Leibniz Institute for Media Research - Hans Bredow Institute

New Building

We Are Now Located at Warburgstraße 30 B!

The highlight of our anniversary year celebrating the institute's 75th birthday was our move into a new building on Warburgstraße in Hamburg! On December 1, 2025, we moved into an extensively renovated building close to the Alster that is perfectly adapted to our research and event needs.

Study Findings ConKids Published

Children’s Media Biographies Are Becoming Increasingly Individualized

The media worlds of children and young people have changed significantly in recent years. While the first smartphone still plays a central role, the use of individual media and the order in which they are purchased or made available varies. These changes result in more diverse media ensembles and individualized media biographies for children.

Commission Starts Work

Expert Commission to Improve Protection for Prostitutes

Federal Minister Karin Prien has convened an independent expert commission on the protection of sex workers to improve their situation. Matthias C. Kettemann will advise the commission on online protection in sex work and the role of platforms.

Study Findings Published

Young People on TikTok – Between Appreciation and Resistance

Young people often use TikTok as a news source, but are not always aware that they may be exposed to various forms of manipulation through the TikTok algorithm. A new qualitative #UseTheNews study by the HBI shows how teenagers and young adults use the platform and interact with the algorithm.

Second Cohesion Report of RISC

The Climate Discourse on Social Media

Most Germans are willing to do more to protect the climate, but concerns about the social and economic consequences of climate policy are widespread. This is one of the findings of the second Cohesion Report published by the Research Institute Social Cohesion (RISC). For this report, the Social Media Observatory examined the climate discourse on social media.

ORF Radio Program “Punkt eins”

Summit Meeting: Europe Aims to Become More Digitally Sovereign

Matthias C. Kettemann is a guest on the ORF radio program "Punkt Eins" to discuss Europe's struggle for self-determination in the digital world and explain what law and ethics can achieve with new technologies on the occasion of the summit on Europe's digital sovereignty.

Deutschlandfunk Podcast mediasres

Who Is Responsible for Extreme Right-Wing Content on TikTok?

TikTok launched its shopping feature in the first EU countries at the end of 2024. Since February 2025, it has been available in Germany, allowing users to purchase products directly through the app. For TikTok, the app's shopping feature means increased brand growth and revenue.However, monetizing content raises specific legal questions: Who is liable when illegal products are sold? Matthias C. Kettemann has the answer.

Event Review

News Usage, News Avoidance, and Digital Public Spheres

As part of Hamburg's Press Freedom Week, researchers from the HBI met with journalists to discuss the current challenges facing journalism, news avoidance, and the differences between journalism and influence.