Postdoctoral Researcher in Digital Media and Speech Grey Zones
The University of Amsterdam is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join the Horizon Europe project ANTIGONE: From Antagonism to Agonism in Digital Ecosystems. The position is based within the Department of Media Studies and contributes primarily to Work Package 2, which develops interdisciplinary approaches to analysing “speech grey zones” in contemporary digital environments.
The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. Marc Tuters and collaborate with an international consortium of academic, civil society, journalism, and technical partners across Europe. ANTIGONE examines how democratic societies can address disinformation and harmful speech without undermining pluralism and legitimate disagreement.
The project combines perspectives from media studies, platform studies, digital methods, democratic theory, and computational research. At the UvA, the focus is on the analysis of speech grey zones, contested online discourse, and platform-native communication, drawing on digital trace methods, qualitative platform analysis, and computational approaches to studying how narratives, communities, and harmful or ambiguous forms of expression circulate across digital environments. Particular attention will be given to the dynamics of narrative drift, digital conflict, and the shifting boundary between harmful online content and legitimate democratic contestation.
This is what you will be doing
- Conduct research within the ANTIGONE project, in collaboration with consortium partners;
- Designing and conducting research under the guidance of the project leader;
- Contribute to research on speech grey zones, disinformation, and platform-native political communication;
- Collect, process, and analyse digital trace data from social media platforms and online environments;
- Contribute to qualitative and computational research methods, including digital trace methods, network analysis, and platform analysis;
- Contribute to the development of conceptual and methodological frameworks related to platform governance, democratic discourse, and online political communication;
- Contribute to the conceptual development of approaches to speech grey zones and democratic contestation online;
- Publish research findings in peer-reviewed international journals and edited volumes;
- Present research results at international conferences, workshops, and consortium meetings;
- Collaborate with consortium partners and contribute to stakeholder engagement activities;
- Assist in organizing workshops, meetings, and dissemination activities related to the project; and
- Contribute to experimental and public-facing forms of research dissemination, including visualizations, workshops, or other creative research outputs where relevant to the project.
This is what we ask of you
- A PhD in a relevant field such as Media Studies, Communication Studies, Internet Studies, Digital Humanities, Sociology, STS, Political Communication, or a related field;
- Demonstrated expertise in digital media research, platform analysis, or online political communication;
- Experience with qualitative and/or computational digital research methods;
- A strong publication record appropriate to career stage;
- Demonstrable experience conducting academic research, both independently and collaboratively;
- Good written and spoken English; and
- Willingness to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and international research environment.
The following would be considered an advantage:
- Interest in interdisciplinary research combining critical theory and empirical digital methods;
- Experience with social media data collection, digital trace methods, or cross-platform analysis;
- Familiarity with debates on disinformation, platform governance, democratic discourse, harmful online content, conspiracy cultures, or online political communication;
- Experience with network analysis, Python, computational methods, or related digital methods tools;
- Experience in working with large digital datasets;
- Experience participating in collaborative or international research projects; and
- Interest in experimental, visual, or participatory approaches to communicating research findings.
This what else we offer you
The employment contract will be for one year at 0.75 FTE (28.5 hours per week). Contingent upon a positive performance evaluation, the contract will be extended for an additional 12 months. The preferred starting date is 1 September 2026.
Depending on relevant experience, the salary will be between € 3.546 and € 5.538, excl. 8% holiday allowance and end of the year bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities is applicable.
The position is embedded within an internationally recognized research environment at the University of Amsterdam, with close links to the Digital Methods Initiative (DMI) and the Open Intelligence Lab (OILab).
You will work in a collaborative and interdisciplinary academic setting with opportunities to engage with leading researchers and practitioners across digital methods, platform studies, media theory, and digital politics. The position offers opportunities to participate in workshops, reading groups, experimental research initiatives, and broader European research networks.
The UvA offers excellent opportunities for professional development and training.
This is where you'll be working
The position is based in the Department of Media Studies in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam and embedded within the New Media team, led by Prof. Richard Rogers, who will serve as the line manager.
The Department of Media Studies and the New Media team are internationally recognized for research in digital media, platform studies, and digital methods.
The successful candidate will join a research environment that combines critical media theory with innovative empirical methods and collaborates extensively with international academic and societal partners.
The ANTIGONE project brings together universities, civil society organizations, journalists, fact-checkers, and technical research institutes from across Europe to rethink democratic communication in digital environments.
Disclaimer: Actual contracting can only take place after the official grant agreement has been signed by the Research Executive Agency (REA), expected by the end of August 2026 at the latest.
Interested in digital media, platform governance, and the changing boundaries of democratic speech online? Join the University of Amsterdam as a postdoctoral researcher in the Horizon Europe project ANTIGONE and contribute to research on disinformation, speech grey zones, and the conditions through which democratic disagreement becomes antagonistic online.
Postdoctoral Researcher in Digital Media and Speech Grey Zones
The University of Amsterdam is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join the Horizon Europe project ANTIGONE: From Antagonism to Agonism in Digital Ecosystems. The position is based within the Department of Media Studies and contributes primarily to Work Package 2, which develops interdisciplinary approaches to analysing “speech grey zones” in contemporary digital environments.
The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. Marc Tuters and collaborate with an international consortium of academic, civil society, journalism, and technical partners across Europe. ANTIGONE examines how democratic societies can address disinformation and harmful speech without undermining pluralism and legitimate disagreement.
The project combines perspectives from media studies, platform studies, digital methods, democratic theory, and computational research. At the UvA, the focus is on the analysis of speech grey zones, contested online discourse, and platform-native communication, drawing on digital trace methods, qualitative platform analysis, and computational approaches to studying how narratives, communities, and harmful or ambiguous forms of expression circulate across digital environments. Particular attention will be given to the dynamics of narrative drift, digital conflict, and the shifting boundary between harmful online content and legitimate democratic contestation.
This is what you will be doing
- Conduct research within the ANTIGONE project, in collaboration with consortium partners;
- Designing and conducting research under the guidance of the project leader;
- Contribute to research on speech grey zones, disinformation, and platform-native political communication;
- Collect, process, and analyse digital trace data from social media platforms and online environments;
- Contribute to qualitative and computational research methods, including digital trace methods, network analysis, and platform analysis;
- Contribute to the development of conceptual and methodological frameworks related to platform governance, democratic discourse, and online political communication;
- Contribute to the conceptual development of approaches to speech grey zones and democratic contestation online;
- Publish research findings in peer-reviewed international journals and edited volumes;
- Present research results at international conferences, workshops, and consortium meetings;
- Collaborate with consortium partners and contribute to stakeholder engagement activities;
- Assist in organizing workshops, meetings, and dissemination activities related to the project; and
- Contribute to experimental and public-facing forms of research dissemination, including visualizations, workshops, or other creative research outputs where relevant to the project.
This is what we ask of you
- A PhD in a relevant field such as Media Studies, Communication Studies, Internet Studies, Digital Humanities, Sociology, STS, Political Communication, or a related field;
- Demonstrated expertise in digital media research, platform analysis, or online political communication;
- Experience with qualitative and/or computational digital research methods;
- A strong publication record appropriate to career stage;
- Demonstrable experience conducting academic research, both independently and collaboratively;
- Good written and spoken English; and
- Willingness to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and international research environment.
The following would be considered an advantage:
- Interest in interdisciplinary research combining critical theory and empirical digital methods;
- Experience with social media data collection, digital trace methods, or cross-platform analysis;
- Familiarity with debates on disinformation, platform governance, democratic discourse, harmful online content, conspiracy cultures, or online political communication;
- Experience with network analysis, Python, computational methods, or related digital methods tools;
- Experience in working with large digital datasets;
- Experience participating in collaborative or international research projects; and
- Interest in experimental, visual, or participatory approaches to communicating research findings.
This what else we offer you
The employment contract will be for one year at 0.75 FTE (28.5 hours per week). Contingent upon a positive performance evaluation, the contract will be extended for an additional 12 months. The preferred starting date is 1 September 2026.
Depending on relevant experience, the salary will be between € 3.546 and € 5.538, excl. 8% holiday allowance and end of the year bonus. The Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities is applicable.
The position is embedded within an internationally recognized research environment at the University of Amsterdam, with close links to the Digital Methods Initiative (DMI) and the Open Intelligence Lab (OILab).
You will work in a collaborative and interdisciplinary academic setting with opportunities to engage with leading researchers and practitioners across digital methods, platform studies, media theory, and digital politics. The position offers opportunities to participate in workshops, reading groups, experimental research initiatives, and broader European research networks.
The UvA offers excellent opportunities for professional development and training.
This is where you'll be working
The position is based in the Department of Media Studies in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam and embedded within the New Media team, led by Prof. Richard Rogers, who will serve as the line manager.
The Department of Media Studies and the New Media team are internationally recognized for research in digital media, platform studies, and digital methods.
The successful candidate will join a research environment that combines critical media theory with innovative empirical methods and collaborates extensively with international academic and societal partners.
The ANTIGONE project brings together universities, civil society organizations, journalists, fact-checkers, and technical research institutes from across Europe to rethink democratic communication in digital environments.
Disclaimer: Actual contracting can only take place after the official grant agreement has been signed by the Research Executive Agency (REA), expected by the end of August 2026 at the latest.
If you recognize yourself in this profile and are interested in the position, we look forward to receiving your application. Please submit:
- a letter of motivation (max. 2 pages) explaining your interest in the ANTIGONE project and how your previous research experience relates to the themes and methods of the position;
- a CV, including a list of publications;
- one academic writing sample or publication relevant to the themes or methods of the position (e.g. article, dissertation chapter, research report, or methodological work);
- the names and contact details of two referees.
Applicants are encouraged to briefly reflect on how their expertise and interests relate to the ANTIGONE project and the study of speech grey zones in digital environments.
Please submit these materials as a single PDF file.
The vacancy closes on 26 June 2026. First-round interviews are expected to take place in July 2026.
For questions about the position, please contact:
