Successful Habilitation of Dr. phil. habil. Aynur Sarısakaloğlu

Aynur Sarısakaloğlu has successfully completed her Habilitation. Following the highly positive evaluations of her habilitation thesis, her public trial lecture, the academic presentation, and the subsequent colloquium, the Faculty Council of Economic Sciences and Media formally approved the Habilitation procedure. With this decision, Sarısakaloğlu was awarded the academic title of “Habilitated Doctor” (Dr. phil. habil.), formally certifying her “special qualification for independent academic research and teaching” in the field of Communication Science.

Sarısakaloğlu’s research examines the impact of emerging technologies on digital communication and media. A key focus of her work lies in the transformation of public communication driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies. Her research seeks to develop a nuanced understanding of the potential benefits and risks associated with algorithmic systems in public communication and to contribute to the systematic academic contextualization of current technological developments through the integration of theoretical, epistemological, and empirical perspectives.

From a communicator-centered perspective, she analyzes how new socio-technical constellations within media organizations shape the structures of journalistic communication processes, the conditions of journalistic work, and the production of media content. Her research particularly explores human–machine communication and its implications for journalistic practice. Moreover, she investigates specific applications of algorithmic systems, such as AI-driven fact-checking and the detection and analysis of AI-generated disinformation and deepfakes.

In her research on media content, she examines how new technologies are portrayed and assessed in media coverage. In addition, she analyzes how societal crises, conflicts, and wars are represented and communicated in the media.

Another central focus of her research is the promotion of a cosmopolitan perspective within communication science. A core question guiding this approach is how inclusive knowledge production can be fostered in communication science. In this context, Sarısakaloğlu explores ways to establish inclusive academic practices that advance a global understanding of AI-driven journalism, address power asymmetries and blind spots in research, and critically interrogate Western-centric interpretive frameworks.

These research perspectives are also reflected in her Habilitation Project. Alongside her Habilitation, she initiated and served as the lead editor of “The Handbook of Artificial Intelligence and Journalism”, the first publication of its kind worldwide, featuring contributions from 37 leading scholars across six continents. The handbook will be published by Wiley in December 2025 and marks a significant international milestone in the interdisciplinary study of AI and journalism.

We extend our sincere congratulations to Dr. phil. habil. Aynur Sarısakaloğlu on this remarkable academic achievement and wish her continued success in her scholarly career. Her next steps will take her to the University of Gothenburg next week for a short stay abroad.