Media researchers at JMG win prestigious prizes

For the first year ever, several researchers at the department of journalism, media, and communication (JMG) have won prizes for best paper at the International Communication Association (ICA) conference. 

Both prizes are awarded by the section for political communication, and the papers presented with theTop Paper Awards are:

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• The Anatomy of European Political Information Environments: A Demand-Driven Analysis of How They Perform and Inform Democracy, by Jesper Strömbäck, professor of journalism and political communication, in cooperation with colleagues from fifteen countries. The paper is also published in International Journal of Press/Politics, with the title Navigating High-choice European Political Information Environments: A Comparative Analysis of News User Profiles and Political Knowledge.
• Alternative News Orientation and Trust in Mainstream Media: A Longitudinal Audience Perspective, by Dennis Andersson, a ph.d. student, and Adam Shehata, associate professor of journalism and media, in cooperation with the main author Kim Andersen, University of Southern Denmark,  who is also associated with JMG in two research projects on media effects.

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Important for attracting both new students and research grants

– This prize means a lot for our department, where political communication is one of the main fields of research, Jesper Strömbäck explain. JMG is a well established institution, even internationally, but it is an important recognition for future recruitment of researchers and doctoral students, as it attracts the kind of persons whose competence fits into our profile.

In increasing part of a researcher’s working hours is devoted to writing scientific articles and conference papers, as appearance in international journals is crucial for today’s researchers. Jesper Strömbäck devotes a large part of his life as a researcher to this.

– In general, this means around four articles every year, he explains.

Inspiration for future research

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Getting published in international journals is a laborious  task, as every submitted article is scrutinized by several independent researchers, before it eventually and in the best of cases is accepted after several revisions.

– But I always try to explain to our doctoral students how important it is to publish in English. By establishing oneself internationally, you become a part of a strong research environment and have a greater chance of getting funding. During the review process, you must expect comments and critical remarks, but it’s important to see peer reviews as a positive aspect of the process. In the long run, the comments and critique you receive make you a better researcher.

Doing research during a pandemic

The awards are handed out during the annual ICA conference, which this year was held digitally instead of taking place as planned in Denver, USA.

– Of course, it would have been more fun to receive the award in Denver, but that’s not possible due to the pandemic, Jesper Strömbäck says.

To him, the award is also a reminder thar research continues in spite of all Covid-related restrictions:

– This is tough for all of us, even for researchers. We are used to meeting, exchanging ideas, and letting others inspire us. But we strive on, longing for the stimulus we get from meeting colleagues.

During these circumstances, the award is a welcome encouragement.

– It’s a pat on the shoulder and a recognition of the value of what you are doing. So I’m really happy for this!

More information

• Link to Jesper Strömbäcks article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/19401612211012572
• The article by Kim Andersen, Dennis Andersson, and Adam Shehata is not yet published
• Read more about the research on political communication at JMG: https://www.gu.se/forskning/politisk-kommunikation
• More information on the ICA here.

Contact

Jesper Strömbäck, e-post: jesper.stromback@jmg.gu.se, phone: +46 (0)31-786 49 34 (forwarded to cell phone).

Text: Cajsa Malmström