University of Fribourg (Switzerland)

The Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Fribourg (Switzer- land) invites applications for the full-time open-rank position of Professor in “Digital Journalism" (Assistant Professor with tenure track or Full Professor). The professorship is with the Department of Communication and Media Research (DCM) and comes with one fully funded PhD position. The ap- pointment begins in fall 2025.

Profile:

The professorship requires a specialization in digital journalism research from a social sci- entific perspective. In their research, candidates should critically explore how digitalization reshapes the production and dissemination of news. They may focus, for instance, on the transformation of journalistic practices and routines, newsroom structures, business models and editorial strategies, and/or the interrelationship between journalism and society. Candidates have to be familiar with social scientific research methods (both qualitative and quantitative). Additional research experience in media economics is not mandatory but would be of particular interest.

Language:

Teaching will be in French and English. Ideally, candidates should also be able to teach in German. The University of Freiburg is bilingual (French/German). Knowledge of German (level B1 oral) is expected. If this is not the case, it must be acquired within two years of taking the position.

Requirements:

Candidates must have completed a Ph.D. in communication studies or a closely related discipline (with proven experience in media and communication). They need a high-quality publication record, as well as positively evaluated teaching experience in the required specializa- tion. Moreover, experience in acquiring competitive third-party research grants is advantageous.

Teaching:

The teaching load is 6-7 hours per week and includes courses on (digital) journalism re- search (bachelor level), on media economics (bachelor level) as well as on social science research methods (master level), and on topics within the candidate’s research specialization (master level).

The University of Fribourg offers excellent working conditions and a competitive salary. Seeking to promote an equitable representation of women and men, the University strongly encourages applica- tions from women. Having signed the DORA declaration, the University of Fribourg emphasizes qual- itative assessment of academic achievement.

Candidates should send their complete application in a single PDF file that includes

• a cover letter describing their motivation and qualifications for the position;

• a CV including lists of their publications, presentations, teaching experience, research projects/grants, and contribution to academic service (administrative duties);

• teaching evaluations;

• a one-page statement of current and future research interests (research statement);

• a one-page statement with the candidate’s teaching philosophy (teaching statement);

• the names of three professional references;

• three academic papers recently published, forthcoming, or under revision

to Ms. Jolanda Wehrli (jolanda.wehrli@unifr.ch), secretary at the DCM, until September 22, 2024.