Open Rank Professor, Journalism Studies

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa seeks to hire a tenure-track faculty member in the area of Journalism Studies. The position is open rank. We are seeking applicants with expertise in studying news within its social, cultural, political, and global contexts. Potential areas of specialization include, but are not limited to: mis/disinformation, digital journalism, audience studies, newsroom sociology, journalism in the Global South, journalism and emerging media, and/or community-engaged journalism.

Preferred applicants will have a demonstrated record of research productivity and a desire to collaborate with faculty and graduate students within the School and across the university. We are particularly interested in candidates who have research expertise that aligns with one or more of the School’s additional areas of strength: digital media, global media, sports media, health/science communication, and critical/cultural studies.

The successful candidate will teach within the School’s undergraduate and graduate curriculum. Potential undergraduate courses include Introduction to Media and Culture, Introduction to Journalism and Strategic Communication, and Media Ethics and Diversity, with the potential to develop additional courses within the candidate’s area of expertise. The candidate will also mentor MA and PhD students and teach required and elective courses in our graduate program, such as Humanistic Approaches to Media and Communication, Social Scientific Approaches to Media and Communication, Journalism Studies, and courses within the candidate’s area of expertise.

Our School’s social justice mission leads us to invest in recruiting colleagues who in their scholarship, teaching, and service demonstrate experience, knowledge of, and sensitivity to the needs of marginalized communities and students holding a range of worldviews.

The typical expectations of tenure-track faculty are 40% teaching (2 courses per semester), 40% research, and 20% university and professional service.

The appointment will begin August 16, 2024.

Required Qualifications: Doctoral degree in mass communication or related discipline by the start of the appointment; teaching experience at the university level; evidence of research productivity commensurate with rank.

Applications should be submitted online at http://jobs.uiowa.edu/ (requisition #74807). Attachments to the application should include a 2- to 4-page cover letter that addresses the candidate’s research agenda, teaching experience, professional service, and approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching/research and/or service; a curriculum vitae; and contact information for three references. Questions should be directed to Associate Professor Brian Ekdale, Search Chair (brian-ekdale@uiowa.edu). 

Review of applications will begin September 15, 2023 and will be ongoing until the position is filled.

Located in Iowa City (population 70,000), the University of Iowa is the state’s flagship educational institution with more than 31,000 students and 1,700 faculty. The University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, with roughly 400 undergraduate majors and 100 masters and doctoral students, is housed in the Philip D. Adler Journalism and Mass Communication Building and features the Moeller Media Research Lab. The School is a unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the largest of the university’s 11 colleges. Visit the School’s website at http://clas.uiowa.edu/sjmc/ for more information.

The University of Iowa understands the link between diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and excellence in education. As demonstrated by the University’s DEI Action Plan, we embrace our responsibility to create a welcoming and inclusive campus culture so that all community members are able to realize their full potential. Faculty members in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication contribute to this mission by designing curricula, research programs, and engagement opportunities that advance understanding of DEI, uphold social justice, and emphasize the value of global citizenship. As part of the application, candidates are required to describe their past, current and planned future efforts to advance diversity and inclusion in alignment with the University of Iowa’s mission and values in the areas of teaching, mentoring, research and broader impacts, or professional service. To learn more about the University of Iowa’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, visit https://diversity.uiowa.edu/.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, religion, associational preference, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran. The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

UI Resources

We are committed to recruiting and retaining the most talented and diverse faculty and staff, which involves providing opportunities for employees to “Build a Career and Build a Life” in the Iowa City area. The University offers several benefits to support faculty in achieving a healthy work/life balance including domestic partner benefits, family caregiving leave, flexible spending accounts for dependent care and health care, and an automatic tenure clock extension when a minor child is added to the family. For more information about local work/life resources, including dual-career support, please see: https://worklife.uiowa.edu/.