The Centre for Journalism, Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, invites applications for a three-year full-time PhD scholarship for the project Navigating Negativity: What is a Healthy News Diet? (HEALTHY NEWS), with employment starting from 1 August 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. The place of employment will be in Odense. 

The research project—funded by the Velux Foundation—examines when exposure to negative news informs people about important societal issues and when it negatively affects mental well-being and leads to news avoidance. The overall aim is to identify barriers and opportunities for healthy news diets and to assess how the benefits and drawbacks of negative news can be balanced in today’s individualized media environment.

The project consists of three subprojects addressing the content (SP1), consumption (SP2), and consequences (SP3) of negative news. SP1 will analyse how the level of negativity differs across news outlets, social media platforms, and individual news diets, drawing on, among other data sources, data donations from individuals and automated content analyses. SP2 will examine how people perceive and navigate negative news using in-depth interviews. SP3 will examine how exposure to negative news affects societal beliefs and mental well-being based on panel survey data. All data will be collected in Denmark.

The project is led by Associate Professor Kim Andersen and includes Associate Professor Lene Heiselberg, Professor David Nicolas Hopmann, a postdoc, and the PhD student. The PhD student will work closely with the whole project team but will focus on one of the three subprojects, depending on personal interests and methodological competencies.

While the overall focus, structure, and methodological approaches are given for the project, the PhD student will also be able to affect the direction of the research. Applications must therefore include a research proposal of no more than two pages outlining how to examine barriers and opportunities for healthy news diets in today’s individualized media environment. The proposal should be anchored in one of the three subprojects but may also draw on methods from the other subprojects. It is expected to describe the theoretical, methodological, and analytical approach.

Expectations and key responsibilities

Motivated applications are invited from candidates holding a master’s degree in relevant fields, such as journalism studies, communication, political science, computer science, media studies, or sociology.

The PhD student will be involved in all aspects of the research, from conception, execution, analysis, publishing, and public dissemination. The ideal candidate therefore has a high academic level and a good grasp of research designs and methods.

The PhD student is expected to be willing and able to contribute to the Centre for Journalism achieving two strategic goals: 1) To produce original research of high international quality, and 2) to exchange knowledge with relevant societal actors, including news media, the public, and policymakers. See the entire strategy here.

The PhD student is expected to (please also consult the Scholarly Qualification Matrix):

• Be able to work independently and, in consultation with the PhD supervisor, prioritize the different aspects of the PhD plan, including participation in PhD courses, research, and teaching. 

• Be interested in engaging with the national and international research community (your supervisor and the department will support you in this), i.e., participate in conferences and present own work.

• Be interested in engaging with relevant societal actors including news media and the public.

• Prioritize being present and taking part in the daily academic and social environments at the department.

If you already have a PhD degree, please note that we are also recruiting a postdoc with similar research interests for the project. See SDU’s current vacancies for more information.

The Centre for Journalism is a part of the Department of Political Science and Public Management. The department believes in fostering a stimulating and inspiring environment for both faculty members and students. The department's ambition is therefore to recruit, develop, and retain talented scholars committed to both academic excellence and departmental development. Furthermore, the department wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Enquiries about the project and the position can be addressed to the Principal Investigator, Kim Andersen, kand@journalism.sdu.dk. For further information about the Centre for Journalism and the Department of Political Science and Public Management, please contact Peter Bro, ppe@journalism.sdu.dk.

Program structure

The PhD student will follow an individual PhD plan including course work, conference participation, and teaching. PhD students typically spend approx. one semester at another research institution, typically abroad, but alternative arrangements can be made if needed. 

The scholarship carries a monthly salary including pension plus office facilities and financial support for conference travels and research visits abroad. 

For further information about the PhD program, please contact PhD coordinator, Associate Professor Romana Careja, e-mail rca@sam.sdu.dk.

Application 

An application must include:

• A motivated application

• Application form

• A maximum two-page research proposal (see above)

• A detailed CV (max 2 pages)

• A copy of your master's degree certificate including all examination results

• Information on experience with teaching, dissemination, or scientific publication, if applicable

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English, and all documents must be in pdf format, no more than 5 MB per file. Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out.

Applications that are incomplete may be rejected without any substantive evaluation.

Applicants are encouraged to read the information "How to apply" before applying. If you experience technical problems when uploading the application, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk. 

The application deadline is 22 March 2026, at 11.59 PM/23.59 (CET/CEST) 

UPLOAD GUIDE: Motivated application should be uploaded as ‘Cover letter’, Curriculum Vitae should be uploaded as ‘Resume’. All other documents should be uploaded as ‘Miscellaneous documents’. 

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link "Apply now" on our website.

Assessment and selection process

Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. Shortlisting may be applied. Shortlisted candidates will receive a written assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU.  The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material. Incomplete applications may be rejected without any substantial evaluation.

When the assessment committee has submitted its report, applicants will receive the part of the assessment that concerns themselves. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department, who will form an appointment committee. Interviews and tests may be part of the overall evaluation by the appointment committee. 

Based on information from the entire recruitment process, the Head of Department determines which applicants will be offered a position.
 

Conditions of employment
Appointment as a PhD fellow is a 3-year salaried position. Applicants must hold a master’s degree (equivalent to a Danish master's degree) at the time of enrolment and employment. Employment of a PhD fellow can only take place after the PhD School under the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences has approved the candidate for admission. 

Employment will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state with the associated circular on the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for PhD fellows as described herein as well as the Protocol on PhD fellows signed by the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). Further information about salary and conditions of employment.

For a detailed description of the entry criteria and a job description for a PhD fellowship, as well as a descriptions of the assessment and hiring processes at the Department of Political Science and Public Management, please consult the department’s Scholarly Qualification Matrix – REEAD.

The person employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a ‘self-organiser’.

SDU recommends that international applicants take the time to visit Work in Denmark, where there is information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU.

About the Department of Political Science and Public Management

The Department of Political Science and Public Management is part of the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences and currently has approximately 100 permanent employees as well as several part-time employees. Currently, the department attracts around 2,500 students in its various full-time bachelor and master programs as well as part-time professional master programs. The department is located on three of the University of Southern Denmark’s campuses in Odense, Sønderborg and Esbjerg, respectively. 

The department is organized around three research sections in Public Administration, Welfare and Politics, International and Regional Politics, and Journalism as well as several cross-disciplinary research centres and research groups. 

For a detailed description of the Department of Political Science and Public Management’s profile and activities, please visit the department's website.

We recommend that as an international applicant, you take the time to visit Work in Denmark where you will find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU.