Editorial

A warm welcome to the sixth issue of JoSTrans and to its new design. We hope you'll find it clearer, brighter, and better suited to the rising volume of documents hosted. This is a special issue not only as regards looks but also content. It is devoted to audiovisual translation. Although JoSTrans remains committed to a semi-thematic approach in order to keep the flexibility and speed that an electronic publication offers, we felt that the exceptionally fast-growing development of stimulating exchanges and information in audiovisual mediation justified a number on the topic.

The documents reflect difficulties and opportunities encountered by media translators who use a range of transfer modes - dubbing, voice-over, subtitling - and work for several sources, such as cinema, television, Internet, and DVD. Technical and intercultural constraints are explored here through a wide array of facets. The challenges faced by media translation professionals when dealing with the transfer of slang, songs and specialised language are given particular consideration.

JoSTrans's desire to act as a platform for students, academics, practitioners and decision-makers in the industry continues to be visible in this issue, particularly through interviews with established professionals who provide a spontaneous and practical form of information. Thomas Blomberg discusses the challenges faced by institutions such as the BBC regarding languaging services, while Federico Spoletti and Frederic Chaume respectively answer questions on the market of subtitling for film festivals and on recent developments in translating for dubbing.

This issue differs from the previous ones in that all articles and interviews are in English. This does not reflect a change of policy, as this editorial shows, and we still endeavour to publish articles and stream interviews in a range of languages. Yet, on this occasion the coordination required between several editors was undoubtedly made easier by the use of a lingua franca.

The journal is delighted to open its pages for the first time to guest editors, whose expertise will contribute to bring the latest and most relevant articles on specialised topics. In this issue, Jorge Diaz Cintas, Pilar Orero and Aline Remael, all established researchers in media translation, have selected and edited the articles included. It is a pleasure to thank them for their contribution and cooperation, and to now let them introduce the content of their selection.