[Commlist] Job Vacancy at Aarhus University (Postdoc, 2 years)

Postdoc (2 years) in Journalism Studies with a focus on Civic Engagement

The Department of Media and Journalism Studies within the School of 
Communication and Culture at Aarhus University invites applications for 
a postdoctoral position with a focus on journalism studies and civic 
engagement. The postdoc position is central to the research project 
‘Journalism for Civic Communication in Urban Spaces’, funded by the 
Aarhus University Research Foundation (AUFF), and will be led by 
Christoph Raetzsch, Associate Professor of Journalism Studies and 
Digital Methods. For further information about the position, please 
contact the project leader Christoph Raetzsch ((craetzsch /at/ cc.au.dk)).

This is a full-time, fixed-term postdoc position lasting two years and 
starting on 1 September 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter.

See the call at AU website: 
https://www.au.dk/om/stillinger/job/postdoc-in-journalism-studies-with-a-focus-on-civic-engagement/ 
<https://www.au.dk/om/stillinger/job/postdoc-in-journalism-studies-with-a-focus-on-civic-engagement/>

The School of Communication and Culture is committed to diversity and 
encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their 
personal background.

Project
The two-year project addresses a gap between journalism studies and 
smart city research, taking the datafication of urban spaces as an 
opportunity for journalism to go beyond the “informed citizen” model of 
its audience. The aim of the project is first to map and evaluate in an 
internationally comparative perspective how journalists, citizens, 
cities, data providers and civic tech NGOs currently work together on a 
local level in three different national and urban contexts. The analysis 
will identify links to existing urban innovation approaches such as 
living labs or co-creation methodologies, to identify and develop 
professional journalistic practices and collaboration models in Denmark, 
the Netherlands and Germany. To this end, the project team will 
collaborate closely with local partners in academia and media start-ups, 
as well as traditional news media and civic tech NGOs. The project team 
will also collaborate closely with a number of research centres at 
Aarhus University, including DITCOM (Centre for Digital Transformation 
in Cities and Communities), DATALAB (Centre for Digital Social 
Research,) and Netlab. The working language of the project team is 
English. For additional details, please see the project announcement.


Postdoc profile
We are looking for applicants who are interested in participating in and 
developing an emerging and interdisciplinary field of research and 
practice at an international level. Applicants should have a good 
command of current debates in the designated research fields, or make a 
convincing argument on how to identify and develop synergies between 
them. Applicants should also be able to identify and develop 
collaborations between different stakeholders such as journalists, 
activists, city representatives and citizens. We thus expect a high 
ambition to embed research activities in existing innovation efforts at 
the local level. Since the team will consist initially of only the PI 
and the postdoc, good communication skills, a reliable work ethic and an 
international orientation are important. Ideally, applicants should have 
a good command of English at an academic level, and strong written and 
oral language skills in Danish, Dutch and/or German.


The successful applicant will be expected to

     identify relevant actors and projects in Europe in the domains of 
data-driven civic innovation, data journalism and urban platforms
     gather and evaluate existing innovation methodologies (e.g. living 
labs, fab labs, co-creation toolkits)
     develop collaborations with civic tech start-ups and journalism 
and media organisations, including the organisation of up to two 
workshops during the project
     document the research process in scholarly and other public 
communication formats
     be involved with planning, managing and implementing the timely 
delivery of work package results
     contribute to a collaborative grant application with international 
partners

Qualifications
Applicants must have a PhD degree or must document equivalent 
qualifications in the field of journalism studies, political science or 
urban studies with an emphasis on digital journalism studies, 
deliberative democracy, the civic tech sector or NGOs, data-driven urban 
innovation, data journalism or related areas. Applicants must be able to 
document:

     an internationally oriented research profile within digital 
journalism studies, political science and/or urban studies with a focus 
on cross-sector collaborations and their challenges, data-driven 
innovation and/or user-centred research approaches and methodologies
     a convincing research proposal for the advertised position, 
including an explanation of how the project supports the applicant’s 
career ambitions
     an outstanding and innovative doctoral dissertation in an area 
related to and relevant for the project
     experience in the self-directed management of research projects, 
including outreach and science communication through scholarly and 
social media outlets
     excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a view to 
engaging productively both with the research team and with external 
organisations and institutions

Furthermore, it will be considered an advantage if applicants can document:

     a track record of research publications of a high international 
standard, commensurate with the length of their academic career
     experience in user-centred design and development processes for 
digital applications, data journalism platforms, urban innovation or 
affiliated fields
     experience of participation in national and international research 
networks
     time spent abroad working at one or more internationally 
recognised research institutions
     experience of working with media professionals in journalism, 
media organisations, (hyper-)local media, civic tech start-ups or NGOs. 
It will be considered an advantage if applicants can demonstrate an 
existing network in the above-mentioned countries or propose a 
convincing strategy of how to establish one in this emerging field of 
research and practice
     strong written and oral language skills in Danish, Dutch and/or German

Finally, applicants are asked to provide a proposal for research to be 
undertaken within the stated framework of the research project (max. 
three pages).
Please note that applications that do not submit publications (maximum 
five) will not be considered.

Work environment
Active participation in the daily life of the department is a high 
priority, and we emphasise the importance of good working relationships, 
both among colleagues and with our students. In order to maintain and 
develop the department’s excellent teaching and research environment, 
the successful applicant is expected to be present at the department on 
a daily basis.
We respect the balance between work and private life and strive to 
create a work environment in which that balance can be maintained. See 
Family and work-life balance for further information.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme 
targeted at career development for postdocs at AU.
International applicants
International applicants are encouraged to see Attractive working 
conditions for further information about the benefits of working at 
Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays 
and, if relevant, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a 
wide variety of services for international researchers and accompanying 
families, including a relocation service and career counselling for 
expat partners. For information about taxation, see Taxation aspects of 
international researchers’ employment by AU.

The Department of Media and Journalism Studies at AU
Grounded in its historical blending of research traditions within the 
humanities and social sciences, the department carries out research and 
teaching which examines media and journalistic institutions, 
productions, texts, use/reception and the roles of media and journalism 
in culture and society in current and historical perspectives. The 
Department of Media and Journalism Studies at Aarhus University is one 
of nine departments that make up the School of Communication and Culture 
at the Faculty of Arts. The research environment is characterised by 
extensive participation in cross-institutional national and 
international research projects, well-established national and 
international research networks, and international conferences. In the 
QS World University Ranking system, communication and media studies at 
Aarhus University has consistently ranked in the top 50 since 2012 and 
is currently ranked 42 in the world. The researchers at the department 
are engaged in the following AU-based research programmes and research 
centres:

Centre for University Studies in Journalism
DATALAB - Centre for Digital Social Research
Centre for Internet Studies
Centre for Media Industries and Production Studies
Centre for Transnational Media Research
Centre for Sound Studies
Center for Kulturevaluering (CKE)
Centre for Humanistic Computing
DIGHUMLAB
Cultural Transformations
Media, Communication and Society

Prospective applicants are invited to view the department’s website.
The place of employment is the Department of Media and Journalism 
Studies, Helsingforsgade 14, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark.
School of Communication and Culture
The school is a part of the Faculty of Arts. You will find information 
about the school and its research programmes, departments and diverse 
activities on its website.
Contact
For further information about the position, please contact the project 
leader Christoph Raetzsch ((craetzsch /at/ cc.au.dk)).

If you need help uploading your application or if you have questions 
about the recruitment process, please contact Arts HR supporter Helle 
Sindal mail: (hsi /at/ au.dk)
Qualification requirements
Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.
Formalities
Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of 
Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).

     Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour 
agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish 
Confederation of Professional Associations.
     Further information on qualification requirements and job content 
may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at 
Danish Universities .
     Further information on the application and supplementary materials 
may be found in Application Guidelines.
     The application must outline the applicant's motivation for 
applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a complete list 
of published works, copies of degree certificates and examples of 
academic production (mandatory, but no more than five examples). Please 
upload this material electronically along with your application.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme 
targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more 
about it here: https://talent.au.dk/junior-researcher-development-programme/

If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. 
Application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central 
European Time) on the deadline day.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their 
personal bagground.

Shortlists are prepared with the candidates that have been selected for 
a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school 
is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this 
link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: 
shortlisting
Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts is one of five main academic areas at Aarhus University.
The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent 
development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 550 academic staff members, 275 PhD students, 9,500 BA and MA 
students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education 
programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and 
teaching environment.
The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, 
the School of Culture and Society and the Danish School of Education. 
Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis 
for interdisciplinary research and education.
The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in 
international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to 
the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with 
society.

Read more at arts.au.dk/en

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment 
system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus 
University's website.


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