Journal profile · COMMUNICATION
African Journalism Studies
ISSN 2374-3670 · eISSN 2374-3689 · Taylor & Francis
African Journalism Studies: CAS Zone 3 · Literature (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.89; hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; review about 95 days (first decision after review, publisher); acceptance rate 18% (journal website); 38 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
African Journalism Studies is published by Taylor & Francis and is in Zone 3 of Literature in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Media Studies and Communication, Social Media and Politics and Media Influence and Politics, together about 54.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Sociology and Political Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Accredited by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training for university research purposes African Journalism Studies subscribes to the Code of Best Practice for Peer Reviewed Scholarly Journals of the Academy of Science of South Africa. Affiliated with: the Journalism Research and Education Section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) the Journalism Studies Division of the International Communication Association (ICA) The African Council for Communication Education (ACCE) The South African Communication Association (Sacomm) African Journalism Studies ( AJS) aims to contribute to the ongoing extension of the theories, methodologies and empirical data to under-researched areas of knowledge production, through its emphasis on African journalism studies within a broader, comparative perspective of the Global South. AJS strives for theoretical diversity and methodological inclusivity, by developing theoretical approaches and making critical interventions in global scholarly debates. The journal's comparative and interdisciplinary approach is informed by the related fields of cultural and media studies, communication studies, African studies, politics, and sociology. The field of journalism studies is understood broadly, as including the practices, norms, value systems, frameworks of representation, audiences, platforms, industries, theories and power relations that relate to the production, consumption and study of journalism. A wide definition of journalism is used, which extends beyond news and current affairs to include digital and social media, documentary film and narrative non-fiction. Manuscripts dealing with the intersections between journalism, politics, culture and society as these pertain to Africa and comparable regions in the Global South are especially invited. Areas of focus may include, but are not limited to: the political economy of journalism; global flows and contraflows of journalistic content and capital; journalism and social change; journalism and cultural identity; freedom of the press; journalism ethics; theories of journalism; journalism education and research; changing journalistic practices and norms. The role of journalism in mediating the emerging geopolitical relations between Africa and other regions of the Global South is of particular interest. All submitted manuscripts are subject to initial appraisal by the Editor, and, if found suitable for further consideration, t
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): COMMUNICATION
Editor-in-chief Herman WassermanPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named South Africa 7, United Kingdom 1, Germany 1 (9 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Media Studies and CommunicationSocial Sciences29.1%
- Social Media and PoliticsSocial Sciences13.8%
- Media Influence and PoliticsSocial Sciences11.8%
- African history and culture studiesSocial Sciences9.6%
- African studies and sociopolitical issuesSocial Sciences6.6%
- Misinformation and Its ImpactsSocial Sciences4%
- Discourse Analysis in Language StudiesArts and Humanities2.4%
- South African History and CultureSocial Sciences2.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Communication | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Literature Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Communication | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Communication | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- CiteScore Q2 · 2025
Publisher-reported: JCR figures are Clarivate's and CiteScore figures Scopus's to confirm; both are a different system from the CAS zones.Publisher website
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIEPublisher website
Other: ProQuest, African Studies Abstracts Online, Communication and Mass Media Complete, SAePublications, South African Periodical Index Online
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 0.89LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 3.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.91LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.91Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.24LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 1.24Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 29OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 112OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.28OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 6.67%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 30LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 62,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 403 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 30 | 7 | 4 |
| 2025 | 38 | 11 | 19 |
| 2024 | 28 | 20 | 100 |
| 2023 | 21 | 6 | 80 |
| 2022 | 22 | 3 | 142 |
| 2021 | 47 | 11 | 407 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
95 daysfirst decision after review
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 18%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 75 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 95 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 32 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review
- Open access Open access
African Journalism Studies is a hybrid open access journal that is part of the Taylor & Francis Open Select publishing program, giving you the option to publish open access. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research. Why choose open access? Increase the discoverability …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Peer review: double-anonymized; initial editor appraisal then peer review by independent, anonymous expert referees; online submission via ScholarOne Manuscripts. Model summary
All submitted manuscripts are subject to initial appraisal by the Editor, and, if found suitable for further consideration, to peer review by independent, anonymous expert referees. All peer review is double-anonymized and submission is online via ScholarOne Manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- ISSN
- 2374-3670
- Electronic ISSN
- 2374-3689
- Society / sponsor
- Institute for Media Analysis in South Africa
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 47, Issue 2 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about African Journalism Studies
What CAS zone is African Journalism Studies in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, African Journalism Studies is in Zone 3 of Literature, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Communication. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Literature. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of African Journalism Studies?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.89; CiteScore 3.1, h-index 29.
How long does peer review take at African Journalism Studies?
The publisher reports about 95 days (first decision after review); the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 18%. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of African Journalism Studies based?
Of the 9 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are South Africa (7), United Kingdom (1) and Germany (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index African Journalism Studies?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, African Journalism Studies is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is African Journalism Studies open access, and what is the APC?
African Journalism Studies is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .