The Public Tech Media Lab of the University of Wisconsin–Madison has established the
Natali Helberger Award
to support early-career scholars
The Natali Helberger Award recognizes doctoral students who have conducted research through interdisciplinary collaboration that advances a Public Interest Technology (PIT) perspective in communication studies, journalism studies, and related fields across the social sciences and law. PIT provides a framework for rethinking the institutions, infrastructures, and technology-embedded services that shape society in pursuit of the public good.
While this approach has often focused on governmental and nonprofit settings, its relevance to journalism has become increasingly urgent. Journalism’s public mission lies at the core of democratic accountability; however, it is increasingly shaped by privately controlled digital infrastructures, opaque platform architectures, and automated systems that condition how news is produced, distributed, and consumed. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration across disciplines, including journalism studies, law, computer science, and other related fields.
Inspired by Natali Helberger’s work on media governance, public values, and the democratic implications of digital technologies, this award supports early-career scholars whose research critically engages with these systems and contributes to strengthening journalism as a public-interest institution. The award is organized and sponsored by the Public Tech Media Lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Reaction by Natali Helberger:
“Early-career scholars engaging in interdisciplinary research still experience far too many challenges and obstacles – from difficult peer review processes to the inability to publish in a discipline’s top journals, from university assessment criteria that discourage or even penalise interdisciplinary work to grant and hiring committees that still believe that co‑publications count less because they involve only “half as much work”.
Apart from the honour, the reasons why I am so happy to endorse this award are that it:
• acknowledges the value (and fun) of collaboration across disciplines,
• explicitly rewards co‑publications, and
• encourages research aimed at strenghtening journalism as a democratic institution through public interest tech.“
See for more information and submission details:
https://ptml.sjmc.wisc.edu/natali-helberger-award/