Rethinking research on journalistic roles: Guest Talk by Tim Vos

On September 15, 2026, Tim Vos, Professor in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University, will give a talk on “Rethinking research on journalistic roles”.

Journalistic roles are a central topic in journalism research. In his talk, Tim Vos critically examines how these roles have traditionally been conceptualized and studied. He argues that journalistic roles have sometimes been treated as overly fixed concepts, conceived too narrowly, insufficiently defined, and lacking a strong theoretical foundation.

The talk addresses possible solutions to these problems and outlines a revised research agenda for studying the roles that journalists conceive for themselves and actually practice in their everyday work. It also considers what is at stake in rethinking research on journalistic roles and why studying these roles remains important.

Tim Vos is a Fellow of the International Communication Association (ICA) and a past president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). He has also served on the AEJMC Standing Committee on Research and as head of its History Division. Before joining Michigan State University, he taught at Seton Hall University and the University of Missouri, where he served as an associate professor and Chair of Journalism Studies. Vos earned his doctorate in Mass Communication from Syracuse University in 2005. Prior to his academic career, he worked as a broadcast journalist for 12 years, writing for local and national publications and interviewing numerous major-party candidates for U.S. president.

 

Date: September 15, 2026

Time: 2:00-4:00 PM

Location: Johannisstraße 4, JO1

 

Everyone interested is warmly invited to attend the talk and join the discussion with Tim Vos afterwards. We’re looking forward to your participation!