CFP: Essay Collection on How Scripted TV Series Portray Social Media’s Power to Shape Culture

Call for Chapter Proposals
for Essay Collection

How Scripted TV Series Portray Social Media’s Power to Shape Culture

NOTE: This collection will be part of McFarland's Ethics & Culture series. As a non-philosopher editor, I'm posting here and hoping I selectied the right category. 

TV has been a source of social commentary ever since CBS’s Fred Silverman overhauled the network in 1971 by cancelling a slew of rural series and giving Norman Lear a venue for series that reflected the social change happening in the nation, especially regarding race, gender, and class. After subsequent decades of deep dives into many confounding and controversial issues, American TV transformed from an artform once perceived as inferior to film into an equally respected medium. Although the “very special episode” became a trope that could understandably make viewers roll their eyes (and that makes us all cringe today), an organic and complex exploration of a specific issue on the small screen can have a big impact.

In the last twenty years, an entirely new issue has arisen: the impact of social media. This edited collection invites scholars to consider how an episode or series of scripted television (from 2000 to present) has tackled social media’s power to shape culture—for better and/or for worse.

Any methodological approach is welcome, but the chapter should appeal to a range of readers, from fans to scholars. Because debates about social media often relate to debates about other contentious issues, analysis and argumentation will ideally consider how the episode/series represents (or fails to represent) different viewpoints. As part of McFarland’s Ethics and Culture series ( https://mcfarlandbooks.com/imprint/ethics-and-culture/), this collection aims, in part, to consider how choices made by television creators may fuel vitriolic flames or tend a cultural fire.

The collection will include the three major sections below. Possible topics and series/episodes are listed as inspiration, but others are welcome. Contributors may also consider a chapter about multiple series when it makes sense (such as multiple crime dramas, a pair of sit-coms, portrayals of teen social media use, etc.)

1.     DISINFORMATION & RADICALIZATION 

o   Topics could include white Christian nationalism/supremacy, toxic masculinity, conspiracy theories, deep fakes, AI, etc.

o   Examples of TV Portrayals

·       Adolescence: A 13-year-old boy, impacted by online bullying and the “mansosphere,” murders a female classmate.

·       The Morning Show, season 2: Misinformation and viral false narratives spread on social media.

·       Homeland, seasons 6 and 7: A radio host modeled after Alex Jones and Info Wars wreaks havoc (one episode includes altered video to promote a narrative).

·       The Good Fight, “The One Where Kurt Saves Diane”: A judge is targeted by a viral smear campaign using disinformation online. 

·       Law & Order SVU, “Info Wars”: A sexual assault trial is derailed by a conspiracy theorist who mobilizes a disinformation campaign through social media. 

2.     CALL OUT & CANCEL CULTURE

o   Topics could include a celebrity’s past/present behavior, comedians accused of crossing the line, boycotting of organizations, average people facing consequences for online posts, etc.

o   Examples of TV Portrayals

·       The Carmichael Show, “Fallen Heroes”: The family discusses Bill Cosby.

·       Hacks, “Yes, And”: Deborah’s old politically incorrect jokes threaten her career goals.

·       Ted Lasso, “Do the Right-est Thing”: A sports team blacks out a sponsor’s name in protest.

·       The Morning Show, “It’s Like the Flu”: A disgraced news anchor is approached in public about his being cancelled.

·       I May Destroy You, multiple episodes: After being sexually assaulted, Arabella seeks justice on social media.

·       The Newsroom, “Oh Shenandoah”: A college student who was rape intends to use social media to identify her rapist as a warning to other women.

·       Grey’s Anatomy, “Training Day”: A doctor who performs abortions gets doxed and put in danger by some pro-life activists calling her out online. 

3.     HASHTAG AWARENESS & ACTIVISM 

o    Topics could include the value of social media to inform, hashtag movements (#BLM,

#MeToo, #timesup), etc.

o   Examples of TV Portrayals

·       Dear White People, multiple episodes: Episodes address racial justice, campus activism, and social media (including #BLM and #staywoke). Episodes also address “slacktivism” and hypocrisy on the left.

·       Brooklyn Nine-Nine, “He Said, She Said”: This episode specifically mentions and explores #MeToo.

·       Black-ish, “Hope”: The family waits to hear if a police officer will be indicted, and when he isn’t, they go to protest. Allusions to #BLM are made throughout.

·       Black Mirror, “Hated in the Nation”: An online movement (#DeathTo) becomes deadly.

·       The Bold Type, multiple episodes: The series is about staff of a women’s magazine, including its online presence and allusions to hashtag movements.

Chapters should be 6,000 to 8,000 words and formatted in MLA style.

Preliminary questions or queries may be emailed to the editor at any time. Chapter proposals (300 to 500 words) and a brief author bio should be emailed to [email protected] by September 1st, 2025. Other important dates (subject to change) are as follows:

·      Notification of acceptance by October 1st, 2025

·      Full chapters (6000 to 8000 words, MLA style) due by April 15th, 2026

·      Revision recommendations provided by June 15th, 2026

·      Revised chapters due by August 15th, 2026

·      Manuscript editing completed by September 15th, 2026

·      Manuscript submitted for peer review by October 1st, 2026

·      Final revisions/edits based on feedback provided via peer review completed by July 15th, 2027

Dr. Libbie Searcy is an Associate Professor in the Humanities & Communication Department of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Her book “Sluts” on the Small Screen: Female Promiscuity in Scripted American Television Series was published by McFarland in 2024. Her humanities course, “Socially Conscious TV,” is the inspiration for this collection.