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ISSN: 1329-878X |
The Future of MIAThe MIA publishing model consultation document will appear here shortly. The editor writes: For all 32 years of its existence, Media International Australia has been published independently, with the support of the academic and policy communities, and the goodwill and hard work of its editorial and production staff, guest editors, authors and reviewers. Our future is now all the more secure with our new hosting arrangements. From this issue, the journal will housed and published by the School of Journalism and Communication (SJC), at the University of Queensland. SJC will represent substantial financial and in-kind support to MIA, which will provide a secure fiscal basis upon which to continue our work. Our thanks go to Professor Michael Bromley, Head of SJC and MIA board member, and the University of Queensland for this much-appreciated backing. Since the journal came to the University of Queensland, it has resided in School of English, Media and Art History, where we have enjoyed many years of generous support. As well as the efforts of several EMSAH staff, I especially wish to record our deep appreciation for the stewardship of Professor Tom O'Regan, who brought the journal across from Griffith University's Key Centre for Cultural and Media Policy. Tom has had an unstinting commitment to the intellectual project of MIA, as well as the practical difficulties of keeping it going, and we are very pleased that he will remain on the board—not least to ensure strong relationships with EMSAH remain. The third member of the UQ triuumvirate that sustains MIA, and deserves thanks, is the Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies, and its Director, and past journal editor, Professor Graeme Turner. Graeme has confirmed CCCS's ongoing support in the form of co-hosting and organising of the annual Mayer lecture, as well as the invaluable offices of our web maestro, John Gunders. This institutional and personal support that sustains the journal is all the more important given our next step. Over the past few years, MIA has been considering what publishing model will best safeguard its reputation for quality writing and thinking, and for work that speaks equally to intellectual life as much as policy, the industry, society and the community. MIA has prospered as a print journal, but it is fair to say that it has not found a way forward to anbrace the online, multi-platform world of contemporary media and publishing (about which, ironically, we publish many analyses!). The costs of publishing continue to rise; subscriptions are difficult to maintain; citation, reach and availability are pivotal to the academic authors we publish, and to the research quality regimes that engird them. MIA has considered making a radical break with its history and either embracing open access publishing (and so moving to just an online journal) or the welcome arms of one of the international publishing giants that dominate academic knowledge (and so the loss of independence). After some months of discussion among our board, and the executive of the Australian and New Zealand Communications Association, we would like to gain feedback on our plans for a new publishing model. The MIA publishing model consultation document is now available on our website, and we would welcome feedback. The basic principles underlying our proposal are these:
What we are considering is:
There has been considerable debate among the board, ANZCA, and the wider journal community about these directions. There is a strong minority view that MIA should consider going with a large international publisher (such as Sage or Taylor & Francis), to ensure reach, and to finesse our finances. We certainly would not rule out this option, or other options (such as full open access), in the future. Indeed, our aim is to keep publishing independently with our new model for the next two years, then to evaluate how effective this has been. In any case, we welcome your comments—after all, the future of the journal ultimately lies in your hands! Gerard Goggin |
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