DC2 – Reinventing content for online-first public media

Charles University is the oldest university in Central Europe and has maintained its high level of social authority and prestige over the years. It is a globally recognized leading research institution that combines high-quality science, research, and education on a domestic and international level. It is a place where modern methods and technologies are used for science and education.

Charles University is the largest Czech university. Currently, approximately 51,000 students attend the university, i.e. 13% of all universities in the Czech Republic. Charles University as a whole regularly ranks internationally among the most important universities in the world, and in certain fields, among the top universities. Charles University is profiled as a cosmopolitan university that attracts foreign students, academics, and researchers. As a part of internationalisation, Charles University participates, for example, in the 4EU+ project, which supports international inter-university collaboration.

A complex system of support for science and research has been implemented at Charles University that is unparalleled in the environment of Czech higher education. Charles University regularly achieves the highest ranking among Czech universities in the number of results in science and research in Czech academic ratings. Research projects and activities create one third of the revenue of Charles University, and academics and researchers make up more than half of the university’s employees. The Film Studies Department is a leading centre of research into film history and theory and participates in multiple inter-institutional activities both in the Czech Republic and abroad.

The PhD project is titled: Reinventing content for online-first public media.

This doctoral project investigates how Public Service Media (PSM) reinvent scripted and non-scripted formats for online-first environments — and what that means for universality, diversity, and audience reach. Building on RePIM’s ecosystem view of a platformised, data-driven media landscape, the project asks how online-only/online-first content production and curation can act as a vehicle for creative and organisational innovation in Public Service Media while remaining anchored in public values (e.g., pluralism, inclusivity, accessibility). It will analyse how commissioning, development, and publishing practices adapt to social-media logics and how these shifts affect the social impact of public interest content.

Key questions:

• How do online-first drama units operationalise audience insight, data, and platform imaginaries from idea through release, and with what public value outcomes?
• When Public Service Media ‘go small’ (short-form, low-budget, multifunctional teams), what new workflows and risks emerge — and how do these models help ‘youthify’ public media while preserving universality?
• What risks and opportunities arise when Public Service Media distribute and promote online-first content via commercial platforms (e.g., algorithmic gatekeeping, data lock-in, editorial independence, brand dilution vs. reach and discovery)? Which publishing, metadata, and governance strategies best safeguard public values while leveraging those platforms’ scale?
• How should PSM design and evaluate online curation and recommendation to balance personalisation with universality and diversity, ensure transparency, and avoid reproducing commercial biases?

Context and significance: European cases show online-first youth drama as a testbed for innovation — using real-time publishing, transmedia storytelling, and deep audience research to reconnect with ‘missing’ youth audiences. This has driven organisational change and platformisation within Public Service Media, but also raised tensions around resources, skills, and the limits of small, always-on teams. The project situates these dynamics within RePIM’s wider transformation agenda (content, organisation, infrastructures, audiences, governance).

Methodology: A mixed qualitative design anchored in production studies:

• Ethnography of production cultures in online divisions (room-to-release observation, workflow mapping) and cultural differences with more traditional Public Service Media units.
• Elite interviews with commissioners, showrunners, data/audience teams, and portal leads.
• Document and artefact analysis (production bibles, decks, analytics dashboards, platform policies).
• Lightweight audience-insight triangulation (cross-platform metrics, complemented by qualitative audience work) to evaluate universality/diversity effects in distribution and discovery — mindful of Public Service Media’s data-ethics constraints.
• Comparative case studies may include Nordic exemplars and East-Central European online-first initiatives to capture path-dependent strategies and institutional resistance/adaptation.

The position requires relocation to Czechia as the candidate will be enrolled in Charles University’s PhD programme. The project is conducted under the supervision of Petr Szczepanik, Associate Professor at Charles University, Prague, and Wendy Van den Broeck, Associate Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. It will involve close collaboration with other Doctoral Candidates in the RePIM doctoral Network Project, and an academic secondment of approximately 2 months at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. The candidate will also carry out 3-month internship at Česká Televize, the Czech Public Service Media organisation.

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: Czechia) for more than 12 months within the 36 months immediately preceding their recruitment date. Candidates must be willing to move to Czechia for the duration of the PhD research.

Project-specific profile requirements

• Previous education: Master’s degree in film/television/media studies, or adjacent fields (communication, journalism, cultural studies, cultural anthropology). Backgrounds bridging media industries, creative practice, and social-science research are welcome.
• Professional background: Academic or industry experience in one or more of the following: audiovisual production, commissioning, story editing, streaming economy, TV scheduling, digital curation, or audience insights. Familiarity with Public Service Media is an advantage.
• Methodological proficiency: Strong qualitative toolkit (ethnography/field observation, semi-structured interviewing, textual/production analysis). Curiosity about platform and data practices in commissioning/publishing; readiness to learn cross-platform audience measurement within Public Interest Media’s ethical constraints. Ability to synthesise research into actionable guidance for practitioners.
• Language: Excellent English (spoken/written). Basic Czech (or willingness to learn) is an advantage for fieldwork; additional European languages are a plus.
• Willingness to engage in international mobility in line with the MSCA-DN framework (meetings, training sessions, research stays and industry stays, etc.).

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 still under discussion.

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

• A full-time PhD scholarship for 36 months (plus a lower stipend based on local rates at Charles University for the fourth year).
• An attractive salary in accordance with the MSCA Call 2025 regulations for Doctoral Researchers for the first 36 months, including a monthly gross living allowance of approximately €2,798, a mobility allowance, and a family allowance (only if applicable).
• International mobility for academic secondment at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium).
• An industry internship at Česká Televize (Prague).
• Facilities for children and parents at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University: Children’s Corner.
• Accommodation in Charles University dormitories.
• Other benefits for Charles University students and employees.
• Services provided by UK Point for PhD candidates.
• Dedicated office space for the PhD candidate.
• A wide range of training possibilities and participation in international conferences.
• Support and guidance by an experienced team of academic supervisors and senior researchers.
• A dynamic and stimulating work environment with enterprising young scientists and experienced senior research staff in an international setting.

Applications for this position closed on 31 January 2026, 23:59 CET.

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.