Dr. Karin Assmann

Assistant Professor, Journalism

About: Karin Assmann is the former U.S. correspondent for Spiegel television and has written, reported and produced for radio, broadcast and online publications before turning to academia. She teaches Introduction to Video Journalism and Information Gathering.

View Curriculum Vitae

Education

Ph.D., Journalism Studies, University of Maryland, Philip Merrill College of Journalism
M.Sc., History of Political Thought, London School of Economics and Political Science
B.S., School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Research Interests and Activities

Dr. Assmann’s research focuses on newsroom sociology. She studies issues such as the effects of audience engagement practices on journalists, affirmative action initiatives and their impact on work culture and institutional responses to attacks on news media organizations. Other interests include press freedom, censorship and cybersecurity.

Community Journalism Interest Group Karin Assmann

Karin Assmann will be discussant for the Community Journalism Interest Group at this year’s AEJMC Southeast Colloquium.

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Are women journalists in leadership changing work conditions and newsroom culture? Karin Assmann

Karin Assmann & Eckert, S. (Accepted, 2023) “Are women journalists in leadership changing work conditions and newsroom culture?” Journalism.  Abstract: Using standpoint epistemology and critical mass theory this study analyzes […]

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Whistleblowers and their faith in journalism Karin Assmann

Karin Assmann. “Whistleblowers and their faith in journalism” has been published (online first) in Journalism Practice and was featured in Mark Coddington and Seth Lewis’ column RQ1 and in the Nieman Lab newsletter. Abstract: […]

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Whistleblowers and their faith in journalism Karin Assmann

Karin Assmann. “Whistleblowers and their faith in journalism,” Journalism Practice (forthcoming). Abstract: Reporters, to enact their role as watchdogs and their commitment to uncovering corporate or governmental wrongdoing, often must […]

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She said, ‘Enough!’ Women-led protests around the world from a communication perspective Karin Assmann

Karin Assman is an invited panelist for an AEJMC ICD panel entitled: “She said, ‘Enough!’ Women-led protests around the world from a communication perspective” on November 17. She’ll be talking about initiatives in […]

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From liberal bias to ‘fake news’: Sean Hannity’s election season media-bashing from 2012-2020 Karin Assmann

Abstract: Fox News navigates Sean Hannity’s complicated status as a member of the news media by describing him as a political commentator and talk show host. His self-assigned role as media critic […]

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Fuzzy Boundaries: Journalists telling branded stories Karin Assmann and Alexander Pfeuffer

Abstract: Brand Studios have become ubiquitous in news outlets across the United States. Situated in news organizations with the attention of audiences that brands hope to reach, these in-house creative studios […]

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From Liberal Bias to Fake News: Sean Hannity’s election-time media bashing from 2016 – 2020) Karin Assmann

William Newlin, a Double Dawg, presented the paper “From Liberal Bias to Fake News: Sean Hannity’s election-time media bashing from 2016 – 2020),” co-authored with Karin Assman, at the AEJMC […]

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Change comes from the top: bringing diversity into newsroom leadership Karin Assmann

Panel proposal accepted for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference, August 2022.

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Pushing Fuzzy Boundaries: Advertising, Journalism Ethics and Professional Identities in Branded Newsrooms Karin Assmann and Alexander Pfeuffer

Panel proposal accepted for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference, August 2022. Panelists: Alexander Pfeuffer, Ava Sirrah, Columbia University (PhD candidate).

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Enemies of the Press: Global harassment, abuse and violence against journalists Karin Assmann

Panelists: Florence Namasinga Selnes, Oslo Metropolitan University; Celeste Gonzáles de Bustamente and Jeannine E. Relly, Arizona State University; Kaitlin Miller, University of Alabama; Kalyani Chadha, Northwestern; Prashanth Bhat, Eastern Connecticut […]

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From liberal bias to ‘fake news’: Sean Hannity’s election- season media-bashing from 2012-2020 Karin Assmann

Abstract: This study analyzes Sean Hannity’s rhetoric about the news media before, during and after the three most recent presidential elections. We treat Hannity’s discourse as metajournalistic discourse (Carlson, 2016) that […]

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Judging Oprah Karin Assmann

Abstract: When viewers tuned in to watch Oprah Winfrey’s interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex earlier this year, they celebrated Winfrey’s interview style on Twitter. All but crowning […]

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Women in editorial leadership: A West German Domain? Karin Assmann

Karin Assmann and Stine Eckert presented their study “Women in editorial leadership: A West German Domain?” on September 24, 2021, in Magdeburg, Germany. Dr. Eckert was present and Dr. Assmann […]

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Understanding and building communication and information needs in rural Georgia Karin Assmann

Karin Assmann presented “Understanding and building communication and information needs in rural Georgia” at the 2021 Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC) Annual Conference at Penn State (held virtually) on September 15, […]

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Vice Head of AEJMC’s Cultural and Critical Studies Division Karin Assmann

Karin Assman started her tenure as Vice Head of AEJMC’s Cultural and Critical Studies Division.

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AmeriCorps’ for Student Journalists in Georgia:  A Program to Bring News Coverage to Rural Communities Karin Assmann

The 2021 Baskett Mosse Award for Faculty Development has been awarded to Karin Assmann, Georgia, for her proposed project, “‘AmeriCorps’ for Student Journalists in Georgia:  A Program to Bring News Coverage to Rural […]

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Communication rituals, alternative media regimes and enactments of participatory journalism in rural ‘news deserts’ in Georgia Karin Assmann

Abstract: “News deserts’ are defined as communities with inadequate access to news sources (Abernathy, 2018; Stites, 2011). In an environment increasingly polarized, with social media platforms that support the spread […]

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The “ProQuote” initiative: Women journalists in Germany push to revolutionize newsroom leadership Karin Assmann

Abstract: Using standpoint epistemology and critical mass theories this study examines outcomes of the 2012 ProQuote [ProQuota] initiative in Germany demanding at least 30% women in leadership per newsroom. In-depth […]

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Communication rituals, alternative media regimes and enactments of participatory journalism in rural ‘news deserts’ in Georgia Karin Assmann

Karin Assmann and Ev Andrews.(Grady MA student). “Communication rituals, alternative media regimes and enactments of participatory journalism in rural ‘news deserts’ in Georgia.” Accepted for presentation at AEJMC’s 2021 Midwinter […]

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Whistleblowers and their faith in journalism: The (d)evolution of trust among the sources that journalists need most Karin Assmann

Abstract: Using in-depth interviews conducted with 12 U.S. whistleblowers  who contacted the press in the 1970s through the 2010s, this paper examines changing perceptions of the news media and journalists […]

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We are the People: Audience Engagement as Catalyst for Newsroom Unionization? Karin Assmann

Abstract: This study explores the tension between management, journalists and their audience around audience engagement with a focus on the role of newsroom unionization. Ethnographic work in three U.S. newsrooms […]

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Lügenpresse: The lying press and German journalists’ responses to a stigma. Karin Assmann

Abstract: The term Lügenpresse, ‘lying press’, was used by the German National Socialist Party before and during the Third Reich to discredit the news media and to undermine public trust. […]

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Awards and Fellowships

  • Mary Ann Yodelis Smith Award for Feminist Scholarship for: “A quota for women in online newsroom leadership? Lessons from the ProQuote initiative in Germany;” Commission on the Status of Women, AEJMC 2019
  • Stevenson open research competition; top paper award (third place) for “ProQuote: A German woman journalists’ initiative to revolutionize newsroom leadership” InternationalCommunication Division, AEJMC 2018
In the News

Whistleblowers losing faith in media impact

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Podcast: Exploring Grady College’s Qualitative Research Lab

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