Prof. Julia Metag
Department of Communication
Room E 208
Bispinghof 9-14
D-48143 Münster
Tel.: +49 251 83-21244
julia.metag@uni-muenster.de
Consultation hours
Arrangement by email
Department of Communication
Room E 208
Bispinghof 9-14
D-48143 Münster
Tel.: +49 251 83-21244
julia.metag@uni-muenster.de
Arrangement by email
The chair "Forms and processes of public communication" is headed by Prof. Dr. Julia Metag. The groups’ focus is on political communication, science communication and media effects research.
Dr. Julia Metag studied Media studies, American literature and Geography at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena and the Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland from 2003-2009. Research Assistant at the University of Muenster, Department of Communication, from 2009-2013. Dissertation on political communication and direct democracy in 2013. 2013-2016 Senior Research Assistant at the IKMZ – Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich. Lectureship at the University of Luzern and University of Jena. 2016-2019 Professor of Communication Science at the Department of Communication and Media Research (DCM), University of Fribourg, Switzerland. 2016-2018 Secretary of the Environmental Communication Division of the International Communication Association (ICA). 2018-2020 Vice chair of the Political Communication Division of the German Communication Association (DGPuK). Since 2019 Professor for Communication Science at the Department of Communication, University of Muenster.
Are you interested in writing your thesis at the chair of forms and processes of public communication ? The following document will help you to find a topic for your thesis.
Communication of private universities – analysis of the organisation, goals and visibility
Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Urlrike Röttger, Prof. Dr. Julia Metag
Assistance: Till Steiniger, M. A.
Funding: BMBF – Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
The project examines the communication of private universities. By means of surveys, it will be analysed how the communication departments of private universities are organised and how they are anchored in the organisational structure of the universities. In addition, the focus is on which strategic goals private universities pursue with their communication and which role university communication fulfils for the organisation from the point of view of the university management and communication departments. In a second step, content analysis will be used to examine the extent to which the goals are reflected in university communication and in media coverage of private universities. The results will be discussed with the relevant contact persons in both private and state universities in workshops, networking meetings and at conferences. This will promote the exchange between state and non-state higher education institutions with regard to the orientation of higher education communication and discuss the transferability of the results to state higher education institutions. Overall, the project generates scientifically robust knowledge about the field of action of higher education communication and its underlying logic for private higher education institutions.
News reporting on digital media use for the self-management of chronic diseases
As part of the societal context, the public discourse on digital self-management can influence individuals’ self-management of chronic diseases. Media are one of the most important sources for health-related information. To understand how digital media are used to cope with stressors, it is thus of importance to analyze the public discourse on these issues. A systematic study of the news reporting on digital media use in the context of chronic diseases does not exist. Therefore, this project will analyze the news reporting on digital media use for the self-management of chronic diseases, drawing on the framing approach and news value theory. In addition, it aims to understand what role scientific evidence of the benefits and risks of using digital media for the self-management of chronic diseases plays in the coverage.
Research Network Cultures of Compromise
The interdisciplinary research network "Cultures of Compromise" investigates the socio-economic, political-legal and cultural conditions of compromise in different contexts, cultures and eras. Based on an analysis of Western contemporary societies, the preconditions for compromise are explored from both a historical-comparative and a cultural/civilizational-comparative perspective. In a first step, Israel and Japan will be analyzed as comparative cultural cases. The interdisciplinary research network, which combines the subjects of history, political science, law, communication studies, and literary studies, among others, consists of more than 30 scholars from the universities of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), Münster (WWU), and Bochum (RUB). The network is headed by Prof. Dr. Ute Schneider (UDE, History), Prof. Dr. Ulrich Willems (WWU, Political Science) and Prof. Dr. Constantin Goschler (RUB, History). It is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MKW/NRW) with 2.1 million euros. The first funding phase (2021-2024) is to lead to a larger application project.
The Science Barometer Switzerland surveys channels, forms and frequency of Swiss citizens' contact with scientific topics as well as their knowledge and attitudes towards science. By means of a representative survey of the Swiss population conducted in a three-year interval, current, far-reaching changes in science communication and its audience can be mapped and connections between science communication, its use and audience reactions can be revealed. The three survey waves take place in 2016, 2019 and 2022 – as well as three accompanying workshops. The goal is to continue the project permanently after 2022.
Health Communciation with regards to Male Infertility: Pilot study
As part of the initiative Reproduction.MS, scientist of the University, the University Medical Centre and the Max Planck Institut of Münster along with the RWTH Aachen University examine male infertility thoroughly from a reproductive medical point of view. Our research team “Forms and Processes of Public Communication” complements the initiative by adding a communication science perspective aiming to analyze the health communication with regards to male infertility in order to improve patient care and the communication process. By carrying out in-depth interviews, tracking the patient’s informational behavior and conducting a content analysis of online sources concerning male infertility, we want to understand how affected couples seek and receive information throughout the internet and what pitfalls they face by doing so. With our pilot study, we want to lay the groundwork for the requested collaborative research centre „Principles of Reproduction — Unravelling the Molecular Mechanisms of Male Infertility”.
Duration: 02/2022 – 12/2022
Project team: Prof. Dr. Julia Metag, Kira Klinger, Arbeitsstelle Forschungstransfer (AFO)
As a further stage of the predecessor project "Frag Sophie! – Entwicklung einer Comicfigur zur Beantwortung wissenschaftlicher Fragen", the collaborative project " Nachgefragt bei Sophie & Co" signifies the strengthening of the exchange between science and the public. So far, the avatar "Sophie" has primarily enabled citizens to submit questions to scientists in online environments, which were answered in collaboration with scientists, the Innovation Office of the University of Münster and artists. The follow-up project focuses on more direct communication with the public. For example, children and adults can pose questions to "Sophie" in context of creative workshops, mobile exhibitions, or school events, thus stimulating an exchange between science and the public. There will be a lot to be “inquired” again in the sub-project headed by Prof. Julia Metag and Kira Klinger. Based on anonymized data collected from participants, the project will not only investigate whether and how "Nachgefragt bei Sophie & Co" is received by different target groups, but also how participants differ regarding their information behavior and their attitudes toward science and research.
Global Warming’s Five Germanys
Duration: Since January 2021
Project team: Prof. Dr. Julia Metag (WWU), Kira Klinger (WWU), Mike Schäfer (University Zürich)
Funding: Equity resources
Climate change is one of the major challenges facing humanity and a topic of controversial public debate – which makes research into attitudes toward climate change within specific segments of the population even more crucial. The research project aims to identify segments within the German population based on their attitudes towards climate change as well as segment-specific patterns of media and information use, and to discuss findings in an international context.
Duration: 2020 – 2022
Project team: Prof. Dr. Julia Metag, Florian Wintterlin, Kira Klinger, Lukas Lindenschmidt
Funding: Equity resources
Social media have become a central arena for political communication over the past two decades. Platforms such as Twitter or Facebook offer a quick and targeted channel to disseminate content of one's political agenda, to mobilize and interact with potential voters. The aim of the project is to systematically review the current state of research on the use of social media by politicians in an international context.
Analyzing the emergence and consequences of topic disenchantment: a longitudinal multi-method study
The project examines the causes, temporal development and consequences of issue fatigue. Issue fatigue occurs once a topic is portrayed continuously and intensively in the media. Even people who were initially interested in the topic can become weary of it over time. One consequence of issue fatigue may be the avoidance of the media coverage on that specific issue. This project examines issue fatigue among Swiss citizens based on two issues, one of which is expected to be Brexit in 2019. Three objectives are pursued: First, we investigate the extent to which issue fatigue can be detected among the Swiss population concerning the issues under investigation. Second, we analyze which factors lead to someone becoming issue blind. Third, we examine what effects issue fatigue has on citizens' further information behavior. Finally, we conduct whether there are differences between the various issues.