The Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans Bredow Institute (HBI) has two vacancies to be filled as of January 1, 2025: Research Assistant (Doctoral Researcher) (f/m/d) in the area of Journalism Research, limited until December 31, 2028 | full time | pay group 13 TV-L | Hamburg .

The Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow Institute in Hamburg is an internationally renowned organization dedicated to researching media change and the structural shifts in public communication. The institute operates at a high scientific level, integrating cross media, interdisciplinary, and independent approaches to  create knowledge relevant to politics, business, and civil society. The Institute is recognized for its unique combination of social science, communication science, and legal regulatory research, with a growing emphasis on computer science.

Two positions are currently available as part of the DFG and FWF-funded Research Unit 5656, titled “Communicative Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Automation of Societal Communication”. These positions are within project P5, “Journalism: Automating the news and journalistic autonomy” (Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Wiebke Loosen).

The Research Unit investigates how societal communication changes with communicative AI. The focus of the first funding period (2025 – 2028) is on the emergence and constructions of communicative AI. Research will focus on the pioneer communities of communicative AI, their interfaces, the legal handling of AI, and its governance by corporations, as well as the appropriation of communicative AI in journalism, public (online) discourse, personal life, health, and in learning and teaching. Our research uses highly innovative methods from the social sciences and HCI, including digital and computer-aided methods.

For more information on the Research Unit and various opportunities for doctoral researchers, please visit the website https://www.comai.space.

Job description

Project P5 is based at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans Bredow Institute in Hamburg and is located within research program 1. The project investigates ComAI’s involvement in journalism by analyzing the challenges to journalistic autonomy at the interactional, organizational, and societal levels. The research is guided by the assumption that journalism is particularly concerned with relationships between humans and machines within societal communication—a relation that is also relevant to self-reflection and the appropriation of ComAI in the journalistic field.

The project applies a mixed-methods design, consisting of ethnographies in three different types of media organizations in Germany, Austria, and the UK, as well as interviews, group discussions, content analyses, and ethnographies at events.

Tasks

Both research assistants (f/m/d) will be responsible for tasks related to data collection and analysis. Responsibilities include:

• Collection and analysis of primarily qualitative data, but also quantitative data, within the scope of ethnographies, interviews, group discussions, and content analyses.
• Data management and documentation, including participation in the development of the Research Unit’s “ComAI Research Space.”
• Collaboration on project-related publications, events, and networking activities.
• Support with project organization.
• Supervision of student assistants in the research project.
• Participation in colloquia and events at the HBI.

Both positions offer the possibility of a doctorate, expected to be completed in the thematic field of the project by 2028.

What should you bring with you?

• Very good master’s degree or equivalent in the social sciences or related disciplines.
• Solid knowledge in media and communication studies, as well as in journalism research.
• Experience with or good knowledge of qualitative and quantitative methods in media and communication studies, particularly interviewing.
• Excellent knowledge of German and very good knowledge of English, both written and spoken.
• Strong communication skills and a willingness to collaborate within the project team and the Research Unit.
• A genuine interest in and enjoyment of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Also welcome are:

• Awareness of the current development of communicative AI.
• Understanding of technology-related developments in journalism, both in Germany and internationally.
• Experience with conducting ethnographies.
• Familiarity with tools for qualitative data analysis.
• Experience in conducting empirical interview studies and content analyses.
• Interest in methods of computational social sciences.

What do we offer you?

• An excellent opportunity to further develop your own research profile and pursue your own initiatives within a highly respected Leibniz Institute.
• The chance to become part of an interdisciplinary research group.
• An attractive and family-friendly working environment with flexible working hours, an informal culture, and flat hierarchies.
• The option to work remotely in coordination with the team.
• A highly motivated team that works closely together, along with committed colleagues from various disciplines.
• Employment, remuneration, and social benefits based on the collective agreement of the public service in the EG 13 TV-L, or according to your qualifications and previous experience.

Contact

If you have any questions about the research, please contact Prof. Dr. Wiebke Loosen (w.loosen@leibniz-hbi.de). Please address process-related questions to our HR department (personal@leibniz-hbi.de).

Your application

Have we sparked your interest? Then please send us your application in German or English with the usual documents (CV, MA thesis, any other publications, certificates) by 27.09.2024, quoting the reference number „KW24-04“, by e-mail to: bewerbung@leibniz-hbi.de. Please enclose the application documents as separate PDF documents as attachments.

Your qualifications and strengths count for us. We therefore welcome applications from people regardless of cultural and social background, gender or sexual identity, nationality, age, religion, ideology, or disability. The professional equality of women and men in accordance with the Federal Equal Opportunities Act is important to us. Severely disabled persons will be given special consideration if they are equally qualified in accordance with SGB IX (please enclose appropriate proof).

Please note that your application documents will be processed and stored as part of the recruitment process. The data will be deleted after the application process has been completed.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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