DC12 – Audience data management and performance measurement in the cross-media landscape

Tallinn University (TLU) is the largest university of humanities in Tallinn and the third biggest public university in Estonia. The University hosts nearly 7,000 students, of which about 9.5% are international, and employs around 950 staff members, including nearly 400 researchers and lecturers (13% from abroad). The implementing unit of this PhD project is the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (BFM), a competence centre for communication and audiovisual expertise and home to the Centre of Excellence in Media Innovation and Digital Culture (MEDIT).

BFM is an active partner in several EU-funded research and education initiatives. TLU’s HR department will support the doctoral candidate with administrative procedures, including insurance, taxation, and visa/residence permit arrangements via the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board. The International Student Centre will assist with accommodation, and IT and library units provide training in digital systems. BFM also runs its own PhD programme with around 20 Estonian and international doctoral students.

The PhD project is titled: Audience data management and performance measurement in the cross-media landscape.

This PhD project investigates how Public Interest Media organisations can ethically and effectively generate, use, and share audience data across platforms. While audience behaviour data has become central in contemporary media management, public media organisations face challenges transitioning from traditional broadcast metrics to complex cross-platform analytics. At the same time, they must avoid the extractive, opaque, and data-intensive practices typical of major tech platforms.

The doctoral candidate will analyse how audience data is produced, integrated, and interpreted within public interest media, and develop innovative methodologies for performance measurement that balance editorial missions, communicative purposes, and user insight requirements. The research will ultimately produce strategic recommendations for revising Public Service Media approaches to audience measurement and for adapting production, distribution, and engagement strategies within the evolving, tech-driven media environment.

Tasks foreseen:
• Mapping data flows and analytics practices across public interest media platforms 
• Analysing organisational, ethical, and editorial implications of audience data use 
• Developing methodological models for audience performance measurement 
• Producing actionable strategic recommendations for Public Service Media. 

Methodology:
The project will combine qualitative and quantitative methods, including organisational analysis, interviews, digital platform analytics, and comparative case study work. The doctoral candidate will have access to BFM/MEDIT infrastructures, including CUDAN Open Lab.

The position requires relocation to Estonia as the candidate will be enrolled in Tallinn University’s PhD programme. The project is conducted under the supervision of Ulrike Rohn, Professor of Media Management and Economics at Tallinn University, and Jannick Sørensen, Associate Professor at Aalborg University, Denmark. It will involve close collaboration with other Doctoral Candidates in the RePIM doctoral Network Project, and an academic secondment of approximately 2 months at Aalborg University in Copenhagen. The candidate will also carry out 3-month internship at the Estonian Public Service Media (ERR).

The PhD position is part of RePIM – Revisioning Public Interest Media, a four-year Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) Doctoral Network dedicated to reimagining the role and future of Public Interest Media in a data-driven, platform-dominated environment. RePIM brings together leading European universities, industry partners, and 12 Doctoral Candidates in an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral training and research programme. The network investigates how public interest media can remain relevant, sustainable, and impactful by transforming how content is produced, packaged, distributed, and supported organisationally and technologically. Through its focus on strategic innovation, organisational change, and media management, RePIM equips its doctoral researchers with advanced analytical and managerial skills to help reshape Public Interest Media across diverse European contexts.

MSCA eligibility requirements

• At the time of recruitment, candidates must not already hold a doctoral degree.
• Applicants of any nationality are welcome to apply. However, researchers must not have lived or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host country (in this case: Estonia) for more than 12 months within the 36 months immediately preceding their recruitment date. Candidates must be willing to move to Estonia for the duration of the PhD research.

Project-specific profile requirements

• Candidates should hold a relevant Master’s degree in media studies, media management, communication, digital humanities, data analytics, or a closely related field.
• Prior experience in media industry analysis, audience research, digital platform studies, or organisational research is considered an asset.
• Methodological proficiency in either qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, organisational ethnography, case studies) or quantitative/data-driven approaches (e.g., basic analytics, digital trace data, statistical analysis) is expected. A willingness to develop mixed-methods competencies is desirable.
• Excellent English communication skills (written and spoken) are required.
• Familiarity with Public Service Media, platform governance, or media policy is beneficial.

In this role, you will work with researchers at two prominent European institutions in media and communication research. You will collaborate closely with other researchers in a European consortium of leading studies institutes in the field, as well as conduct an industrial secondment with a relevant organisation in your field of research.

The planned starting date is 1 May 2026.

We offer an attractive compensation and benefits package, including the following:

• An attractive salary in accordance with the MSCA Call 2025 regulations for Doctoral Researchers for 36 months, including a monthly living allowance, a mobility allowance, and a family allowance (only if applicable).
• Should a fourth year be required for completion, the salary will be subject to negotiation.
• International mobility for academic secondment at Aalborg University (Copenhagen)
• An industry internship at ERR (Tallinn).
• TLU and BFM provide a supportive and international research environment, access to state-of-the-art audiovisual and cultural data infrastructures (including film labs, digital libraries, and CUDAN Open Lab), training in research methods and transferable skills, and full administrative support through HR and international offices.
• Doctoral candidates benefit from the broader European Alliance for Film and Media Arts (FilmEU) and other EU project networks, mobility opportunities, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Applications are now closed.

Application process:

• Step 1: initial selection based on application file
• Step 2: first round of interviews with long-listed candidates (est. February–March 2026)
• Step 3: second round of interviews with short-listed candidates (March 2026)
• Starting date: est. 1 May 2026.