Virtualis is an open and plural space for reflection, study and analysis of digital culture. It seeks to open a critical debate on the phenomena derived from the irruption of digital technologies in the different spheres of the information and knowledge society. Vol. 13 No. 26 (2023): Emerging phenomena of Latin American born-digital journalism This special issue of the journal Virtualis calls for contributions from Latin American journalism scholars to submit contributions on the emerging phenomena of born-digital journalism in the region, with emphasis on its cultural, economic, labor and social dimensions. We welcome manuscripts of a conceptual or empirical nature, focused on national cases or part of comparative studies of a broader scope, that help to improve our understanding of the implications of the transformations introduced by born-digital journalism in the national and transnational public spheres of Latin America.

Vol. 17 No. 30 (2025): Innovation and Challenge in Political Communication: Hybrid Media Systems and Digital Culture in the 2024 Presidential Campaigns

The year 2024 will witness more than 50 presidential elections worldwide, including several in the Americas, such as those in Mexico, the United States, El Salvador, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Communication practices and systems are constitutive and essential elements of any contemporary campaign and electoral process. Presidential campaigns enable candidates to communicate and interact with millions of people through complex and sophisticated hybrid systems of public and political communication. In this context, the use of technologies and the development of digital culture—two key elements of Virtualis journal's focus—lie at the heart of political campaigns.

Accordingly, we invite the global academic community to submit research articles that critically examine political communication, communication technologies, and digital culture within the framework of contemporary electoral campaigns. We are particularly interested in receiving articles that demonstrate how hybrid communication systems are created, reproduced, and maintained during electoral processes. This includes research on the interaction between traditional media and digital platforms in political communication during elections, as well as the blending of ground, air, and digital campaign strategies.

A relevant area of interest is the use of digital technologies during campaigns, including analyses of how social media, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies are deployed in campaigns and how these are transforming contemporary political communication through processes of platformization, segmentation, and microtargeting. We also seek submissions that critically address epistemic dysfunctions during electoral campaigns, such as the proliferation of propaganda, disinformation, and malinformation strategies through digital communication across various platforms.

Furthermore, we welcome articles exploring public opinion and reception practices during electoral campaigns within the context of hybrid communication systems, platformization, and epistemic dysfunctions. We also seek work examining how digital technologies facilitate or inhibit citizen participation in electoral processes, as well as case studies of successful and unsuccessful implementation of technologies for electoral participation through social media, video games, applications, and other digital tools.