• Vitae
• Major teaching and research interests
• Activities
• Publications
• Papers

• Political communication (political everyday communication; origin & development of public opinion)
• Reception and effects research
• (Computational) Methods of empirical social research
• Media entrepreneurship

• Representative for Communication and Marketing at the Department of Journalism and Communication Research
  
• Member of the International Communication Association (ICA), European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) and the German Society of Mass Communication (DGPuK)
  
• Lecturer in the "Media Entrepreneurship" program at the Department of Journalism and Communication Research, in which more than 125 students have been supported in the development of digital business models since 2013 (http://www.mediaentrepreneurship.de/)
  
• Staff member in the DFG project "Schweigespirale vernetzt: Der Prozess öffentlicher Meinungsbildung aus der Meso-Perspektive" [Networked Spiral of Silence: The process of public opinion formation from a meso perspective]
  
• Staff member in the third-party funded project "Computational Communication Science in der kommunikationswissenschaftlichen Lehre" [Computational Communication Science in the teaching of communication science].

2024

Link, E., Scheper, J. & Memenga, P. (2024). Would you mind sharing your opinion about the Covid-19 vaccination? Explaining opinion expression as a form of information sharing. European Journal of Health Communication, 5(1), 1-20. doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2024.101

2023

Memenga, P., Scheper, J. & Link, E. (2023). Informationsweitergabe zur COVID-19-Impfung: Quantitative Online-Befragung zu Akteuren, Inhalten, Quellen und Motiven [Information dissemination on COVID-19 vaccination: Quantitative online survey on actors, content, sources, and motives]. Bundesgesundheitsblatt – Gesundheitsforschung – Gesundheitsschutz, 66, 423-431. doi.org/10.1007/s00103-023-03677-5

Niemann-Lenz, J., Dittrich, A. & Scheper, J. (2023). Coding quality in manual content analysis: An exploration of coder characteristics and category types for crowdworkers and student coders. SCM Studies in Communication and Media, 12(4), 327-353. doi.org/10.5771/2192-4007-2023-4-327

2022

Eilders, C., Gerads, M., Scherer, H., & Scheper, J. (2022). Family, friends and taxi drivers in hybrid networks. Integrating the immediate social environment into the Spiral of Silence Theory. Studies in Communication Sciences, 22(1).

Scheper, J. & Kathirgamalingam, A. (2022). Fünf Thesen zur Integration von CCS in der Lehre [Five theses on the integration of CSS in education]. aviso, 22(2).

2021

Buschow, C., Possler, D. & Scheper, J. (2021). Teaching Media Entrepreneurship: How a start-up simulation can increase students’ knowledge and encourage them to work in entrepreneurial contexts. Teaching Journalism & Mass Communication, 11(1).

Scherer H., Scheper J., Pfeiffer L. (2021) Frames der Protestberichterstattung. Eine Analyse der medialen Protestberichterstattung im Zeitverlauf. [Frames of protest coverage. An Analysis of Media Protest Coverage over Time.] In Hahn K., Langenohl A. (eds) Protestkommunikation: Konflikte um die Legitimität politischer Öffentlichkeit. Medienkulturen im digitalen Zeitalter. [Protest Communication: Conflicts over the Legitimacy of Political Public Spheres. Media Cultures in the Digital Age.] Wiesbaden: Springer VS. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-31482-8_4

2019

Niemann-Lenz, J., Bruns, S., Hefner, D., Knop-Hülß, K., Possler, D., Reich, S., Reinecke, L., Scheper, J. & Klimmt, C. (2019). Crafting a strategic roadmap for computational methods in communication science: Learnings from the CCS 2018 Conference in Hanover. International Journal of Communication, 13 [Special section on Computational Communication Science, edited by E. Domahidi, J. Yang, J. Niemann-Lenz & L. Reinecke]. Retrieved fom ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/10534

Scheper, J. (2019). Dazu sage ich jetzt lieber nichts! Warum wir unsere Meinung zu moralisch aufgeladenen Themen öffentlich preisgeben – oder verschweigen [Better, I don't comment on that! Why we give our opinion on morally controversial topics - or withhold it]. In M. Kretzler, E. Okon, L. Roßmannek & C. L. Simon (Eds.), Facetten politischer Kommunikation [Facets of political communication] (pp. 207-227). Düren: Shaker.

2024

Leuppert, R., Spreen, N., Scheper, J. & Link, E. (2024, February). Die Komplexität multimedialer Nachrichtennutzung - eine Mehrmethodenstudie zur Identifizierung digitaler Nachrichtennutzungsrepertoires und ihrer personen- und situationsbezogenen Determinanten [The complexity of multimedia news usage - a multi-method study to identify digital news usage repertoires and their personal and situational determinants]. Paper presented at the joint Annual Conference of the DGPuK's "Communication and Politics" section and the SGKM's "Political Communication" section, February 7-9, 2024, Bern, Switzerland.

2023

Niemann-Lenz, J., Dittrich, A. & Scheper, J. (2023, October). With or without the crowd? The influence of coder characteristics on coding decisions comparing crowdworkers and traditional coders. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Association of Internet Researchers 2023, October 18-21, 2023, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Gerads, M., Scherer, H., Scheper, J., & Eilders, C. (2023, Juli). Do we make a Difference between Opinion Climate and Opinion Distribution? Vortrag im Rahmen der IAMCR, 9.-23. Juli 2023, Lyon, Frankreich.

Spreen, N., Scheper, J. & Leuppert, R. (2023, June). Zwischen Zerstörung, Hoffnung und Diplomatie – Eine Analyse der Themen in der Spiegel-Berichterstattung zum Ukraine-Krieg im Zeitverlauf [Between destruction, hope and diplomacy - An analysis of the topics in Spiegel's Coverage of the Ukraine war over time]. Paper presented at the joint Annual Conference of the DGPuK's “Communication and Politics” section, the DVPW's “Politics and Communication” working group, and the SGKM's “Political Communication” section, June 28-30, 2023, Düsseldorf.

Scheper, J., Scherer, H., Eilders, C., & Gerads, M. (2023, Mai). Caught between Friends, Family and the Society: The Role of Close Reference Groups for Opinion Climate Perceptions and Opinion Expression within the Spiral of Silence Theory im Rahmen der 73. Jahrestagung der International Communication Association (ICA), 25.-29. Mai 2023, Toronto, Kanada.

Possler, D., Scheper, J., Raney, A., & Klimmt, C. (2023, Mai). Is There an Easy Path to Eudaimonia? Novel Insights on the Dual-Process Perspective in Media Entertainment im Rahmen der 73. Jahrestagung der International Communication Association (ICA), 25.-29. Mai 2023, Toronto, Kanada.

Scherer, H., Scheper, J., Eilders, C., & Gerads, M. (2023, Mai). From Information Repertoires to Information Networks: The Sources of Environmental Monitoring im Rahmen der 73. Jahrestagung der International Communication Association (ICA), 25.-29. Mai 2023, Toronto, Kanada.

Possler, D., Scheper, J., Raney, A., & Klimmt, C. (2023, Mai). Is There an Easy Path to Eudaimonia? Novel Insights on the Dual-Process Perspective in Media Entertainment im Rahmen der Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe Rezeptions- und Wirkungsforschung (DGPuK), Augsburg.

Eilders, C., Gerads, M., Scheper, J. & Scherer. H. (2023, Mai). Methodenpanel: In-Situ-Self-Report-Datenerhebung. Austausch über Erfahrungen, Probleme und Lösungen in der Praxis der Nutzungsforschung im Rahmen der Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPuK), Bremen.

2022

Bytyci, I., Scherer, H. & Scheper, J. (2022, October). To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, is this a public opinion question? The Spiral of Silence in a health communication context. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the European Communication Conference (ECREA), October 19-22, 2022, Aarhus, Denmark.

Eilders, C., Scheper, J., Scherer, H., Gerads, M. & Vondeberg, C. (2022, October). It's more than fearing isolation and falling silent: An extension of the Spiral of Silence Theory to include various forms of speaking out and falling silent and their motives. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the European Communication Conference (ECREA), October 19-22, 2022, Aarhus, Denmark.

Niemann-Lenz, J., Dittrich, A. & Scheper, J. (2022, October). Coding with the crowd. Der Einfluss von Codierermerkmalen auf Codierentscheidungen im Vergleich zwischen Crowdworker*innen und herkömmlichen Codierenden [Coding with the crowd. The influence of coder characteristics on coder decisions comparing crowdworkers and conventional coders]. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the German Society of Mass Communication's (DGPuK) Expert Group Methods, October 5-7, 2022, Munich.

Scheper, J. & Leuppert, R. (2022, September). Getting ready for Computational Communication Science (CCS). An introduction into CCS and how to start continuing eduction. Invited Paper at the Mass Media Sciences Days (KMWT), September 14-16, 2022, Salzburg, Austria.

Bruns, S., Scheper, J. & Meltzer, T. (2022, June). Schmeichelhafte Komplimente und wüste Beleidigungen – Der Einfluss medienvermittelter Intergruppenkontakte auf die Unterstützung von Minderheiten (Outgroup) unter Berücksichtigung affektiver und kognitiver Mediatoren [Flattering compliments and savage insults - The influence of mediated intergroup contact on minority (outgroup) support considering affective and cognitive mediators]. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the German Society of Mass Communciation's Expert Group Reception and Effects Research, June 7-9, 2022, Düsseldorf.

Scheper, J., Bruns, S. & Geber, S. (2022, June). Vermuteter Einfluss und wahrgenommene Normen: Zum Zusammenhang zwischen Mediennutzung, Presumed Influence und Social Distancing-Normen im Kontext der COVID-19-Pandemie [Presumed influence and perceived norms: On the relationship between media use, presumed influence, and social distancing norms in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic]. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the German Society of Mass Communciation's Expert Group Reception and Effects Research, June 7-9, 2022, Düsseldorf.

Scheper, J. (2022, May). Opinion expression and the role of personality traits, social normative influences and the social situation: Combining the individual- and situation-centered levels as a multilevel model. Paper presented at the preconference "New Directions in Spiral of Silence Research" at the 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 25 May 2022, Paris, France.

Scheper, J., Bruns, S. & Meltzer, T. (2022, May). Flattering compliments and savage insults - The influence of mediated intergroup contact on minority (outgroup) support considering affective and cognitive mediators. Paper presented at the 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 26-30 May, 2022, Paris, France.

Scheper, J., Link, E. & Giesler, P. (2022, May). Would you mind sharing your opinion about the COVID-19 vaccination? Explaining opinion expression as form of information sharing. Paper presented at the 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 26-30 May 2022, Paris, France.

Scheper, J. & Scherer, R. (2022, May). Silence is not an option: Opinion leaders’ willingness to express their opinion under spiral of silence pressure. Paper presented at the 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), 26-30 May 2022, Paris, France.

2021

Bruns, S. & Scheper, J. (2021, May). Social distancing in times of Corona: A longitudinal study on the role of (media-) communication for social norms on social distancing behavior. Paper presented at the 71st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), May 27-31, 2021 [digitally].

Scheper, J. & Scherer, H. (2021, May). Look who’s talking: An empirical study on the moderating role of self-efficacy, political interest and social anxiety for the Spiral of Silence. Paper presented at the 71st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), May 27-31, 2021 [digitally].

Scherer, H., Eilders, C., Scheper, J., & Gerads, M. (2021, May). Spiral of Silence goes meso: Conceptualisation of the relations between immediate social environment and the perception of the climate of opinion. Paper presented at the 71st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), May 27-31, 2021 [digitally].

Buschow, C., Scheper, J., & Bruns, S. (2021, May). What to bring to the table? An examination of requirements in job announcements targeting media and communication graduates. Paper presented at the World Media Economics And Management Conference (WMEMC) 2021, May 20-21, May 2021 [digitally].

Bruns, S. & Scheper, J. (2021, April). Social-Distancing in Zeiten von Corona: Eine Längsschnittstudie zur Rolle von (Medien-) Kommunikation für soziale Normen zum Social-Distancing-Verhalten. [Social-Distancing in times of Corona. A longitudinal study on the role of (media) communication for social distancing norms].  Paper presented at the Three-Country Conference on Communication Science - DACH21, April 7-9, 2021, Zurich, Switzerland [digitally].

Eilders, C., Scherer, H., Scheper, J., & Gerads, M. (2021, April). Schweigespirale goes Meso: Konzeptualisierung der Einflussbeziehungen im sozialen Nahbereich auf die wahrgenommene öffentliche Meinung und die Meinungsbildung. [Spiral of Silence Goes Meso: Conceptualisation of the Relations Between Immediate Social Environment and the Perception of The Climate of Opinion].  Paper presented at the Three-Country Conference on Communication Science - DACH21, April 7-9, 2021, Zurich, Switzerland [digitally].

Scheper, J., Reich, S., & Scherer, H. (2021, April). Baby im Wandel der Zeit: Die Darstellung von Frauen in der populären Musik von 1960 bis 2018 [Baby through the ages: the representation of women in popular music from 1960 to 2018].  Paper presented at the Three-Country Conference on Communication Science - DACH21, April 7-9, 2021, Zurich, Switzerland [digitally].

Scheper, J., Scherer, H., & Peter, C. (2021, April). Täuschen oder Imaginieren: Meinungsklimawahrnehmung in Bezugsgruppen als experimentelle Bedingung [Deceiving or imagining: Opinion climate perception in reference groups as an experimental condition]. Paper presented at the Three-Country Conference on Communication Science - DACH21, April 7-9, 2021, Zurich, Switzerland [digitally].

Scheper, J., Gerads, M., Scherer, H., & Eilders, C. (2021, February). Who Conforms With Whom? Eine empirische Untersuchung der öffentlichen Redebereitschaft bei wahrgenommener Dissonanz zwischen Gesellschaft und sozialem Nahbereich. Paper presented at the annual conference of the DGPuK division „Politik und Kommunikation“, February, 12, 2021 [digitally].

Scheper, J., Bruns, S. (January, 2021). Davon will ich nichts mehr hören und sehen! Eine Längsschnittstudie zur Themenverdrossenheit in Zeiten von Corona und ihrem Zusammenhang mit Informationsvermeidung und Mediennutzung. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the DGPuK Division "Rezeptions- und Wirkungsforschung", January, 29, 2021, Munich [digitally].

2020

Scheper, J., Possler, D. & Klimmt, C. (2020, January). Faszinierende Spiele – Auslöser und unterhaltsame Wirkungen der Emotion Ehrfurcht („Awe“) in Videospielen [Fascinating games - Triggers and entertaining effects of the emotion awe ("awe") in video games]. Paper presented at the German Society of Mass Communication’s Expert Group Reception and Effects Research, January 23-25, 2020, Würzburg.

2019

Possler, D., Scheper, J., Kreissl, J., Raney, A. A., Kuempel, A. S. & Unkel, J. (2019, May). Awe-Inspirational gaming: Exploring the formation and entertaining effects of awe in video games. Paper presented at the 69th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), May 24-28, 2019, Washington, D.C., USA.

Pfeiffer, L., Scherer, H. & Scheper, J. (2019, March). Frames der Protestberichterstattung. Eine Analyse der medialen Protestberichterstattung im Zeitverlauf [Frames of media coverage on protest. An analysis of the media coverage on protest over time]. Paper presented at the Conference of Protest Communication - Controversial Legitimacy of the Political Public in Digital and Urban Spaces, March 29-30, 2019, Salzburg, Austria. 

2018

Scheper, J., Scherer, H. & Geber, S. (2018, November). Breaking the silence? Opinion leadership as a factor within the spiral of silence. Paper presented at the 7th European Communication Conference (ECC) of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), October 31 - November 3, Lugano, Switzerland.

Scheper, J. (2018, April). Dazu sage ich jetzt nichts! Eine experimentelle Untersuchung der Gründe, seine Meinung zu moralisch aufgeladenen Themen in der Öffentlichkeit preiszugeben oder zu verschweigen [I won't say anything about that now! An experiment on the reasons to openly give or give not one's opionion on morally charged issues]. Paper presented at the Düsseldorf Forum for Political Communication, April 5-7, 2018, Düsseldorf.