We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher on themes related to journalism with an affinity for quantitative methods. Are you interested in topics, such as media trust, pluralism, media effects and/or political satire? And would you like to further develop yourself as an expert on these topics? Then we have an interesting position for you!
Postdoc Opportunity: Tackle Global Media Challenges with Impact-Driven Research
We are seeking a postdoctoral scholar that would enjoy collaborating on a variety of research projects across a diversity of related topics: (a) a 30-country experiment that develops news survey-based measurements for media trust and tests the effectiveness of journalistic repair strategies, (b) a survey research among Dutch journalistic professionals and their personal experiences of media plurality at the individual level, (c) a large experiment on the effects of political satire on political engagement, (d) the World Values Survey – Wave 7, and (e to z) much more to come!
The postdoc that we seek comes with strong quantitative skills, a proven ability to publish in international peer-reviewed journals, and a passion for making research count beyond academia: Aiming to contribute to academic debates but also to generate societal impact.
The position is part of the Amsterdam School of Communication Research and works closely together with dr. Mark Boukes. The position offers an exciting opportunity to develop a rich international network, build a strong CV, and to shape both scholarly and public understanding of the investigated topics.
What are you going to do
For several of the projects mentioned above, the data collection has already been completed, other projects are about to start. Therefore, this position allows you to hands-on dive into a diversity of tasks:
- Theorizing about the research questions for the respective projects. A solid understanding and knowledge of the literature on these topics from the field of Communication Science (e.g., journalism studies, political communication, etc.) is therefore required. Ideally, this supports the pre-registration of various research projects.
- Conducting the statistical analysis. You will work with multi-country data, a large-scale experiment with conditions nested in topics and genres, a database of journalists from specific outlets: Thus, it is necessary to have a strong statistical skillset and, in particular, the ability to conduct multilevel (fixed/random) effects models. No specific experience is yet needed with these models; but at least the applicant is asked to reflect on their capacity to quickly develop an understanding and acquire the necessary skills to conduct such analyses.
- Coordinating and Development of the World Values Survey. The postdoc will be centrally involved in the development of the seventh World Values Survey (Netherlands) and the coordination with related projects (e.g., the European Values Study). This will involve project management, development of survey items, and questionnaire design.
- Impact activities. The hired candidate will be asked to engage in impact activities that make the research outcomes valuable beyond academia. Concretely, the position involves engagement with the writing of a report for the Commissariaat voor de Media (CvdM, at the request of the Dutch ministry) about the personal experiences of Dutch journalists with the topic of media pluralism (see CvdM’s Monitor Pluriformiteit). If the candidate is not fluent in Dutch, the person can still support the PI in the analytical steps of this process and highlighting the most relevant insights. Moreover, the candidate will be asked to engage in interactions with public stakeholders and to develop an online platform that communicates academic insights to a broader public.
What do you have to offer
You:
- are a team player and enjoy working in an internationally collaborative projects;
- have a strong understanding of and ability to apply advanced statistical analyses, such as multi-level models (fixed/random effects) and structural equation modelling;
- have a proven ability to effectively communicate research insights to the academic audience via publications in peer-reviewed, English-language scientific journals;
- are excited about translating academic insights to a broader set of stakeholders, including policymakers, journalistic professionals as well as the larger public;
- are willing to move to Amsterdam or a location within daily commuting distance for the duration of the contract.
Your experience and profile:
- PhD degree in communication science, journalism studies, political science, sociology or related social science field — or expect to obtain this degree soon (February 2026);
- Quantitative empirical research focus and a strong affinity with a diversity of statistical analysis techniques;
- Clear affinity with research around the theme of journalism;
- Excellent written and spoken command of English (working knowledge of Dutch language is an advantage but not a requirement);
- Interest in translating research questions and scientific conclusions beyond the academic context;
- Ability to independently work in a team project and strong project management skills.
What else do we offer you
We offer a temporary contract for a term of 28 months (1.0 FTE, 38 hours a week) or 35 months (0.8 FTE, 30.4 hours per week) in keeping with salary scale 11. The intended start date for this position is between 1-September-2025 and 1-February-2026. The initial term of employment is for one year. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term can be extended by a maximum of 16 months (1.0FTE) or 23 months (0.8 FTE).
- The opportunity to participate in high-impact research projects;
- Strong possibilities to further develop oneself as a scholar and as an academic, including the opportunity to take Dutch language courses;
- Joining a large international network of colleagues;
- A vibrant postdoc community, that is open to new colleagues;
- Working with stakeholders outside of academia;
- A position in which initiative and input are highly valued;
- Various possibilities to receive research support and feedback: from digital methods to advanced statistics.
