Inga Oelrichs

Inga Oelrichs is a researcher at the Institute for Communication and Media Research at the German Sport University Cologne (DSHS). She completed her doctoral studies at the same institute and continues her academic work focusing on digital sports journalism, social media practices, and audience engagement. Her research spans innovative media use, scandalization in sports media, and second screening behaviors.

Her research interests lie at the intersection of sports, media, and digital communication. She investigates how journalists use social media as sources, how audiences interact with sports content across platforms, and how sports organizations manage their owned media. Her work combines qualitative and quantitative methods to explore evolving media practices in sports contexts.

The 15 most recent articles reflect a strong focus on digital transformation in sports journalism, with recurring themes including social media integration, source credibility, audience expectations, and innovation adoption. Her publications appear in leading journals such as the International Journal of Sport Communication and Communication & Sport, demonstrating sustained scholarly output and international relevance.

Scientific Activities and Projects:

• Innovationen im Sportjournalismus (Ongoing, self-funded)
• Nutzungsmotive und Qualitätserwartungen an Instagram-Angebote (2022–2024, self-funded)
• Digitales Lehr- und Lernmaterial 'So funktioniert Sportjournalismus' (2022–2023, third-party funded)
• Owned Media Content im Sportjournalismus (2018–2023, self-funded)
• Skandalfaktoren (2013–2016, self-funded)

She has presented at major international conferences including ICA, IACS, and ECREA. Her collaborative work with scholars like Mark Ludwig, Christoph Bertling, and Natascha Wehlisch highlights her integration into the global sports communication research community. Though no formal PhD students are listed, she contributes to research training through project involvement and educational material development.

Labs and Research Environment:

Inga Oelrichs operates within the Institute for Communication and Media Research at DSHS, a leading center for sports communication studies in Europe. The institute supports interdisciplinary research on media, sports, and society, providing a collaborative environment for empirical and theoretical inquiry.