About the Journal

Focus and Scope & Journal Mission

Focus and Scope

Our focus is on fostering interdisciplinary research that intersects medicine, humanities, and media studies. We aim to highlight research that explores the impact of media on health perceptions, patient experiences, healthcare policy, medical ethics, and the public understanding of medicine.

Journal Mission

In 2016, the School of Journalism and Communication and the Health Science Center of Peking University jointly established China's first health communication program, designed to innovate talent cultivation models in response to the Healthy China Initiative.

In 2018, Peking University hosted the inaugural "Medicine, Humanity and Media" (MHM) International Symposium on Health Communication, with the aim of fostering interdisciplinary dialogue among scholars in medical studies and media research who share an interest in health communication.

In 2023, to support the continued growth of the annual MHM International Symposium, we launched the Journal of Medicine, Humanity and Media as its official peer-reviewed publication. Regarding its title, the journal does not purport to cover the full spectrum of medical, humanities and media studies. Rather, it focuses on human-centered health communication research and is committed to serving as an interdisciplinary, international scholarly platform that nurtures emerging scholars and facilitates intellectual exchange.

This mission is embodied in three core commitments:

1. Advancing human-centered health communication research

Health is a fundamental human right, and the attainment of the highest possible standard of health is a core social goal for all peoples. With the goal of enhancing public health literacy and media literacy for social health promotion, the journal explores theoretical advances and societal value in health communication through multidisciplinary approaches drawn from medicine, media studies and related fields.

2. Nurturing the growth of early-career scholars

Building on the well-established Mentor-Mentee System of the MHM Symposium, the journal operates a two-way academic training platform that connects graduate students (master's and doctoral candidates) and early-career researchers with established scholars who act as mentors. We prioritize cultivating and sustaining a cohort of specialized mentor teams that encourage submissions aligned with their areas of expertise. Through equal, candid scholarly dialogue between mentors and mentees, manuscripts are refined before submission and steadily elevated in quality, enabling rigorous research to meet publication standards. Every article published in this journal represents not only the author's independent scholarship but also the fruit of intergenerational academic transmission and mutual learning between mentors and mentees. The journal seeks to cultivate scholars through its pages and carry intellectual values through its writings, fostering a research culture of open exchange, mutual growth, and the pursuit of truth and substance.

3. Promoting intellectual exchange among international scholars

This journal aspires to be a collegial "garden" where scholars from across the world exchange ideas, seek collaborations, and embrace the Aristotelian contemplative life to enjoy the pleasure of thinking and scholarly conversations. The profound insights generated through the intellectual exchange of scholars will advance human health and well-being.

Submission Categories

We welcome all types of research articles, including theory-driven empirical research, theoretical papers, non-theory-driven empirical research reports, research synthesis, and meta-analyses, investigating intersections of medicine, humanities, and media.

Target Readership

JMHM serves scholars in medical humanities, health communication, media studies, and related interdisciplinary fields, as well as media professionals including health journalists, medical writers, communication strategists, and digital health innovators working at the intersection of healthcare and media practice.

Publication Frequency

JMHM publishes four issues a year.

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