PRR Project

Summary

The rapid technological changes and the exponential growth of social media have reshaped the mediascape, consequently altering societal structures. Within this evolving landscape, journalism has confronted a dramatic crisis attributed to various weaknesses within the news sector: the collapse of traditional economic models, ownership concentration, diminishing pluralism, the escalating influence of news sources and the proliferation of disinformation strategies. Despite these challenges, the distressing consequences of these transformations have underscored the enduring importance of journalism for thriving democracies. In response to these dynamics, the Communication and Society Research Centre is determined to intensify its focus on journalism and news production. The prospective employee for this position aligns with this imperative and is particularly expected to reinforce the group of researchers dedicated to journalism studies. Despite the current collaboration of term-contract researchers, this group has been particularly affected by the unpredictability inherent in temporary positions, hindering efforts to consolidate this area and establish a stable and solid working plan. The enthusiasm for new technologies and digital media has diverted attention to other communication practices, relegating journalism to a secondary level of priority. However, given the disturbing effects of misinformation and disinformation processes, improving journalism studies should be a paramount concern for a research centre that is evaluated as excellent. For this reason, the Communication and Society Research Centre believes that hiring a permanent full-time researcher presents a unique opportunity to bolster the team of researchers in this domain. The selected candidate will be asked to spearhead a research project focused on data journalism, fact-checking and quality information. This project aims to collect data, analyse cases, design fact-checking models and formulate theories on the quality of journalism and other informational content while acknowledging the precarious situation of Portuguese journalists and the broader crisis affecting news companies. Additionally, the researcher appointed to this position will also be responsible for contributing to the Barometer on Quality Information, an intervention infrastructure promoted by the Communication and Society Research Centre aimed at monitoring the quality of public information. Considering this overarching framework, the selected candidate will be entrusted with the following tasks: - Plan and develop a scientific project on data journalism, fact-checking and quality information; - Develop regular projects related to the Barometer on Quality Information; - Plan and launch a collection of books covering various aspects of journalism (specialised journalism, data journalism, fact-checking, journalists´ working conditions…) - Organise regular seminars to address the challenges faced by journalism in contemporary society; - Promote workshops and specialised training aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of journalists; - Engaging in teaching activities within post-graduation programmes (master´s and doctoral programmes in Communication Sciences, both lecturing and supervising students); - Fostering the involvement of post-graduate students in research activities and collaborating with young researchers to organise scientific and public initiatives. Given these outlined responsibilities, the ideal candidate should generally meet the following requirements: - PhD in Communication Sciences; - Extensive involvement in research projects pertaining to data journalism (prior experience in journalism being considered favourably); - Demonstrated understanding of contemporary perspectives on data journalism and proficiency in utilising fact-checking monitoring tools and accountability systems; - Teaching experience in higher education institutions; - Recent publications in national and international journals; - Specific knowledge of data analysis; - Strong teamwork skills.