diff --git a/scipost_django/journals/migrations/0137_alter_journal_alternative_journals.py b/scipost_django/journals/migrations/0137_alter_journal_alternative_journals.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..14e07e56a5a14bbc3a25ca7e91658cbcfc155830
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scipost_django/journals/migrations/0137_alter_journal_alternative_journals.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Generated by Django 4.2.15 on 2024-09-20 09:27
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    dependencies = [
+        ("journals", "0136_publication_author_info_source"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="journal",
+            name="alternative_journals",
+            field=models.ManyToManyField(blank=True, to="journals.journal"),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/scipost_django/journals/models/journal.py b/scipost_django/journals/models/journal.py
index e26194a823a0dd99b68bb60955a309683bb02227..092f29930ec51bdf5c54aaf6aadcaa474c7d0edb 100644
--- a/scipost_django/journals/models/journal.py
+++ b/scipost_django/journals/models/journal.py
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ class Journal(models.Model):
         blank=True,
     )
 
-    alternative_journals = models.ManyToManyField("self")
+    alternative_journals = models.ManyToManyField("self", blank=True)
 
     # Cost per publication information
     cost_info = models.JSONField(default=cost_default_value)