Thies Mextorf is a trained systems integrator. After completing his training, he joined the Leibniz Institute for Media Research as an IT administrator in March 2023.
Thies Mextorf
IT Administrator
Leibniz Institute for Media Research, Hans-Bredow-Institut
Warburgstraße 30b
20354 Hamburg
Last update: 12.11.2025
Internet freedom has declined for 14 consecutive years. This publication examines how principles for regulating information ecosystems are being implemented, as well as the challenges faced by public institutions and other stakeholders in their efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation.
In his contribution, Gregor Wiedemann highlights the ambivalences that can arise from the use of AI tools in communication science research processes, as well as the necessity of precise risk assessment in this context.
![Screenshot of an article on the Verfassungsblog. Title of the article: “Ein rundfunkrechtliches ‘Solange’?” [An “As Long As" in Broadcasting Law?]](https://leibniz-hbi-de.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Verfassungsblog-Mast-Schulz-OeRR.jpg)
In an article, Dr. Tobias Mast and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulz discuss the Federal Constitutional Court's decision on the constitutionality of the broadcasting license fee. Their analysis is based on the press release published by the Federal Administrative Court on October 15, 2025.
In his expert opinion, "The AI Regulation, Its Relationship to Children’s Rights in the Digital Space, and Options for Advocacy Approaches," media lawyer Stephan Dreyer examines how the children’s rights enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights are addressed in the regulation.
What contribution can public service media make in the digital age as a platform for social dialogue? This future workshop will use scientific methods to develop scenarios and strategies for sustainable dialogue formats in digitalised societies.
Dr. Gregor Wiedemann wrote a glossary entry on “social bots” for Diskursmonitor, a collaborative online platform that aims to educate and document strategic communication. This topic is marked by major controversy in academia, some of which has played out in public.
The third issue of M&K in 2025 is a special edition on "Diversity, Intersectionality, and Gender in Journalism," edited by Margreth Lünenborg, Ana-Nzinga Weiß, Yener Bayramoğlu, and Bernadette Uth. The nine articles are available open access on the Nomos eLibrary.
In the study “Nudges for News Recommenders,” Dr. Nicolas Mattis, Lucien Heitz, Dr. Philipp K. Masur, Prof. Dr. Judith Möller, and Prof. Dr. Wouter van Atteveldt examine how the placement and presentation of environmental news in news aggregators can influence user behavior.
In a chapter of the Oxford Handbook of Digital Constitutionalism, Matthias C. Kettemann and Anna Sophia Tiedeke explore digital constitutionalism from the perspective of various normativities. These are the diverse rules, values, and organizing principles that shape the digital space.
The HBI is conducting a qualitative and quantitative study to examine how babies and young children under the age of five are portrayed on commercial German-language 'family influencing' profiles on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. A team led by Dr. Claudia Lampert and Dr. Stephan Dreyer is discussing the findings in relation to the existing legal framework and media ethics considerations.
Can the right legal framework meet the central challenges of digitization? This volume, edited by Prof. Dr. Matthias C. Kettemann, explores important new areas of law, the regulation of AI, the role of digital services, and the characteristics of effective technology policy and sensible innovation law.
The problematic role of the European Commission in enforcing the Digital Services Act (DSA) and possible alternatives are the focus of a blog post published by Jan-Ole Harfst, Dr. Tobias Mast, and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulz on 16 July 2025 on the Verfassungblog.
