Postdoctoral Researcher in News Use and Political Information

We are seeking a full-time post-doctoral researcher to lead and conduct research in an ERC-funded research project related to social inequalities in news use (starting in as soon as possible). The project is hosted by the research center SMIT (Studies in Media Innovation and Technology) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in Brussels, Belgium. The project is led by dr. Antonis Kalogeropoulos.

• You will conduct research and help supervise the ERC-funded project “INEQNEWS – Social Inequalities in Digital News Consumption”. This is a four-year research project aims to understand and alleviate inequalities in digital news consumption with a primary focus on gender, age and social class.
• You will be part of an interdisciplinary team of researchers. The team consists of experienced senior researchers and PhD students.

Research tasks include:

• Design research and analyse data from a cross-country survey and passive-tracking study with citizens in the Global North and the Global South about their preferences regarding news consumption.
• Design and analyse a field experiment with the goal of incentivizing digital news consumption.
• Publish research stemming from the project in leading communication and/or political science journals.

Requirements:

• PhD degree in journalism studies, political communication, in broader communication science or a relevant domain (g. political science, sociology, internet studies).
• Strong interest in news consumption or the diffusion of political information.
• Strong background in quantitative research methods and an ambition to continue to develop these skills.
• Excellent communication skills and proficiency in English (oral and writen).
• Ability to work proactively and independently.

Additionally, we would like it if you have:

• Computational social science skills.
• Experience with supervising junior colleagues or doctoral students.

About imec-SMIT, VUB

SMIT (Studies on Media, Innovation and Technology) is a research center of the Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. SMIT is also a core research group of imec, Europe’s leading research institute on nano-technology and digital innovation. SMIT specializes in economic, user and policy research on digital innovation in such domains as media, health, robotics, green and resilient cities, telecommunications and mobility. With over 150 colleagues from many nationalities and educational backgrounds, and an annual turnover of around 7 million EUR realized through more than 60 Flemish and European projects, SMIT is among the top European centres for social science research into digital innovation. It is a trusted partner of top companies and governmental agencies nationally and internationally, known for striving to both scientific excellence and to making a real difference on the ground. Via its knowledge centres on Media Literacy and on Data & Society, SMIT also translates its research findings into actionable guidelines and tools for citizens, governments and companies.