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Nadine Strauß

Nadine Strauß, Prof. Dr.

  • Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication & Media Management
Phone
+41 44 635 20 75
Room number
AND 3.56

Short Biography

Nadine Strauß is an Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) of Strategic Communication and Media Management at the Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich.

Prior to joining the University of Zurich, she was a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, where she studied the role of news media for sustainable finance. She previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Media Innovation Lab at the Department of Communication at the University of Vienna.

Prof. Strauß obtained her Ph.D. from the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), University of Amsterdam, with the dissertation “News Media & the Stock Market: Assessing Mutual Relationships.” She also completed a Research Master’s in Communication Science (cum laude) at the University of Amsterdam and was a visiting researcher at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California.

Today, her research focuses on strategic communication and its management, examining how organizations and other societal actors design and use communication to engage stakeholders, create value and support long-term organizational performance and societal sustainability. Prof. Strauß’ recent publications span key areas of strategic communication, including:

  • Financial communication and investor relations
  • Public relations
  • Corporate communication
  • Crisis communication
  • Sustainability communication
  • Financial and business journalism
  • News use in the digital environment

Google Scholar

Curriculum Vitae

since 2021

Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication & Media Management (Tenure Track)
Department of Communication and Media Research (IKMZ) 
University of Zurich

2019 – 2021

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research Fellow
Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment
School of Geography and the Environment
University of Oxford

2018 – 2019

Postdoctoral Researcher 
Media Innovation Lab (MiLab), Department of Communication
University of Vienna

2017 – 2018

Associate (Strategy and Communication Consultant)
GAULY ADVISORS, Frankfurt

2014 – 2017

PhD Candidate, Corporate Communication  
Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR)
University of Amsterdam

2016 – 2017

PhD Research Fellow
Department Media, Economics & Entrepreneurship Annenberg 
School for Communication & Journalism
University of Southern California

2012 – 2014

MSc Student, Communication Science (Research Master's; cum laude)
University of Amsterdam

2011 – 2012

Exchange Bachelor's Student
University of North Carolina at Greensboro

2009 – 2012

BA Student, Media and Communication Studies
University of Mannheim

Professional Roles and Service (Selection)

Editorial Board Memberships

  • Member of the Editorial Board of Corporate Reputation Review (since 2025)
  • Member of the Editorial Board of Environmental Communication (since 2023)
  • Member of the Editorial Board of International Journal of Strategic Communication (since 2021)

Academic Service and Institutional Responsibilities

  • Member of the Ethics Committee, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Zurich (2025-2026)
  • Co-Founder and Community Manager of the community “Sustainability” (with Dr. Mario Angst), Digital Society Initiative, University of Zurich (2022-2025)
  • Student and Early Career Representative, International Communication Association, Environmental Communication Division (2022 – 2024)
  • Deputy, European Network of Emerging Scholars (EUNES), European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) (2022 – 2023)

Engagement in Civil Society

  • Member, Board of Trustees, ProClim – Forum für Klima und globalen Wandel, SCNAT, Akademie für Naturwissenschaften Schweiz (since 2023)
  • Board Member, Finance Watch (Brussels) – “Making Finance Serve Society” (2020-2026)

Publications

Peer Reviewed Articles

  1. Cinceoglu, V., Strauß, N., Binder-Tietz, S. & Alvarado, I. (2025). Addressing Greenwashing – The Role of Strategic Communication in ESG Reporting. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2025.2591309
  2. Strauß, N. (in press). News Use in Digital Media: "News Finds Me" Perceptions, Incidental Information Exposure, and Algorithmic Curation. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication.
  3. Strauß, N., Cinceoglu, V., Binder-Tietz, S., & Oliva Alvarado, I.M. (2025). ESG Communication as a Strategic Public Relations Function: A Framework for Excellence. Journal of Public Relations Research, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2025.2590078
  4. Schultz, A., Volk, S., Blassnig, S., Kessler, S.H., Marschlich, S., Nguyen, M.H., Stahel, L., & Strauß, N. (2025). Information Overload and Information Appreciation Across News, Entertainment, and Personal Communication: Scale Development and Application. Journal of Quantitative Description, 5. https://doi.org/10.51685/jqd.2025.018
  5. Strauß, N., & Njagojevic, M. (2025). Building the media and political agenda during COVID-19 – How trade associations used strategic communication to stir public discussions in Switzerland. Corporate Communication: An International Journal, 30(7), 44–61. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-08-2024-0147
  6. Schorn, A., Hess, L., & Strauß, N. (2025). Influencers going green: How exhibited climate activism and message-sidedness affect the impact of greenfluencer Posts. SCM Studies in Communication and Media, 14(2), 268–291.
  7. Strauß, N. & Simunovic, D. (2025). Communicating net-zero: A conceptual model for effective strategic communication. Public Relations Review, 51(3). 102580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2025.102580
  8. Bulian, J., Schäfer, M.S., Amini, A., Lam, H., Ciaramita, M., Gaiarin, B., Hübscher, M. C., Buck, C., Mede, N., Leippold, M. & Strauß, N. (2024): Assessing Large Language Models on Climate Information. Proceedings of the 41st International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), 235, 4884–4935 PMLR. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2310.02932
  9. Knowles, S., Strauß, N., & Cinceoglu, V. (2024). A crisis without a context? The framing of economi inequality through the pandemic. Journal of Applied Media and Journalism Studies, 13(2), 177–197. https://doi.org/10.1386/ajms_00146_1
  10. Strauß, N. (2024). Only reflecting the industry or critical reporting? News coverage about sustainable finance in Germany. Journal of Environmental Media, 5(2), 201–223. https://doi.org/10.1386/jem_00132_1
  11. Volk, S., Schulz, A., Blassnig, S., Marschlich, S., Nguyen, M. H., Strauß, N. (2024). Selecting, avoiding, disconnecting: A focus group study of people’s strategies for dealing with information abundance in the contexts of news, entertainment, and personal communication. Information, Communication & Society, 28(1), 21–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2024.2358167
  12. Cinceoglu, V., & Strauß, N. (2024). Unmasking greenwashing – the role of the news media in giving voice to  whistleblowers in sustainable finance. Journalism, 26(2), 445–463. https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849241241139
  13. Strauß, N. & Mpadanes, M. (2024). Tackling societal challenges as opportunities: a case study of a Swiss foundation’s value-creating function. Journal of Communication Management, 28(2), 328–344. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-02-2023-0029
  14. Strauß, N., Krakow, J., & Chesney, M. (2023). It’s the news stupid! The relationship between news attention, literacy, trust, greenwashing perceptions, and sustainable finance investment in Switzerland. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investments, 13(4), 1480–1505. https://doi.org/10.1080/20430795.2023.2226792
  15. Angst, M., & Strauß, N. (2023). Discourses about sustainability and digitalization in Europe on Twitter over time. GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 32(Suppl1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.32.S1.4
  16. O’Neill, S., Hayes, S., Strauß, N., Doutreix, M.-N., Steentjes, K., Ettinger, J., Westwood, N., Painter, J. (2023). Visual portrayals of fun in the sun in European news outlets misrepresent heatwave risks. The Geographical Journal, 189(1), 90–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/geoj.12487
  17. Strauß, N., Painter, J., Ettinger, J., Doutreix, M.-N., Wonneberger, A., & Walton, P. (2021). Reporting on the 2019 European Heatwaves and Climate Change: Journalists’ Attitudes, Motivations and Role Perceptions. Journalism Practice, 16(2-3), 462–485. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1969988
  18. Strauß, N. (2021). Covering sustainable finance: Role perceptions, journalistic practices and moral dilemmas. Journalism, 23(6), 1194–1212. https://doi.org/10.1177/14648849211001784
  19. Painter, J., Ettinger, J., Doutreix, M.-N., Strauß, N., Wonneberger, A., & Walton, P. (2021). Is it climate change? Coverage by online news sites of the 2019 European summer heatwaves in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. Climatic Change, 169(4), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-021-03222-w
  20. Strauß, N., Huber, B., & Gil de Zúñiga, H. (2021). Structural Influences on the News Finds Me Perception: Why People Believe They Don’t Have to Actively Seek News Anymore. Social Media + Society, 7(2), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211024966
  21. Strauß, N. (2021). Framing Sustainable Finance: A Critical Analysis of Op-Eds in the Financial Times. International Journal of Business Communication, 60(4), 1427–1440. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884211025982
  22. Strauß, N. (2021). Devil’s Advocate or Agenda Setter? The Role of Journalists Covering Sustainable Finance in Europe. Journalism Studies, 22(9), 1200–1218. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2021.1937676
  23. Strauß, N. (2021). Communicating Sustainable Responsible Investments as Financial Advisors: Engaging Private Investors with Strategic Communication. Sustainability, 13(3), 3161. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063161
  24. Strauß, N., Huber, B., & Gil de Zúñiga, H (2020). “Yes, I Saw It – But Didn’t Read It…” A Cross-Country Study, Exploring Relationships between Incidental News Exposure and News Use across Platforms. Digital Journalism, 8(9), 1181­–1205. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2020.1832130
  25. Strauß, N., Alonso-Muñoz, L., & Gil de Zúñiga, H. (2020). Bursting the filter bubble: The mediating effect of discussion frequency on network heterogeneity. Online Information Review, 44(6), 1161–1181. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-11-2019-0345
  26. Gil de Zúñiga, H., Strauß, N., & Huber, B. (2020). The Proliferation of the “News Finds Me” Perception Across Societies. International Journal of Communication, 14, 1605–1633.
  27. Strauß, N. (2019). Using an Interdisciplinary Multi-Method Approach to Explain the Relationships between News Media and the Stock Market. SageResearch Method Cases Part 2. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526492890
  28. Gil de Zúñiga, H., Huber, B., & Strauß, N. (2018). Social media and democracy. Profesional De La información, 27(6), 1172–1180. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2018.nov.01
  29. Strauß, N. & Holmes Smith, C. (2019). Buying on rumors: How financial news flows affect the share price of Tesla. Corporate Communication: An International Journal, 24(4), 594–607. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-09-2018-0091
  30. Strauß, N. (2019). Financial journalism in today’s high-frequency news and information era. Journalism, 20(2), 274–291. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884917753556
  31. Strauß, N. (2018). The role of trust in investor relations: Guiding strategic financial communication. Corporate Communication: An International Journal, 23(1), 2–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2017.1378220
  32. Strycharz, J., Strauß, N., & Trilling, D. (2017). The Role of Media Coverage in Explaining Stock Market Fluctuations: Insights for Strategic Financial Communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 21(1), 67–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2017.1378220
  33. Strauß, N., Vliegenthart, R. & Verhoeven, P. (2018). Intraday News Trading: The Reciprocal Relationships Between the Stock Market and Economic News. Communication Research, 45(7), 1054–1077. https://doi.org/1177/0093650217705528
  34. Strauß, N. & van der Meer, T. G. L. A. (2017). News media coverage and initial public offerings in Germany: explaining flotation performance. Corporate Communication: An International Journal, 22(4), 523–541. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-04-2017-0028
  35. Strauß, N. & Jonkman, J. (2017). The benefit of issue management: anticipating crises in the digital age. Journal of Communication Management, 21(1), 34–50. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-05-2016-0033
  36. Strauß, N., Vliegenthart, R. & Verhoeven, P. (2016). Lagging behind? Emotions in newspaper articles and stock market prices in the Netherlands. Public Relations Review, 42(4), 548–555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2016.03.010
  37. Strauß, N. & R. Vliegenthart, R. (2017). Reciprocal influence? Investigating implicit frames in press releases and financial newspaper coverage during the German banking crisis. Public Relations Review, 43(2), 392–405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2017.02.001
  38. Strauß, N. (2015). German financial media’s responsiveness to Deutsche Bank’s cultural change. Public Relations Review, 41(4). 435–437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2015.07.004
  39. Strauß, N., Kruikemeier, S., van der Meulen, H. & van Noort, G. (2015). Digital diplomacy in GCC countries: Strategic communication of Western embassies on Twitter. Government Information Quarterly, 32(4), 369–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2015.08.001 

Monographies and Books

  1. Hoffmann, C.P., & Strauß, N. (2024). Effective Financial Communication – Key Concepts, Empirical Insights, and Implications for Practice. London, UK: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003271826
  2. Strauß, N. (2018). News media and the stock market: Assessing mutual relationships. An interdisciplinary multi-method study of financial journalism, news media, emotions, market events and the stock market. Amsterdam, NL: Amsterdam School of Communication Research. https://hdl.handle.net/11245.1/c75b8fc6-b30e-4289-bfe5-07fe254a174c

Book Chapters

  1. Strauß, N. (2025, in press). Grundlagen der strategischen Kommunikation. In W. Schweiger, A. Fahr, & D. Wirz (Eds.), Handbuch Medienwirkungsforschung (2nd ed.).
  2. Strauß, N. (2024). But is it Sustainable? Exploring Journalists’ Coverage of Sustainable Finance. In J. Weber, & R.S. Dunham (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Business Journalism. London, UK: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003298977-26
  3. Strauß, N., Painter, J., Ettinger, J., Doutreix, M.-N., Wonneberger, A., & Walton, P. (2022). Reporting on the 2019 European Heatwaves and Climate Change: Journalists’ Attitudes, Motivations and Role Perceptions. In R.E. Gutsche & J. Pinto (Eds.), Journalism and Reporting Synergistic Effects of Climate Change. London, UK: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1969988
  4. Strauß, N., Knowles, S., & Cinceoglu, V. (2023). The Role of Reading Economic News in Germany and the UK. Ireneusz Miciuła (Ed.), Financial Literacy in Today’s Global Market. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.1002495
  5. Knowles, S., & Strauß, N. (2023). Deconstructing Discourse: Applying Interview Research in the Economic Newsroom. In H. Silke, M. Rieder, & F. Quinn (Eds.), How to Read Economic News: A Critical Approach to Economic Journalism. London, UK: Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.5772/10.4324/9781003154747-13
  6. Cinceoglu, V., Lievonen, M., & Strauß, N. (2023). Corporate lobbying on sustainable finance: how financial lobbying drives negative engagement behavior on Twitter. In E. Oliveira, G. Gonçalves, (Eds.), The Normative Imperative: Sociopolitical Challenges of Strategic and Organizational Communication. Proceedings of the ECREA Organisational and Strategic Communication Section Conference held at the Autonomous University of Lisbon, 5-8 July 2023. https://doi.org/10.5772/10.25768/654-941-1
  7. Gauly, T., & Strauß, N. (2018). Über das Ethos der Medien und die Ökonomisierung der Information. Eine medienethische Betrachtung aus praktischer Sicht. In C. Brand, S. Meisch (Eds.), Ethik in Serie: Eine Festschrift zu Ehren von Uta Müller. Tübingen University, 365–378.  https://www.zora.uzh.ch/handle/20.500.14742/220723

Reports and Other Publications

  1. Strauß, N., Binder-Tietz, S., Cinceoglu, V., & Oliva Alvarado, I. M. (2025). ESG-Kommunikation im Kapitalmarkt – Professionalisierung, Greenwashing und Krisenfestigkeit. PR Magazin, 11/2025, E1 – E5.
  2. Schäfer, M., & Strauß, N. (2025). Brennpunkt Klima Schweiz – 3.2.2 - I5 Kommunikation. Akademie der Naturwissenschaften Schweiz (SCNAT). Proclim – Forum für Klima und globalen Wandel.
  3. Strauß, N., Cinceoglu, V., Binder-Tietz, S., & Oliva Alvarado, I.M. (2025). Industry Report: ESG Communication: Issue Management, Greenwashing and Crisis Communication. University of Zurich & University of Leipzig.
  4. Marschlich, S., Vogler, D., & Strauß, N. (2022). Qualität und Bedeutung der Wirtschaftsberichterstattung in Schweizer Medien. Forschungszentrum Öffentlichkeit und Gesellschaft (fög).
  5. Strauß, N. & Mpadanes, M. (2022). Impact Report 2021 (internal). StrategieDialog21.
  6. Painter, J., Strauß, N., & Mroz, G. (2022). An analysis of the presence of key NGO messages on Twitter and in 20 popular news websites in four countries at the end of the 2021 Glasgow COP. Report for an NGO.

Research Grants

2025 – 2026 Digital Society Initiative, University of Zurich, “Short-Termism in Corporate Communication”, PI (5,200 CHF)
2026 –2029 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Zurich, Seed Funding for ERC Starting Grant Application, “Short-Termism in Corporate Communication Amid Accelerated Issue Environments”, PI (70,000 CHF)
2025 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Zurich, Seed Funding for ERC Starting Grant Application, “Short-Termism in Corporate Communication Amid Accelerated Issue Environments”, PI (10,000 CHF)
2025 Climate Social Science Network (CSSN) – High-Impact Scholarship on Climate Obstruction, “Net-Zero Obstruction through Lobbying Efforts – Holding Corporate Actors against Europe's Net-Zero Goal to Account”, PI (23,550 USD)
2023 Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Starting Grant, “Net-Zero Communication: The Role of Communication in Transforming Corporations to Carbon Neutrality”, PI (1,214,514 CHF) - invited to Round 2 Interview; rejected
2023 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Zurich, Seed Funding for SNSF Starting Grant, “Net-Zero Communication: The Role of Communication in Transforming Corporations to Carbon Neutrality”, PI (10,000 CHF)