Aphrodite Okoutsidou

Research Assistent Prof. Schulz

Aphrodite Okoutsidou has been working as a research assistant at the Chair of Media Law and Public Law, including its Legal Theoretical Foundations, at the Law Faculty of Universität Hamburg since February 2025. She supports Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulz in research and teaching while coordinating the work between Universität Hamburg and the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut.

She studied law at the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and the University of Münster, specializing in public law. During her studies, Aphrodite Okoutsidou took part in an in-house moot court on the topic “The protection of anonymous expression of opinion on the Internet.”.

She completed her legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court of Hamm. During that time, she worked as a research assistant for Prof. Dr. Jörg Ennuschat at the Chair of Public Law, especially administrative law, at the Rhine University Bochum.

Contact information

Aphrodite Okoutsidou

Research Assistent Prof. Schulz

Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut
Warburgstraße 30b
20354 Hamburg

Last update: 16.01.2026

Works by Aphrodite Okoutsidou

Cover of the working paper
Publikation Available for Download

Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026: Findings for Germany

Since 2012, the Reuters Institute Digital News Survey has conducted annual, representative surveys in 48 countries to examine general trends and national differences in news consumption. As a cooperation partner, the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut is responsible for the German sub-study. The 2026 findings are now available for download.

Personen bei der Diskussionsveranstaltung "Was Deutschland verbindet"
Beitrag Blog Article on the Dialogue Project "What Unites Germany"

How Conversations with People Who Think Differently Can Make a Difference

On the ARD talk show “What Unites Germany,” people from a wide variety of backgrounds engage in conversation with one another. As part of the project, the HBI is conducting research to determine how these discussions influence the participants’ attitudes. The initial findings are now available.

Publikation Recently Published

Visualizing Regulatory Ecosystems: The AI Act as a Case Study

The article by Magdalena Stratmann, Tobias Mast, and others was developed as part of the STEAM project, "Informing Regulatory Reasoning on Algorithmic Systems in Societal Communication with STEAM." It introduces Architectural Ecosystem Modeling, a visual method that makes the institutional structures of the AI Act visible. This method analyzes responsibilities and dependencies and identifies gaps, overlaps, and opportunities for coordination within the regulatory framework.

eine Frau hinter einem Tisch mit ablehnender Haltung gegenüber Zeitungen auf dem Tisch.
Projekt New Project!

Practices of News Avoidance and Their Implications for Public Connection

What are the effects of news avoidance on belonging to different publics and on political participation? And to what extent do these dynamics contribute to the fragmentation of public spheres? This study examines the effects of different practices of news avoidance on individuals‘ public connection.

Projekt BMFTR Project

Podcasts: Actors, Topics, and Misinformation

As audio media, such as podcasts, become more widely used, the risks of them distributing misinformation, disinformation, and fake news increase. The collaborative project “Systematic Observation of New Auditive Risks” (SONAR) examines the structure of online audio media offerings and develops methods for identifying relevant narratives and manipulation strategies.

Publikation Merz issue and Podcast Available!

Thoughts on the Debate Over Media Bans

Dr. Claudia Lampert, together with Klaus Lutz (Parabol Media Center), edited the latest issue of the media education journal “merz” (2/2026). The issue is titled “Everything Under Control? Thoughts on the Debate Over Media Bans.” Dr. Stephan Dreyer also contributed an article.

Publikation Available for Download

Annual Report 2023-2025

Evaluation, growth, our 75th anniversary, and a new building. The years from 2023 to 2025 were challenging yet fruitful. Our research output was impressive, and our social impact was significant. This annual report provides a brief overview of our activities.

Publikation Open Access Publication

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.

Publikation Recently Published

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.

Cover of issue 2/2026 M&K
Publikation Open Access Publication

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.

Front Page of the Working Paper
Publikation Working Paper Available for Download

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.

Publikation Open Access Publication

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.

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