Portrait of Leonie Wunderlich

Dr. Leonie Alatassi (née Wunderlich)

Junior Researcher Media Use

Leonie Alatassi (née Wunderlich) has been working as a research associate at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans Bredow Institute (HBI) in Research Program 1 “Transformation of Public Communication – Journalistic and Intermediary Functions in the Process of Opinion Formation” since July 2020. Her research interests include news and information consumption in digital media environments, in particular the role of new public actors in opinion-forming processes and information practices in algorithmically controlled information environments.

Leonie Alatassi wrote her doctoral thesis on “Information-related Practices of Young People in the Hybrid Media System”. In her cumulative dissertation, she focuses on the role and function of (non-)journalistic sources in the information and opinion-forming behavior of 14 to 24-year-olds.

Since 2020, she has been working on the project “Use the News – News Usage and News Literacy in the Digital Age”, which focuses on the role of journalism, news literacy, especially among the population under 30, and the transfer of scientific findings into journalistic and educational practice.

Contact information

Dr. Leonie Alatassi (née Wunderlich)

Junior Researcher Media Use

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

Last update: 21.01.2026

Works by Dr. Leonie Alatassi (née Wunderlich)

Tastatur mit einer goldfarbenen Taste, die ein weißes Abzeichen zeigt
Beitrag Media Research Blog Post

Algorithmic Amplification of Negative Discourse as a Systemic Risk

How does attention-economy-driven algorithmic amplification of conflict-driven and negative-emotional communication distort public discourse? And does this distortion constitute a systemic risk under the Digital Services Act (DSA)? This blog article refers to our previous blogpost on "Platform Badges for Civic Communication", explains why such interventions are needed, and outlines how they could address these systemic risks.

Cover des Arbeitspapiers
Publikation Working Paper Available for Download

Public Service Media Enabling Dialogue

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.

Vorschau des Artikels von Christian Ollig auf epd Medien
Publikation Article for epd Medien

How the Digital Services Act (DSA) Regulates Platforms

U.S. politicians accuse the European Union of endangering freedom of expression with the Digital Services Act (DSA). However, media law expert Dr. Christian Ollig argues that the DSA actually protects users' opinions from arbitrary censorship by platform operators. It also gives users a legal basis to assert their freedom of expression against large platform operators at the European level.

Cover of the book
Publikation Contribution to an Anthology

Health Communication

Claudia Lampert, along with Prof. Dr. Eva Baumann and Dr. Bettina Fromm, published an article in the Health Sciences handbook that provides an overview of health communication. The handbook is now in its eighth edition.

Cover of the article written by Anna von Garmissen published on January 10th, 2026 on the media platform of epd Medien: "Gefährliche Abwärtsspirale. Zur Lage des Journalismus in Deutschland"
Publikation Article in epd Medien

Studies on the State of Journalism in Germany

What is the state of journalism in Germany? In her article for epd Medien, Anna von Garmissen discusses three recent studies on the state of journalism in Germany. According to von Garmissen, the findings are thought-provoking and, when considered together, should be alarming to all of us.

Hände tippen auf Laptop-Tastatur, darüber eingeblendete Symbole für Text, Dokument, Lupe und Auszeichnung mit Häkchen.
Beitrag Media Research Blog Post

Platform Badges for Civic Communication

How can platforms address distortions in the digital attention economy without restricting free expression excessively? This blog post explores how new incentive structures can promote constructive communication on digital platforms and the potential of the Digital Services Act to facilitate such interventions.

Cover of the Publication
Publikation Chapter in Anthology

Contextualized Repertoire Maps in Media Usage Research

In their article, Dr. Lisa Merten and Prof. em. Dr. Uwe Hasebrink present contextualized repertoire maps as a method for recording media repertoires based on a study on news usage and discuss their possibilities and limitations in media usage research. Their article is part of the anthology “Researching Media, Data, and Networking Practices: Methodological Concepts and Research Software.”

Publication by Jan-Ole Harfst in the special edition
Publikation Special Edition of the Bonner Rechtsjournal

Communication Risks in Online Environments

How can German democracy remain resilient in the face of the communicative threats posed by the digital space? Jan-Ole Harfst's article shows that communicative threats on the internet cannot be countered at the national level alone, but require supranational protection of democracy, and assesses the significance of the Digital Services Act in this context.

Publikation Internet Policy Review

Can Quality Badges Improve Communication on Online Platforms?

A seal of approval for civil communication could promote successful public communication on online platforms while respecting users'freedoms. In their article 'Platform Badges for Civic Communication. An Interdisciplinary Discussion of a Risk Mitigation Measure Pursuant to Art.', Jan Rau, Jan-Ole Harfst and Dr. Tobias Mast examine various design options for such seals.

Cover of the publication
Publikation Open Access Publication

Global Media and Internet Concentration

The report offers a thorough overview of the development, economic importance, and market concentration of major companies in Germany's telecommunications, media, publishing, and internet sectors from 2019 to 2023. It places a particular focus on the growing dominance of digital platforms.

Cover der Zeitschrift "Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft" Heft 4/2025
Publikation Available Open Access

Issue 4/2025 M&K published

Issue 4/2025 of our open access journal “Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft" (M&K; Media & Communication Studies) has been published online via the platform Inlibra.

Cover of the Book Chapter
Publikation Chapter in Cohesion Report

The Climate Discourse on Social Media

The Social Media Observatory (SMO) examined the dynamics of climate discourse on social media for the Research Institute Social Cohesion's (RISC) second cohesion report. The study found that climate scepticism and misinformation are common in social media debates. However, it is evident that these views are significantly less prevalent in wider society.

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