Dechun Zhang
@dechunzhang.bsky.social
Postdoc at the Department of Communication, University of Copenhagen. Managing Editor @jceajournal.bsky.social, Editor of Asia Pacific Viewpoint, @gpccomm.bsky.social, Sage Open & Social Media Editor @jvpcjournal.bsky.social. Web: http://dechunzhang.com
📢 Call for Papers | Communication and the Public
Special Issue: Co-Producing Environmental Publics: Technology, Communication & Ecological Transformation
🗓️ Abstract deadline: 20 March 2026
Please RT & share with interested colleagues 🌍📣
Special Issue: Co-Producing Environmental Publics: Technology, Communication & Ecological Transformation
🗓️ Abstract deadline: 20 March 2026
Please RT & share with interested colleagues 🌍📣
Call for Papers
I’m organizing, with Han Lin and Weiai (Wayne) Xu, a Special Issue titled:
“Co-Producing Environmental Publics: Technology, Communication & Ecological Transformation” for Communication and the Public
Abstract deadline: 20 March 2026
CFP: drive.google.com/file/d/1zAr6...
I’m organizing, with Han Lin and Weiai (Wayne) Xu, a Special Issue titled:
“Co-Producing Environmental Publics: Technology, Communication & Ecological Transformation” for Communication and the Public
Abstract deadline: 20 March 2026
CFP: drive.google.com/file/d/1zAr6...
Speical issue_CAP_.pdf
drive.google.com
February 4, 2026 at 8:31 PM
📢 Call for Papers | Communication and the Public
Special Issue: Co-Producing Environmental Publics: Technology, Communication & Ecological Transformation
🗓️ Abstract deadline: 20 March 2026
Please RT & share with interested colleagues 🌍📣
Special Issue: Co-Producing Environmental Publics: Technology, Communication & Ecological Transformation
🗓️ Abstract deadline: 20 March 2026
Please RT & share with interested colleagues 🌍📣
Call for Papers
I’m organizing, with Han Lin and Weiai (Wayne) Xu, a Special Issue titled:
“Co-Producing Environmental Publics: Technology, Communication & Ecological Transformation” for Communication and the Public
Abstract deadline: 20 March 2026
CFP: drive.google.com/file/d/1zAr6...
I’m organizing, with Han Lin and Weiai (Wayne) Xu, a Special Issue titled:
“Co-Producing Environmental Publics: Technology, Communication & Ecological Transformation” for Communication and the Public
Abstract deadline: 20 March 2026
CFP: drive.google.com/file/d/1zAr6...
Speical issue_CAP_.pdf
drive.google.com
January 13, 2026 at 5:39 AM
Call for Papers
I’m organizing, with Han Lin and Weiai (Wayne) Xu, a Special Issue titled:
“Co-Producing Environmental Publics: Technology, Communication & Ecological Transformation” for Communication and the Public
Abstract deadline: 20 March 2026
CFP: drive.google.com/file/d/1zAr6...
I’m organizing, with Han Lin and Weiai (Wayne) Xu, a Special Issue titled:
“Co-Producing Environmental Publics: Technology, Communication & Ecological Transformation” for Communication and the Public
Abstract deadline: 20 March 2026
CFP: drive.google.com/file/d/1zAr6...
My forthcoming book, Digital Nationalism and Affective Governance: Propaganda, Public Sentiment, and Soft Authoritarianism in China (Routledge), now has an official cover and is listed on the publisher’s website. It is expected to be published in 2026.
🔗 www.routledge.com/9781041308775
🔗 www.routledge.com/9781041308775
Digital Nationalism and Affective Governance: Propaganda, Public Sentiment, and Soft Authoritarianism in China
This book examines how government propaganda and everyday online activity shaped China’s digital nationalism in response to the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
With a focus on Weibo, it demonstra...
www.routledge.com
January 4, 2026 at 7:55 PM
My forthcoming book, Digital Nationalism and Affective Governance: Propaganda, Public Sentiment, and Soft Authoritarianism in China (Routledge), now has an official cover and is listed on the publisher’s website. It is expected to be published in 2026.
🔗 www.routledge.com/9781041308775
🔗 www.routledge.com/9781041308775
My new coauthored paper, with Zesheng Yang & Ava Xingmeng Huang, “Negotiating sporting identity in divided discursive spaces: nationalism and localism in the Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup,” is now published in Sport in Society. Full paper: doi.org/10.1080/1743...
Negotiating sporting identity in divided discursive spaces: nationalism and localism in the Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup
The Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup is a long-standing football tournament between teams from the two Cantonese-speaking cultural regions of southeastern China. Using the 2024 edition as a case study, this...
doi.org
December 15, 2025 at 3:49 PM
My new coauthored paper, with Zesheng Yang & Ava Xingmeng Huang, “Negotiating sporting identity in divided discursive spaces: nationalism and localism in the Guangdong–Hong Kong Cup,” is now published in Sport in Society. Full paper: doi.org/10.1080/1743...
Reposted by Dechun Zhang
📢 The Winter Issue of the Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia (JCEA) is now published! Featuring 4 Regular Issue articles + a Special Issue on Digital Transformations in Asian Politics. Explore the full issue here: koreascience.or.kr/journal/OSTR...
Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
| Korea Science
koreascience.or.kr
December 4, 2025 at 2:37 PM
📢 The Winter Issue of the Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia (JCEA) is now published! Featuring 4 Regular Issue articles + a Special Issue on Digital Transformations in Asian Politics. Explore the full issue here: koreascience.or.kr/journal/OSTR...
Our editorial with Justin Chun-ting Ho, “Entangled Futures — Governance, Resistance, and Publics in Digital Transformations,” for the special issue Digital Transformations in Asian Politics at @jceajournal.bsky.social is out now. East Asia reshapes digital governance debates. doi.org/10.17477/jce...
doi.org
December 4, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Our editorial with Justin Chun-ting Ho, “Entangled Futures — Governance, Resistance, and Publics in Digital Transformations,” for the special issue Digital Transformations in Asian Politics at @jceajournal.bsky.social is out now. East Asia reshapes digital governance debates. doi.org/10.17477/jce...
Reposted by Dechun Zhang
📢 New Special Issue Released!
Self-Authorized Discourses: The Case of Stickers is now out in JVPC.
Includes 1 editorial + 5 articles on stickers as communicative artefacts.
Opening editorial: “Small is beautiful!?” by Gertrud Reershemius & Evelyn Ziegler.
DOI: doi.org/10.1386/jvpc...
Self-Authorized Discourses: The Case of Stickers is now out in JVPC.
Includes 1 editorial + 5 articles on stickers as communicative artefacts.
Opening editorial: “Small is beautiful!?” by Gertrud Reershemius & Evelyn Ziegler.
DOI: doi.org/10.1386/jvpc...
Small is beautiful!?: Investigating stickers and stickerscapes | Intellect
This editorial introduces a Special Issue dedicated to the study of stickers as communicative artefacts within semiotic landscapes. Once limited mainly to commercial use, stickers have evolved into ve...
doi.org
December 3, 2025 at 2:58 PM
📢 New Special Issue Released!
Self-Authorized Discourses: The Case of Stickers is now out in JVPC.
Includes 1 editorial + 5 articles on stickers as communicative artefacts.
Opening editorial: “Small is beautiful!?” by Gertrud Reershemius & Evelyn Ziegler.
DOI: doi.org/10.1386/jvpc...
Self-Authorized Discourses: The Case of Stickers is now out in JVPC.
Includes 1 editorial + 5 articles on stickers as communicative artefacts.
Opening editorial: “Small is beautiful!?” by Gertrud Reershemius & Evelyn Ziegler.
DOI: doi.org/10.1386/jvpc...
Our paper with @xueyancao.bsky.social, "Creative Digital Resistance on China’s Virtual Wailing Wall," now in China Information! We explore how the platform evolved from pandemic critique to personal narratives that challenge dominant political narratives. Detail: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Creative digital resistance on China’s Virtual Wailing Wall - Xueyan Cao, Dechun Zhang, 2025
This study examines how China’s Virtual Wailing Wall evolved from a site of public expression into a form of alternative political participation, shaping broade...
journals.sagepub.com
November 29, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Our paper with @xueyancao.bsky.social, "Creative Digital Resistance on China’s Virtual Wailing Wall," now in China Information! We explore how the platform evolved from pandemic critique to personal narratives that challenge dominant political narratives. Detail: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
My coauthored paper, "Creative Digital Resistance on China’s Virtual Wailing Wall," is published in China Information! We explore how the platform evolved from pandemic critique to personal narratives that challenge dominant political narratives. Detail: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Creative digital resistance on China’s Virtual Wailing Wall - Xueyan Cao, Dechun Zhang, 2025
This study examines how China’s Virtual Wailing Wall evolved from a site of public expression into a form of alternative political participation, shaping broade...
journals.sagepub.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:50 PM
My coauthored paper, "Creative Digital Resistance on China’s Virtual Wailing Wall," is published in China Information! We explore how the platform evolved from pandemic critique to personal narratives that challenge dominant political narratives. Detail: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Honored to be elected as the Student & Early Career Representative for @icahdq.bsky.social Mass Communication Division! 🎉
Looking forward to supporting initiatives, fostering collaboration, and contributing to our community’s continued growth and success!
Looking forward to supporting initiatives, fostering collaboration, and contributing to our community’s continued growth and success!
The results of the ICA Elections are in! 🎉 Congratulations to all newly elected individuals! A huge thank-you to all candidates and voters who participated—your engagement and support strengthen our community. 🔗 buff.ly/EVrbDcR
October 25, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Honored to be elected as the Student & Early Career Representative for @icahdq.bsky.social Mass Communication Division! 🎉
Looking forward to supporting initiatives, fostering collaboration, and contributing to our community’s continued growth and success!
Looking forward to supporting initiatives, fostering collaboration, and contributing to our community’s continued growth and success!
Reposted by Dechun Zhang
In case you are in Vancouver this Friday (Sep 26), I will be giving a talk around noon time (12.30-2.30 pm) on knowledge decolonisation and identity politics in Chinese IR at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia/UBC.
sppga.ubc.ca/events/event...
sppga.ubc.ca/events/event...
UBC
sppga.ubc.ca
September 25, 2025 at 7:53 AM
In case you are in Vancouver this Friday (Sep 26), I will be giving a talk around noon time (12.30-2.30 pm) on knowledge decolonisation and identity politics in Chinese IR at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia/UBC.
sppga.ubc.ca/events/event...
sppga.ubc.ca/events/event...
Reposted by Dechun Zhang
🔔 New #OpenAccess Article in #JCCA Journal of Current Chinese Affairs @giga-hamburg.de
Weiwen Yu and Dechun Zhang @dechunzhang.bsky.social analyse 213,435 #Weibo posts to trace how engagement with the digital memorial for Dr. #WenliangLi evolved journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Weiwen Yu and Dechun Zhang @dechunzhang.bsky.social analyse 213,435 #Weibo posts to trace how engagement with the digital memorial for Dr. #WenliangLi evolved journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
September 19, 2025 at 7:28 PM
🔔 New #OpenAccess Article in #JCCA Journal of Current Chinese Affairs @giga-hamburg.de
Weiwen Yu and Dechun Zhang @dechunzhang.bsky.social analyse 213,435 #Weibo posts to trace how engagement with the digital memorial for Dr. #WenliangLi evolved journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Weiwen Yu and Dechun Zhang @dechunzhang.bsky.social analyse 213,435 #Weibo posts to trace how engagement with the digital memorial for Dr. #WenliangLi evolved journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
My new paper, Digital Mourning and Civic Engagement: Emotional Dynamics on China’s Virtual Wailing Wall shows Dr. Li Wenliang’s Weibo wall shifted from talk to grief & remembrance under censorship, regions & diaspora, in Journal of Current Chinese Affairs.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
September 19, 2025 at 6:59 PM
My new paper, Digital Mourning and Civic Engagement: Emotional Dynamics on China’s Virtual Wailing Wall shows Dr. Li Wenliang’s Weibo wall shifted from talk to grief & remembrance under censorship, regions & diaspora, in Journal of Current Chinese Affairs.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Dechun Zhang
Dechun Zhang's paper on how nationalist propaganda works as an authoritarian infrastructure in China is another of the papers in our forthcoming special issue on Authoritarianism in the Digital Age. Check them all out here: journals.sagepub.com/home/DDS
New piece in @dialoguesdigsoc.bsky.social: “Digital Nationalism in China: Expression, Propaganda, and Soft Authoritarianism”. It shows how digital nationalism in China works as soft authoritarianism, blending control with participatory propaganda. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
September 17, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Dechun Zhang's paper on how nationalist propaganda works as an authoritarian infrastructure in China is another of the papers in our forthcoming special issue on Authoritarianism in the Digital Age. Check them all out here: journals.sagepub.com/home/DDS
I’m excited to share that I am running for election as the Student and Early Career Representative of the Mass Communication Division of ICA. If you are a member of the Mass Communication Division, I would be grateful for your support. Please consider voting for me: www.icahdq.org/page/Electio...
International Communication Association
The upcoming calendar is currently empty.
www.icahdq.org
September 9, 2025 at 2:58 PM
I’m excited to share that I am running for election as the Student and Early Career Representative of the Mass Communication Division of ICA. If you are a member of the Mass Communication Division, I would be grateful for your support. Please consider voting for me: www.icahdq.org/page/Electio...
Reposted by Dechun Zhang
The Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia (Scopus-indexed) seeks reviewers for: 1) Geopolitics at the Internet’s Core (Springer, 2025) & 2) Innovation-Development Detours for Latecomers (CUP, 2024). Reviews: 3–5 pp. Info: jceasia.org Volunteer: jceabooks@gmail.com
Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
A Peer-Reviewed Journal on Convergence and Future Studies in Asia
jceasia.org
September 5, 2025 at 11:47 AM
The Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia (Scopus-indexed) seeks reviewers for: 1) Geopolitics at the Internet’s Core (Springer, 2025) & 2) Innovation-Development Detours for Latecomers (CUP, 2024). Reviews: 3–5 pp. Info: jceasia.org Volunteer: jceabooks@gmail.com
Reposted by Dechun Zhang
📢 Call for Papers – Special Issue
The Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia invites submissions for:
“Living with ChatGPT: Social, Psychological, and Economic Impacts of Generative AI in East Asia”
CFP details 👉 drive.google.com/file/d/1G_TJ...
The Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia invites submissions for:
“Living with ChatGPT: Social, Psychological, and Economic Impacts of Generative AI in East Asia”
CFP details 👉 drive.google.com/file/d/1G_TJ...
Special issue_Living with ChatGPT- Social, Psychological, and Economic Impacts of Generative AI in East Asia.pdf
drive.google.com
August 31, 2025 at 4:17 PM
📢 Call for Papers – Special Issue
The Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia invites submissions for:
“Living with ChatGPT: Social, Psychological, and Economic Impacts of Generative AI in East Asia”
CFP details 👉 drive.google.com/file/d/1G_TJ...
The Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia invites submissions for:
“Living with ChatGPT: Social, Psychological, and Economic Impacts of Generative AI in East Asia”
CFP details 👉 drive.google.com/file/d/1G_TJ...
New piece in @dialoguesdigsoc.bsky.social: “Digital Nationalism in China: Expression, Propaganda, and Soft Authoritarianism”. It shows how digital nationalism in China works as soft authoritarianism, blending control with participatory propaganda. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
August 26, 2025 at 4:04 PM
New piece in @dialoguesdigsoc.bsky.social: “Digital Nationalism in China: Expression, Propaganda, and Soft Authoritarianism”. It shows how digital nationalism in China works as soft authoritarianism, blending control with participatory propaganda. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Probably a small thing to many, but I just noticed I’ve reached a small milestone — 200 citations on Google Scholar.
August 10, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Probably a small thing to many, but I just noticed I’ve reached a small milestone — 200 citations on Google Scholar.
My new paper, coauthored with Ruoxin Su, “Adaptive Sovereignty: China’s Evolving Legislative Framework for Transnational Data Governance,” introduces the adaptive sovereignty model—blending state control with selective regulatory flexibility. Now in Politics and Governance: doi.org/10.17645/pag...
Adaptive Sovereignty: China’s Evolving Legislative Framework for Transnational Data Governance | Article | Politics and Governance
Ruoxin Su, Dechun Zhang
doi.org
July 16, 2025 at 4:42 PM
My new paper, coauthored with Ruoxin Su, “Adaptive Sovereignty: China’s Evolving Legislative Framework for Transnational Data Governance,” introduces the adaptive sovereignty model—blending state control with selective regulatory flexibility. Now in Politics and Governance: doi.org/10.17645/pag...
Reposted by Dechun Zhang
New in JCEA: Personal Political Characteristics and Trust in State Media: A Case Study of China
Xin Tong analyzes how political traits shape trust in Chinese state media using Asian Barometer data—offering insights into media trust in authoritarian contexts.
🔗 doi.org/10.17477/jce...
Xin Tong analyzes how political traits shape trust in Chinese state media using Asian Barometer data—offering insights into media trust in authoritarian contexts.
🔗 doi.org/10.17477/jce...
Personal Political Characteristics and Trust in State Media: A Case Study of China
-Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
| Korea Science
Who, if anyone, is more influenced by state media in China? While scholars have discussed people's resilience and response to state apparatus under authoritarian systems, few studies have directly tes...
doi.org
July 6, 2025 at 8:58 PM
New in JCEA: Personal Political Characteristics and Trust in State Media: A Case Study of China
Xin Tong analyzes how political traits shape trust in Chinese state media using Asian Barometer data—offering insights into media trust in authoritarian contexts.
🔗 doi.org/10.17477/jce...
Xin Tong analyzes how political traits shape trust in Chinese state media using Asian Barometer data—offering insights into media trust in authoritarian contexts.
🔗 doi.org/10.17477/jce...
Reposted by Dechun Zhang
New in JCEA: Navigating the Audience Costs of Humanitarian Aid for Rising States: A Case Study of India’s COVID-19 Response
Xiaojuan Qiu & Liya Yan explore how India balanced sovereignty, legitimacy, and public perception in managing aid during the pandemic.
🔗 doi.org/10.17477/jce...
Xiaojuan Qiu & Liya Yan explore how India balanced sovereignty, legitimacy, and public perception in managing aid during the pandemic.
🔗 doi.org/10.17477/jce...
Navigating the Audience Costs of Humanitarian Aid for Rising States: A Case Study of India's COVID-19 Response
-Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
| Korea Science
Rising states often face critical decisions about accepting or refusing humanitarian aid during crises, shaped by domestic and international audience costs. This study examines these dynamics through ...
doi.org
July 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM
New in JCEA: Navigating the Audience Costs of Humanitarian Aid for Rising States: A Case Study of India’s COVID-19 Response
Xiaojuan Qiu & Liya Yan explore how India balanced sovereignty, legitimacy, and public perception in managing aid during the pandemic.
🔗 doi.org/10.17477/jce...
Xiaojuan Qiu & Liya Yan explore how India balanced sovereignty, legitimacy, and public perception in managing aid during the pandemic.
🔗 doi.org/10.17477/jce...
My new coauthored paper with Jun Liu & Hsuanlei Shao, “Between Nationalist Propaganda and Public Mobilization,” is out in Oxford Intersections. We use computational analysis to explore how China’s propaganda shapes nationalist discourse and how the public responds on Weibo. doi.org/10.1093/9780...
Between Nationalist Propaganda and Public Mobilization: People’s Daily’s Nationalist Discourses and Their Public Responses on Chinese Social Media
Abstract. This study offers new perspectives on the evolving trajectory of state-led nationalist discourses and their engagement with online publics by exa
doi.org
June 29, 2025 at 11:55 PM
My new coauthored paper with Jun Liu & Hsuanlei Shao, “Between Nationalist Propaganda and Public Mobilization,” is out in Oxford Intersections. We use computational analysis to explore how China’s propaganda shapes nationalist discourse and how the public responds on Weibo. doi.org/10.1093/9780...
Thrilled to be part of the team for this newly launched ICA journal! Excited for the journey ahead under the leadership of @bowmanspartan.bsky.social
Looking forward to seeing great contributions—consider submitting your work to help shape this exciting new publication!
Looking forward to seeing great contributions—consider submitting your work to help shape this exciting new publication!
We're pleased to share our first Editorial Board! We're so very happy to work with so many voices, from so many places, all eager to ensure that we can curate and share the very best in human communication scholarship - and do so, open access: academic.oup.com/gpc/pages/ed....
Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief
Nick Bowman, PhD
Syracuse University
Editorial Board
Nicole Allen
University of Southern Utah, United States
Albert Anani-Bossman
Univ
academic.oup.com
June 29, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Thrilled to be part of the team for this newly launched ICA journal! Excited for the journey ahead under the leadership of @bowmanspartan.bsky.social
Looking forward to seeing great contributions—consider submitting your work to help shape this exciting new publication!
Looking forward to seeing great contributions—consider submitting your work to help shape this exciting new publication!
@gpccomm.bsky.social (GPC) was officially launched at #ICA25 by Editor-in-Chief @bowmanspartan.bsky.social. The journal welcomes submissions across a wide range of topics. I’m also pleased to join the editorial board as GPC begins this exciting new chapter.
Learn more: academic.oup.com/gpc
Learn more: academic.oup.com/gpc
Global Perspectives in Communication | Oxford Academic
Global Perspectives in Communication
academic.oup.com
June 27, 2025 at 9:28 PM
@gpccomm.bsky.social (GPC) was officially launched at #ICA25 by Editor-in-Chief @bowmanspartan.bsky.social. The journal welcomes submissions across a wide range of topics. I’m also pleased to join the editorial board as GPC begins this exciting new chapter.
Learn more: academic.oup.com/gpc
Learn more: academic.oup.com/gpc