Research team of "Journalism Studies II"
About the department
The chair of journalism studies, headed by Prof. Bernd Blöbaum, focusses on the emergence and effects of public communication both in its research and in its teaching. The empirical research specifically deals with the areas of journalism, trust and the media as well as science communication and the reception of current media. Within these areas, theoretical and empirical perspectives are conjoined in order to capture and explain media and social changes and their impact on processes of media emergence and media effects. Through theory-based research, the goal is to contribute to the understanding of media changes and their implications for society. Empirically, insights are gained both through qualitative (intensive interviews, group discussions etc.) and quantitative (standardized (online-) surveys, content analyses, observations etc.) research.
(1) Journalism research
This area deals with the social function and performance of journalism both theoretically and empirically. Research focusses on actors, organizations, journalistic programs and products as well as the relationship both between journalism and sources and between journalism and the audience.
(2) Trust and the media
In this area, trust processes and trust actions in the context of media are of central interest and are examined against the background of digital changes. Journalistic and media actors are analyzed both as trustors and trustees. This area deals with the audience’s trust in journalism, with trust in social fields such as politics, sports and the economy through journalism and with trust relationships within journalism.
(3) Science communication
This area deals with public communication about scientific research and with the medialization of science. Besides science-related media content, the interconnected relationship between science, the media and politics is analyzed as well. Science journalists are another important object of research in this area.
(4) Reception of media
Who uses which media and which media content for which purpose? In this area, research is conducted on the use and evaluation of social and traditional media. For example, the audience of the Berlin tageszeitung (taz) has been analyzed systematically in the context of a longitudinal analysis since the mid-1990s in this research area.
Alumni
Dr. Laura Badura
Dr. Sophie Bonk
Dr. Katherine Engelke
Dr. Sarah Fischer
Prof. Dr. Alexander Görke
Valerie Hase, M.A., M.Sc
Johanna Klapproth, M.A.
Dr. Hannah Lorenz
Dr. Anne Mollen
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Daniel Nölleke
Chiara Oldach
Dr. Marco Rustemeyer, M.A.
Dr. Andreas Scheu
Dr. Carla Schieb
Malte G. Schmidt, M.A.
Dr. Bernadette Uth
Alina Voigt
Dr. Stephan Völlmicke
Anna-Maria Volpers, M.A.
Dr. Christian Wiencierz
Dr. Kristina Wied
Dr. Florian WintterlinResearch projects
How does the topic health reach people? (04/2019 - 03/2022)
"How does the topic health reach people?" is dedicated to analyzing and evaluating the potential of communication tools for healthcare, especially preventive healthcare, in rural areas. The focus is on the question of how scientific knowledge and expert knowledge in the field of preventive healthcare can be optimally communicated. The special feature of the research project lies in its regional embedding: Together with practice partners from the Münsterland region (e.g. doctors and health insurance companies), needs and opportunities for regional health communication are identified, analyzed and implemented in pilot projects. Specifically, the possibilities and effectiveness of the use of social and traditional media for strategic and effective communication on healthcare are being researched and tested. The user perspective will also be examined: As part of a panel study, citizens of the Münsterland region will be asked about their satisfaction with regional healthcare and the communication services in the field of healthcare communication.
The project is based on a cooperation with the Department of Oectrophology and Facility Management at Münster University of Applied Sciences. While the IfK project focuses on health communication mediated by mass media, Prof. Stefan Krings is analyzing the potential of interpersonal communication for health prevention.
The research project is one of 13 sub-projects of the "münster.land.leben" research network based at Münster University of Applied Sciences, which focuses on the research areas of healthcare, participation and well-being in rural areas.
DFG Research Training Group "Trust and Communication in a Digitalized World" (04/2012-03/2021)
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Bernd Blöbaum
The Research Training Group, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), investigates how trust can be developed and maintained under the conditions of new forms of media-mediated communication. Digital forms of communication are changing the development and stabilization of trust. At the same time, new forms of relationships between individuals, organizations and the public are emerging. Building on the results of the first funding phase (April 2012 to September 2016), in the second funding phase (since October 2016) the fellows are researching the risks associated with the internet as well as the opportunities for the development of trust. The research group is investigating the consequences of this process for the formation of trust in four prototypical research areas: Media, business, science and sport. The research training group's study program is supported by researchers from the fields of communication science, psychology, sports science, economics and business informatics.
Medialization of organizations (10/2016-09/2019)
Head: Dr. Andreas Scheu
Constant media observation leads to actors from different areas of society adapting to the functional logic of the mass media. In the best case, these adaptations make it easier to achieve their own goals, but in the worst case, medialization leads to a loss of autonomy, a shift in power and a loss of function - with potentially negative consequences for society as a whole. The project compares the medialization of organizations from the social systems of health, politics, law and science. The aim is to identify and explain differences in the intensity and quality of the medialization of organizations. In this way, factors that influence medialization processes can be identified, and opportunities and dangers, functional and dysfunctional aspects of medialization come into view.
The audience of the tageszeitung (taz) (since 1993)
Head: Prof. Dr. Bernd Blöbaum
Since 1993, readers have been regularly surveyed on the use and evaluation of the tageszeitung (taz). The previous analyses from 1993 to 2017 provide a comprehensive picture of the readership and their special relationship to the tageszeitung (taz) project. Studies on the use and evaluation of the online service taz.de have also been carried out since 2010. In 2014, the zeo² audience and members of the taz cooperative were surveyed. In 2017, the recipients of the weekend edition and those who participate in the voluntary payment model for online content (taz.zahl ich) were analyzed intensively.- [an error occurred while processing this directive]
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