English CV

Hello there,

my name is Dr Jessica Kunert and this my blog. I am a Junior Professor for Innovation in Journalism at the University of Mainz.

Please note that quite a lot of the posts are in German – but don’t fret! – I try my best to translate most of the posts into English.

Just take a look at the „English“ category!

If you want to contact me, please write to jessica.kunert (at) uni-mainz.de.

I am a political scientist – but you might have already gathered that from the name of the website. However, I switched over to the communication scientists a while ago.

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Research interests:

My research focuses on the following issues:

• Digitalisation in journalism through data and algorithms
• Computational Journalism
• Societal impact of digital communication
• Sports communication and sports journalism
• Digital qualitative empirical methods

These are also the main topics of this blog, but of course other topics pop up from time to time.

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More about me:

Work experience

• since 12/2021: Junior Professor for Innovation and Gender Research in Journalism,
  Journalistisches Seminar,
  University of Mainz.
• 12/2018-11/2021: Senior Research Associate at the Chair for Communication Studies, esp. Climate and Science Communication,
  Institute for Journalism and Communication Studies,
  University of Hamburg.
• 01/2016-11/2018: Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Chair for Computational Journalism,
  Department of Communication Studies and Media Research,
  Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich.
• 08/2015-01/2016: Research Associate at the Chair for Political Science, especially Comparative Government,
  Institute for Political Science,
  Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg.
• 2009-2010: Research Assistant (department ‚digital interactive media‘),
  Hans-Bredow-Institute for Media Research, Hamburg.

Academic qualifications

• since 05/2016: Habilitation candidate in communication science,
  Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
  Overaching topic of the cumulative habilitation: The influence of algorithms, automatisation, and other new digital technologies on journalism and its recipients.
• 2012-2015: PhD candidate (Dr. rer. pol.), Leuphana University Lüneburg,
  at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Florian Grotz.
  Class: „magna cum laude“.
• 10/2012-03/2013: Visiting Research Student, London School of Economics and Political Science,
  at the Government Department,
  Supervisor: Prof. Simon Hix.
• 2010-2011: Master of Science „Politics and Government in the European Union“,
  graduated „with distinction“,
  London School of Economics and Political Science.
• 2007-2010: Bachelor of Arts „Political Science“,
  graduated with distinction („sehr gut“),
  University of Hamburg.

Awards

• since 2020: Mentee in the Gertrude J. Robinson-Mentoring-Programme of the DGPuK,
  Mentoring programme for female communication scientists
• 2020: Scholarship for a one-month research stay at Indiana University Bloomington,
  awarded by the Indiana University Bloomington and the University of Hamburg,
  Amount: 1.025 € travel expenses, 600 US-$ living costs, apartment in Bloomington
• 2018: Mentee in the Postdoc mentoring programme,
  Faculty of Social Sciences of LMU Munich,
  Amount: 2.500 €
• 04/2018: Award for excellence in teaching for the project course “Between newspaper article and snapchat story: How political actors communicate (content analysis)” (evaluation mean score of 1.21) at the Department of Communication Studies and Media Research of LMU Munich.
• 01/2018-11/2018: Mentee in in the mentoring programme for postdocs of the Faculty of Social Sciences of LMU Munich; funding of 2,500 € for one’s own scientific development.
• 04/2017: Award for excellence in teaching for the project course “Communication in German professional football” (evaluation mean score of 1.16) at the Department of Communication Studies and Media Research of LMU Munich.
• 08/2012-07/2015: Full funding for the PhD from the Center for the Study of Democracy, Leuphana University Lüneburg.
• 03/2012: Won the „Thesis Competition“ for the best master’s thesis at the General Online Research Conference 2012 in Mannheim.

Invited presentations

• Kunert, J. (June, 2023). The burden and responsibility of investigative journalists [Panel participant]. International Student Week in Ilmenau 2023 (ISWI 2023), TU Ilmenau, Germany.
• Kunert, J. (November, 2022). Automated Journalism: Will Journalists Become Obsolete – Or Thrive? Insights from Research and Practice. XIV International Conference on Online Journalism: Automated Journalism and Algorithms. University of the Basque Country/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Spain.
• Kunert, J. (October, 2022). Investigative journalism: Digital practices and blind spots. Stavanger University, Stavanger, Norway.
• Kunert, J. (June, 2022): Automated Text Generation in Regional Sports Newsrooms in Germany. Workshop Automatic Text Generation: Theory, Methods, Examples. TU Dresden, Germany.
• Kunert, J. (May, 2022): Im Wohnzimmer tauchen gehen – Journalismus von morgen [Going diving in the living room – journalism of tomorrow]. VHS Geesthacht, Germany.
• Kunert, J. (November, 2021). Big Data, Algorithmen, AI: Computerunterstützte Journalismen – wer ersetzt die Journalisten? [Big Data, Algorithms, AI: Computer-assisted journalism – Who replaces journalists?], University of Hamburg, Germany.
• Kunert, J. (October, 2021): Investigative journalism around the world. Stavanger University, Stavanger, Norway.
• Kunert, J. (September, 2021): Automation of journalism [Panel participant]. 6^th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Industry and Finance, Zurich, Switzerland.
• Kunert, J. (May, 2021). More content, more service – but what about quality?: Automated news generation in sports reporting. Stars4Media Exchange Programme: The Future of Innovation In the EU Media Sector – A round table discussion with media experts and managers.
• Kunert, J. (January, 2021): Algorithms in Journalism. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford, Großbritannien.
• Kunert, J. (November, 2020): Big Data, Algorithmen, AI: Computerunterstützte Journalismen – wer ersetzt die Journalisten? Vorlesung „Journalismus und digital vernetzte Gesellschaft“ an der Universität Hamburg.
• Kunert, J. (Dezcember, 2019): Lokaljournalismus: Wie fördere ich die „Visibility“ meiner Schule in Zeiten automatisierter Textproduktion? Conference ‚Führung in der digitalen Welt: Nutzen, Gefahren und politische Dimension der Medien im schulischen Kontext‘ of the Akademie für Politische Bildung Tutzing, Tutzing.
• Kunert, J. (June, 2018). Von viralen Blasen – Wie Medien rechtspopulistische Gegenöffentlichkeit schaffen. Springer Dialog 2018 – Demokratie unter Druck? Rechtspopulismus in Politik und Betrieb, Springe.
• Kunert, J. (June, 2018). Automatisierter Journalismus und die Journalisten. Conference DNIe: Roboterjournalismus, Munich.
• Kunert, J. (April, 2018), Künstliche Intelligenz am Newsdesk – Journalismus im digitalen Wandel. Conference ‚Die digitale Revolution‘ of the Akademie für Politische Bildung Tutzing, Tutzing.

Conferences and presentations

2023

• Lischka, J, Laugwitz, L., Schaetz, N., Meyer, H., Heitz, L., Rana, A., Kunert, J., & Kleinen von Königslöw, K. (May, 2023): When Recommender Systems Select Political News: Effects of Algorithmic News Curation on Party Preferences. ICA Annual Conference, Toronto, Canada.
• Kunert, J. & von Nordheim, G. (May, 2023): „Die Technik ist nur der MacGuffin“: Innovationsprozesse in öffentlich-rechtlichen Medien am Beispiel der Einführung automatisiert geschriebener Spielberichte bei der WDR Sportschau [“The technology is only the MacGuffin”: Innovation processes in public service media. The case of the introduction of automatically-written match reports at WDR Sportschau]. DGPuK Annual Conference, Bremen, Germany.
• Schupp, K. & Kunert, J. (Mai, 2023): Innovationsentwicklung im öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunk [Innovation development in public broadcasting]. DGPuK Annual Conference, Bremen, Germany.
• Sinner, P., Nieland, J.-U., Schallhorn, C., & Kunert, J. (Mai, 2023). Die Auswirkungen der Automatisierung, Regulierung und Überwachung von (Online) Sportwetten als Herausforderung für die Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaft als ein gesamtgesellschaftlich relevantes Anliegen [The impact of automation, regulation and monitoring of (online) sports betting as a challenge for media and communication studies as a concern relevant to society as a whole] [Panel]. DGPuK Annual Conference, Bremen, Germany.

 2022

• Kunert, J., Duncan, S., & Karg, A. (September, 2022). (K)Ein Vergnügen? – Wenn ein Algorithmus den Spielbericht schreibt [(No) pleasure? – When an algorithm writes the match report]. 5. Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Mediensport und Sportkommunikation [5^th Annual Conference of the DGPuK Media Sports and Sports Communication Group], Mainz, Germany.
• Frech, J. & Kunert, J. (June, 2022): Innovation in journalism education through learning by doing: 360° video between research and practice. ECREA Journalism Studies Section Conference, Utrecht, Netherlands.
• Kunert, J., Brüggemann, M., Frech, J., Lilienthal, V., & Loosen, W. (May, 2022). What investigative journalism will not cover: Blind spots in investigative reporting. ICA Annual Conference, Paris, France.

2021

• Duncan, Sam, Kunert, J., & Karg, A. (December, 2021): Automated sports reporting: Measuring enjoyment. SMAANZ 2021, Conference of the Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand, Canberra, Australia.
• Kunert, J. (November, 2021): More than pink it and shrink it: Programmatic issues in female ways of doing fandom. ECREA TWG Virtual Seminar “Media, Sport and Diversity”, Aarhus, Denmark.
• Kalch, A. & Kunert, J. (November, 2021): Der Einfluss sozialer Normen auf die Impfbereitschaft gegen COVID-19 [The influence of social norms on willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19.]. 6. virtuelle Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation [6^th Annual Virtual Conference of the DGPuK Health Communication Specialist Group], Hohenheim, Germany.
• Kunert, J., Brüggemann, M., Frech, J., Lilienthal, V., & Loosen, W. (September, 2021). What investigative journalism will not cover: Blind spots in investigative reporting. Future of Journalism 2021 Conference, Cardiff, UK.
• Kunert, J. & Frech, J. (September, 2021). Innovation in journalistischer Ausbildung durch Learning by Doing: 360°-Video zwischen Forschung und Praxis [Innovation in journalism education through learning by doing: 360° video between research and practice]. Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe Journalistik/Journalismusforschung der DGPuK [Annual Conference of the Journalism/Journalism Research Group of the DGPuK], Munich, Germany.
• Kunert, J. & Kuni, P. (September, 2021). Die Sicht von der Kanzel: Die Rolle von Unterhaltung im Live-Fußballkommentar aus Sicht der TV-Kommentator*innen [The view from the pulpit: The role of entertainment in live football commentary from the perspective of TV commentators]. 4. Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe Mediensport und Sportkommunikation in der DGPuK [4^th Annual Conference of the DGPuK Media Sports and Sports Communication Group], Vienna, Austria.
• Koliska, M., Thurman, N., Stares, S., & Kunert, J. (August, 2021). Exploring audience criteria for perceptions of online news videos. AEJMC Conference, USA.
• Kunert, J., Frech, J., Brüggemann, M., Lilienthal, V., & Loosen, W. (July, 2021). An (im)perfect match: How digital technologies impact the working routines of investigative journalists. Agency in a Datafied Society International Conference, Bremen.
• Kunert, J., Frech, J., Brüggemann, M., Lilienthal, V., & Loosen, W. (May, 2021). An (im)perfect match: How digital technologies impact the working routines of investigative journalists. ICA-Jahrestagung, Denver, USA.
• Kunert, J., Birkner, T., & Keute, A. (May, 2021). From Traditional to Automated News: How did sports coverage change in the past 100 years? ICA-Jahrestagung, Denver, USA.
• Kunert, J., Frech, J., Brüggemann, M., Lilienthal, V., & Loosen, W. (April, 2021). An (im)perfect match: How digital technologies impact the working routines of investigative journalists. Dreiländertagung für Kommunikationswissenschaft – DACH21, Zürich, Schweiz.
• Kunert, J. & Kuni, P. (March, 2021). The Role of Entertainment in Live Soccer TV Commentary: The Commentator’s Perspective. IACS Summit, Clemson, USA.

2020

• Kunert, J. (September, 2020). „Praxislehre Sportjournalismus zu Zeiten von Corona: Herausforderungen und Chancen der digitalen Lehre“ at the 3rd annual conference of the research group „Mediensport und Sportkommunikation in der DGPuK“, Bochum, 23.09.2020.
• Kunert, J., Brüggemann, M., Sprengelmeyer, L. (September, 2020).  „Burger vs. Bulgur: Berichterstattung über Ernährung als transformativer Journalismus“ with Michael Brüggemann and Lousise Sprengelmeyer at the annual conference of the research group „Journalistik/Journalismusforschung in der DGPuK“, Hamburg, 22.09.2020.

2019

• Kunert, J. (September, 2019). “It’s a bumpy road to automated sports reporting: The strategies of data providers, software providers, and media outlets regarding automation in German sports reporting” at the Future of Journalism 2019 Conference in Cardiff, United Kingdom, 13.09.2019.
• Kunert, J. (September, 2019). “Der lange Weg zur Automatisierung im Sportjournalismus: Die Strategien von Datenprovidern, Softwareprovidern, und Redaktionen hinsichtlich der Automatisierung im deutschen Sportjournalismus” at the 3^rd SciCAR Conference in Dortmund, 10.09.2019.
• Thurman, N., Stares, S., & Kunert, J. (September, 2019). “Viewers’ Perceptions of ‘Automated’ News Videos” with Neil Thurman and Sally Stares at the 3^rd SciCAR Conference in Dortmund, 09.09.2019.
• Kunert, J. & Chaplin, D. (September, 2019). „Female Fandom On Tumblr: A Study Of European Football“ with David Chaplin at the 27th European Sport Management Conference in Seville, 06.09.2019.
• Kunert, J. & Thurman, N. (May, 2019).  “Reception Of Automated News: A critical review and recommendations for future research” with Neil Thurman at the Human-Machine Communication ICA Pre-Conference 2019 in Washington, D.C., USA, 24.05.2019.
• Thurman, N., Stares, S., & Kunert J. (February, 2019). „A Qualitative Analysis of Consumers’ Perceptions of Short-Form Online News Videos” with Neil Thurman und Sally Stares at the ECREA Journalism Studies Section Conference in Vienna, 14-.15.02.2019.

2018

• Kunert, J. (October, 2018). “The Phantom Menace or a New Hope?: How German Sports Journalism is Affected by Automation in the Newsroom” at the Sports, Data, and Journalism Conference in Zurich, 25.10.2018.
• Kunert, J. (September, 2018). “#football #this is me #COYG: Wie weibliche Fußballfans auf Tumblr kommunizieren” at the at the 1st annual conference of the research group “Mediensport & Sportkommunikation” of the DGPuK in Salzburg, 26.-28.09.2018.
• Kunert, J. (September, 2018). “Sportvereine unter Druck: Das Zusammenspiel von Sportvereinen und externen Akteuren im Mikrokosmos Kleinstadt“ at the conference Gesellschaftliche Funktionen der Sportvereine und Sportverbände (Sports sociology section of the German Society of Sport Science (dvs)) in Berlin, 12.-14.09.2018.
• Kunert, J. (September, 2018). „The Footy Girls Of Tumblr: How Women Communicate In The Online Football Fandom. Insights From The US, The UK, And Germany“ at the 26th European Sport Management Conference in Malmö, 06.09.2018.
• Kunert, J. & Thurman, N. (May, 2018). A longitudinal study of mainstream, transatlantic news personalization. Algorithms, Automation, and News: Capabilities, Cases, and Consequences Conference, München.
• Thurman, N, Kunert, J., & Dörr, Konstantin (May, 2018). Journalists on their robot pretenders. Algorithms, Automation, and News: Capabilities, Cases, and Consequences Conference, München.

2017

• Kunert, J. (September, 2017). “Die DNA der deutschen Fußball-Talks. Themenauswahl, Themendarstellung, Aufmachung, und Gästeauswahl von Sportschau Club, Volkswagen Doppelpass, und Sky90“ at the 3rd annual conference of the ad hoc group „Mediensport & Sportkommunikation“ of the DGPuK in Hamburg, 25-26.09.2017.
• Kunert, J. & Thurman, N. (September, 2017). “Perceptions of Automated News: A Meta-Analysis” with Neil Thurman at the Future of Journalism 2017 Conference in Cardiff, United Kingdom, 14.09.-15.09.2017.
• Curini, L., Hanitzsch, T., Kunert, J., Splendore, S., & Vos, T. (June, 2016). „An ideological gap? Citizens and journalists in four countries“ with Luigi Curini, Thomas Hanitzsch, Sergio Splendore, and Tim P. Vos at the 7th annual conference of the European Political Science Association in Milan, Italy, 22.06.2017.
• Thurman, N., Dörr, K., Kunert, J. (May, 2017). “The form of content personalisation at mainstream, transatlantic news outlets: 2010–2016” with Neil Thurman at the 67^th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association in San Diego, USA, 25.05.-29.05.2017.
• Thurman, N., Dörr, K., Kunert, J. (May, 2017). “When reporters get hands-on with robo-writing: Professionals consider automated journalism’s capabilities and consequences” with Neil Thurman and Konstantin Dörr at the 67^th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association in San Diego, USA, 25.05.-29.05.2017.
• Kunert, J. & Thurman, N. (May, 2017). “The How and Why of Personalised News Distribution: An International, Longitudinal, Mixed-Methods Study of Online Outlets (2010-2016)” at the ICA preconference “Distribution Matters: Media Circulation in Civic Life & Popular Culture” in San Diego, 25.05.2017.
• Kunert, J. & Thurman, N. (March, 2017). “Der Trendsetter ist männlich, Großstädter, und Mainstream-Journalist. Wie Algorithmen Nachrichten aus Twitter auswählen” at the annual DGPuK conference in Düsseldorf, 31.03.2017.
• Kunert, J. & Thurman, N. (March, 2017).  “Male, metropolitan, and mainstream: Bias in algorithmic news sourcing from Twitter” at the ECREA Journalism Studies Section Conference in Odense, 23.03.2017.

2016

• Kunert, J. & Thurman, N. (September, 2016). “Involved or apathetic? Journalists’ relationship with the political sphere” at the Second Annual International Journal of Press/Politics Conference in Oxford, 30.09.2016.

2015

• Kunert, J. (March, 2015). “Parliamentarians on the Web – what do their websites tell us about them? Members of the European Parliament and national parliamentarians in comparison” at the General Online Research Conference in Cologne, 20.03.2015.

2013

• Kunert, J. (October, 2013). “MEPs on the Web – different from national MPs or just the same? Socialisation and the new digital media in the European Parliament“ at the Political Science and Political Economy Research Group Doctoral Seminar of the Government Department of the London School of Economics and Political Science in London, 28.10.2013.
• Kunert, J. (June, 2013). „MEPs on the Web. The European Parliament, its communications function, and the new digital media“ at the Tuesday Seminar of the Centre for the Study of Democracy of Leuphana University Lüneburg in Lüneburg, 25.06.2013.
• Kunert, J. (May, 2013). “MEPs on the Web – The European Parliament, its communication function and the new digital media” at the 13^th European Union Studies Association Biennial Conference 2013 in Baltimore, 09.05.2013.

2012

• Kunert, J. (May, 2012). „E-Participation in the European Multi-Level System. Supply and Use of New Digital Media in the European Parliament.“ at the Tuesday Seminar of the Centre for the Study of Democracy of Leuphana University Lüneburg in Lüneburg, 29.05.2012.
• Kunert, J. (March, 2012). “Building a digital electoral connection: MEPs‘ websites and Facebook profiles. How do MEPs present themselves online?” at the General Online Research Conference 2012 in Mannheim, 06.03.2012.

2010

• Kunert, J. & Schmidt, J. (May, 2010). “Hub, Fine-Tuner or Business as Usual? Social Network Sites in the 2009 Federal Election” at the General Online Research Conference 2010 in Pforzheim, 28.05.2010.

Conference organisation

• 2022: Three-day 5^th Annual Conference of the DGPuK-Fachgruppe Mediensport und Sportkommunikation [German Communication Association Media Sports and Sports Communication Group],
• 2022: One-day 3^rd junior scholar workshop of the DGPuK-Fachgruppe Mediensport und Sportkommunikation [German Communication Association Media Sports and Sports Communication Group],
  hosted at University of Mainz
• 2020: Work-in-Progress-Panel of the annual conference of the research group „Journalistik/Journalismusforschung in der DGPuK“ on 22nd September 2020.
• 2018: Organiser of the two-day international conference “Algorithms, Automation, and News: Capabilities, Cases, and Consequences“ on 22. to 23. May 2018 at LMU Munich.
• 2014: Organiser of the two-day international student and doctoral workshop of the „Nachwuchsnetzwerk Politische Kommunikation“ (NapoKo) (biggest network for young scholars of political science and communication science in Germany, Austria and Switzerland) at Leuphana University Lüneburg, from 12. to 14.06.2014.

Other platforms

A full CV is available on request.

Last updated: 28.02.2023