PhD Vacancy: “A History of Journalism Through Its News Dispatches”
Application deadline: 24 March 2024
University: Université libre de Bruxelles (LaPIJ-ULB) in collaboration with the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR)
CAMIlle is the Centre for Archives on Media and Information, jointly created by the Université libre de Bruxelles (LaPIJ-ULB) and the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR). The Centre is offering a full-time, four-year doctoral fellowship to support the completion of a PhD thesis on the topic: “A History of Journalism Through Its News Dispatches”.
Summary of the Doctoral Research
This project focuses on the 41 years of news dispatches from the Belgian press agency Belga, which are archived at KBR—over 3 million pages produced since 1954. It also involves contributing to their preservation as historical archives. The project has a dual objective: first, to analyse Belga’s news production to enrich the history of Belgian journalism, and second, to contribute to the preservation and public (and academic) accessibility of this major cultural heritage. The Belga Dispatch Archive is an invaluable resource for the history of journalism and for Belgian history more broadly.
The primary goal of the project is to write a history of journalism based on news dispatches, using digital humanities methodologies to process and analyse these millions of texts. These dispatches are a key source for understanding both the events covered by the agency and the media industry itself, including strikes, acquisitions, journalists’ career movements, media- related socio-economic issues, the creation and closure of publications, and the deaths of journalists. Examining the history of journalism through the factual records of news dispatches provides a fresh perspective on how a press agency documents the media world.
The second objective—managed by a second team member at KBR—concerns the conservation and accessibility of these dispatches. While they remain in relatively good condition, digitisation will ensure the preservation of this unique heritage. This will also enable the creation of a searchable digital dataset, accessible via a dedicated website under development: data.kbr.be, which will facilitate further research in digital humanities.
Research Environment
The PhD candidate will conduct their research under the supervision of Professors Florence Le Cam, Chair of Journalism at ULB and researcher at the Laboratory for Journalistic Practices and Identities (ReSIC), and Sébastien de Valeriola, Chair in Digital Humanities and coordinator of the Ratio DH centre. The Laboratoire des pratiques et des identités journalistiques (LaPIJ), part of ULB’s Centre de recherche en information et communication (ReSIC), explores the transformations affecting journalism today, including professional shifts, new actors in the media sector, and challenges to journalistic identity. Ratio DH is a digital humanities research centre focused on applying quantitative and digital methods to data and problems in the humanities. It is supported by two additional entities—Lectio DH (researcher training) and Præsto DH (technical support)—which together form the QuaDiHum (Quantitative and Digital Humanities) centre of excellence. The PhD candidate will hold a doctoral fellowship in a PhD programme in Information and
Communication Sciences. In addition to their salary, they will receive a research budget to cover expenses related to the PhD (e.g., IT equipment, books, travel). The candidate is expected to participate in the collective activities of ReSIC, LaPIJ, and Ratio DH. They will also be responsible to assist with courses or communication projects (for 10% of their working time).
Candidate Profile
Applicants must hold a Master’s degree with a minimum final grade of 14/20, with a significant research component in digital humanities. Previous publications, a strong motivation for research and knowledge of French will be considered advantageous.
Interested?
For more information about the position and research project, please contact Florence Le Cam (florence.le.cam@ulb.be). The full research proposal (10 pages), approved by the FNRS, is available upon request. Applications must be sent by email to Florence Le Cam by 24 March 2025 at the latest.
Applications (in French or English) must include:
• A cover letter
• A detailed CV
• Three academic references (name and contact details)
• A sample of written work (e.g. a published paper or Master’s thesis) demonstrating
research and writing skills in digital humanities
A preselection will be made based on the submitted applications. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview on 10 April 2025, with the position expected to start on 1 October 2025.
