Host institution: Tallinn University (TLU) 🇪🇪
Supervisors: Prof. Ulrike Rohn (TLU) and Prof. Jannick Sørensen (AAU)
Academic secondment: Aalborg University (AAU) 🇩🇰
Industrial secondment: Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR) 🇪🇪
PhD duration: 4 years
The PhD project is titled: Audience data management and performance measurement in the cross-media landscape.
This PhD project explores how Public Interest Media organisations can generate, manage and utilise audience data in ethical and effective ways across increasingly complex media ecosystems. While audience data has become central to contemporary media management, public media organisations face significant challenges in moving from traditional broadcast metrics to cross-platform analytics. At the same time, they must avoid adopting opaque, extractive and overly data-intensive practices commonly associated with major technology platforms.
The doctoral candidate will investigate how audience data is produced, integrated and interpreted within Public Interest Media organisations. The project will also develop innovative methodologies for performance measurement that align editorial missions, communicative goals and user insight needs. The research will produce strategic recommendations to support the evolution of audience measurement practices and inform production, distribution and engagement strategies in a rapidly changing media environment.
Tasks
- Map data flows and analytics practices across Public Interest Media platforms.
- Analyse organisational, ethical and editorial implications of audience data use.
- Develop methodological models for audience performance measurement.
- Produce actionable strategic recommendations for Public Service Media and other Public Interest Media organisations.
Methodology and research environment
The project combines qualitative and quantitative approaches, including organisational analysis, interviews, digital platform analytics and comparative case studies. The candidate will have access to BFM/MEDIT infrastructures, including the CUDAN Open Lab. The position is hosted by Tallinn University and situated in the research environment of the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School.