Prof. Dr. Tanja Thomas

Tanja Thomas' main research interests are (critical) media theory, communication theory and cultural theory, feminist theory and Gender (Media) Studies, Cultural (Media) Studies, transcultural media communication and media research. In her current projects, Tanja Thomas works on the advancement of culturally and socially informed media and communication theory and dedicates herself especially to the analysis of processes of transmediatization and transculturalisation of contemporary media cultures. Her research aims at discussing potentials of decentralized communication and the translocal - or rather transcultural - capacity to act, as far as media and media actions are concerned.

Thereby, Tanja Thomas deals with questions of how transcultural public spheres are produced in such configurations, how recognition can be achieved, and how processes of solidarity are triggered and thus contributes to the debate around social transformation with her work.

Tanja Thomas is the head of an Early Career Researchers Group called „Transcultural Public Spheres and Solidarity in Media Cultures“, which is funded by the Hans-Böckler-Foundation.

Tanja Thomas studied Art and its pedagogy as well as German Studies in Saarbruecken; Media Studies / Applied Media Research in Tuebingen (as a fellow of the Fazit-Foundation) as well as migration in the framework of the International Women's University. Having been awarded a PhD scholarship by the Hans-Böckler-Foundation, she completed her PhD in Tuebingen entitled "Deutsch-Stunden. Zur Konstruktion nationaler Identität im Fernsehtalk."

After that, she worked as a research fellow at the Applied University of Ilmenau and was assistant professor of communication studies and media cultures at the University of Lueneburg from 2004 to 2010. During that period, she was awarded two prices for exceptional teaching and one as an Early Career Researcher. After substituting a professorship for media sociology in Gießen, she held a professorship for communication and media studies with a focus on comparative cultural analysis at the University of Bremen. In line with several fellowships and residencies, Tanja Thomas was a visiting researcher in Salzburg, Klagenfurt, Beijing, and New York.

Tanja Thomas acts as a consultant and reviewer for several third-party funds as well as university research funding, research associations (e.g. IAMCR, ECREA, DGPuK), and magazines (e.g. Communications - The European Journal of Communication Research, Feminist Media Studies, Celebrity Studies)

• Member of the scientific council of the International Centre for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities at Tuebingen University
• Member of the advice council of the Center of Gender and Diversity Research at Tuebingen University
• Long-time spokesperson of the section Media, Public, and Gender of the DGPuK
• Member of the jury of the best paper award of the DGPuK for several times, member of the jury awarding the price for theory of the DGPuK
• Trustee of the Hans-Böckler-Foundation, participation in mentoring
• Co-editor of 'Feministische Studien' (peer reviewed) & member of the editorial board (http://blog.feministische-studien.de)
• Member of the advisory board of the magazine "Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft"
• Member of the editorial board of the magazine "Pop. Kultur und Kritik"
• Member of the editorial Bord of the German magazine for Cultural Studies (Kulturwissenschaften, KWZ)

• Lünenborg, Margreth/Thomas, Tanja/Hoffmann, Dagmar/Kinnebrock, Susanne/Eichner, Susanne (2025): Practices of contradicting in networked publics. A proposal for understanding social conflicts. In: Publizistik. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11616-025-00873-y
• Thomas, Tanja (2025): Zukunft im Erinnern! Erinnern in digitalen Öffentlichkeiten für eine postmigrantische Gesellschaft. In: Hepp, Andreas et al (Hrsg.): Zukunft der Medien - Medien der Zukunft. Wiesbaden: Springer, 255-272.
• Thomas, Tanja/Lünenborg, Margreth/Hoffmann, Dagmar/Eichner, Susanne/Kinnebrock, Susanne (2024): Medienpraktiken des Widersprechens in vernetzten Öffentlichkeiten. Theorieentwurf und Forschungsheuristik. In: Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft, 72. Jg., 2/2024, 141-158.
• Thomas, Tanja/Virchow, Fabian (2024): Rechte Gewalt in Rostock-Lichtenhagen 1992. Zu Gelingensbedingungen einer anerkennenden Erinnerungskultur. In: Heinrich, Gudrun/David Jünger/Oliver Plessow/Cornelia Sylla (eds.): Kulturen des Verdrängens und Erinnerns. Perspektiven auf die rassistische Gewalt in Rostock-Lichtenhagen 1992. Berlin: Neofelis, 63-76.
• Thomas, Tanja/Hipfl, Brigitte (2023): Feministisches Erinnern – Erinnern an Feminismus: Digitale (Re)Artikulationen potenzialisieren. In: Hark,Sabine/Tanja Thomas (eds.).: Feministisches Erinnern II: Kontroversen, Allianzen, Zukünfte. feministische studien 2, 41. Jg. Berlin/Boston: de Gruyter, 196-217.
• Thomas, Tanja/Virchow, Fabian (2023): Hegemonic listening and doing memory on right-wing violence: Negotiating German political culture in public spheres. In: Philosophy & Social Criticism. Special Issue on public sphere. Online first: https://doi.org/10.1177/01914537231203534
• Thiele, Martina/Tanja Thomas (2023): Echt jetzt?! Sophie Scholl auf Instagram. Eine Analyse des journalistischen Diskurses. in: Journalistik. Zeitschrift für Journalismusforschung 1/2023, 6-32.
  DOI: 10.1453/2569-152X-12023-11505-de
• Frankenberger, Rolf/Baur, Reiner/Rieger-Ladich, Markus/Stauber, Barbara/Thiel, Ansgar/Thomas, Tanja (2023): Researching far right extremism—a transdisciplinary, lifeworld, and political culture perspective. Zeitschrift für vergleichende Politikwissenschaft Online first: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12286-023-00580-w
• Lorenz, Matthias/Thomas, Tanja/Virchow, Fabian (eds.)(2022): Rechte Gewalt erzählen. Doing Memory in Literatur, Theater und Film. Stuttgart: Metzler.
• Kruse, Merle-Marie/Thomas, Tanja/Virchow, Fabian (2022): Exkludierende Solidarität als A(nta)gonismus?! –  Repräsentationen der Dresdner PEGIDA-Proteste im Pressediskurs. In: Sorce, Giuliana/Philipp Rhein/Daniel Lehnert, Tobias Kaphegy (ed.): Exkludierende Solidarität der Rechten. Wiesbaden: VS, 107-132.
• Thomas, Tanja/Wischermann, Ulla (eds.)(2020): Feministische Theorie und Kritische Medienkulturforschung. Ausgangspunkte und Perspektiven. Bielefeld: transcript.
• Thomas, Tanja/Kruse, Merle-Marie/Stehling, Miriam (eds.)(2019): Participation and Media in Post-Migrant Societies. London/New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
• Thomas, Tanja/Grittmann, Elke/Brink, Lina/Wolff, Kaya de (ed.)(2018): Anerkennung und Sichtbarkeit. Perspektiven für eine kritische Medienkulturforschung. Bielefeld: transcript.
• Virchow, Fabian/Thomas, Tanja/Grittmann, Elke (2015): ‚Das Unwort erklärt die Untat’. Die Berichterstattung über die NSU-Morde – eine Medienkritik. Herausgegeben von der Otto Brenner Stiftung, Frankfurt/Main.

Entire list of publications as  PDF

Titel:
„Das Unwort erklärt die Untat“. Die Berichterstattung über die NSU-Morde – eine Medienkritik ["The Un-Word explains the Mistet." Media Coverage of the NSU Cremes - a Media Critique] (2015, the German download is available here: https://www.otto-brenner-shop.de/publikationen/obs-arbeitshefte/)

Recipients of the sponsorship:
Tanja Thomas, Fabian Virchow (FH Düsseldorf), Elke Grittmann (Leuphana Universität Lüneburg)

Associates:
Ronja Röckemann, Dr. Derya Gür-Şeker

Sponsored by:
Otto Brenner Stiftung