A. (Ansgard) Heinrich, Dr

Dr Ansgard Heinrich is Associate Professor in the Department of Media Studies and Journalism.

She joined the department in August 2010. Prior to her appointment at the Unviersity of Groningen, she held research and teaching positions in New Zealand, Australia and Germany. She received her PhD from the University of Otago, New Zealand, in 2008 and specializes in the study of contemporary journalistic practice. Her primary research interests include digital media technologies, globalization and media, alternative journalism, social media and crisis reporting in the digial age.

Dr Heinrich's current project Who’s Breaking the News? Global Conflict Reporting in the Digital Age” analyses the fundamental transformations of global conflict reporting. Funded with the help of an NWO Aspasia grant, the project takes the digitization and globalization of societies to explore those agents who cover conflict in today’s complex, digital information networks. "Who’s Breaking the News?" aims to cater to the urgent need to understand the dynamics of (online) communication networks that shape our perception of conflict today.

Her research interest for the interplay between journalism, globalization and digital information networks already showed in her book ‘Network Journalism. Journalistic Practice in Interactive Spheres’ (Routledge, 2011; available as paperback print-on-demand since summer 2014). Here, she discussed journalistic practice in the globalized digital age. Based on a series of interviews with media practitioners in the UK, Germany and the US, she analyzed how various traditional and alternative media outlets are coping with the challenges of today's digital communication flows.

Dr Heinrich has authored a series of book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. Amongst others, her research on emerging trends in journalistic practice can be found in journals such as Media International Australia, Journalism Practice or New Media & Society. She has acted as keynote speaker and frequently speaks at international conferences.

A native of Germany, she has extensive international experience. She was a research fellow at the University of Melbourne and at the Central European University Budapest and has taught at Universities of Applied Sciences in Germany. She is an active participant in the University of Groningen’s international classroom project and assists to further developments on integrating students and staff from diverse backgrounds into a single learning environment. Prior to her academic career she worked as freelance journalist for local radio stations in her home region of North Rhine-Westphalia and holds a Masters Degree in German Language and Literature Studies, English and Sociology from Bielefeld University.