News
Reports, Publications, Projects, Blog Posts & Podcasts from the Institute
Responsibility in the Platform Quadrangle
This working paper by Tobias Mast comments on the European Court of Justice's recent Russmedia ruling and sets out the premises for a relationship between EU legal acts in the digital single market that respects fundamental rights.
Matthias C. Kettemann New Chairman of the First Senate of the Austrian Press Council
Matthias C. Kettemann, a Professor of Innovation, Theory, and Philosophy of Law at the University of Innsbruck, and the Head of Program Area 2, "Communication Structures and Their Governance," at the HBI, was unanimously elected as the Chair of the First Senate of the Austrian Press Council.
Data Collection and Analysis on TikTok and YouTube
In order to develop the best practices for collecting and analyzing data on short video platforms, Gregor Wiedemann's Media Research Methods Lab at the HBI is participating in a Helmut Schmidt University project examining the German Armed Forces' representation on TikTok and YouTube.
Euromedia Ownership Monitor
The Euromedia Ownership Monitor provides policymakers and the general public with in-depth insights into the extent of media ownership transparency in the EU. It was updated in 2025.
Research Assistant / PhD Candidate at the Social Media Observatory
The HBI in Hamburg has the following vacancy to fill as of May 1, 2026: Research Assistant / PhD candidate (m/f/d) in the field of Computational Social Science. Fixed-term until May 31, 2029, subject to the approval of third-party funding | Full-time | Pay grade 13 TV-L | Location: Hamburg. We are looking forward to your application.
Research Assistant / PhD Candidate in the Field of Computational Social Science
At the HBI in Hamburg the following position is available as of May 1, 2026: Research Assistant /PhD candidate (m/f/d) in the field of Computational Social Science. Fixed-term until March 31, 2029, subject to the approval of third-party funding | Full-time | Pay grade 13 TV-L | Location: Hamburg. We are looking forward to your application.
Research Assistant in the Field of Computational Social Science
The HBI in Hamburg is seeking to fill one position as of April 1, 2026: Research assistant (all genders) in the field of Computational Social Science – focus on social media, social scientific support. We are looking forward to your application.
Does the X-Feed Influence Political Opinions?
The posts that people see on platform X could influence their attitudes toward certain political issues. This was the conclusion reached by a European research team. In her statement for the Science Media Center (SMC), Judith Möller explains that, while the study confirms that media content impacts how issues are assessed, it cannot demonstrate that it fundamentally alters political attitudes.
Growing Up in Data-Intensive and Automated (Media) Environments
Dr. Claudia Lampert examines changing usage practices and possible implications for socialization research in the chapter “Growing Up in Data-Intensive and Automated (Media) Environments” of the handbook “Media Socialization in ‘Smart’ Environments. Self- and Social Development in the Context of Datafication and Automation,” edited by Laura Sūna and Wolfgang Reißmann.
Event dates
Annual Conference of the DGPuK 2026
18. March 2026The 71st annual conference of the German Communication Association (DGPuK) will take place from March 18 to 20, 2026, and will be hosted by the Institute of Journalism at TU Dortmund University. The conference theme is "#Science #Communication #Democracy." Several HBI researchers will present their work or participate in panels.
On the Future of Public Broadcasting
19. March 2026Dr. Hans-Ulrich Wagner will participate in a panel discussion titled “Cultural Mandate and Program Development in Public Broadcasting.” The event is part of the symposium, "Cultural Education and Participation in Transition: The Cultural Sector between Local and Global Interests” at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.