Niels Mede, Dr.
- Oberassistent / Senior Research and Teaching Associate
- Phone
- +41 44 635 20 64
- Room number
- AND 3.26
Navigation auf uzh.ch
Navigation auf uzh.ch
(for more information, see his personal website)
05/23-08/23: Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), University of Oxford
since 01/23: Senior Research and Teaching Associate at the Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich
07/22-12/22: Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich
10/18-06/22: Research and Teaching Assistant at the Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich
06/13-12/21: Several (freelance) jobs in market research, media development research, and academic research (including GfK, Media in Cooperation and Transition, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities)
03/22-05/22: Visiting Scholar at the Department of Life Sciences Communication, University of Wisconsin—Madison
2016-2018: M.A. in “Communication Science”, University of Münster, Germany
2012-2016: B.A. in “Media Management”, Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, Germany
1. Mede, N. G. (2022). Science-related populism: Conceptualization, empirical investigation, and implications for science communication [Cumulative dissertation]. University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-219776
13. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., & Metag, J. (2023). Cognitio populi – Vox populi: Implications of science-related populism for communication behaviour. Communications. Advance online publication. Link: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/commun-2022-0059/html
12. Eberl, J.-M., Huber, R. A., Mede, N. G., & Greussing, E. (2023). Populist attitudes towards politics and science: How do they differ? Political Research Exchange, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2474736X.2022.2159847
11. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., Metag, J., & Klinger, K. (2022). Who supports science-related populism? A nationally representative survey on the prevalence and explanatory factors of populist attitudes toward science in Switzerland. PLoS One, 17(8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0271204
10. Mede, N. G. (2022). Science communication in the face of skepticism, populism, and ignorance: What Don’t Look Up tells us about science denial — and what it doesn’t. Journal of Science Communication, 21(5), C05. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.21050305
9. Bromme, R., Mede, N. G., Thomm, E., Kremer, B., & Ziegler, R. (2022). An anchor in troubled times: Trust in science before and during the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany. PloS One, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262823
8. Mede, N. G. (2022). Legacy media as inhibitors and drivers of public reservations against science: Global survey evidence on the link between media use and anti-science attitudes. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01058-y
7. Klinger, K., Metag, J., Schäfer, M. S., Füchslin, T., & Mede, N. G. (2022). Are science communication audiences becoming more critical? Reconstructing migration between audience segments based on Swiss panel data. Public Understanding of Science, 31(5), 553-562. https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625211057379
6. Wintterlin, F., Hendriks, F., Mede, N. G., Bromme, R., Metag, J., & Schäfer, M. S. (2022). Predicting public trust in science: The role of basic orientations toward science, perceived trustworthiness of scientists, and experiences with science. Frontiers in Communication. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2021.822757
5. Mede, N. G., & Schäfer, M. S. (2022). Science-related populism declining during the COVID-19 pandemic: A panel survey of the Swiss population before and after the Coronavirus outbreak. Public Understanding of Science, 31(2), 211–222. https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625211056871
4. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., & Füchslin, T. (2021). The SciPop Scale for measuring science-related populist attitudes in surveys: Development, test, and validation. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 33(2), 273–293. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpor/edaa026
3. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., Ziegler, R., & Weißkopf, M. (2021). The “replication crisis” in the public eye: Germans’ awareness and perceptions of the (ir)reproducibility of scientific research. Public Understanding of Science, 30(1), 91-102. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662520954370
2. Mede, N. G., & Schäfer, M. S. (2020). Science-related populism: Conceptualizing populist demands toward science. Public Understanding of Science, 29(5), 473–491. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662520924259
1. Kessler, S. H., Mede, N. G., & Schäfer, M. S. (2020). Eyeing CRISPR gene editing: Using eye tracking to assess what lay audiences look for to learn more about CRISPR and genetic engineering on Wikipedia. Environmental Communication, 14(7), 886–903. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2020.1723668
4. Mede, N. G. (2021). Charakteristika der Forschung zu Wirkungen digitaler Wissenschaftskommunikation: Ein Systematic Review der Fachliteratur: [Characteristics of research on the effects of digital science communication: A systematic literature review]. In Wissenschaftspolitik im Dialog: Vol. 17 (pp. 37–82). Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW): Berlin, Germany. https://www.bbaw.de/files-bbaw/user_upload/publikationen/Broschuere-WiD_17_PDF-A1b.pdf
3. Mede, N. G., Brucklachner, A., & Heim, M. (2021). Versagen des Journalismus? Medienskepsis und Journalismuswahrnehmung. In B. Blöbaum, T. Hanitzsch, & L. Badura (Eds.), Medienskepsis in Deutschland: Ursachen, Ausprägungen und Konsequenzen (pp. 87–112). Wiesbaden, Germany: Springer VS.
2. Mede, N. G., & Schäfer, M. S. (2020). Kritik der Wissenschaftskommunikation und ihrer Analyse: PUS, PEST, Politisierung und wissenschaftsbezogener Populismus. In H.-J. Bucher (Ed.), Medienkritik zwischen ideologischer Instrumentalisierung und kritischer Aufklärung (pp. 297–314). Köln: Herbert von Halem.
1. Frischlich, L., Mede, N. G., & Quandt, T. (2020). The markets of manipulation: The trading of social bots on clearnet and darknet markets. In C. Grimme, M. Preuss, & F. W. Takes (Eds.), Disinformation in Open Online Media: First Multidisciplinary International Symposium, MISDOOM 2019, Hamburg, Germany, February 27 – March 1, 2019, Revised Selected Papers (pp. 89–100). Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39627-5_8
35. Mede, N. G., Cologna, V., Besley, J., Berger, S., Brick, C., Joubert, M., Maibach, E. W., Mihelj, S., Oreskes, N., Schäfer, M. S., & van der Linden, S. (2023). Comparative evidence on populist demands toward science and implications for science communication: Findings from a large-scale global population survey. Paper to be presented at the Pandemic Communication and Populism Symposium 2023 (PANCOPOP), 12-13 June 2023, Loughborough, UK.
34. Hawkins, I., Mede, N. G., & Chinn, S. (2023). How use of alternative and mainstream social media promote conspiracy beliefs and fake news sharing. Paper to be presented at the 73rd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 25-29 May 2023, Toronto, Canada.
33. Kobilke, L., Fawzi, N., Mede, N. G., & Zerback, T. (2023). Eco-informational media use, media-induced eco-emotions, and climate change activism: What drives the political engagement of the climate change generation? Paper to be presented at the 73rd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 25-29 May 2023, Toronto, Canada.
32. Fawzi, N., Zerback, T., Kobilke, L., & Mede, N. G. (2023). Fuel to the flames: False balance and hostile media perceptions as amplifiers of perceived polarization in the climate change debate. Paper to be presented at the 73rd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 25-29 May 2023, Toronto, Canada.
31. Cologna, V., Mede, N. G., Doell, K., Volk, S. C., & Azevedo, F. (2022). Challenges and caveats of Big Team Science projects in the social sciences. Symposium at the 2022 Big Team Science Conference, 27–28 October 2022, virtual.
30. Mede, N. G. (2022). Legacy media as inhibitors and drivers of public reservations against science: Global survey evidence on the link between media use and anti-science attitudes. Paper presented at the 9th European Communication Conference (ECC) of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), 19–22 October 2022, Aarhus, Denmark.
29. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., Metag, J., & Rauchfleisch, A. (2022). Populist demands toward science and their implications for science communication: Analyzing science-related populism across countries and contexts. Paper presented at the Preconference “Misinformation, Science Populism, and the Role of Citizens” at the 9th European Communication Conference (ECC) of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), 17 October 2022, virtual.
28. Cologna, V., & Mede, N. G. (2022). Trust in science and science-related populism: A global assessment. Paper presented at the Scientific Expertise, Communication and Trust (SECAT) conference, 27-28 September 2022, virtual.
27. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., Metag, J., & Rauchfleisch, A. (2022). Science-related populism and its implications for public opinion and communication about science. Paper presented at the Scientific Expertise, Communication and Trust (SECAT) conference, 27-28 September 2022, virtual.
26. Wintterlin, F., Hendriks, F., Mede, N. G., Bromme, R., Metag, J., & Schäfer, M. S. (2022). Antecedents of trust in scientists: The role of attitudes to and experiences with science. Paper presented at the Preconference “The science of science communication: Mapping the field” at the 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 26–30 May 2022, Paris, France.
25. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., & Metag, J. (2022). Cognitio populi – vox populi: The implications of science-related populism for communication behavior. Paper presented at the 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 26-30 May 2022, Paris, France.
24. Eberl, J.-M., Huber, R. A., Mede, N. G., & Greussing, E. (2022). Measuring political and science populism:: A tale of two scales? Paper presented at the 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 26-30 May 2022, Paris, France.
23. Mede, N. G., Rauchfleisch, A., Metag, J., & Schäfer, M. S. (2022). Social media use and engagement, knowledge overestimation, and populism fuel each other during the COVID-19 pandemic: Correlational and experimental evidence from Germany and Taiwan. Paper presented at the 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 26-30 May 2022, Paris, France
22. Huber, R. A., Mede, N. G., Eberl, J.-M., & Greussing, E. (2022). Measuring public attitudes toward political and science-related populism in surveys: A tale of two scales? Paper presented at the 77th Annual Conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), 11–13 May 2022, Chicago, USA.
21. Mede, N. G. (2022). Legacy media as inhibitors and drivers of public reservations against science: Global survey evidence on the link between media use and anti-science attitudes. Poster presented at the 77th Annual Conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), 11–13 May 2022, Chicago, USA.
20. Huber, R. A., Mede, N. G., Eberl, J.-M., & Greussing, E. (2021). Science-related and political populism: A tale of two scales? Paper presented at the 8th Political Science Day of the Austrian Political Science Association (AuPSA), 25–26 November 2021, Salzburg, Austria.
19. Mede, N. G., & Schäfer, M. S. (2021). Trust in science during challenging times of a global pandemic: The Science Barometer Switzerland. Paper presented at the 4th Science & You Conference, 16–19 November 2021, Metz, France.
18. Mede, N. G., Rauchfleisch, A., Metag, J., & Schäfer, M. S. (2021). How knowledge overestimation, science-related populism, and digital media use fuel each other during the COVID-19 pandemic: Representative survey evidence from Germany and Taiwan. Paper to be presented at the 74th Annual Conference of the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR), 2–6 November 2021, virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
17. Huber, R. A., Mede, N. G., Eberl, J.-M., & Greussing, E. (2021). Science-related and political populism: A tale of two scales? Paper to be presented at the 74th Annual Conference of the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR), 2–6 November 2021, virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
16. Mede, N. G., & Schäfer, M. S. (2021). Criticism, skepticism, populism: Public resentment toward science and expertise. Pre-organized panel at the 74th Annual Conference of the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR), 2–6 November 2021, virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
15. Weißkopf, M., Schäfer, M. S., & Mede, N. G. (2021). Zwischen Vertrauen und Skepsis: Öffentliche Meinung in der COVID-19 Pandemie. Paper to be presented at the 10th ScienceComm Conference, 15–16 September 2021, Fribourg, Switzerland.
14. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., & Füchslin, T. (2021). Populism towards science: What it is and how it can be measured. Paper presented at the 17th International Conference on Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST), 25–27 May 2021, virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
13. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., Füchslin, T., & Metag, J. (2021). Science-related populism in Switzerland and its implications for science-related media use: Results from a nationally representative survey. Paper to be presented at DACH 21: Three-Country Conference on Communication Science of DGPuK, ÖGK, and SGKM, 7–9 April 2021, virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
12. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., Metag, J., & Klinger, K. (2021). Science-related populism, its prevalence, antecedents, and outcomes: Evidence from the Science Barometer Switzerland. Paper to be presented at the PERITIA conference “Trust in Expertise in a Changing Media Landscape”,18–19 March 2021, virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
11. Klinger, K., Metag, J., S. Schäfer, M. S., & Mede, N. G. (2021). Wird die Bevölkerung wissenschaftskritischer? Segmentationsanalysen der Schweizer Bevölkerung auf Basis von Paneldaten. Paper presented at the 6th Annual Conference of the Science Communication Division of the German Communication Association (DGPuK), 5 February 2021, virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
10. Mede, N. G., & Schäfer, M. S. (2020). Science-related populism: Conceptualizing populist challenges to the knowledge and power claims of science. Paper presented at the 70th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 21–25 May 2020, virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
9. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., & Füchslin, T. (2020). Wissenschaftsbezogener Populismus: Theoretische Konzeption und Skalenentwicklung. Paper presented at the 65th Annual Conference of the German Communication Association (DGPuK), 10–12 March 2020, Munich, Germany.
8. Kessler, S. H., Mede, N. G., & Schäfer, M. S. (2020). Online-Informationssuche: Ein Eye-Tracking-Experiment auf Wikipedia. Poster presented at the 65th Annual Conference of the German Communication Association (DGPuK), 10–12 March 2020, Munich, Germany.
7. Mede, N. G. (2020). Wissenschaftsbezogener Populismus: Theoretische Konzeption und empirische Untersuchung. Paper presented at the Doctoral Colloquium of the Science Communication Division of the German Communication Association (DGPuK), 5 February 2020, Münster, Germany.
6. Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., & Füchslin, T. (2020). Populism towards science: Introducing a new theoretical concept and a scale to measure it. Paper presented at the ECREA workshop “Constructed facts, contested truths: Science and environment controversies in media and public spaces” at the 13th Annual Conference of the Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA), 8–10 January 2020, Brighton, UK.
5. Mede, N. G. (2019). Communicating science in a changing climate: Investigating the antecedents and implications of distrust toward science. Paper presented at the 2nd Annual Graduate Student Pre-Conference of the Environmental Communication Division of the International Communication Association (ICA), 24 May 2019, Washington DC, USA.
4. Mede, N. G. (2019). Fake it till they take it? Pseudo user effects and pseudo user literacy. Paper presented at the 21st General Online Research Conference (GOR) of the German Society for Online Research (DGOF), 6–8 March 2019, Cologne, Germany.
3. Mede, N. G., Hollekamp, S., & Tampier, L. (2018). Is distrust in the media undermining democracy? An explorative interview study on the implications of media skepticism. Paper presented at the 7th European Communication Conference (ECC) of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), 31 October–3 November 2018, Lugano, Switzerland.
2. Mede, N. G., Neppl, M., & Blöbaum, B. (2018). Suspicion or sympathy?: The relationship between scientists and journalists. Paper presented at the Interdisciplinary Symposium “Current Challenges to Mediatized Science Communication” of the IAMCR-Section “Mediated Communication, Public Opinion and Society”, 7–9 June 2018, Rostock, Germany.
1. Blöbaum, B., Mede, N. G., & Neppl, M. (2018). Trust through science communication: Relevance and change of internal and external scientific communication. Paper presented at the Interdisciplinary Symposium “Current Challenges to Mediatized Science Communication” of the IAMCR-Section “Mediated Communication, Public Opinion and Society”, 7–9 June 2018, Rostock, Germany.
13. Rethink science communication for the post-pandemic era. UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab. https://en.unesco.org/inclusivepolicylab/analytics/rethink-science-communication-post-pandemic-era
12. Wissenschaftskommunikation.de (2022). „Das öffentliche Vertrauen in Wissenschaft ist in Deutschland und der Schweiz hoch“. Interview mit Niels Mede (gemeinsam mit Prof. Dr. Julia Metag). Link
11. Fast Forward Science (2022). Fake it until you make it?! – Über Desinformationen, Social Media & Wisskomm. Twitter Spaces Diskussion mit Niels Mede, Teresa Weikmann, and Jacob Beautemps. Link
10. Radio SRF 2 Kultur (2022). SRF Wissenschaftsmagazin: Twitter – Exodus der Wissenschaft. Interview mit Niels Mede. Link
9. Mede, N. G. (2022). Partizipative Wissenschaftskommunikation: Promises and Pitfalls. Wissenschaftskommunikation.de. Link
8. Hendriks, F., Hoffmann, E., Ziegler, R., & Mede, N. G. (2021). Das Wisskomm-Quartett: Das Wissenschaftsbarometer 2021 [Folge 8]. Wissenschaft im Dialog. Link
7. Rádio Renascença (2021). Negacionistas podem tomar “teorias da conspiração como conhecimento científico legítimo” [Denialists can consider “conspiracy theories as legitimate scientific knowledge”]. Interview mit Niels Mede. Link
6. Eberl, J.-M., Greussing, E., Huber, R. A., & Mede, N. G. (2021). Wissenschaftsbezogener Populismus: Eine österreichische Bestandsaufnahme. Vienna Center for Electoral Research. Link
5. Mede, N. G., & Schäfer, M. S. (2020). Wohlwollende Bewertung: Befragungsergebnisse zur öffentlichen Wahrnehmung der „Replikationskrise“ in Deutschland. Forschung & Lehre. (12), 990-991.
4. Times Higher Education (2020). Public ‘largely ignorant’ of replication crisis in science. Interview mit Niels Mede. Link
3. Mede, N. G. (2020). “The people have had enough of experts!” How to understand populist challenges to science. Public Understanding of Science Blog. Link
2. Wissenschaftskommunikation.de (2019). „Es wird immer bedeutsamer zuzuhören“: Interview mit Niels Mede. Link
1. Lungmus, M. (2018). Wohlwollen statt Argwohn: Wissenschaftler bewerteten Medien. Journalist. (8), 10–11.
9. Mede, N. G. (2022). Populism scholarship – where are we going, where should we be going, how can we get there? Invited talk at the symposium “Populism, Polarization, Propaganda in Times of Crisis”, 18 October 2022, Zurich, Switzerland.
8. Mede, N. G. (2022). Wer braucht schon die Experten? Wissenschaft in Zeiten von Populismus, Falschinformationen und Verschwörungstheorien. [Who needs experts? Science in times of populism, misinformation, and conspiracy theories]. Keynote lecture at “The Nature of Science week” at the Rämibühl Realgymnasium (secondary school), 3 October 2022, Zurich, Switzerland.
7. Cologna, V., & Mede, N. G. (2022). Trust in science and science-related populism across the world: Implications for science communication. Presentation at the Health and Risk Communication Center of the Michigan State University, 9 May 2022, East Lansing, United States.
6. Mede, N. G. (2022). Criticism, skepticism, populism: Public resentments against science and implications for science communication. Presentation at the Department of Life Sciences Communication, University of Wisconsin—Madison, 29 April 2022, Madison, United States.
5. Cologna, V., & Mede, N. G. (2022). Trust in science and science-related populism: Implications for the role of science in politics and society. Presentation at the Department of Political Science of the University of Toronto, 25 April 2022, virtual.
4. Mede, N. G. (2021). Was denkt die Schweiz über die Rolle der Wissenschaft in der Corona-Pandemie? Forschungsbefunde zu öffentlicher Wahrnehmung von Wissenschaft in Krisenzeiten. Presentation prepared for panel discussion with PD Dr. Christian Althaus at Paulus Academy Zurich, 28 April 2021, virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. Mede, N. G. (2020). Social Media im Dialog von Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft: Neue Chancen und hohe Erwartungen. Presentation prepared for the Social Media Webinar 2020 of the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT), 29 October 2020, virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Mede, N. G. (2020). The “replication crisis” in the public eye: Germans’ awareness and perceptions of the (ir)reproducibility of scientific research. Presentation prepared for the ReproducibiliTea Journal Club of the Center for Reproducible Science (CRS) at the University of Zurich, 1 October 2020, virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Kessler, S. H., & Mede, N. G. (2019). Quelle: Wikipedia: Wissenschaftliche Befunde zur digitalen Informationssuche. Presentation prepared for the Winterkongress der Digitalen Gesellschaft Schweiz (DigiGes), 23 February 2019, Zurich, Switzerland.