Author Guidelines & Submission Instructions

The Information of Press Council of Maharashtra publishes original, peer-reviewed research articles, review papers, case studies, and commentaries in the following disciplines:

• Media Studies & Press Freedom
• Journalism Ethics & Practice
• Communication Theory & Research
• Digital Media & Misinformation
• Media Law, Policy & Regulation
• Community and Regional Journalism
• Press Council Functions & Media Governance

The journal welcomes submissions from academics, researchers, and media professionals. Both English, Hindi and Marathi language manuscripts are accepted.

Formatting Requirements

• Language: English, Hindi or Marathi
• Word Limit: 4,000–8,000 words (including references; excluding abstract and title page)
• File Format: Microsoft Word (.docx) only
• Font: Times New Roman, 12pt
• Line Spacing: 1.5
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• Referencing Style: APA 7th Edition
• Page Numbers: Bottom centre, beginning from page 1

Required Sections (in order)

• Title: Concise and descriptive (max 20 words)
• Author Details: Full name, designation, department, institution, city, country, and institutional email for each author. Corresponding author must be indicated.
• Abstract: 150–250 words; structured as: Background, Objective, Methodology, Findings, Conclusion
• Keywords: 4–6 keywords, separated by semicolons
• Introduction
• Literature Review / Theoretical Framework
• Methodology
• Results & Discussion
• Conclusion
• References (APA 7th Edition)
• Acknowledgements (if applicable)
• Conflict of Interest Statement

Figures, Tables & Images

• All figures and tables must be numbered sequentially (Table 1, Figure 1, etc.)
• Each must have a descriptive caption placed directly above (tables) or below (figures)
• Images must be embedded in the document AND submitted separately as high-resolution .jpg or .png (minimum 300 DPI)
• Data sources must be cited for all tables and figures

Submit manuscripts by email to the Editorial Office:
Email: editor@presscouncil.in

Email subject line: Submission — [Article Title] — [Corresponding Author Name]

Attachments required

• Main Manuscript (.docx) — with all author details and affiliations included
• Blind Manuscript (.docx) — identical file with all author names, affiliations, and identifying acknowledgements removed (for peer review)
• Cover Letter (.docx or .pdf) confirming:
  • The manuscript is original and not under consideration elsewhere
  • All listed authors have approved the submission
  • Any conflicts of interest are declared
  • The similarity index does not exceed 15% (author's declaration)

The Editorial Office will send an acknowledgement of receipt within 3 working days. If no acknowledgement is received within 5 days, authors should contact: editor@presscouncil.in

Stage	Estimated Duration
Acknowledgement of receipt	Within 3 working days
Initial editorial screening (scope, format, originality)	1–2 weeks
Double-blind peer review (external reviewers)	4–6 weeks
First decision communicated to author	Within 6–8 weeks of submission
Revision deadline (if applicable)	3 weeks from decision letter
Publication (upon final acceptance)	Next scheduled quarterly issue

There is no Article Processing Charge (APC). Submission, peer review, and publication are completely free of charge.

• All listed authors must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the work.
• Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not simultaneously submitted elsewhere.
• The similarity index must not exceed 15% overall (verified by the editorial office using anti-plagiarism detection software).
• Manuscripts found to involve plagiarism, data fabrication, or duplicate submission will be rejected and the authors' affiliated institutions will be notified.
• Any changes to authorship after submission must be approved in writing by all listed authors.

• Accepted manuscripts will be copy-edited and typeset. Authors will receive a proof for review.
• Proof corrections must be returned within 5 working days.
• Upon publication, the article will be freely available online under the CC BY-NC 4.0 licence.
• A PDF of the published article will be emailed to the corresponding author.
• Authors are encouraged to share the published article link on academic networks and institutional repositories.

Editorial Office — Information of Press Council of Maharashtra
Room No. 2 & 3, Administrative Officers Hostel Premises,
Opposite CSMT (VT), 9 Hazarimal Somani Marg,
Fort, Mumbai – 400 001, Maharashtra, India

Email: editor@presscouncil.in
Phone: +91-97662-20666

For policy-related queries, see: Journal Policies & Ethics