News
Reports, Publications, Projects, Blog Posts & Podcasts from the Institute
News Avoidance Strategies and Their Implications for Public Engagement
What impact does news avoidance have on membership in different publics and political participation? To what extent do these dynamics contribute to the fragmentation of publics? This study examines how various news avoidance practices affect individuals’ connection to the public sphere.
Podcasts: Key Players, Content, and Misinformation
As audio media, such as podcasts, become more important, the risks of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news increase. The collaborative project “Systematic Observation of New Audio Risks” (SONAR) examines the content structure of online audio media and develops methods for identifying relevant narratives and manipulation strategies.
That Was Our Open House
On Friday, April 17, we opened our doors to our supporters and partners, as well as to our new neighbors. We truly enjoyed presenting our research activities and outreach programs, as well as giving visitors a firsthand experience of our new location, which is designed for agile working methods and cutting-edge research.
Determinants of Verification Behavior in Generative Search
Generative AI is being increasingly integrated into search engines, but it has been criticized for producing content that sounds plausible yet is sometimes inaccurate. Little is currently known about the factors that prompt users to verify these responses. The study by Eva-Luise Knor, Michael V. Reiss, Judith Möller, and Lisa Merten addresses this knowledge gap.
Platforms, Online Surveillance, and the European Union: The Digital Services Act (DSA)
In their open-access article, Prof. Dr. Judith Möller, Ronan Ó Fathaigh, Bengi Zeybek, and Rocco Bellanova explore how the DSA facilitates public and private surveillance practices regarding content disseminated on online platforms.
M&K 2/2026 Has Been Published
The February 2026 issue of M&K features articles that explore the understanding of roles and the transformative potential of peripheral actors in the DACH region. Other articles examine developments in sports coverage in German daily newspapers from 2011 to 2021 and the usage patterns of ChatGPT, as well as anthropomorphic role attributions. You can download all of these articles free of charge.
Babies and Toddlers in Family Influencing
In what ways and how often are babies and young children (ages 0–5) depicted on commercially oriented German-language social media profiles on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube? Stephan Dreyer, Claudia Lampert, Kira Thiel, and others analyze this question using qualitative and quantitative methods. They also critically discuss the findings in light of the applicable legal framework and media ethics considerations.
Assessing Age Assurance Technologies: Effectiveness, Side-Effects, and Acceptance
In the article “Assessing Age Assurance Technologies: Effectiveness, Side-Effects, and Acceptance,” Dr. Wouter Lueks, Dr. Stephan Dreyer, Prof. Dr. Hannes Federrath, and Prof. Dr. Judith Simon analyze existing age verification methods.
Quiz on Public Broadcasting
How long has public broadcasting existed in Germany? How long has commercial television been around? What is the current monthly broadcasting license fee in Germany? Dr. Hans-Ulrich Wagner asks and answers these and other questions on "Ten Questions, One Expert — The Science Quiz," the quiz series produced by the Leibniz Association and t-online.
Event dates
Media History Lunch Talks
21. May 2026The international research network Entangled Media Histories (EMHIS), of which the HBI is a partner, has organized an online seminar series for spring covering topics related to media history. On April 8, there will be two presentations on audiovisual mediation and cultural heritage.
Context Collapse
Social Diversity and Political Opinion Formation
28. May 2026How does political opinion formation take place in a diverse society? This issue of the Context Collapse salon series, hosted by the Hamburg section of the Research Institute Social Cohesion (RISC) in collaboration with Bücherhallen Hamburg, will explore this question. The discussion event will feature expert contributions from Jan Rau of the HBI and Hannah Göppert of the Open Society Initiative.
HH Media Symposium
Where Search and AI Converge – and the Media Might Fall Silent
25. June 2026What impact will the convergence of traditional internet search and generative artificial intelligence have on the information ecosystem? This question will be discussed at the 16th Hamburg Media Symposium, which is organized by the HBI, the Media Authority of Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein (MA HSH), and the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce.