Media Change, Cohesion and Social Change

Researchers from the Research Institute Social Cohesion (RISC) discussed the topic of "Media Change, Cohesion and Social Change" in Hamburg at the end of September.
 
The Social Media Observatory (SMO) presented current research results:

• PD Dr. Jan-Hinrik Schmidt gave a presentation on the information repertoires of German Twitter users;
• Dr. Gregor Wiedemann and Dr. Felix V. Münch explained differences and similarities regarding the activity, attention and toxicity of politicians and their commentators on Twitter; and
• Jan P. Rau spoke about the agenda setting of the far-right on Telegram.

In addition, there were presentations from other projects at the Hamburg section:

• Hannah Immler linked analyses of media usage behavior with attitudes towards social coexistence;
• Verena Albert und Prof. Dr. Wiebke Loosen compared results from surveys of journalists with population surveys regarding journalistic roles and ideas of a good coexistence. 

Besides the focus on communication science perspectives, the following topics were on the agenda:

• Prof. Dr. Daniela Grunow presented a sociological study on social solidarity and anti-solidarity on social media platforms;
• Prof. Dr. Sonja Ganguin and Dr. Johannes Gemkow discussed questions and answers from media pedagogy on the topic of youth, populism and communalization on social media.
• Prof. Dr. Isabell Otto and Meike Hein contributed a media science perspective on social cohesion with their study on affective assemblages using the example of an investigation of TikTok videos and associated comments on # silvesterberlin.
• The media studies perspective was complemented by Dr. Yael Kupferberg, who spoke about aesthetic experience and contemporary anti-Semitism. 

Program of the symposium as PDF

Panel discussion "Cohesion Is ... Something with Media?!"

The conference program was rounded off with the public evening event "Cohesion is ... something with media?!" at the Hamburg Theater Ship. There, Jan-Hinrik Schmidt discussed the importance and role of the media for social cohesion with Korinna Hennig (NDR Info) and Bernd Ulrich (DIE ZEIT). The discussion was moderated by Rebecca C. Schmidt, Managing Director of the RISC.
 
Topics of the panel discussion included the role journalistic reporting plays in managing crises and conflicts, how scientific knowledge can be successfully communicated, what can be understood by cohesion-sensitive and empathetic journalism, and why the separation between the departments of science and politics is sometimes problematic.
 
The panel discussion was recorded and will soon be available on the RISC YouTube channel. 
 

The FGZ Section in Hamburg

The HBI is involved in five projects at the RISC Hamburg section. More information is available here and in this 5-minute video in which some researchers from the RISC Hamburg site introduce themselves and their projects.
 
(2 October 2023)