Radboud University Appoints Professor Focusing on Youth, News, and Education

Mariska Kleemans has been appointed professor of Youth, News and Education at Radboud University’s Faculty of Social Sciences from September 1, 2023.

‘My research focuses on how children and young people consume news in the rapidly changing media landscape and what news producers can do to reach them better,’ Kleemans said. ‘In addition, I research how we can encourage (empower) children and young people to become critical, responsible news consumers. For example, by teaching them to recognise fake news and learn to better cope with violent news.’

Kleemans combines her research in communication studies with higher education research, including on student welfare and students’ personal-professional development. ‘In this way, I hope to contribute to strengthening and future-proofing higher education.’

About Mariska Kleemans
Kleemans (Naarden, 1985) obtained a double bachelor’s degree in Communication Science and Educational Studies from Radboud University in 2006, and graduated with a research master’s degree in Social and Cultural Science in 2007. In 2013, she obtained her PhD with a thesis entitled ‘Arousing Television News: Concept, Causes, & Consequences.’ In it, she examined sensation in television news, and its effects on viewing pleasure and memory of the news, among other things.

Since then, she has remained at Radboud University. In 2016, she became assistant professor, in 2020 associate professor. Her focus here was often on teaching, with much attention for educational innovation. For instance, she was active for the university’s Teaching & Learning Centre, and board member of the national ComeniusNetwerk. In 2018, she received the Senior Comenius Fellowship for a project to implement a learning line on personal-professional development in education. Since 2022, she has also been teaching director of the Social Sciences Teaching Institute.