Postdoctoral Fellow For The Project Journalism’s Green Transition

At the Centre for Journalism, Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark, we are seeking a postdoctoral researcher for the project Journalism's Green Transition, with employment starting from May 1, 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter. The place of employment is in Odense.

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher for a period of 24 months for the project Journalism’s Green Transition funded by the VELUX Foundation's HUMpraxis program. The project aims to develop, implement, and test the effects of constructive climate journalism in close collaboration with the news media outlets Fyens Stiftstidende and TV 2 Fyn. This close collaboration offers a unique opportunity to explore how journalists can develop new approaches to climate journalism and what it means for the audience's interest in following climate news and their sense of agency in addressing the challenges of climate change. The project will, thus, contribute to advancing a research agenda that is still underdeveloped.

Expectations and key responsibilities

We are therefore looking for a candidate who ideally has experience in research in journalism or communication more broadly and who can work with both qualitative and quantitative methods.

The candidate is expected to contribute to achieving the two strategic goals of the Centre for Journalism: 1) To produce original research of high international quality, and 2) To exchange knowledge with relevant societal actors, including news media, the public, and policymakers. See more about the strategy here.

The project is led by Professor WSR Morten Skovsgaard from the Centre for Journalism and journalist and developer Gerd Maria May.

The Postdoctoral fellow is expected to:

• Work both independently and in a team, for example in data collection, writing scientific articles, and knowledge dissemination.
• Contribute both academically and socially to the research environment at the Centre for Journalism.
• Have an interest in collaborating closely with journalists and news media on the development of journalism based on research knowledge.
• Be able to communicate project results both in writing and orally in Danish and English in academic contexts and to the broader public.
• Present research results at international conferences.
• Speak and write Danish, as clear and effortless communication with journalists and editors is necessary.

The Centre for Journalism is a part of the Department of Political Science and Public Management. The department believes in fostering a stimulating and inspiring environment for both faculty members and students. The department's ambition is therefore to recruit, develop, and retain talented scholars committed to both academic excellence and departmental development. Furthermore, the department wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

For further information about the project and the position, please contact the Principal Investigator, Morten Skovsgaard, skh@sam.sdu.dk. For further information about the Centre for Journalism and the Department of Political Science, please contact the head of the Centre for Journalism, Peter Bro, ppe@journalism.sdu.dk.

Application, salary, and employment

Appointment to the position requires a PhD or equivalent and will be in accordance with the salary agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.

Applicants for the position must be fluent in both Danish and English.

The position is full-time and initially for 24 months. For the right candidate, there may be the possibility of extending the employment period and including teaching at the Center for Journalism/Department of Political Science and Public Management. 

An application must include:

• A cover letter displaying qualifications and motivation.
• A detailed CV.
• Certificates/Diplomas (MA and PhD degree).
  • It is advantageous to have a PhD degree in media studies, journalism, or political science.
• A 1-page outline of how a first empirical study of the impact constructive climate journalism has on the audience members’ motivation for following news about climate change (with research questions, design/ methods, and analysis plan).
• A complete list of publications, which indicates which publications are most relevant for the position.
• Up to 3 of the most relevant publications. Please upload a pdf for each publication. NOTE: If publications have been co-authored, co-author statements must be a part of this pdf and must include information like in this example. The statement is just for your inspiration.

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English.

Applications that are incomplete may be rejected without any substantive evaluation.

Assessment of applications will be done under the existing Appointment Order for universities. Applications will be assessed by an academic assessment committee that determines whether applicants are qualified to be a Postdoctoral fellow according to the Scholarly Qualification Matrix. The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material. The committee reserves the right to arrive at a decision solely based on the material submitted.

Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process.

After the assessment process, selected candidates will be invited for an interview with an appointment committee.

Applications must be submitted electronically no later than March 10, 2024.

Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out. 

The application and CV must not exceed 10 MB.

Please read the guide for applicants.