Connexscions Volume III Issue 02 Jan - May 2007 - WKWSCI Home

TEACHERSʼ NOTESNew Media,New FaceBy Aveline ChiokDr Marcel Machill.Photo courtesy of Dr MachillDr Marcel Machill, a visiting professor from theUniversity of Leipzig in Germany, hopes to contributeinnovative projects to WKWSCI. He has vast experienceas a journalist with several newspapers and publicbroadcasting services in France and Germany. Most recentlybefore coming to WKWSCI, Professor Machillwas professor of journalism and international mediasystems at the University of Leipzig.Joining the Division of Journalism and Publishing,he hopes to combine academic research and practicaljournalism. He said, “Doing investigative journalismhas a lot in common with doing research.” He willteach undergraduate courses in IT and New Mediaand Social Issues in Science and Technology.Why did you choose to join WKWSCI?I am always looking for places which combine excellencein research and teaching, high professional standardsand a friendly and personal working environment.This combination is extremely rare; often, one elementis missing. But WKWSCI is truly a wonderful place.What is your specific area of research interest?My current focus is on digital gatekeepers. In view ofthe rising flood of information available in digital format,gatekeepers play an increasingly important role.Besides the classic gatekeepers such as journalists andtheir media products, users and journalists now facenew digital gatekeepers such as electronic programmeguides in digital TV, web portals and internet searchengines. Such instruments are important for the users’and journalists’ abilities to navigate and make use of theenormous amounts of information available. They connectus to the services and the sites we visit – needles ina haystack that could otherwise be inaccessible. At thesame time, the ways such gatekeepers are constructedhave implications for what services and contents are actuallyaccessible, and on what conditions.The issue of digital gatekeepers is one of the key issuesconcerning power in digital media. Research on whyand how such gatekeepers are developed, the role theyplay in the media markets, and the impact they have forthe working conditions of journalists are fundamentalquestions to address in order to develop a better understandingof a rapidly changing media landscape.Besides work, what sort of leisure activities do youengage in during your free time?Although I am a workaholic, I do love leisure activities.I like literature (very often, I read novels untillate at night), going to the movies, to the theatre andthe opera. I play handball, table tennis and like joggingand swimming. I adore good food and even betterwine - what a pity that I couldn’t bring my collection ofBordeaux and Rioja wines with me to Singapore!CONNEXSCIONS27