Sonja Post im Profil

Prof. Dr. Senja Post


Scientific Director 
Tel.: +49 721 608-44384

 

Research Interests

  • Science Communication
  • Communication in Societal Conflicts
  • Journalism Research
  • Media Use and Effects Research
  • Political Communication

Academic Education

2007-2012: Communication Research, Doctoral Studies, University of Mainz (Germany), Thesis: “Criteria of truth in journalism and science”
2003-2007:  Degree (Magistra Artium, equ. Master of Arts) in Communication Research and English, Thesis: “Climate scientists’ views of media coverage of climate change”
2002-2003:  Studies of Communication Research and International Relations at Boston University
2000-2000:  Studies of Communication Research and English Linguistics, University of Dresden

Academic Employment 

since Aug 2021: Professor for Science Communication with a focus on impact / transfer and Scientific Director of ZAK | Centre for Culural and General Studies
2018-2021: Professor of Life Sciences Communication, University of Goettingen
2015-2018:  Senior Research and Teaching Associate at the Department of Communication and Media Research (Division: Science, Risk and Crisis Communication), University of Zurich (Switzerland)
2013-2014: Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Media Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau (Campus Landau, Germany)
2010-2012: Doctoral scholarship at the Institute for Communication Studies, University of Mainz (Germany)
2007-2010: Teaching Associate, Institute for Communication Studies, University of Mainz (Germany)

Non-Academic Employment

2003-2005: Researcher at Media Tenor International (with stays in Bonn, Germany and New York, U.S.); Project: U.S. Media coverage of the U.S. presidential election 2004

Positions (Selection)

  • Associate Editor of „Environmental Communication”
  • Member of the Editorial Board of “Human Communication Research”
  • Member of the Editorial Board of Göttinger Universitätsverlag

Selected fellowships, honors, awards

  • 2017 Best Proposal Award by the Political Communication Division of the German Communication Association (DGPuK)
  • 2013 Dissertation Award sponsored by the Bank of the Federal State Rhineland Palatinate (Germany), University of Mainz
  • 2010-2012 Grants from the Graduate Foundation Rhineland Palatinate (Germany) and the FAZIT-Foundation (Germany)
  • 2008 Thesis Award from the Hamburg Media School
  • 2002-2003 Full scholarship to study at Boston University for an academic year from the Dresdner Bank Foundation

Selected Publications

  • Post, S. (2019). Polarizing communication as media effects on antagonists. Understanding communication in conflicts in digital media societies. Communication Theory. Communication Theory 29(2), 231-235.
  • Post, S. & Ramirez, N. (2018). Politicized science communication. Predicting scientists’ acceptance of overstatements by their knowledge certainty, hostile media perceptions and presumptions of media effects on policymakers. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly. Advance Online Publication. doi: 10.1177/1077699018769668
  • Post, S. (2017). Incivility in controversies. The influence of presumed media influence und perceived media hostility on the antagonists in the German conflict over aircraft noise. Communication Research 44(8), 1149–1175
  • Post, S. & M. Maier (2016). Stakeholders' rationales for representing uncertainties of biotechnological research. Public Understanding of Science 25(8), 927-943
  • Post, S. (2015). Scientific Objectivity in Journalism? How Journalists and Academics Define Objectivity, Assess its Attainability and Rate its Desirability. Journalism. Theory, Practice and Criticism 16(6), 730-749

Click here for complete list of publications

In the Media (selection)

Selected presentations or discussions for public audiences or practitioners

  • Vortrag in der Ringvorlesung „Ein Virus geht um die Welt“ der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen „Corona-Krise: Die Rolle von Medien, Politik und Wissenschaft aus Sicht der Deutschen“ am 7.7.2020
  • „Wissenschaftskommunikation außerhalb der Komfortzone“. Vortrag auf einem Workshop veranstaltet vom Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft und von Wissenschaft im Dialog am 5.12.2019 in Berlin.
  • „Wissenschaftskommunikation in Nachhaltigkeitsdebatten“. Vortrag auf der Konferenz „Nachhaltige Landnutzung“ der Stiftung Adam von Trott sowie der Vereinigung Deutscher Wissenschaftler am 16.11.2019 an der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.
  • „Zur Darstellung des Klimawandels in den Medien“. Vortrag auf der Herbsttagung des Deutschen Ethikrats am 23.10.2019 in Göttingen. https://vimeo.com/370120053
  • "Wie umgehen mit Klimawissenschafts-Leugnern in den Medien", Einladung zum Fachgespräch bei Klimafakten.de am 10.2.2017 in Berlin
  • „Communicating Uncertainty in Climate Science, in Germany and Beyond“. Leitung einer Live-Online-Diskussion auf der Kommunikationsplattform (Trellis) der American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) am 23.3.2016
  • „Die Berichterstattung über den Klimawandel aus Sicht der Klimaforscher“. Vortrag auf der Wissenswerte – Bremer Forum für Wissenschaftsjournalismus am 17.11.2008 in Bremen. Auf Einladung der Initiative Wissenschaftsjournalismus