Josef Seethaler

1974 – 1983: Dr. phil., University of Vienna

Communication Studies; Theatre, Film and Media Studies; German Studies; Philosophy; Law

Since 2014: Head of the Research Group “Media, Politics & Democracy”

Since 2013: Deputy Director of the Institute for Comparative Media and Communication Studies at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt; Lecturer at the Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt, Department of Media and Communications Science 

2011 – 2012: Lecturer at the University of Salzburg, Department of Communication Science

Since 2005: Lecturer at the University of Vienna, Department of Communication

1995 – 2013: Senior Scientist at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Commission for Comparative Media and Communication Studies (formerly: Commission for Mass Communication History), responsible for research management, team coordination and communication

1991 – 1994: Junior Scientist at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Commission for Comparative Media and Communication Studies (formerly: Commission for Mass Communication History)

1984 – 1991: Research Assistant in various research projects funded by the Austrian Ministry of Science and Research, the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) and based at the Austrian Academy of Sciences

2010: Best Journal Article in Communication Studies, German Communication Association (together with Thomas Hanitzsch)

2009: Werner Welzig Award of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (together with Gabriele Melischek)

1991: Theodor Körner Award of Sciences and Arts

1985: Research visit at the Academy of Sciences in Berlin (funded by the Scientists’ Exchange Program of the Austrian Academy of Sciences)

1982: PhD Grant of the Cultural Department of the City of Vienna

2020: Member of the Expert Group of the Community Media Forum Europe (CMFE), an observer with the Steering Committee on the Media and Information Society (CDMSI) of the Council of Europe

2020: Expert Consultation for the European Commission’s "Rule of Law Report" (topic: media pluralism)

2019: Evaluation Panel in the Outline Proposal Stage of the NORFACE programme Democratic governance in a turbulent age, funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme

Since 2019: Member of the organising committee of “Mediensymposium”, University Zurich

2019: Reviewer for the JESH Programme (Joint Excellence in Science and Humanities) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences

2018 – 2019: Reviewer for Freie Universität Berlin

2018: Reviewer for the Internationale Bodensee-Hochschule (IBH)

Since 2017: Member of the National Advisory Board of AUSSDA – The Austrian Social Science Data Archive

Since 2017: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the project “Durch ‘Autokratie’ zur Demokratie? Der Hohe Repräsentant für Bosnien und Herzegowina (1999 – 2002)” at the Franz Vranitzky Chair for European Studies, University of Vienna

Since 2017: Expert Informant: Electoral Integrity Project, University of Sydney/Australia

Since 2016: Reviewer for the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)

2016 – 2018: Appointee of the Austrian Academy of Sciences at the Steering Committee of PUMA – Plattform für Umfragen, Methoden und empirische Analysen

2014: Consulting engagement for the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy on the subject of “Science and the Public in Austria” (with Matthias Karmasin and Maren Beaufort)

2013-2020: Appointee of the Austrian Society of Communication at the Advisory Board of “Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft”

2013: Consultant of SwissGIS – Swiss Centre for Studies on the Global Information Society, University of Zurich

2012 – 2013: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the evaluation of press subsidy systems in Austria (on behalf of the Austrian Federal Chancellor)

Since 2011: Reviewer for the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST)

Since 2009: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the “Deutsche Presseforschung”, University of Bremen

2008 – 2010: Appointee of the executive board of the German Communication Association/Deutsche Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPuK) for developing review procedures for its annual conferences

Since 2008: Member of the scientific advisory board of the Society for Book Research in Austria/Gesellschaft für Buchforschung in Österreich

2008: Member of the think tank “Self Regulation of the Press” (Medienhaus Wien)

Reviewer for: “Communication Research”, “European Journal of Communication”, “History of Science”, “The International Journal of Press/Politics”, “Journalism”, “Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly”, “Journalism Studies” (Sage); “Information, Communication and Society”, “Political Communication” (Taylor & Francis); “International Security” (MIT Press); “Journal of Information Policy” (The Pennsylvania State University Press) / International Communication Association (ICA), European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), German Communication Association/Deutsche Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPuK)

International Communication Association (ICA)

Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)

World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR)

International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR)

European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA)

German Communication Association (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft / DGPuK)

Society for Book Research in Austria (1999-2005 member of the executive board)

2021: "Media Performance and Social Inclusion". Preconference to the 66th ICA Annual Conference (with University of Zurich), co-organiser, 27 May 2021, Washington, D.C./U.S. (online conference)

2019: ECREA Communication History Workshop “Jeopardizing Democracy throughout History: Media as Accomplice, Adversary or Amplifier of Populist and Radical Politics”, head of the local organising committee, September 2019, Vienna/Austria

2019 – 2020: Lecture series “Medienpolitik – neu denken” [Rethinking Media Politics”], with Federico Subervi (University of Leeds), Tobias Gostomzyk (Technical University of Dortmund), Barbara Thomass (University of Bochum), organiser, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

2017: “Digital Media, Political Polarization and Challenges to Democracy – An International Symposium” (with the Institute for Sociology, University of York), member of the organising committee, 40 participants, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

2017: ORF DialogForum “Wer ist das Volk? [Who are the People?]” – Public Lecture with W. Lance Bennett, University of Washington (with the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF), member of the organising committee, 200 participants, ORF, Vienna/Austria, 21 September 2017

2017: “Media Performance & Democracy – The Debate Continues”, Preconference to the 67th ICA Annual Conference, with Gianpietro Mazzoleni (University of Milan), Silvia Pellegrini (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), David Altheide (Arizona State University), John McManus (San Francisco) and Stephen Ward (University of Wisconsin-Madison) als Keynote Speakers and Discussants (with University of Zurich), co-organiser, 30 participants, 25 May 2017, San Diego/U.S.

2016: “Media Performance and Democracy”, Preconference to the 66th ICA Annual Conference (with University of Zurich), co-organiser, 30 participants, 9 June 2016, Fukuoka/Japan

2014: “Changing Media – Changing Democracy? Exploring the Democratic Potential of Social Media” – 20 Anniversary Conference of the Institute for Comparative Media and Communication Studies along with the 4th Research Conference of the Austrian Research Association – Working Group on Democracy and the 2014 Workshop of the “Network Media Structures”, co-organiser, 60 participants, 6–7 November 2014, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

2013: Annual Conference of the International and Intercultural Communication Section of the German Communication Association (with the Austrian Foreign Ministry and the Comenius University Bratislava), member of the organising committee, member of the local organising committee, 40 participants, 4–5 October 2013, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria & Bratislava/Slovakia

2013: “Soundbites, Negativity, and Horse-Race Style – Is Campaign Communication Getting Worse and Worse Again? Long-Term Research in Germany and Austria on the eve of the 2013 elections”. Panel at the 63th International Communication Association Annual Conference, 30 participants, organiser, 18 June 2013, London/UK.

2011: “Vienna Forum of Social Sciences” / including Pre-Conference on “What Do We Really Know About Herta Herzog?” (with the Forum for Methods at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Vienna, the Austrian Association for Communication Science and the Department of Communication at the University of Salzburg), co-organiser, 60 participants, 1–2 December 2011, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

2011: Workshop on Agenda-Setting: In Honour of Professor Maxwell McCombs (with the Department of Communication at the University of Vienna), member of the organising committee, 20 participants, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

2011 – 2012: Series of lectures: “Medienpolitik und Recht II” [Media Policy and Law II] (with the Institute of European Tort Law, Austrian Academy of Sciences), co-organiser, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

2010 – 2015: Series of lectures: “Hedy Lamarr-Lectures” (with Medienhaus Wien and Telekom Austria Group), member of the organising committee, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

2010: “Wissenschaft und Medien: Ein gestörtes Verhältnis?” [Science and the Media: A Disturbed relationship?], 11 November 2010, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

2009: “War, Media, and the Public Sphere: An International Symposium” (with the Department of Media and Communication Sciences, University of Klagenfurt), member of the organising committee, 50 participants, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

2008 – 2009: Series of lectures: “Medienpolitik und Recht I” [Media Policy and Law I] (with the Institute of European Tort Law, Austrian Academy of Sciences), co-organiser, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

2006: “Medien und Kommunikationsforschung im Vergleich” [Media and Communication Research in Comparative Perspective] (with the Department of Communication, JGU Mainz), member of the organising committee, 50 participants, Vienna/Austria

2004: 2nd Roundtable on the Monitoring of the Austrian Newspaper Market, co-organiser, 24 October 2004, Vienna/Austria

2003: 1st Roundtable on the Monitoring of the Austrian Newspaper Market, co-organiser, 23 January

1998: “Wahlen und Politikvermittlung durch Massenmedien” [Elections and Mediated Politics] (with the Institute for Press Research in Dortmund and the Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research, University of Hamburg), member of the organising committee, 40 participants, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

1994: “Pressedokumentation – Presseauswertung” [Documentation and Analysis of Newspapers] (with the Austrian Society of Communication), co-organiser, 40 participants, ÖAW, Vienna/Austria

2021 – 2023: Journalism under Duress: : Risk and Uncertainty in a Changing Mediascape – The Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS), 3rd wave (D-A-CH project with LMU Munich, Leibniz Institute for Media Research, Hamburg, and U of Applied Sciences Zurich; funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF), PI Austria

2020 – 2021: Media Pluralism Monitor in the Digital Era 2021 (project coordinator: EUI Florence; funded by the European Commission), PI Austria

2019 – 2020: Media Pluralism Monitor in the Digital Era 2020 (project coordinator: EUI Florence; funded by the European Commission), PI Austria

2018 – 2020: Media Performance and Democracy (D-A-CH project with the HHU Düsseldorf, U of Hamburg, JGU Mainz and U of Zurich; funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF), PI Austria

2018-2019: Public Value of Community Media (funded by the Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunication (RTR) and the Forum Journalism und Medien (fjum)), PI

2017: Media Pluralism Monitor 2016 (project coordinator: EUI Florence; funded by the European Commission), PI Austria

2017: Zurück am Herd? Mediennutzung und gesellschaftliche Anbindung junger Mütter in Österreich [Media Use and Political Inclusion of Young Mothers in Austria] (funded by the City of Vienna), PI

2016: Media Pluralism Monitor 2016 (project coordinator: EUI Florence; funded by the European Commission), PI Austria

2015 – 2016: Changing Campaign Communication? The Role of Facebook during the Viennese Election 2015 (funded by the City of Vienna), PI

2015: Media Pluralism Monitor 2015 (project coordinator: EUI Florence; funded by the European Commission), PI Austria

2014 – 2015: Mapping Change in Journalism: How Journalists in Germany, Austria and Switzerland Perceive the Transformation of News Making –The Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS), 2nd wave (D-A-CH project with LMU Munich and U of Applied Sciences Zurich; funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF), PI Austria

2013 – 2015: Media Quality in Austria (project coordinator: EUI Florence; funded by the Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunication RTR), PI

2012 – 2013: Media Monitoring: Quality in the Media (funded by the City of Vienna), PI

2010 – 2011: Western Balkan Countries and the EU: Reciprocal Perceptions, Expectations and Skepticism (funded by the Austrian Ministry of Science and Research in the framework of its South Eastern European Science Cooperation Initiative), PI

2009 – 2011: The Austrian Journalism in International Perspective - The Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS), 1st wave (funded by the City of Vienna), PI

2008 – 2012: Continuity and Change in Austrian Campaign Communication, since 1966 (funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF), collaborator

2007 – 2008: Europäische Öffentlichkeit und nationale Mediendiskurse am Beispiel der Berichterstattung der österreichischen Boulevard- und Lokalpresse über die US-Wahl 2004 [Europeanization of National Media Discourses? The Case of the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election Coverage in Austria] (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

2005 – 2006: Das Image der amerikanischen Präsidentschaftskandidaten in den Wiener Qualitätszeitungen “Die Presse” und “Der Standard” im europäischen Vergleich [Images of the U.S. Presidential Candidates in the Austrian Quality Press] (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

2004 – 2005: Erfolg und Misserfolg in der Wahlberichterstattung der Wiener Tageszeitungen am Beispiel der Nationalratswahlen 1999 und 2002 [Press Coverage of Austrian Elections, 1999 – 2002: Success and Failure as Common Elements] (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

2003 – 2004: Das inhaltliche Angebot der österreichischen Tagespresse [The Offered Content of Austrian Newspapers] (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

2002 – 2003: Der österreichische Pressemarkt im europäischen Vergleich [The Austrian Newspaper Market in Comparison with other European Markets] (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

2000 – 2001: Zerfall der Öffentlichkeit [The Disintegration of Public Spheres] (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

1999 – 2000: Massenpresse und Urbanisierung [Popular Press and Urbanization] (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

1998 – 1999: Selbstdarstellungen der Wiener Tageszeitungen [Self-Perception of Viennese Daily Papers] (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

1997 – 1998: Dokumentation der Wiener Tagespresse seit 1955 [The Viennese Daily Papers since 1955 (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

1997 – 1998: Politische Plakate in der Ersten Republik [Political Posters in the First Austrian Republic] (with the Austrian National Library; funded by the Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank / OeNB), collaborator

1996 – 1997: Die Wiener Tagespresse 1945 – 1955 [The Viennese Daily Newspapers, 1945 – 1955] (funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF), PI

1996 – 1997: Presse und Politikvermittlung am Beispiel der Wahlberichterstattung der Ersten Republik [Newspapers and Mediated Politics: Election Coverage During the First Republic] (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

1995 – 1996: Wahrnehmungs- und Bewertungsmuster der nationalsozialistischen Wahlerfolge 1930/32 [Perception and Evaluation of the NSDAP’s Electoral Success 1930 – 1932] (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

1994 – 1995: Institutionelle Struktur der Wiener Tagespresse 1918 – 1938 [The Institutional Structure of the Viennese Daily Newspapers Industry, 1918 – 1938] (funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF), collaborator

1992 – 1993: Dokumentation der Wiener Tageszeitungen 1938 – 1945 [Viennese Daily Newspapers 1938 – 1945] (funded by the Austrian Newspaper Association / VÖZ), collaborator

1991 – 1993: Dokumentation der Wahlberichterstattung 1919 [Election Coverage of the First Austrian National Election 1919] (funded by the Creditanstalt-Bankverein), collaborator

1991 – 1992: Datenbankorientierte historische Pressedokumentation [Database Oriented Historic Newspaper Documentation (funded by the Anniversary Fund of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank / OeNB), collaborator

1991 – 1992: Analyse der politischen Positionen in der Kulturberichterstattung der Berliner und Wiener Tagespresse 1925 [Political Messages in the Cultural Section of the Daily Press in Berlin and Vienna, 1925] (funded by the City of Vienna), collaborator

1991: Analyse der politischen Positionen in der Kulturberichterstattung der Berliner und Wiener Tagespresse 1929/30 [Political Messages in the Cultural Section of the Daily Press in Berlin and Vienna, 1929 – 1930] (funded by the Austrian Federal Chancellery), collaborator

1990: Preparing an Information and Documentation Observatory of the Austrian Press (funded by the Federal Ministry of Science and Research), collaborator

1988 – 1992: Dokumentation der Wiener Tageszeitungen 1918 – 1938 [Viennese Daily Newspapers 1918 – 1938] (funded by the Federal Ministry of Science and Research and by the Austrian Newspaper Association / VÖZ), collaborator

1987 – 1988: Goetherezeption im deutschsprachigen Theater in den achtziger Jahren [The Reception of Goethe’s Work in German-Speaking Theatres in the 1980s] (funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF), PI

1985 – 1986: Goetherezeption im Gedenkjahr 1982 [The Reception of Goethe’s Work in the Commemorative Year 1982] (funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF), collaborator