[Commlist] PhD student position in digital journalism at the Institute of Media and Journalism, Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society

PhD student position in digital journalism at
the Institute of Media and Journalism,
Faculty of Communication, Culture and
Society at USI Università della Svizzera
italiana

Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) is a young and lively 
university, a hub of opportunity
open to the world where students are offered a quality interdisciplinary 
education in which
they can be fully engaged and take center stage, and where our 
researchers can count on
having the space to freely pursue their initiatives. Established in 
1996, USI is in constant
evolution, always taking on new challenges while remaining true to its 
three guiding
principles: quality, openness and responsibility. In the QS World 
University Rankings 2021,
USI was the highest-ranking new entrant, while in 2020, the university 
was globally ranked
second in the THE University Ranking for international outlook.

The Institute of Media and Journalism, which is part of the Faculty of 
Communication,
Culture and Society, is engaged in research activities in the areas of 
journalism studies,
media economics, media history, as well as media culture and society. In 
the field of
journalism studies, IMeG is active in the field of journalism and 
artificial intelligence, the
datafication of journalism, journalism innovation as well as media 
accountability and
transparency. IMeG adopts multiple perspectives, methods, and promotes a 
culture of
cooperation and mutual support. Within the institute, people from 
different disciplines and
backgrounds collaborate to generate new knowledge and impact in society. 
We offer
excellent opportunities for national and international networking.

The Institute of Media and Journalism invites applications for 1 
fully-funded PhD position (4
years). The position will be supervised by Prof. Colin Porlezza, who is 
leading the Chair of
digital journalism within IMeG. The PhD candidate will develop his or 
her dissertation project
preferably within the field of journalism, datafication and artificial 
intelligence.

The Ph.D. Position

The doctoral student will work under the scientific supervision of Prof. 
Colin Porlezza (USI
search). The successful candidate will be offered the possibility to 
work in a dynamic team
and in a multidisciplinary and international scientific environment. The 
PhD candidate is, first
of all, expected to complete a dissertation in three to four years. In 
addition, he or she will
collaborate to the development of the institute research agenda. He or 
she will have the task
of setting up a collection of data for his or her dissertation, while at 
the same time
participating in a variety of tasks related to the research stream in 
which he or she will be
involved. As a PhD candidate, you will also take part in the doctoral 
educational program at
the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society.
With regard to teaching, he or she will work as teaching assistant in 
courses at both the
bachelor and the master level, helping in the preparation of teaching 
materials and tutoring
students.

The PhD candidate is also asked to present papers at scientific 
conferences (which means
that the position involves traveling), to produce publications for high 
ranking scientific
journals, to acquire further academic qualifications, and to contribute 
to academic service
within the institute.

Candidates’ profile

Ideal candidates should satisfy the following requirements:
• A Master (or equivalent title) in journalism, media studies, 
communication sciences, or a
related discipline.
• High personal interest in journalism innovation, datafication, news 
automation and artificial
intelligence. Interest in journalism ethics, accountability, and 
transparency is an advantage.
• Experience in qualitative and/or quantitative methods and data 
analysis, interest in
ethnographic and computational research methods.
• Enthusiasm for working in an interdisciplinary and international setting.
• Excellent skills in oral and written English.
• Good oral and writing skills in one (or more) national Swiss languages 
(German, French,
Italian, Romansh), preferably Italian.
• Good organizational skills, ability to work independently and to plan 
and direct own work.
• Motivation to engage in the elaboration of a PhD dissertation. Ability 
to work in a team and
with colleagues and other members of the Institute, engage in scientific 
dialogue.
• Interest for teaching and tutoring students is also required.
Contract terms

The successful candidate will work as a research and teaching assistant 
at the Institute of
Media and Journalism, and will have the possibility to interact with an 
international network
of collaborators. The PhD position is for four years. In addition to a 
tuition fee-waiver for the
duration of the four‐year scholarship, a fully-funded PhD at USI 
includes an annual salary of
47’040 Swiss Francs (0.75 FTE) upon appointment. PhD scholarships are 
subject to annual
review and successful completion of a progress report.
Workplace is USI Università della Svizzera italiana, located in Lugano, 
Switzerland.
Starting date is ideally February 2021. However, the position will be 
kept open until a
suitable candidate has been found. Shortlisted candidates will be 
invited to an online
interview.

The Application

Please send your application in electronic form as a single pdf file in 
the following order:
Applications should contain: (1) a cover letter, including a description 
of your research
interests and an explanation why you are applying for this position, (2) 
a proposal outlining
your PhD project, including a research question, theoretical approach, 
methodology, and the
potential contribution to the existing state of the art (max. 1000 
words) (3) a complete CV, (4)
copies of certificates and official transcripts of your Master’s degree 
(5) an electronic copy of
a research work (Master thesis or another scientific publication), and 
(6) the names,
affiliations, and email addresses of two academic references.
For further information about the position please contact Prof. Colin 
Porlezza at
(colin.porlezza /at/ usi.ch)

Applications received before December 6th, 2020, will be given priority.
USI strives to be an equal opportunity and family friendly employer and 
is further responsive
to the needs of dual career couples. We guarantee that the selection 
process will give equal
opportunities to female and male researchers.
Lugano, November 6th 2020

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