How do people get their information today? Is news consumption characterized more by trust or skepticism? Who avoids the news, and why? What consequences does this have for editorial offices? Researchers from the HBI will discuss these questions with journalists from Hamburg. The HBI, in collaboration with the DJV Nord and TIDE Hamburgs Bürger:innensender + Ausbildungskanal [TIDE Hamburg’s citizen station and training channel], is hosting this event as part of Hamburg’s Press Freedom Week. This initiative is sponsored by the Körber Foundation and the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS.
The event “Nachrichtennutzung zwischen Routine und Vermeidung” [News Usage between Routine and Avoidance] will be held in German.
On the Podium
Dr. Leonie Alatassi is a researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI). Since 2020, she has focused on the project “Use the News – News Use and News Literacy in the Digital Age,” which examines how people in Germany obtain information and what their news literacy is like, especially among those under 30. Her cumulative dissertation focuses on the role and function of journalistic and non-journalistic sources in the information and opinion-forming behavior of 14- to 24-year-olds.
Julia Behre is a researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI). Her research focuses on media use in digital environments. Since 2019, she has investigated current developments in news consumption in Germany as part of the Reuters Institute Digital News Report.
Maik Koltermann is the editor-in-chief of Hamburger Morgenpost.
Julia Weigelt is a specialist journalist covering security policy and a seminar leader for political education.
Moderator: Martin Wilhelmi
Prior to the event, the Hamburg Media School and the Technical University of Harburg will organize a thematically related workshop on “News-Life Balance” on the Finkenau campus. After the discussion, the organizers will invite attendees to a get-together at TIDE.
Hamburg Press Freedom Week
Hamburg Press Freedom Week will take place from 2 to 8 November 2025. The focus this year is on initiatives that promote news and media literacy. This is because misinformation, manipulated content and AI-generated images are making the work of many media professionals more challenging. Citizens are also finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish reputable news from fake news and deliberate disinformation. A functioning democracy requires well-informed citizens. How can you recognise manipulated videos or photos? How can you trace sources and distinguish verified information and objective facts from propaganda? What impact does this have on democracy?
The action week, now in its third year, is organised by the Körber Foundation and ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS and will provide answers to these questions. More than 40 partners are participating in the event, offering a wide-ranging programme of free activities for all ages at various locations throughout the Hamburg metropolitan area.
The HBI has been a network partner of Hamburg Press Freedom Week since 2025 and is involved in several events.
