• CV

    Tim Schatto-Eckrodt is a communication scientist, who researches methods to identify attempts to influence public opinion through online-propaganda. He worked as a tutor and student assistant at the Institute for Communication Science (IfK) at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, where he was, among other things, involved in the programming of data analysis tools. His master's thesis  dealt with diffusion and the acceptance of new technologies. In October 2017, Tim Schatto-Eckrodt joined the BMBF-project “PropStop”, where he researched methods to identify attempts to influence public opinion through online-propaganda. Since May 2019 he works as a research associate in the junior research group “Democratic Resilience in Times of Online Propaganda, Fake News, Fear and Hate Speech (DemoRESILdigital)”.

  •  Research interests

    • Cyber-propaganda
    • Digital publics
    • Conspiracy theories
    • Spread of misinformation online

  • External functions

    • Member of the International Communication Association (ICA), Computational Methods Interest Group
    • Member of the German Communication Association (DGPuK)
    • 1st chariman of the alumi-club „Medien-Alumni-Münster“
    • Member of the board of the Department of Communication
    • Member of the faculty's gender equallity group
    • Member of the Center for Philosophy of Science

  • Research projects

    PropStop (05/2016 - 04/2019)

    PropStop is a project funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) that aims at studying hidden propaganda disseminations via online media, in order to identify and prove accordant attempts. Throughout the project an interdisciplinary team of statisticians, communication scientists, IT-security researchers, journalists and IT-security companies works together. Besides a large-scale examination of propaganda characteristics online, huge quantities of public opinion statements in different areas of the digital public sphere will be analyzed for repeated semantic and technical patterns. The insights gained throughout the project will be used to enhance our detection of massive, hidden propaganda attacks, to develop technologies to identify these attacks, and to improve our abilities to verify propaganda attacks. Real-time simulations of massive hidden propaganda attacks will provide meaningful insights into the transdisciplinary applicability of the gained.

    Democratic resilience in times of online-propaganda, fake news, fear- and hate speech (DemoRESILdigital) - Junior research group (01/2018 – 12/2022) - Dr. Lena Frischlich

    The digital society offers new possibilities for democratic participation as well as for disseminating manipulative content. Strategic agents are abusing the easy access to digitally generated publics to spread online propaganda, fake news, fear and hate speech. Such manipulative online content has been assumed to play a crucial role in radicalizing individuals, fostering social polarization, and weakening democracy per se.

  • Publications

  • Talks

    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim (): ‘Tool Demo: twCompliance’. 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Paris, France, .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Two Decades of Journalism Studies: Changes in and Impact of Diversity Across Authorship’. 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Paris, France, .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Clever, Lena; Frischlich, Lena (): ‘Linking News Use on Social Media to Conspiracy Beliefs: A Cross-Platform Linkage Study of German Media Users’. 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Paris, .

    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Clever, Lena; Frischlich, Lena (): ‘Challenges in remote study design – An infrastructure review of a large linkage study’. Annual Conference of the Methods Division of the German Communication Association (DGPuK), Wien, Österreich, .
    • Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Frischlich, Lena; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Covering Covid-19: The crisis reaction of journalism during the first year of the pandemic’. 8th Future of Journalism Conference (The School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC) at Cardiff University), Cardiff University, .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Frischlich, Lena; Clever, Lena; Boberg, Svenja; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Linking Alternative and Legacy News Use on Social Media to Conspiracy Beliefs: Insights from a Cross-Platform Linkage Study’. 8th Future of Journalism Conference (The School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC) at Cardiff University), Online, .
    • Clever, Lena; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Clever, Nico; Frischlich Lena (): ‘Extremism on the Second Glance: Automated Content Analysis of Covert Propaganda on Instagram’. The 3rd Multidisciplinary International Symposium on Disinformation in Open Online Media, Oxford Istitute, .
    • Langmann, Klara; Wintterlin, Florian; Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Frischlich, Lena; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘In the face of dark participation. Community managers’ views on the efficacy of content moderation’. ECREA’s 8th European Communication Conference, Online, .
    • Frischlich, Lena; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Clever, Lena (): ‘Long-term effects of alternative news on political attitudes among susceptible recipients’. Vortrag auf der 11. Tagung der Fachgruppe Medienpsychologie, der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie (DGPs), Aachen, Deutschland (Online), .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Clever, Lena; Frischlich, Lena (): „Sowing doubt and reaping uncertainty: A case-study on conspiracy theories’ dissemination through social media“. ECREA’s 8th European Communication Conference, Online, .
    • Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘#MeToo as a social movement or strategic #-campaign? Analyzing the dynamics of Social Issue Emergence using computational methods’. ECREA’s 8th European Communication Conference, Online, .
    • Janzik, Robin; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Reer, Felix; Boberg, Svenja; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Analyzing the gaming disorder debate on Twitter: A computational approach’. ECREA’s 8th European Communication Conference, Braga, Portugal (virtual due to COVID-19), .
    • Clever, Lena; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Clever, Nico; Frischlich, Lena (): ‘Extremist Propaganda on Instagram’. 7th International Conference on Computational Social Science, Zürich, Schweiz, .
    • Frischlich, Lena; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Adam, Lena (): ‘The EU Election 2019 on Facebook – Studying the Performance of Alternative News Media using Computational Social Sciences’. Vortrag auf der 43. Jahrestagung der International Society for Political Psychology (ISPP), Berlin, Deutschland (Online), .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Clever, Lena; Frischlich, Lena (): ‘The Seed of Doubt: The Role of Alternative and Established News Media in the Early Moments of a New Conspiracy Theory’. 71st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Denver, USA (virtual due to COVID-19), .
    • Frischlich, Lena; Klapproth, Johanna; Kleineidam, Tobias; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim (): ‘Entertained by Extremists – Staging and Effects of Eudaimonic Instagram Propaganda’. 71st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Denver, USA (virtual due to COVID-19), .
    • Frischlich, Lena; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Kuhfeldt, Lara; Clever, Lena (): ‘Fueling the information disorder? Alternative news media in the COVID-19 crisis’. 71st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Denver, USA (virtual due to COVID-19), .
    • Wintterlin, Florian; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Frischlich, Lena; Boberg, Svenja; Reer, Felix; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Why Do People Spread Distorted Information Online? An Examination of Predictors based on the Theory of Collective Action’. 71st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Denver, USA (virtual due to COVID-19), .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim (): „The persuasive power of lies, fakes, and conspiracy theories: Empirical Evidence on the Effect of Misinformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic. [Die Überzeugungskraft von Lügen, Fakes und Verschwörungstheorien: Empirische Erkenntnisse über den Effekt von Misinformationen während der COVID-19-Pandemie]“. Internationale Woche der Semiotik (Universität Potsdam), Universität Potsdam, .
    • Frischlich, Lena; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Kleineidam, Tobias; Gunstmann, Lina Charlotte; Schonebeck, Anna (): „Extremely entertaining? Eudaimonic and Hedonistic Entertainment Experience as Mechanisms of Effect of Extremist Online Propaganda [Extrem unterhaltsam? Eudaimonisches und Hedonistisches Unterhaltungserleben als Wirkungsmechanismen Extremistischer Online-Propaganda]“. Vortrag auf der Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe Rezeptions- und Wirkungsforschung der deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik und Kommunikation (DGPUK), München, .

    • Heims, Leonie; Strauss, Carina; Hansek, Marcel; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Frischlich, Lena (): ‘Language and Hate: Mechanisms of Dangerous Speech in German Politicians Facebook-Communication ’. MISDOOM 2020 - 2nd Multidisciplinary International Symposium on Disinformation in Open Online Media, Leiden University, Netherlands (Online), .
    • Kleineidam, Tobias; Gunstmann, Lina; Schonebeck, Anna; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Frischlich, Lena (): ‘Entertaining far-right propaganda on Instagram: User reactions to eudaimonic posts’. MISDOOM - 2nd Multidisciplinary International Symposium on Disinformation in Open Online Media, Leiden University, Netherlands (Online), .
    • Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Copycats and Hijackers: How malicious actors exploit social media hypes’. MISDOOM - 2nd Multidisciplinary International Symposium on Disinformation in Open Online Media, Leiden University, Netherlands (Online), .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Boberg, Svenja; Frischlich, Lena; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Hidden Biases: The Effects of Deleted Content on Twitter on Sampling Quality’. 70th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Gold Coast, Australien (virtual due to COVID-19), .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Frischlich, Lena; Clever, Lena (): ‘The EU Election 2019 on Social Media: Comparing Alternative and Mainstream News using Computational Methods’. 70th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Gold Coast, Australia (virtual due to COVID-19), .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Boberg, Svenja; Wintterlin, Florian; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Denunciation, corrective or catchphrase? The use of the term fake news in social media debates’. 70th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Gold Coast, Australia (virtual due to COVID-19), .
    • Wintterlin, Florian; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Frischlich, Lena; Boberg, Svenja; Quandt, Thorsten (): „Hate Speech, Disinformation and Incivility: The Moderation of Negative User Content in German Newsrooms“. 65. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPuK), München, .
    • Frischlich, Lena; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Clever, Lena (): „Who dominates the digitized public? Reach and Topics of Alternative News Media in the Run-up to the EU Election 2019 [Wer beherrscht die digitalisierte Öffentlichkeit? Reichweite und Themen alternativer Nachrichtenmedien im Vorfeld der EU-Wahl 2019]“. Jahrestagung der deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik und Kommunikation (DGPUK), München, Deutschland, .
    • Wintterlin, Florian; Frischlich, Lena; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Boberg, Svenja, Quandt, Thorsten (): „Who corrects misinformation online? The Effect of Third-, Second-, and First-Person Perceptions on Corrective Actions“. Gemeinsame Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe „Kommunikation und Politik“ der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPuK), des Arbeitskreises „Politik und Kommunikation“ der Deutschen Vereinigung für Politische Wissenschaft (DVPW) und der Fachgruppe „Politische Kommunikation“ der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft (SGKM) "Desinformation, Populismus, “Lügenpresse” - Vertrauen und Glaubwürdigkeit in der politischen Kommunikation", Mainz, .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Clever, Lena; Frischlich, Lena (): ‘Dissemination of Doubt: Analyzing the Spread of Conspiratorial Narratives Online’. 24-hours of Political Psychology, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany, .

    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Boberg, Svenja; Frischlich, Lena; Wintterlin, Florian; Quandt, Thorsten (): „Sampling on Twitter: Sampling Bias due to Deleted Content“. 21. Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe „Methoden der Publizistik und Kommunikationswissenschaft“ der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPuK), Universität Greifswald, .
    • Wintterlin, Florian; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Frischlich, Lena; Boberg, Svenja; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘How to cope with dark participation? Authoritative and participative moderation in German newsrooms’. Future of Journalism Conference, Cardiff, .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Frischlich, Lena; Wintterlin, Florian; Boberg, Svenja; Adam, Lena; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Who is Affected by the Disinformation Order? Predicting the Exposure to Distorted Information Prior to the Parliamentary Election in Germany’. 69th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Washington D.C., USA, .
    • Boberg, Svenja; Wintterlin, Florian; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Between Threat and Panic: Journalists’ Experiences with Covert Propaganda Attacks before and during the Federal Election in Germany’. 69th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Washington D.C., USA, .
    • Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Wintterlin, Florian; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Buzzword “Fake News”: Analyzing How Commenters of a Leading News Forum Use the Term Fake News via Automated Content Analysis’. 69th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Washington D.C., USA, .
    • Wintterlin, Florian; Frischlich, Lena; Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Reer, Felix; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Corrective actions in the information disorder. Presumed influence and the countering of distorted information’. 69th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), Washington D.C., USA, .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Boberg, Svenja; Wintterlin, Florian; Quandt, Thorsten (): „Best-Practice Preprocessing. Lecture in the context of the special window Research Software in Communication and Media Science.“ Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPuK), Münster, .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Boberg, Svenja; Frischlich, Lena; Wintterlin, Florian; Quandt, Thorsten (): „Titles vs. topics: Thematic Commonalities of Journalistic Articles and the Corresponding User Comments“. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPuK), Münster, .
    • Frischlich, Lena; Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Wintterlin, Florian; Quandt, Thorsten (): „On the relevance of person characteristics and media usage patterns for the confrontation with hate-speech and personal victimization in the Internet.“ Jahrestagung der deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik und Kommunikation (DGPUK), Münster, Deutschland, .
    • Wintterlin, Florian; Frischlich, Lena; Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Quandt, Thorsten (): „The Role of Citizens in the Disinformation Order: Who Amplifies Fake News?“ Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPUK), Münster, .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Boberg, Svenja; Wintterlin, Florian; Quandt, Thorsten (): „In the Thicket of Conspiracy: Information Sources of Conspiracy-Theoretical Online Communities“. SmartNETWORK-Tagung „Öffentlichkeit und Debattenkulturen“ (SmartNETWORK), Universität Münster, .
    • Boberg, Svena; Frischlich, Lena; Wintterlin, Florian; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Between overload and indifference. Detection of fake accounts and social bots by community managers’. MISDOOM - Multidisciplinary International Symposium on Disinformation in Online Media, Hamburg, .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Boberg, Svenja; Wintterlin, Florian; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Use and Assessment of Sources in Conspiracy Theorists' Communities’. MISDOOM Multidisciplinary International Symposium on Disinformation in Online Media, Hamburg, .
    • Wintterlin, Florian; Frischlich, Lena; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Boberg, Svenja; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘Manipulation attempts during the German federal election 2017’. MISDOOM - Multidisciplinary International Symposium on Disinformation in Online Media, Hamburg, .

    • Frischlich, Lena; Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Wintterlin, Florian; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘The effects of fake news, political emotions, and trust on populist votes’. DGPs, Frankfurt, .
    • Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim (): ‘Conspiracy Theories in a Digital World: An old phenomenon in a new environment’. "Trust in mediated communication": 4th international summer school organized in collaboration with Michigan State University (USA) and the University of California, Santa Barbara (USA) (Institut für Kommunikationswissenschaft), Münster, .
    • Frischlich, Lena; Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Quandt, Thorsten (): ‘False Information—real problems? Online-misinformation, political anger, inefficiency, trust and the intention to vote populists’. Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association (ICA), Prague, .
    • Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Frischlich, Lena (): ‘Singling out voices in an ocean of noise’. Jahrestagung der International Communication Association (ICA), Prag, Tschechien, .
    • Frischlich, Lena; Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Quandt, Thorsten. (): „Would the real reader please stand up? Detection of fake accounts and social bots in participatory journalistic offerings“. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik und Kommunikation (DGPUK). , Mannheim, .
    • Frischlich, Lena; Boberg, Svenja; Schatto-Eckrodt, Tim; Wintterlin, Florian (): ‘Roots of Hate. Interpersonal differences and the amplification of hate’. Multidisciplinary perspectives on radicalization, Cologne, Germany, .