Aim & Scope

Specific Objectives

1. Develop Theoretical Studies: Enrich the body of digital communication theory from a social science perspective, particularly in the context of the Global South and Indonesia.
2. Document Digital Phenomena: Provide a robust scientific database on communication patterns, culture, and societal behavior in digital spaces.
3. Encourage Critical Studies: Critique the impact of digital technology on power relations, inequality, privacy, and social well-being.
4. Strengthen Religious Communication & Local Values: Serve as a center of excellence for research on religious communication, religious moderation, and the transformation of pesantren (Islamic boarding school) values in the digital era.
5. Bridge Academics and Practitioners: Provide a dialogue space between academic theory and communication practices in industry, government, and civil society.

Scope

1. Digital Social and Cultural Dynamics
   • Identity transformation, self-representation, and social interactions in cyberspace.
   • The formation of virtual communities, fandoms, digital subcultures, and online tribes.
   • Digital ethnography, local cultural adaptation, and glocalization in digital ecosystems.
2. Politics, Power, and the Digital Public Sphere
   • Digital political communication, electoral campaigns, and civic engagement.
   • Polarization, echo chambers, filter bubbles, mis/disinformation, and narrative warfare.
   • The role of influencers, buzzers, opinion leaders, and algorithms in shaping public opinion.
3. Organizational, Media, and Digital Economic Communication
   • Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) in organizational, remote work, and workplace contexts.
   • The attention economy, creator economy, and digital marketing.
   • The transformation of journalism, public relations, broadcasting, and creative industries in the era of media convergence.
4. Algorithms, Ethics, and Digital Wellbeing
   • The psychological and sociological impacts of algorithmic design, surveillance capitalism, and datafication.
   • The digital divide, digital literacy, and cybersecurity from a social perspective.
   • Digital communication ethics, privacy, cyberbullying, and digital wellbeing.
5. Religious Communication, Moderation, and Local Values (Niche Scope)
   • The transformation of religious communication, digital da'wah (preaching), and religious authority in the internet era.
   • The role of digital media in promoting religious moderation, tolerance, and conflict resolution.
   • The adaptation of traditional educational institutions (e.g., pesantren) and communication based on local/Islamic values in digital spaces.

Target Audience

• Academics and Researchers in communication studies, sociology, media studies, and cultural studies.
• Lecturers and Students (Undergraduate, Master's, Doctoral) conducting research related to digital communication.
• Communication Practitioners, such as journalists, public relations professionals, content creators, and digital media consultants.
• Policymakers in the fields of digital literacy, media regulation, and public communication.
• Religious Leaders and Educators interested in digital da'wah and educational transformation in the digital era.

Positioning & Novelty

1. Exclusive Focus on Digital Ecosystems: All published articles specifically discuss phenomena that emerged or significantly transformed in the digital era.
2. Critical Social Science Perspective: Not merely describing phenomena, but deeply analyzing meaning, power relations, and social impacts.
3. Integration of Religious and Local Values: Being one of the few communication journals in Indonesia that consistently publishes studies on religious communication, religious moderation, and pesantren values in digital spaces.

Contribution to Global Issues

• SDG 4 (Quality Education): Through studies on digital literacy and education digitalization.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Through studies on the digital divide and digital inclusion.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions): Through studies on religious moderation, anti-hoax efforts, and digital civic engagement.