Photo: Christof Mattes, © JGU Mainz

Research Interests

Political communication; media sociology; comparative research; media performance; online communication (particularly political communication on social media and search engines); media systems and media structures

Curriculum Vitae

Melanie Magin (M.A., Dr. phil.) is a professor in media sociology at the Department of Sociology and Political Science at NTNU in Trondheim (since 2021). Before, she worked as associate professor (2019-21) and post doctoral fellow (2017-19) at the same department. At NTNU, Melanie belongs to the research groups on "Elections, Values and Political Communication (EVPOC)" and "Digitalization and Social Life". She has initiated the international projects "Campaigning for Strasbourg (CamforS)" and "Digital Election Campaigning Worldwide (DigiWorld)" and is collaboration partner in the cross-nationally comparative project “Media Performance and Democracy” (funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)).

Before joining NTNU in 2017, she was a research associate (2005-06; 2011-12) and an assistant professor (2012-17) at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) as well as a research associate (2006-11) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Melanie earned her PhD from the JGU in 2011 with a thesis on an empirical long-term comparison of campaign coverage in Germany and Austria (1949-2006). She finished her studies in communication science, sociology and book science at the JGU in 2005 with a master thesis on the portrayal of families in daily soap operas on German television. Since 2021, she is chair of the Political Communication Section of ECREA (European Communication Research and Education Association) after having served as vice chair of this section from 2016-21. From 2011-15, she was early-career scholars’ representative at the German Communication Association (DGPuK).

Her research focuses on the societal role and importance of traditional and new mass media. In particular, she investigates how structural circumstances (e.g., in media systems and political systems) influence communication (e.g., in media coverage or on social media) as well as how media and communication influence the society as a whole. This includes research on algorithm-based information intermediaries like Google and Facebook, their societal impact and the chances and risks associated with them.

Selected Publications

Journal Articles with Peer Review

Wurst, A.-K., Schlosser, K., Haßler, J., Kruschinski, S., Russmann, U., Magin, M., & Fenoll, V. (accepted). Missed opportunity to connect with European citizens? Europarties’ communication on Facebook during the 2019 European election campaign. SComS – Studies in Communication Sciences.

Bene, M., Ceron, A., Fenoll, V., Haßler, J., Kruschinski, S., Larsson, A. O., Magin, M., Schlosser, K. & Wurst, A.-K. (2022). Keep them engaged! A 12-country investigation of the effect of self-centered social media communication on user engagement. Political Communication. Published online ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2022.2042435

Bene, M., Magin, M., Jackson D., Lilleker, D., Balaban, D., Baranowski, P., Haßler, J., Kruschinski, S. & Russmann, U. (2022). The Polyphonic Sounds of Europe: Users’ engagement with parties’ European-focused Facebook posts during the 2019 EP Election. Politics & Governance 10(1), 108-120. https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v10i1.4700

Pröll, F. & Magin, M. (2022). Framing feminicides. A quantitative content analysis of news stories in four Colombian newspapers. Journalism and Media 3(1), 117-133. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia3010010

Steiner, M., Magin, M., Stark, B. & Geiß, S. (2022). Seek and You Shall Find? A Content Analysis on the Diversity of Five Search Engines’ Results on Political Queries. Information, Communication and Society 25(2), 217-241. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2020.1776367

Geise, S., Klinger, U., Magin, M., Müller, K. F., Nitsch, C., Riesmeyer, C., Rothenberger, L., Schumann, C., Sehl, A., Wallner, C. & Zillich, A. (2021). The Normativity of Communication Research: A Content Analysis of Normative Claims in Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles (1970-2014). Mass Communication and Society. Published online ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2021.1987474

Geise, S., Klinger, U., Magin, M., Müller, K. F., Nitsch, C., Riesmeyer, C., Rothenberger, L., Schumann, C., Sehl, A., Wallner, C. & Zillich, A. (2021). Wie normativ ist die Kommunikationswissenschaft? Ein inhaltsanalytischer Vergleich deutscher und US-amerikanischer Fachzeitschriftenaufsätze. Publizistik 66(1), 89-120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11616-021-00638-3

Geiß, S., Magin, M., Jürgens, P. & Stark, B. (2021). Loopholes in the echo chambers: How the echo chamber metaphor oversimplifies the effects of information gateways on opinion expression. Digital Journalism 9(5), 660-686. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2021.1873811

Magin, M., Geiß, S., Stark, B. & Jürgens, P. (2021). Common Core in Danger? Personalized Information and the Fragmentation of the Public Agenda. The International Journal of Press/Politics. Published online ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1177/19401612211026595

Jürgens, P., Stark, B. & Magin, M. (2020). Two Half-Truths Make a Whole? On Bias in Self-reports and Tracking Data. Social Science Computer Review 38(5), 600-615. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439319831643

Magin, M. (2019). Attention, please! Structural Influences on Tabloidization of Campaign Coverage in German and Austrian Elite Newspapers (1949-2009). Journalism 20(12), 1704-1724. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884917707843

Magin, M. & Geiß, S. (2019). Beyond Time and Space: The Impact of Autonomy from Politics and Commercialization Pressure on Mediatization in German and Austrian Newspapers – a Multilevel Approach. Political Communication 36(4), 543-564. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2019.1608605

Steiner, M., Magin, M. & Stark, B. (2019). Uneasy Bedfellows. Comparing the diversity of German public service news on television and on Facebook. Digital Journalism 7(1), 100-123. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2017.1412800

Geiß, S., Magin, M., Stark, B. & Jürgens, P. (2018). “Common meeting ground” in Gefahr? Selektionslogiken politischer Informationsquellen und ihr Einfluss auf die Fragmentierung individueller Themenhorizonte. [Endangered Common Meeting Ground? Selection Logics of Political Information Sources and their Influence on the Fragmentation of Individual Issue Horizons.] Medien und Kommunikationswissenschaft 66(4), 502-525. DOI:10.5771/1615-634X-2018-4-502

Magin, M., Podschuweit, N., Haßler, J. & Rußmann, U. (2017). Campaigning in the Fourth Age of Political Communication. A Multi-Method Study on the Use of Facebook by German and Austrian Parties in the 2013 National Election Campaigns. Information, Communication & Society 29(11), 1698-1719. DOI:10.1080/1369118X.2016.1254269

Zillich, A., Riesmeyer, C., Magin, M., Müller, K., Pfaff-Rüdiger, S., Rothenberger, L. & Sehl, A. (2016). Werte und Normen als Sollensvorstellungen in der Kommunikationswissenschaft – ein Operationalisierungsvorschlag. [Values and norms as ought-statements in communication studies. A proposal for operationalization.] Publizistik 61(4), 393-411. DOI:10.1007/s11616-016-0286-4

Magin, M. (2015). Shades of Mediatization. Components of Media Logic in German and Austrian Elite Newspapers (1949-2009). The International Journal of Press/Politics 20(4), 415-437. DOI:10.1177/1940161215595944

Magin, M. & Stark, B. (2015). Explaining National Differences of Tabloidisation between Germany and Austria: Structure, Conduct and Performance. Journalism Studies 16(4), 577-595. DOI: 10.1080/1461670X.2014.921398

Magin, M., Steiner, M., Heinbach, D., Bosold, S., Pieper, A., Felka, E.-M. & Stark, B. (2015). Suchmaschinen auf dem Prüfstand – eine vergleichende Inhaltsanalyse der Qualität von Trefferlisten. [Search engines at the ‘test rig’ – a comparative content analysis of the quality of search engine result pages.] Medien und Kommunikationswissenschaft 63(4), 495-516. DOI:10.5771/1615-634X-2015-4-495

Engesser, S. & Magin, M. (2014). Die Arbeitszufriedenheit des kommunikations- und medienwissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses. [Job satisfaction of young scholars in Communication and Media Studies.] Publizistik 59(3), 307-334. DOI:10.1007/s11616-014-0210-8

Magin, M. & Stark, B. (2010). Mediale Geschlechterstereotype. Eine ländervergleichende Untersuchung von Tageszeitungen. [Gender stereotypes in the mass media. An international comparison of newspapers.] Publizistik 55(4), 383-404. DOI:10.1007/s11616-010-0097-y

Other Journal Articles

Rothenberger, L., Geise, S., Magin, M., Müller, K. F., Nitsch, C., Riesmeyer, C., Sehl, A. & Zillich, A. F. (in press). Das Netzwerk „Werte und Normen als Forschungsgegenstände und Leitbilder in der Kommunikationswissenschaft“ und seine Auffassung von „Kritik“. In P. Gentzel, C. Wallner, J. Wimmer & S. Kannengießer (Eds.), Kritik (in) der Kommunikationswissenschaft. Conference Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Division Sociology of Media and Communication of the German Communication Association 2019.

Magin, M. & Stark, B. (2020). More Relevant Today Than Ever: Past, Present and Future of Media Performance Research. Editorial. Media and Communication 8(3), 239-243. DOI:10.17645/mac.v8i3.3536

Magin, M., Steiner, M. & Stark, B. (2019). Suche im Netz – einseitige oder vielfältige Informationsquelle? Eine Inhaltsanalyse der politischen Informationsvielfalt von Suchmaschinenergebnissen. [Searching online – partial or diverse information source? A content analysis of the political information diversity of search engine results.] Media Perspektiven 2019(9), 421-429.

Stark, B., Magin, M. & Jürgens, P. (2018). Politische Meinungsbildung im Netz: Die Rolle der Informationsintermediäre. [Political opinion formation on the Internet: The role of information intermediaries.] UFITA Archiv für Medienrecht und Medienwissenschaft 82(1), 103-130. DOI:10.5771/2568-9185-2018-1-103

Books and Editions

Haßler, J., Magin, M. & Russmann, U. (Eds.) (in preparation). Social Media’s Role in Political and Societal Mobilization. Media and Communication 11(3). To be published in July/September 2023. Call for Papers

Magin, M., Rußmann, U. & Stark, B. (Eds.) (2021). Demokratie braucht Medien. [Democracy Needs Media.] Wiesbaden: Springer VS.

Haßler, J., Magin, M., Russmann, U. & Fenoll, V. (Eds.) (2021). Campaigning on Facebook in the 2019 European Parliament Election. Informing, Interacting with, and Mobilising Voters. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Magin, M. & Stark, B. (Eds.) (2020). Media Performance in Times of Media Change. Thematic Issue. Media and Communication 8(3).

Stark, B., Magin, M. & Jürgens, P. (2017). Ganz meine Meinung? Informationsintermediäre und Meinungsbildung – eine Mehrmethodenstudie am Beispiel von Facebook. [I second that!? Information intermediaries and opinion formation – a mixed-methods study taking the example of Facebook.] Düsseldorf: LfM.

Magin, M. (2012). Wahlkampf in Deutschland und Österreich. Ein Langzeitvergleich der Presseberichterstattung (1949-2006). [Election campaigns in Germany and Austria. A long-term comparison of press coverage (1949-2006).] Cologne, Weimar, Vienna: Böhlau.

Stark, B., Magin, M., Jandura, O., & Maurer, M. (eds.) (2012). Methodische Herausforderungen komparativer Forschungsansätze. [Methodological challenges of comparative research.] Cologne: Halem.

Stark, B., & Magin, M. (eds.) (2009). Die österreichische Medienlandschaft im Umbruch. [The changing Austrian media landscape.] Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press.

Magin, M. (2006). Familien in Daily Soaps. Eine Inhaltsanalyse von 'Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten' und 'Marienhof' [Families in daily soaps. A content analysis of 'Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten' and 'Marienhof']. Munich: R. Fischer.

Entries in Encyclopedias and Handbooks

Magin, M. (in press). (Non-)Representativeness of Social Media Data. In A. Ceron (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Technology & Politics. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing LTD (to be published in 2022).

Stegmann, D., Magin, M. & Stark, B. (in press). Filter Bubbles. In A. Ceron (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Technology & Politics. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing LTD.

Stegmann, D., Stark, B. & Magin, M. (in press). Echo Chambers. In A. Ceron (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Technology & Politics. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing LTD.

Magin, M. (2021). Politischer Parallelismus. [Political Parallelism.] In M. Prinzing & R. Blum (Eds.), Handbuch politischer Journalismus [Handbook political journalism] (pp. 599-603). Köln: Halem.

Magin, M. (2021). Wahlkampfberichterstattung. [Election campaign coverage.] In M. Prinzing & R. Blum (Eds.), Handbuch politischer Journalismus [Handbook political journalism] (pp. 211-219). Köln: Halem.

Magin, M. (2020). Boulevardisierung [Tabloidization]. In I. Borucki, K. Kleinen-von Königslöw, S. Marschall & T. Zerback (Eds.), Handbuch politische Kommunikation [Handbook of Political Communication.] Wiesbaden: Springer VS. Published online ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-26242-6_30-1

Stark, B., Magin, M. & Geiß, S. (2020). Meinungsbildung in und mit sozialen Medien. [Opinion formation in and with social media.] In J.-H. Schmidt & M. Taddicken (Eds.), Handbuch soziale Medien [Handbook of Social Media.] Wiesbaden: Springer VS. Published online ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-03895-3_23-1

Magin, M. (2019). Elite versus popular press. In T. P. Vos, F. Hanusch, D. Dimitrakopoulou, M. Geertsema-Sligh & A. Sehl (Eds.), The International Encyclopedia of Journalism Studies. Chichester: Wiley. DOI:10.1002/9781118841570.iejs0226

Magin, M. & Maurer, P. (2019). Beat Reporting. In H. Ornebring & H. Wasserman (eds.), Oxford Encyclopedia of Communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press. DOI:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.905

Magin, M. & Oggolder, C. (2016). Quellen historischer Forschung [Sources of research on communication history]. In S. Averbeck-Lietz & M. Meyen (eds.), Handbuch nicht standardisierte Methoden in der Kommunikationswissenschaft [Handbook of non-standardized methods in communication studies] (pp. 319-334). Wiesbaden: VS.

Stark, B. & Magin, M. (2013). Komparative Forschungsansätze: Theoretische Grundlagen und methodische Verfahrensweisen [Comparative research: theoretical background and methodological approaches]. In W. Möhring & D. Schlütz (eds.), Handbuch standardisierte Erhebungsverfahren in der Kommunikationswissenschaft [Handbook of standardized methods in communication studies] (pp. 145-164). Wiesbaden: VS.