2018年4月《传播学刊》（Journal of Communication）将出版“新酵母专刊（Ferments of the Field）”回顾传播学近年发展，展望未来研究方向。此举继承35年前JoC首次“酵 母专刊”之精神，不但讨论各领域内部已取得的成果，更强调学术发展中的问题，及学 科在外部社会发展中扮演的角色。本文作者与福克斯（Christian Fuchs）共同编辑此期刊 物。专刊最终收入论文20篇，其中约一半来自广义批判学派，一半来自媒介效果、政治 传播及组织研究学派。本文回顾酵母专刊历史，讨论今次新酵母专刊的编辑过程，简介 专刊内容，重点讨论批判学派的脉络、它与主流传播研究的关系、新唯物主义转向、全 球范围的传播研究、数码媒介环境带来的挑战、传播实践与有机的传播研究知识分子等 问题。

In April 2018, Journal of Communication (JoC) shall publish a new special issue “Ferments of the Field” to review the development of communication studies in recent years and look forward into future research directions. This new special issue inherits the spirit of the 1983 JoC special issue “Ferment of the Field”, which not only takes stock of the field and its subfields but also examines the problems therein and the role of communication studies in society at large. This author is lucky to work with Christian Fuchs in editing the new “ferments” issue that includes 20 articles, half of which are along the tradition of critical studies broadly defned, the other half deal with more mainstream topics such as media effects, political communication and organizational communication. This article reviews the history of the “ferment” special issue since 1983, discusses the editorial process of the 2018 new “ferments” issue, while brie?y introducing its contents: (a) the dynamism of critical research and its relationship with mainstream communication studies, (b) a new materialist turn, (c) communication studies on the global scale, (d) the challenges of digital media environments, and (e) communication, praxis and organic communication intellectuals.