Katharina Schöppl

Katharina Schöppl is a Lecturer at the Institute for Media, Knowledge and Communication (IMWK) at the University of Augsburg and a research assistant at the Media Change and Long-Term Transformation Processes lab at ZeMKI, University of Bremen. She collaborates with Prof. Dr. Christian Schwarzenegger on the DFG-funded project investigating system-critical alternative media’s role in media repertoires. Her research focuses on alternative media, political communication, visual communication, and scientific communication on social platforms.

Education:

• Master’s degrees in Communication Studies and Political Science (University of Salzburg, 2019–2022)
• Diplôme d’Université in Business Administration (IUT Université Grenoble Alpes, 2017)
• Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Communication Science

Research Contributions: Katharina has explored the visual self-presentation of scientists on Instagram, mediated parent networks, and the socio-political dimensions of alternative media. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical analysis of digital cultures and media use.

Teaching:

• Advanced BA seminars on populism, media history, civil disobedience, and counterpublics (University of Augsburg)

Professional Activities: Member of DGPuK, ECREA, ICA, and IAMCR. Active in international conferences presenting on topics like media distrust, alternative media users’ victimhood narratives, and science communication strategies.