Janine Brill has been a research assistant and doctoral candidate at the Chair of Media Communication at Chemnitz University of Technology since October 2023. Previously, she was a research assistant at the Chair of Communication Science with a Focus on Social Communication at the University of Erfurt and at the Chair of Fundamentals of Media Communication and Media Effects at the Institute of Communication Science at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena.
Janine Brill studied Communication Science and Intercultural Business Communication (B.A.) as well as Public Communication (M.A.) at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena. During her master's studies, she worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Communication Science. She is currently pursuing her doctorate at Chemnitz University of Technology, where she is investigating the interrelationship between the acculturation trajectories and the health information repertoires of first-generation migrants in Germany.
Since 2025, she has been a member of the International Migration Research Network (IMISCOE) Standing Committee on Methodological Approaches and Tools in Migration Research (Meth@Mig). Since 2024, Janine Brill has been YECREA Representative of the Health Communication Section of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA). She is involved as a network partner in the subproject “FoMo” (research monitor) of the joint project “Monitoring System and Transfer Platform Radicalization” (MOTRA) on behalf of the Chair of Media Communication, as well as in the Health Communication Section of the German Communication Association (DGPuK) and the Mobile Communication Division of the International Communication Association (ICA).
Teaching and research focus areas
Health communication: health information behavior, mHealth, eHealth, health reporting, strategic health communication, health campaigns, nudging
Migration: acculturation, health (information) behavior of migrants, reporting on people with a migration background (especially in connection with crime)
Media and advertising impact
Framing and news value research
Methods: qualitative and quantitative surveys, qualitative and quantitative content analysis, experiments, diary studies, experience sampling
Awards
Best Paper Panel (Top 3 Paper): Rossmann, C., Stehr, P., Brill, J., Reinhardt, A., Temmann, L. J., Weber, W. & Wendt, K. N. (2020, November 11-13). Gesundheitsinformationsverhalten in Krisenzeiten: Determinanten der Informationsaufnahme und -verarbeitung deutscher Bundesbürger*innen zu Beginn der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie [Health information behavior in times of crisis: Determinants of information acquisition and processing among German citizens at the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic]. 5. Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation (Best Paper Panel).
Brill, J., Pohle, H., Guenther, L., & Schmidt, M. (n.d.). Framing criminals in German regional newspapers: Does the perpetrator’s origin matter? Studies in Communication and Media.
2026
Brill, J., Karnowski, V., Hryhorovych, D., & Cheban, O. (2026). Bridging borders, broadening access: How acculturation shapes health information repertoires of war-displaced Ukrainians in Germany. European Journal of Health Communication, 7(2), 20-53. https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2026.202.
Brill, J., Karnowski, V., & Rossmann, C. (2026). Google or call mom? Insights from a diary study on the health information repertoires and needs of immigrant university students. European Journal of Health Communication, 7(1), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2026.101
Rossmann, C., Karnowski, V., Metag, J., Raupp, J., Reifegerste, D., Riesmeyer, C., Sawalha, N., Lux, A., Esser, A.-L., Kammerer, R., Singh, F., Rödel, N., Brill, J., Gerling, E., & Wiedicke, A. (2026). The role of digital media in chronic disease self-management: Protocol for a multimethod study of the DISELMA research consortium. JMIR Research Protocols, 15. https://doi.org/10.2196/77811
2025
Brill, J., Karnowski, V., & Rossmann, C. (2025). From social to informational exclusion: How othering shapes acculturation trajectories and health information access among international students. Frontiers in Communication, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1679179
2023
Brill, J., Guenther, L., & Ruhrmann, G. (2023). Felons, Right-Wing Extremists, Foreign Criminals, and Islamist Terrorists: Frames of Criminals in German Television News. Journalism Practice, 19. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2023.2214127
Brill, J., & Rossmann, C. (2022). Die Bedeutung von Gesundheitskompetenz für das Informationsverhalten deutscher Bundesbürger*innen zu Beginn der Corona-Pandemie. In F. Schmidt, S. Jaki, & T. Mandl (Eds.), Wissen um Corona: Wissenschaftskommunikation, Informationsverhalten, Diskurs (pp. 45-82). Universitätsverlag Hildesheim. https://doi.org/10.18442/216
Brill, J., Guenther, L., Ehrhardt, W., & Ruhrmann, G. (2021). Crime in Television News: Do News Factors Predict the Mentioning of a Criminal’s Country of Origin? In J. B. Wiest (Ed.), Mass Mediated Representations of Crime and Criminality: Vol. Studies in Media and Communications, 21 (pp. 31-48). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2050-2060202121
Reinhardt, A., Brill, J., & Rossmann, C. (2021). Eine Typologie des Informationsverhaltens der Deutschen in der Corona-Pandemie unter Berücksichtigung von Themenverdrossenheit. In F. Sukalla & C. Voigt (Eds.), Risiken und Potenziale in der Gesundheitskommunikation: Beiträge zur Jahrestagung der DGPuKFachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation 2020 (pp. 31-42). Deutsche Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft e.V. https://doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.74688
Brill, J., & Rossmann, C. (2021). Gesundheitsbildung und digitale Gesundheitskommunikation. In M. Goldfriedrich & K. Hurrelmann (Eds.), Gesundheitsdidaktik (pp. 468-487). Beltz Juventa.
Brill, J., & Daube, D. (2021). Mehr Infektionsschutz durch Health-Nudging? Eine experimentelle Untersuchung der Wirkung von Nudges auf die Nutzung von Desinfektionsmittelspendern. In F. Sukalla & C. Voigt (Eds.), Risiken und Potenziale in der Gesundheitskommunikation: Beiträge zur Jahrestagung der DGPuKFachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation 2020 (pp. 121-132). ). Deutsche Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft e.V. https://doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.74680
Talks & Posters
Brill, J., Pohle, H., Guenther, L., Biener, A., Fürbringer, L., Kugler, C., & Wagner, L.-H. (2026, June 6). Covering Minorities, Victims, and Criminals: A History of Bias. 76th International Communication Association Conference, Cape Town, South Africa.
Brill, J., Karnowski, V., & Wiedicke, A. (2026, June 6). Diabetes, Devices, and Daily Life: Understanding Situations of Mobile Media Use in Chronic Disease Self-Management. 76th International Communication Association Conference, Cape Town, South Africa.
Brill, J., Wiedicke, A., & Bohnert, A. (2025, September). Alcohol depiction in reality TV: An analysis of German dating formats. European Conference on Health Communication, 24. - 26.09.2025, Braga, Portugal.
Wiedicke, A., Brill, J., Henzler, N., & Bohnert, A. (2025, June). Kultivierung von Alkoholkonsum im Reality TV: Eine mehrmethodische Untersuchung [Poster]. Gemeinsame Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppen Gesundheitskommunikation und Wissenschaftskommunikation zum Thema „Communicating Planetary Health“, 10. - 12.09.2025, München.
Brill, J., & Karnowski, V. (2025, April). Navigating power imbalances and othering: Ethical and methodological challenges in research with first-generation migrants in Germany. 4th Annual Meth@Mig Workshop, 03. - 04.04.2025.
Brill, J., Karnowski, V., & Rossmann, C. (2024, September). Ask Google, a Doctor or a Friend? A Diary Study on the Health Information Repertoires of Ukrainian Refugees in Germany. 10th European Communication Conference “Communication & social (dis)order”, 24. - 27.09.2024, Ljubljana, Slowenien.
Reifegerste, D., Lütke-Lanfer, H., Brill, J., Stern, A., Podar, D., & Akbulut, N. (2024, November). From othering to engaging: Rethinking migrant health communication research [Panel]. DGPuK Conference Health Communication 2024, 20. - 22.11.2024, Luzern, Schweiz.
Brill, J., Daube, D., & Guenther, L. (2024, June). Looking at the traffic light? A mixed-methods study testing the effectiveness of digital nudges for choosing healthier meals. 74th International Communication Association Conference, 20. - 24.06.2024, Goldcoast, Australia.
Brill, J., Daube, D., & Guenther, L. (2024, September). Promoting healthier eating habits: An online experiment examining the effect of nudges and components of the theory of planned behavior on food choices among German university students. 10th European Communication Conference, 24. - 27.09.2024, Ljubljana, Slowenien.
Brill, J., Karnowski, V., & Rossmann, C. (2024, June). The more integrated, the more versatile the health information seeking? A multi-method study of first-generation immigrants’ health information repertoires and acculturation strategies. 74. ICA-Jahrestagung “Communication and Global Human Rights”, 20.-24.06.2024, Goldcoast, Australia.
Brill, J., Karnowski, V., & Rossmann, C. (2023, November). Google or call mom? A multi-method study on first-generation immigrants’ health information repertoires and acculturation strategies. European Conference on Health Communication (ECHC), 15. – 17. 11. 2023, Klagenfurt, Österreich.
Brill, J., Daube, D., Guenther, L., & Arendt, L. M. (2023, November). Looking at the traffic light? Testing the effectiveness of digital nudges in online menus for choosing healthier meal alternatives using an online experiment. European Conference on Health Communication (ECHC), 15. – 17. 11. 2023, Klagenfurt, Österreich.
Brill, J., & Karnowski, V. (2023, May). To google or to text mum? A diary study on first-generation migrants’ health information-seeking patterns. 73. ICA-Jahrestagung “Reclaiming Authenticity in Communication”, 25.-29.05.2023, Toronto, Kanada.
Brill, J., Guenther, L., & Ruhrmann, G. (2022, May). Felons, criminal organizations, Islamic terrorists, and right-wing extremists: Media framing of criminals in German television crime news. 72nd Annual International Communication Association Conference, 26. - 30.05.2022, Paris, Frankreich.
Abdallah, S., Brill, J., & Daube, D. (2022, October). Value appeals in the time of COVID-19: A content analysis of German and British television advertising. 9th European Communication Conference (ECREA), 19. - 22.10.2022, Aarhus, Dänemark.
Brill, J., Guenther, L., Ehrhardt, W., & Ruhrmann, G. (2021, May). Crime in television news: Do news factors predict the mentioning of a criminal’s country of origin? 71st Annual International Communication Association Conference, 27. - 31.05.2021.
Brill, J., Guenther, L., Ehrhardt, W., & Ruhrmann, G. (2021, August 5). Crime in television news: Do news factors predict the mentioning of a criminal’s country of origin? 2021 Media Sociology Symposium.
Brill, J., Reinhardt, A., & Rossmann, C. (2021, July 2). Eine Typologie des Informationsverhaltens der Deutschen in der Corona-Pandemie unter Berücksichtigung von Themenverdrossenheit und Informationsvermeidung. Interdisziplinäre Forschungszugänge zu Wissenschaftskommunikation und Informationsverhalten in der Corona-Pandemie.
Rossmann, C., Stehr, P., Brill, J., Reinhardt, A., Temmann, L. J., Weber, W., & Wendt, K. N. (2021, May). Health information behavior in times of crisis: Determinants of information retrieval and information processing in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic among younger and older adults. 71st Annual International Communication Association Conference, 27. - 31.05.2021.
Wiedicke, A., Brill, J., & Rossmann, C. (2021, November). Themenverdrossenheit in der COVID-19-Pandemie. Mehrmethoden-Design zur Analyse der TV-Berichterstattung und ihrer Wahrnehmung durch Rezipierende. 6. Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation, 17. - 19.11.2021, Hohenheim.
Brill, J., Reifegerste, D., Reinhardt, A., Rossmann, C., Stehr, P., Temmann, L. J., Weber, W., Wendt, K. N., & Wiedicke, A. (2020, October). Dealing with health information in the early phase of a global pandemic: Findings and implications from a national survey. European Conference on Health Communication.
Reinhardt, A., Weber, W., Rossmann, C., Stehr, P., Brill, J., Temmann, L. J., & Wendt, K. N. (2020, November). Eine Typologie des Informationsverhaltens der Deutschen in der Corona-Pandemie: Einsetzende Themenverdrossenheit führt zur Zunahme von Informationsvermeidenden. 5. Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation, 11. - 13.11.2020.
Rossmann, C., Stehr, P., Brill, J., Reinhardt, A., Temmann, L. J., Weber, W., & Wendt, K. N. (2020, November). Gesundheitsinformationsverhalten in Krisenzeiten: Determinanten der Informationsaufnahme und -verarbeitung deutscher Bundesbürger*innen zu Beginn der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie [Best Paper Panel]. 5. Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation, 11. - 13.11.2020.
Brill, J., & Daube, D. (2020, November). Mehr Infektionsschutz durch Health-Nudging? Eine experimentelle Untersuchung der Wirkung rein visueller und visuell-informativer Nudges auf die Nutzung von Desinfektionsspendern in öffentlichen Einrichtungen. 5. Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Gesundheitskommunikation, 11. - 13.11.2020.
Brill, J., Daube, D., & Azevedo, F. (2019, December 2). Science as a Profession. Gastvortrag an der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena.
