Faculty – Media Research and Writing

Job Description: Faculty – Media Research and Writing
(Journalistic Writing, Communication Research, AI & New Media)

Position: Assistant / Associate Professor
School: School of Emerging Media & Creator Economy (SEMCE)
Location: K.R. Mangalam University, Gurugram

Role overview

This role focuses on media research and journalistic writing with a strong emphasis on digital platforms, AI and emerging media in the Indian context. The faculty member will be a research‑active scholar and bilingual writer (Hindi and English) who can mentor students, lead funded projects, and help SEMCE build its own research journal and international conference footprint.

Core responsibilities

• Teach Communication / Media Research (with emphasis on research design, methods, ethics and analysis for digital and social media environments) and courses around journalistic and strategic writing (news reports, features, explainers, press releases, newsletters, blogs, scripts and platform‑native formats in both Hindi and English).
• Take leadership in conceptualising, launching and managing a peer‑reviewed research journal for SEMCE, including editorial workflows, peer review systems and outreach.
• Lead the planning and hosting of national and international conferences under SEMCE, including themes, calls for papers, review processes, proceedings, publications etc.
• Integrate AI and digital tools into writing and research workflows, and train students to use research tools responsibly (search, reference management, survey platforms, basic statistics, analytics, etc.).
• Actively conduct and publish research in refereed journals and edited volumes in areas such as digital media, journalism, creator economy, AI & communication, or related domains.
• Actively seek fellowships, grants and funded research or consultancy projects, and mentor colleagues and students in building a research culture.
Contribute to school and university service: mentoring, research clusters, committees, accreditation documentation and outreach activities.

Skills faculty must have

• Excellent writing skills in both Hindi and English, with demonstrable flair for clear, compelling journalistic and academic writing.
• Strong grounding in communication / media research methods (qualitative, quantitative and/or mixed methods), preferably with experience in digital/platform‑based research.
• Proven ability (or clear potential) to maintain an active publication record in reputable, peer‑reviewed journals and edited volumes.
• Familiarity with AI and new media environments, and the ability to critically discuss algorithms, platforms and their impact on journalism, creators and audiences.
• Organisational ability to set up and manage editorial processes for a journal and academic events such as conferences or symposia.
Ability to mentor students and early‑career faculty on research design, writing, publication strategies and funding applications.

Tools / platforms (expected proficiency)

• Research tools: reference managers (e.g., Zotero, Mendeley or EndNote), survey tools (Google Forms / Qualtrics), and basic statistical/analysis tools (Excel, SPSS, R or equivalent).
• AI and digital tools used in academic and media workflows (search/summarisation assistants, transcription, coding/qualitative analysis, basic visualisation), with an emphasis on ethical and critical use.
• Professional writing and publishing tools: word processors with track‑changes workflows, journal submission systems, and basic familiarity with citation styles (APA/MLA/Chicago, etc.).
Platform and analytics familiarity (YouTube Studio, Meta/Instagram insights, Google Analytics or similar) to support data‑driven media/audience research.

Can create and teach courses around

• Journalistic Writing and Reporting, Feature and Opinion Writing (Hindi and English) especially for digital media suitable for on-linear consumption pattern.
• Press Releases, Corporate / Development Communication Writing, Newsletters and Brand Storytelling for digital platforms.
• Communication / Media Research, Data & Media Studies, Audience Research for Digital Platforms.
AI & New Media, Media, Technology & Society, and Creator Economy–oriented research seminars or labs.

Ideal background

• Ph.D. in Journalism, Mass Communication, Media Studies, Communication, or closely related fields from a recognised university.
• Strong, recent publication record in peer‑reviewed journals / edited volumes, ideally in digital media, journalism, AI & communication, or audience/creator studies.
• Demonstrated ability or clear potential to secure fellowships, grants or funded research/consultancy projects will be a significant advantage.
• Evidence of effective teaching, training or mentoring at UG/PG level, preferably with bilingual (Hindi–English) teaching or writing experience.
• Eligibility, pay and other service conditions will be as per UGC / statutory norms and K.R. Mangalam University policies (NET/PhD and other requirements as applicable)