Dr. Tobias Rohrbach

Biography

Tobias Rohrbach is an Assistant Professor specializing in digital journalism. His teaching and research focus on the role of journalistic processes in the creation and dissemination of information and their impact on the public. A significant portion of his work explores the intersections of journalism, algorithms, and social justice. He examines how journalistic and algorithmic gatekeeping processes may prevent minority groups from accessing political decision-making roles. Additionally, he investigates how the public perceives and evaluates biases in visual information within the online media landscape. His research seeks to understand how journalism can help mitigate the spread of digital misinformation. He employs mixed-methods approaches, incorporating a wide range of methodological designs, including observational and experimental designs, qualitative analyses, computational methods, and algorithm audits. Rohrbach completed his trilingual studies at the University of Fribourg and pursued a doctorate (co-tutelle) in communication studies and political science in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam, while also obtaining a Master's degree in Advanced Studies in Data Science from the Bern University of Applied Sciences. He has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bern, including a one and a half-year visiting fellowship at the University of Wollongong in Australia.

Research Interests

Experience