The Hamburg Section contributes a media research perspective to RISC. We are interested in how media and communication foster or threaten social cohesion.
Host Institution
We are based at the Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung | Hans-Bredow-Institut, which combines two academic disciplines: first, communication studies, which examines how mediated communication and the public sphere evolve and shape society, and second, computational communication science, which develops and applies digital methods to communication- and media-related questions.
Contribution to the Overarching Theme of Social Cohesion
Media Transformation
The research projects at the Hamburg Section address the transformative power of media and societal change. We examine the opportunities and risks involved in how people communicate, access information, and participate in society. These practices are now deeply shaped by digital and increasingly automated media. As a result, the underlying structure of public communication is changing – the very framework within which we exchange views on major issues, form opinions, and make decisions.
We aim to better understand and explain these changes. To that end, we work with empirical data from the Qualitative Panel and the Social Media Observatory (SMO). We also collaborate with other Sections and contribute to several of RISC’s core areas. For example, we study social polarization and the dynamics of media developments.
Social Media Observatory
The Social Media Observatory (SMO) is housed at the Hamburg Section. It maintains its own databases and technical infrastructure, enabling the systematic and ongoing observation of both journalistic and social media–based public discourse. The SMO regularly hosts workshops to facilitate knowledge exchange. These events bring together researchers from RISC as well as from other academic institutions, media organizations, and civil society groups.
The SMO participates in various work packages that use social media data to investigate public debates and polarization. It also provides data, tools, and expertise to other RISC researchers interested in questions related to media and the public sphere.
Knowledge Transfer
The transfer activities of the Hamburg Section serve as bridges. We connect RISC with broader research on the interaction between media change and social cohesion. We also engage nonacademic groups by drawing on established science communication formats developed at the Hamburg Section. These include the annual event series Hamburger Mediensymposium, as well as various Media Lectures and Lunch Talks featuring themes from RISC research. Through podcasts and regular blog posts, we reach audiences via social media. And through workshops and conferences, we bring RISC researchers into dialogue with multipliers – including journalists and science communicators.