Postdoctoral position in media and democracy at the ICSJ

The Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism, Charles University, Czech Republic, invites applications for a postdoctoral position associated with the Horizon 2020/Europe projects EUMEPLAT and MeDeMAP, expected to start on 1 March 2023 (*), or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is full-time for 12 months, renewable for 2 times 12 months (at 75% part-time).

(*) We reserve the right not to fill the position.

Job content

The EUMEPLAT project aims at analyzing the role of media platforms in fostering or dismantling European identity. Drawing on the assumption that European dimension has rarely been dominant in media history and focusing on the “platformization” process and its positive and negative externalities, the main research question is whether or not new platforms are making European culture more European or not (see www.eumeplat.eu).

The MeDeMAP project aims to clarify the extent to which certain media under which conditions perform which democratic functions for which audiences, thus making it apparent what is at stake for democratic media - and for democracy itself, covering both representative and participatory notions of democracy. The project focuses on the media's potential to promote and support political participation (supply side), the media use patterns, communication needs and democratic attitudes of the audiences (demand side) and the supply/demand side interactions in all EU Member States.

The selected applicant will, during the period of one year:

• For EUMEPLAT: (1) coordinate one area related to the future scenario development in relation to platformization and Europeanization (WP5), and provide support to the other areas.
• For MeDeMAP: (1) coordinate and significantly contribute to the development of the MeDeMAP theoretical framework and its translation into analytical models, and (2) contribute to data gathering and analysis for the project’s work packages on the legal frameworks, media systems and audiences.

The ideal candidate is/has:

• An excellent scholar in communication and media studies
• Excellent research skills, as demonstrated by a track record of publishing in high-ranked venues or a demonstrable capacity to develop such a record;
• An excellent command of English (CEFR C1/C2);
• A strong cooperative attitude and willingness to engage in collaborative research;
• A capacity to plan structure and execute tasks autonomously;
• A strongly developed sense for research ethics.
• A willingness to live in Prague

The ability to speak Czech is appreciated but not required.

The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with the project leader, Nico Carpentier, and the other team members.

The EUMEPLAT and MeDeMAP teams are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse workplace.

Qualification requirements

To be considered for the position, applicants must have successfully completed a PhD in communication and media studies or an affiliated academic field.

Application process

• The application must be written in English and include the following elements:
• Application letter/cover letter (max 2 pages)
• Curriculum vitae (with applicant’s e-mail & telephone number, and including a complete and numbered list of publications)
• Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.)
• Research plan and planned work description, including a short description of previous research
• The names and contact details of two referees
• Publications: Applicants may choose a maximum of three publications for assessment. Publication dates must be clearly marked on the publication list (which is part of the CV).

The closing date for applications is 15 November 2022, 17:00 CET. Applications or supplementary material received thereafter will not be considered.

Applications need to be emailed to Nico Carpentier at nico.carpentier@fsv.cuni.cz. In case of large files, please use a file-transfer service.

Further information

For further information about the content-related components of the position, please contact Nico Carpentier (nico.carpentier@fsv.cuni.cz).

For more information about the financial elements of the position, please contact Natálie Švarcová (natalie.svarcova@fsv.cuni.cz).

Download the information in PDF.

By responding to this announcement, you consent to the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, with its registered office at Smetanovo nábřeží 6, Prague 1, Postal Code 110 01, processing your personal data for the purpose of job placement. The processing of personal data is governed by Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and the Council on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46 / EC (General Data Protection Regulation) and Act No. 110 / 2019 Sb. on the processing of personal data.