About us

The media and information society on the one hand, social science on the other – this combination lies at the heart of the research and teaching at IKMZ, the Department of Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich. We focus on mediated communication – via television, radio and the print media as well as social and digital media. We analyze the societal conditions for this communication, the strategies of the parties involved, media content and its usage and effects upon individuals and societies alike.

IKMZ sees communication and media from a social scientific perspective – although naturally one with interdisciplinary references and collaborations. It focuses on Switzerland, but places the country in a global context as well. In it’s Bachelor’s and Master’s programs, IKMZ introduces the full scope of its discipline and focuses on issues which are currently being researched in the department and debated in society.

IKMZ dates back more than 100 years. It developed from a professorship for newspaper research that was established at the University of Zurich in 1903. Today, some 80 people research, teach and work at IKMZ, supported by visiting lecturers and student assistants. With 11 professorships and more than 1,100 students, IKMZ is Switzerland’s largest communications department. According to international rankings, it is one of the leading departments in Europe.