News
Reports, Publications, Projects, Blog Posts & Podcasts from the Institute
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.
Meta and Alphabet Are Liable for Addictive Design
Following two significant court rulings against Meta and Alphabet in the U.S. (March 25 and 26, 2026), media law expert Matthias C. Kettemann explains in various interviews the implications of the decisions and what specific changes the platforms might face in the future.
Award for Jan Rau
Jan Rau won first prize in the 2026 Young Scholar Award at this year's annual conference of the German Communication Association (DGPuK). He received the award for his German-language article on "Algorithmic Visibility of Election Campaign Communication on TikTok: Personalization, Conflicts, and Politainment in the 2025 Federal Election Campaign".
Digitalisation Research Seminar (DigiSem) 2026
The theme of this year's Digitalisation Research Seminar (DigiSem) is "Balancing Digital Safety between Risks, Rights, and Regulation." The seminar will take place in Berlin on September 21–22. Early-career researchers are invited to present their work at the event. Abstracts can be submitted as of April 1.
Event dates
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.
