Birgit Stark

Prof. Dr. Birgit Stark is Professor of Communication Science with a focus on media convergence at the Institute of Journalism, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. She has held this position since 2011 and has served in various leadership roles including Director of the Mainz Media Institute (2018-2020), spokesperson for the research focus on Media Convergence (2014-2019), and Managing Director of the Institute of Journalism (2013-2015). Since March 2023, she has served as an expert of the ZDF Television Council on quality measurement.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD (2005) from University of Hohenheim on "Television in digital media environments. An empirical analysis of viewer behavior"
• Social sciences studies (1988-1995) at Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg with focus on law, social policy, empirical social research and communication science

Prof. Stark's research focuses on media change & media convergence, usage and reception research, media systems/structures, methods of market and communication research, and comparative media research. Her work examines how digital transformation affects media landscapes, audience behavior, and democratic processes. She investigates the role of intermediaries in opinion formation, media diversity, and the challenges of maintaining quality journalism in the digital age. Her research combines theoretical frameworks with empirical methods to understand complex media dynamics.

Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on media diversity, opinion power, and algorithmic curation in digital environments. Stark's work consistently examines how information intermediaries shape public discourse and democratic processes. She investigates the tension between personalized content delivery and the need for diverse information exposure, with particular attention to the regulatory implications of platform power. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges communication science, political science, and media policy studies.

Prof. Stark is an active member of numerous professional organizations:

• International Communication Association (ICA)
• International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR)
• European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA)
• German Society for Journalism and Communication Studies (DGPuK)
• Austrian Society for Communication Studies (ÖGK)
• Network of Media Structures

She leads several significant research projects including "Media Performance and Democracy," "Measuring opinion power and diversity," and "Audience fragmentation by information intermediaries." Her work has influenced media policy discussions, particularly regarding platform regulation and media diversity. She has supervised numerous dissertations on topics including algorithms, media convergence, and communication cohesion.

Prof. Stark directs the research group focused on Media Convergence and collaborates with the Mainz Media Institute. Her team examines the evolving media ecosystem through both theoretical and empirical lenses, with particular attention to the intersection of technology, society, and democratic processes. The group maintains strong connections with media practitioners and policy makers to ensure research relevance to real-world challenges.