs . Documents prepared in Microsoft Word are preferred and should use APA 7th for style and citation. Manuscripts should not exceed 6500 words and should include an abstract of no more than 100 words. In addition to the manuscript with no reference to the author(s), the author(s) should include a separate attachment with contact information. Please fill in the manuscript information as directed on the site.
Submission Deadlines
Scholars interested in submitting an article for the special issue should send an extended abstract or draft paper to Dr. Tia Tyree at for a review by June 1, 2023. Feedback and an invitation to submit will be provided by June 15, 2023. All final papers will undergo a peer-reviewed process for final publication and must be submitted to JRAM by August 1, 2023. Scholars who miss the initial deadline should contact Dr. Tia Tyree to inquire about submitting directly to the journal’s submission site for peer review by the final deadline.
Extended abstracts due: June 1, 2023
Final paper due: August 1, 2023
The special issue is scheduled for publication in May 2024
Contact
If you have any questions about the call, please send an email to Dr. Tia C.M. Tyree at or Dr. Melvin L. Williams at , subject line: JRAM Black Radio
