Articles

Hostility towards science has emerged as a significant challenge in contemporary science communication, particularly in increasingly politicised and digitally mediated public environments. Scholars across diverse disciplines are confronted with harassment, delegitimisation, political interference, disinformation, and personal attacks, especially when engaging in public communication. This editorial introduces the JCOM commentary set “Scholars Under Attack” and situates hostility towards science within broader transformations of media ecosystems, political polarisation, and contested epistemic authority.

In this commentary, we examine patterns of attacks against scholars focusing on the case of Germany. Drawing on the responses to open and closed questions in a recent survey of 2,600 German researchers, we identify context- and field-specific patterns of science hostility. While most responding researchers do not experience severe attacks, those engaged in specific fields may be at a higher risk of being threatened. We argue that attacks on researchers may not be perceived as acts of hostility against scientific institutions but rather emerge in the context of controversial topics.

German academia has faced multiple changes over the last two decades, including new academic pathways to full professorship inspired by the Anglo-Saxon academic system, such as junior professorship and tenure track. Our study investigates the patterns of academic career trajectories to full professorship that have emerged subsequently. We illuminate the relationship between those “career types” and their determinants. Using data from the prof*panel (N = 660) and sequence-cluster analysis, we find four academic career clusters. Our findings suggest that traditional career paths still play a major role, although the influence of internationalization and novel academic career steps, like junior professorship, is growing.

How are German universities coping with internationalization in the course of digital transformation? This article highlights increasing roles for IT staff and collaboration between administrative and academic personnel to enhance online delivery and partnerships. Digitalization offers potential but requires strategic integration; organizational support; digital literacy; and a holistic approach that promotes access, inclusion, diversity, and sustainable outcomes.