Michael Prieler, PhD
Address:
The Media School, Hallym University,
Dasan Hall #507, Hallym University Road 1, Chuncheon 24252, South Korea
E-mail:
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About Me
I am currently a tenured professor at one of South Korea’s top-ranked media schools (Hallym University). Before coming to South Korea, I worked and studied for six years in Japan, where I received my PhD from one of Japan’s most prestigious universities (Tohoku University).
To date, the majority of my research has focused on advertising, new media, health communication, and diversity in the media. My research has been published in international journals as well as in books.
My scholarly profile has also been influential in my pedagogy. Having been educated in Austria, Japan, and Germany, teaching at universities in Japan (Temple University), Hong Kong (City University of Hong Kong), and South Korea (Hallym University), and conducting research throughout Asia, Africa, North America, and Europe, my course offerings are varied and infused with an intercultural perspective.
I have been honored with both the Best Teacher Award and the Distinguished Professor Award for my exceptional achievements as an educator and researcher.
Work Experience
Director, Graduate Program in Media and Communication, Hallym University, South Korea
2020–present
Overseeing strategic planning, curriculum development, professor assignments, student recruitment, and student mentoring and advisement, among other responsibilities
Professor, Digital Contents Graduate School, Hallym University, South Korea
2020–present
This graduate school received the Brain Korea Four Grant from the Korean Government for excellent graduate programs.
Tenured Professor, The Media School, Hallym University, South Korea
2018–present
In 2015, Hallym University received the highest rating in the field of media and communication studies from the Korean Ministry of Education in its “Industry Perspective University Evaluation.”
Visiting Professor, City University of Hong Kong
2019–2020
Visiting Professor at the Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong.
Distinguished Professor, Hallym University, South Korea
2018–2020
Distinguished Professor, The Media School.
Associate Professor, Hallym University, South Korea
2013–2018
Tenure-track Associate Professor, School of Media and Communication.
Adjunct Professor, International Marketing Communication, College of International Studies..
Visiting Scholar, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
March–July, 2013
Sabbatical: Visiting Scholar at the Institute of Communications Research, College of Media.
Research on “Gender representation in Spanish- and English-language advertising in the United States.”
Assistant Professor, Hallym University, South Korea
2009–2013
Tenure-track Assistant Professor, School of Communication.
Adjunct Professor, International Marketing Communication, College of International Studies.
Temple University, Tokyo Campus, Japan
September–December, 2008
Taught a class at the Department of Broadcasting, Telecommunications, and Mass Media on Popular Culture that examines from a global perspective how the concepts of globalization, race, ethnicity, nationality, and gender are represented through various popular cultural forms.
Visiting Researcher, German Institute for Japanese Studies, Japan
2007–2009
Project: Advertising to the Silver Market in Japan, in cooperation with Dr. Florian Kohlbacher (German Institute for Japanese Studies), Prof. Shigeru Hagiwara (Keio University, Tokyo), and Assoc. Prof. Akie Arima (Tokyo Woman’s Christian University).
Courses
Digital Marketing
Fundamentals of Persuasion
Advertising and Society
Digital Culture
New Media and Society
Research Methods for Digital Contents
Media Research Methods
Diversity and the Media
Media Representations in the Age of AI
Communication Theory
Media Audiences and Effects
Comparative Media Studies
Media and Culture
International Communication
Current Issues in News Media
Intercultural Communication
Introduction to Communication
Communication and Culture
Popular Culture
Freshmen Seminar
Languages
German (Native)
English (Fluent)
Japanese (Advanced)
Italian (Basic)
Korean (Basic)
2010 - present
2010 - present
Education
Tohoku University, Japan
2004–2007
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), International Cultural Studies.
Department of Multicultural Societies, Graduate School of International Cultural Studies.
Dissertation title: “The Representation of ‘the Foreign’ in Japanese Television Commercials”.
Tohoku University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan and ranked 9th in Asia in 2011 (QS Asian Universities Rankings).
Tohoku University, Japan
2003–2004
Research Student
Research activities and Japanese Language Course at the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies.
University of Vienna, Austria
1995–2003
Master’s Degree
Studies in the Department of German Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities and Cultural Studies.
Studies in the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Science.
Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Austria
1998–2003
Studies in Business Administration; discontinued, as I was awarded the prestigious Doctoral Fellowship from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), Japan, which began in April 2003.
University of Marburg, Germany
April–July, 2002
Visiting Student
Department of German Language, Literature, and Art Studies.
Tsukuba University, Japan
April–July, 2001
Exchange Student
College of International Studies, Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering, Japanese Language Course.
Grants
2020–2027
Participating Professor
The Digital Contents School, Hallym University Graduate School, has received the Brain Korea Four Grant from the Korean Government. This grant supports universities’ excellent graduate programs.
2024-2025
Investigator
“Diversity in the Age of AI: A Study of Virtual Influencers on Instagram” (Korean Won 4,000,000). Hallym University Research Fund, 2024 (202406620001).
2019–2023
Co-investigator
“지역공동체 건강과 환경정의를 위한 커뮤니케이션 테크놀로지 통합연구“[A study on the integration of communication technology for the health and environmental justice in local communities]. National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2018S1A3A2074932).
January 2019–December 2020
Co-investigator
“How responsible suicide news prevent suicides: Audience effects of country-specific elements of responsible suicide reporting in Belgium and South Korea.” National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2018070120).
March 2017–February 2018
Investigator
“The Effects of Advertising Representations: Gender Roles and Older People.” Hallym University Research Fund, 2017 (HRF-201703-008).
May 2013–April 2014
Investigator
“Face-ism from an International Perspective.” National Research Foundation of Korea, 2013 (NRF-2013020741).
December 2012–October 2013
Investigator
“Gender Representation in Spanish and English Language Advertising in the United States.” Hallym University Research Fund, 2012 (HRF-201212-005).
March 2012–February 2013
Co-investigator, with Assistant Prof. Alexander Ivanov, City University of Hong Kong, and Prof. Shigeru Hagiwara, Keio University.
“Gender Representations in Television Advertisements in Confucian Societies: China, Japan, and South Korea.” City University of Hong Kong Departmental Start-up Grant.
September 2011–February 2012
Hallym University Teaching Grant for using Social Network Sites in the course “Introduction to Communication.” NICE CARE Project, Open Knowledge Hallym University.
April 2008–March 2010
Co-investigator, with Prof. Shigeru Hagiwara, Keio University, Assoc. Prof. Akie Arima, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, and Dr. Florian Kohlbacher, German Institute for Japanese Studies.
“日本のテレビＣＭにおける高齢者表象と高齢者市場へのアプローチ” [The Representation of Older People and the Approaches to the Silver Market in Japanese Television Commercials. Yoshida Hideo Memorial Foundation Research Grant (Dentsu).
March 2009–January 2010
Investigator
“Social Groups in South Korean Television Advertising: Foreigners, Gender, and Older People.” Hallym University Research Fund, 2009 (HRF-2009-010).
April 2008–March 2009
Co-investigator, with Prof. Emmanuel Cheron, Sophia University, and Dr. Florian Kohlbacher, German Institute for Japanese Studies.
“Marketing and Communication to Older Consumers in Japan.” (Japanese Yen 400,000) Institute of Comparative Culture Grant, Sophia University.
Awards
Outstanding Paper in the 2024 Emerald Literati Awards for the article “How Influencers’ Social Media Posts Influence Audience Engagement Among Young Consumers” (co-authored with F. Fan, K. Chan, Y. Wang, & Y. Li), published in Young Consumers, 24(4), 427-444.
Excellent Paper Award for the Paper “Depression news coverage in Chinese online media” (co-authored with L. Yan, Q. Zou, Y. Guo, and Y. Zhang) by the 12th Chinese Journalism and Communication Consortium, Changsha, June 2021.
March 2020
Recipient of the "2019 Best Teacher Award" at Hallym University.
March 2018–February 2020
Appointed as a “Hallym University Distinguished Professor” for being the most productive researcher in the social sciences and humanities at Hallym University in 2016 and 2017.
August 2016
Second Place Faculty Research Paper Award for the paper “Nudity of male and female characters in television advertising across the globe” (co-authored with Jörg Matthes) by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) at the AEJMC Conference, Hilton Minneapolis, Minneapolis, USA.
March 2008–February 2009
Research Fellowship for Young Scholars from German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ), Tokyo, Japan (monthly stipend).
April 2004–March 2007
Monbukagakusho Scholarship for Doctoral Students from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology (MEXT), Japan (tuition, monthly stipend).
April 2003–March 2004
Monbukagakusho Scholarship for Research Students from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology (MEXT), Japan (tuition, monthly stipend).
April 2001–July 2001
Joint Study Scholarship from Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Austria, as part of a cooperative venture between Tsukuba University and Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration (tuition, monthly stipend).
Thesis Supervision and Examiner
Thesis Supervisor - Finished Theses (Hallym University)
Jesus Deytiquez: Virtual World Place Attachment and Its Impact on Real-World Tourism: The Case of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Master’s thesis, 2024).
Muhammad Fazal: Pollution Coverage in Pakistani English and Urdu Newspapers (Master’s thesis, 2024).
Frances Mbagwu: The Relationship between Social Media Usage and Body Image Dissatisfaction among Nigerian Young Adults (Master’s thesis, 2024).
Merhawi Hunde Jawi: The Commemoration of Korean War Veterans in English language Korean Newspapers (Master’s thesis, 2024).
Daniela Alana M. Picazo: The Influencer Marketing of Korean Cosmetics in the Philippines (Master’s thesis, 2023).
Varha Abd Selam: #Depression: A Comparative Study of Arab- and English-Language Depression Posts on Tumblr (Master’s thesis, 2021)
Preeti Bharti: Korean Wave in Northeast India (Master’s thesis, 2019).
Nebedum Ikechukwu: Gender Representations in Nigerian Movies (Master’s thesis, 2019).
Tessa Djamilla Rwubaka: Gender Representation in Rwandan Music Videos (Master’s thesis, 2018).
Thesis Supervisor - Theses in Progress (Hallym University)
H. P. Sajitha Lakmali: Colorism in Sri Lankan Advertising (tentative title, Doctoral thesis, in progress).
Mylene T. Guzman: Not Just a Fan: An Analysis of the Impacts of Fandom Prosumption on the Global Success of KPop (tentative title, Doctoral thesis, in progress).
Mehwish Yaqoob: Gender Representations in Pakistani Advertising and Drama (tentative title, Doctoral thesis, in progress).
Eunice Omolola Adejumobi: Representations and Perceptions of Ethnicities in Nigerian Movies (tentative title, Master’s thesis, in progress).
Supuni Karunachchari: The Representation of Race and Ethnicity in Sri Lankan Teledramas (tentative title, Master’s thesis, in progress).
Renu Deshwal: Assessing the Effects of Gender Stereotypes on Organizational Reputation and Employee Perception in India (tentative title, Master’s thesis, in progress).
Thesis Committee Member (Hallym University)
Muhammad Fazal: Pollution Coverage in Pakistani English and Urdu Newspapers (Committee Member, Digital Contents Graduate School, 2024).
Jesus Deytiquez: Virtual World Place Attachment and Its Impact on Real-World Tourism: The Case of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Committee Member, The Media School, 2024).
Frances Mbagwu: The Relationship between Social Media Usage and Body Image Dissatisfaction among Nigerian Young Adults (Committee Member, The Media School, 2023).
Merhawi Hunde Jawi: The Commemoration of Korean War Veterans in English language Korean Newspapers (Committee Member, The Media School, 2023).
Daniela Alana M. Picazo: The Influencer Marketing of Korean Cosmetics in the Philippines (Committee Member, The Media School, 2022).
Julio Palacios: The Portrayal of Japanese in South Korean Films: Assassination and The Age of Shadows (Chair, The Media School, 2021).
Dilan Sinan Soykurt: The role of Media Use in Risk Perception and Preventive Behaviors Related to Covid-19 in France (Committee Member, The Media School, 2021).
Varha Abd Selam: #Depression: A Comparative Study of Arab- and English-Language Depression Posts on Tumblr (Committee Member, The Media School, 2021).
Tracy Lorena Campos Lopez: Functions of Korean Film Festivals (Committee Member, The Media School, 2019).
Nazakat Khan: The Rise of Turkish Drama in Pakistan (Committee Member, The Media School, 2019).
Preeti Bharti: Korean Wave in Northeast India (Committee Member, School of Media and Communication, 2018).
Nebedum Ikechukwu: Gender Representations in Nigerian Movies (Committee Member, School of Media and Communication, 2018).
Tessa Djamilla Rwubaka: Gender Representation in Rwandan Music Videos (Committee Member, School of Media and Communication, 2017).
Dom Vannak: Socioeconomic Studies of Demands for Higher Education in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Chair, Department of Sociology, 2017).
External Thesis Examiner
Shazna Binti Abu Bakar: Gender Representation in Popular Malay TV Dramas (University of Malaya, Malaysia, doctoral thesis, 2024).
§Gao Xiaotian: Unveiling Cultural Discount: A Study on the Audiences’ Reception of Korean Films in China (University of Malaya, Malaysia, doctoral thesis, 2024).
Md Ruhul Kabir: Predicting Bangladesh Women’s Intentions to Use Health Services During Pregnancy and Childbirth: The Role of Communication and Social Factors (Hong Kong Baptist University, China, doctoral thesis, 2024).
Clarence Anthony a/l Puspanathan: Product Placement Marketing in Movies and Consumer Purchase Intentions: A Study on Peninsular Malaysia’s Multiethnic Patrons (Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia, doctoral thesis, 2023).
Vinietha A/P Veloo: Advertisements on Instagram: The Effect of Beauty Standards on the Psychology of Female Millenials (University of Malaya, Malaysia, doctoral thesis, 2023).
Rhythy Junyang Cao Quin: The Role of Social Media in the Rise of Electronic Dance Music Culture in China: A Grounded Theory Study (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, doctoral thesis, 2022).
Wenqian Xu: Ageism in the Media: Online Representations of Older People Generated by Organizations (Linkoping University, Sweden, doctoral thesis, 2021).
Shiang Shiang Lim: Framing an aviation crisis in the mainstream and alternative Malaysian newspapers: A study of the missing flight MH370. (Universiti Tunku Abdum Rahman, Malaysia, doctoral thesis, 2021).
Yanqing Sun: The Effect of Social Media Parenting Content on New Mothers’ Self-Discrepancy and Postnatal Mood Disorders (City University of Hong Kong, China, doctoral thesis, 2021).
Fei Fan: Consumers’ Perceptions and Responses to Advertising with Traditional and Micro-celebrity Endorsements: A Relational Approach (Hong Kong Baptist University, China, doctoral thesis, 2020).
Sebastian Brooke: A Nation Changed? Post-Tsunami Images/(Re)Presentations of National Identity in Japanese Television Advertising (University of South Australia, Australia, doctoral thesis, 2017).
Other Academic Activities
Journal Reviewer
Advertising & Society Quarterly (Project MUSE)
African Journalism Studies (Routledge)
Ageing & Society (Cambridge University Press)
American Communication Journal (American Communication Association)
Asian Communication Research (Korean Society for Journalism & Communication Studies)
Asian Ethnicity (Routledge)
Asian Journal of Communication (Routledge)
Asian Journal of Women’s Studies (Routledge)
Asian and Pacific Migration Journal (Sage)
Asian Women (Research Institute of Asian Women)
Communicatio (Routledge)
Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies (Routledge)
Comprehensive Psychology (Sage)
Contemporary Japan (Mouton de Gruyter)
Critical Studies in Media Communication (Routledge)
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking (Liebert Publishers)
Feminist Media Studies (Routledge)
Frontiers in Psychology (Frontiers)
Frontiers in Sociology (Frontiers)
Fudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences (Springer)
Global Media and Communication (Sage)
Humanities & Social Sciences Communications (Nature)
Information, Communication and Society (Routledge)
International Journal of Aging and Human Development (Baywood)
International Journal of Aging and Later Life (Linköping University Electronic Press)
International Journal of Communication (University of Southern California)
International Journal of Consumer Studies (Wiley)
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (MDPI)
International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education (Routledge)
International Journal of Intercultural Relations (Elsevier)
International Journal of the Sociology of Language (Mouton de Gruyter)
Journal of Advertising (Routledge)
Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies (intellect)
Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media (Routledge)
Journal of Communication (Oxford University Press)
Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising (Routledge)
Journal of Intercultural Communication Research (Routledge)
Journal of Marketing Communications (Routledge)
Journal of Media and Communication Studies (Academic Journals)
Journal of Political Science and Sociology (Keio University)
Makara Journal of Health Research (Universitas Indonesia)
Manusya: Journal of Humanities (Brill)
Mass Communication and Society (Routledge)
Media Asia (Routledge)
Media, Culture & Society (Sage)
Plaridel: A Journal of Communication, Media, and Society (University of the Philippines)
PLOS One (Public Library of Science)
Publications (MDPI)
SAGE Open (Article Editor and Reviewer)
Sex Roles (Springer)
Social Currents (Sage)
Social Forces (Oxford University Press)
Sociological Forum (Wiley)
SpringerPlus
Telecommunications Policy (Elsevier)
Telematics and Informatics (Elsevier)
The Review of Communication (Routledge)
The Social Science Journal (Elsevier)
The South Asian Journal of Marketing (Emerald)
Editor and Editorial Board Member
Sex Roles (Springer), Editorial Board Member: 2018–2020; 2022–present
Health & New Media Research (Hallym University), Associate Editor: 2019-present
Journal of Advertising (Routledge): Editorial Review Board Member: 2021–2022
Health Communication Research (Korea Health Communication Association), Editorial Board Member: 2019-2021
Asian Communication Research (Korean Society for Journalism & Communication Studies), Editorial Board Member: 2019-2020
Session Convener, Chair, and Discussant at Conferences
Moderator, “Culture and Marketing Communication: Strategies for Diversity”, session at the 30th AMIC Annual Conference, Communication University of China, Beijing, China, 24-26 September, 2024.
Discussant, “Has the Scientific World Truly Opened Itself to Open Access?”, panel discussion organized by Enago Academy; online; www.enago.com/academy.
Discussant, “The Role of Media in Public Health,” session at the Hallym-Mongolia International University Symposium: Media and Information Technology to Promote Public Health, Hallym University, Chuncheon, South Korea, 13 June 2017.
Chair, “The Construction of Body: Age, Disability, and Plastic Surgery in Media Portrayals”, Feminist Scholarship and Health Communication Section, ICA Conference, Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, San Diego, USA, 25–29 May 2017.
Discussant, “Critical Analysis of Media Industry,” session at The iCat International Conference: Changing Ecologies of Media Industries, Hallym University, Chuncheon, South Korea, 23–25 April 2017.
Chair, “Media Psychology and the Study of Gender-Related Issues”, Mass Communication Section, ICA Conference, Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk, Fukuoka, Japan, 9–13 June 2016.
Moderator and Respondent, “Focus on Asia: Media Reception, Productions, and Activisms in China, South Korea, and Bangladesh”, Feminist Scholarship Section, ICA Conference, Hilton Fukuoka Sea Hawk, Fukuoka, Japan, 9–13 June 2016.
Session Convener and Chair, “Advertising Gender: A Comparison of East Asian Images Through Time, Space, and Media”, Popular Communication/Feminist Scholarship Section, ICA Conference, Sheraton Seattle Hotel, Seattle, United States, 22–26 May 2014.
Chair, “Studies in Communication and New Media”, 11th International Cultural Studies Association Conference (Beyond Disciplinarity: Interventions in Cultural Studies and the Arts), Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, United States, 23–26 May 2013.
Discussant, “Communication Education 2”, The Future of College Education: Challenges and Responses in Business and Communication Education, Hallym University, Chuncheon, South Korea, 10 May 2012
Chair, “Gender and the Digital World (II): Social Effects at Home, in the Community, and Society”, Gender and Communication Section, IAMCR Conference (Cities, Creativity, Connectivity), Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey, 13–17 July 2011.
Chair, “Screening Gender: Studies from ICT, TV and Film“, Gender and Communication Section, IAMCR Conference (Communication and Citizenship: Rethinking Crisis and Change), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, 18–22 July 2010.
Chair, “Women and Media”, Feminist Scholarship Section, ICA Conference, Suntec, Singapore, 22–26 June 2010.
Chair, “New Trends in News Flows in Asia”, “News Flows in Asia: An International Conference”, Korea Press Foundation, Seoul, South Korea, 27–29 August 2009..
Other
Standing Review Board Member, Research Grants Council, Hong Kong (2021–present).
University College London, External Reviewer, Evaluating Research and Academic Rank Promotion (2023).
Macau University of Science and Technology, External Reviewer, Evaluating Research and Academic Rank Promotion (2022).
Grant Reviewer, European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant 2020 Call.
Standing Review Board Member, Research Grants Council, Hong Kong (2021–2023).
Committee Member, Japanese Language and Cultural Studies Centre, Li Ka Shing School of Professional and Continuing Education, The Open University of Hong Kong.
External Postgraduate Research Scholarship Reviewer, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China, 2019.
International Education Committee, School of Media and Communication/The Media School, Hallym University, 2012–2020. Helped to establish several exchange programs, e.g., with Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), De La Salle University (Philippines), and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Malaysia).
External Grant Reviewer, Israel Science Foundation, 2016.
External Grant Reviewer, National Science Centre, Poland, 2016.
Member of the Scientific Committee, International Symposium: Media Ideology: The Globalized World and Democratic Transition, Department of Mass Media, Sri Palee Campus, University of Colombo, 2016.
Editorial Advisory Board, Handbook of Research on Individualism and Identity in the Globalized Digital Age. Edited by Sigmund Topor, IGI Global, 2014–2016.
External Research Project Reviewer, The Open University of Hong Kong, 2015.
Advisor, “Strategies for enhancing effectiveness of risk communication based on Korean adults’ health literacy”, Project by Myoungsoon You (Seoul National University), Youngkee Ju (Hallym University), Hee Jeong Son (Seoul National University), Kyung Jin Hong (Seoul National University), 2012.
Assigned Faculty Searcher by Hallym University (School of Communication and College of International Studies) at NCA Job Fair, San Francisco, November 2010.
Regular participant in academic reputation surveys, e.g., by Times Higher Education, QS Intelligence Unit, and Clarivite Analytics.