Each year, the Faculty of Social Sciences awards the sowi:doc Awards to three doctoral graduates. The Award winners receive EUR 1,500 each for their outstanding research contributions in the framework of their doctoral thesis.

Jana Laura Egelhofer received the sowi:doc award, for her dissertation "I don't like it - let's call it 'fake' - The content and consequences of the fake news debate", which she completed with distinction in December 2021.  Jana Laura Egelhofer's dissertation was supervised by Sophie Lecheler. 

In the dissertation, Jana Laura Egelhofer explores how the term "fake news" was instrumentalized by politicians to discredit critical media, and how this procedure and other cases of media criticism influence the media perception of citizens.

You can find more information on the award here, and more information on Jana's work here.