For the project “Dialog Formats in Public Service Media,” Magdalena Stratmann conducted a literature analysis on “The Role of Public Service Media as Enablers of Dialogue in Digitalized Societies.” This analysis is now available for download as a working paper.
Stratmann, Magdalena (2026): Die Rolle von Public Service Media als Ermöglichern von Dialog in digitalisierten Gesellschaften. Eine Literaturanalyse [The Role of Public Service Media as Enablers of Dialogue in Digitalized Societies. A Literature Analysis]. Hamburg: Hans-Bredow-Institut Verlag, January 2026 (Working Papers of the Hans-Bredow-Institut | Project Results No. 80), https://doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.107751
Due to ongoing social transformation processes resulting from digitalization, particularly in communication, the future role and further development of public service media (PSM) has been the subject of an intense debate for years. This literature analysis is part of a project involving academics, media professionals, and political figures. Concerns that new digital communication practices could negatively impact social dialogue prompted the project to investigate a potential future role for PSM as an enabler of, or “infrastructure” for, social dialogue in increasingly digitized societies.
The notion that PSM—like other media—stimulates social discourse by disseminating information is not novel. However, this project will focus specifically on a possible new role for PSM in digitized societies in which dialogue is not merely a “by-product” of PSM’s communication of content. Rather, it will focus on a role in which the facilitation and promotion of dialogue are at the forefront.
The literature analysis provides an overview of previous debates and the state of research on relevant aspects. The aim is to prepare for the development of project scenarios and identify areas where further research and debate may be needed.
About the Project “Dialogue Formats in Public Service Media”
Digital communication is fundamentally changing the conditions of social understanding, prompting public service media to question their role as platforms for social dialogue in the digital age. Against this backdrop, the project “Dialogue Formats in Public Service Media” aimed to develop sustainable dialogue formats for digital societies. It centered on the importance of digital dialogue functions for democracy and social cohesion; current trends in media use; existing, innovative, practical examples; and the development of concrete scenarios and recommendations for action for public service media and other relevant actors. A small group of experts from academia, media, NGOs, and public broadcasting came together for the Future Workshop, which took place on September 25 and 26.