Comparing Media Policy and Regulation

GMaC-Lunch with an English lecture by Dr. Manuel Puppis, guest researcher at the Hans Bredow Institute and at the Graduate School Media and Communication (GMaC), and discussion on 15 May 2012, 12-14 h, 1st floor of the Hans Bredow Institute, Heimhuder Straße 21, 20148 Hamburg, participation is free, please register by email and bring your own lunch!
As scholars are expected, among other things, to deliver fresh ideas to policy-makers, comparative research can play a crucial role in finding adequate ways to reform media regulation and governance mechanisms. Despite its undeniable merits for research and policy-makers, comparing media policy and regulation is subject to various pitfalls and limitations. Hence, this presentation aims at clarifying how exactly comparing media policy and regulation works in practice. It suggests four different steps of comparing media policy and regulation (selecting cases; identifying dimensions; collecting data; performing the actual comparison), arguing that future research should move beyond geographical boundaries (e.g., the nation-state) and media systems. Furthermore, the most influential handbooks and key comparative studies are presented, emphasizing that past research has mainly been interested in instruments of broadcasting regulation in primarily Western countries, and that causal comparisons using macro-qualitative methods are virtually non-existent.

Radio Interview with Roberto Suarez Candel: Public broadcasters in the digital age

In an increasingly complicated and confusing media landscape, public broadcasters are under pressure to rise to the challenge of new technologies and new markets. Dr Roberto Suarez Candel from the Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research at the University of Hamburg explains how public broadcasters could and should respond to the demands and opportunities of the digital age.

Now available: M&K 2/2012

among others with articles on early evening political cultivation, on the disciplinary and cognitive identit of the scientific research field of "mediated communication", news factors and user generated content, on the question why television even after the rise of the internet remains the most popular leisure activity in Germany, and on the "classic" Max Weber. Contents

Now available: M&K 1/2012

among others with articles on the concept of intersectionality in internet research, a neopragrmatic approach to corporate communications, news values and the specific selection of news by media organisations, on the question whether media consumption makes you popular, a method for the presentation of output of institutional units in communication studies, and on the changing role of journalists using the example of a case study of Twitter and the Iranian protests. Contents

Long Term Studies on Societal and Medial Change: The Example of the Trend Analyses by the Swedish SOM Institute

A look into the think tank of the most important Swedish surveys in room 106 at the Faculty of Education of Hamburg University, Von-Melle-Park 8, 20146 Hamburg, on Friday 23 March 2012, 3-5 p.m. Presentation and discussion in English, free attendance, registration required.

• Venue: University of Hamburg, Faculty of Education, room 106, Von-Melle-Park, 8, 20146 Hamburg.
• Directions: Bus no. 5 to Grindelhof stop, walk ca. 2 min.; train to Dammtor station, walk ca. 10 min.; parking space is very limited around the university, please use public transport.
• Attendance of the event is free.
• Background information on SOM and its Surveys

The SOM – Society, Opinion, Media – institute at the University of Gothenburg has been founded in 1986. The institute carries out annual surveys with representative samples both on national and regional level. The surveys cover politics, media, culture, lifestyles etc. It has developed as a sort of omnibus surveys for Swedish social science researchers, mainly from political science, media studies and public administration.

The institute has annual evaluations of current surveys abroad, which in 2012 took place in Hamburg by invitation of the Hans Bredow Institute. In a two-hour-window on Friday, 23 March 2012, the SOM offered the opportunity to learn about its surveys.

By means of omnibus surveys in a single study (accumulative poll) several topics of different clients can be explored. The clients share the fixed costs of the survey, i.e. a great portion of the overall costs.

Inauguration of the “Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society” in Berlin

• Joint institute of the Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin University of the Arts and the Social Science Research Center Berlin is named after Alexander von Humboldt
• Solemn opening with Federal Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger and Google chairman David C. Drummond
• Inaugural symposium with 250 international researcher

Berlin, 18 October 2011. The research institute for Internet and society, which is supported by Google, is about to launch. The solemn inauguration will take place at the Humboldt-University Berlin on 25 October in the presence of Federal Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, the presidents of partner institutions, and Google chairman David C. Drummond. Humboldt-University will also be the place of residence of the new institute, which is named after the researcher and natural scientist Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1895).

Following its opening, the “Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society” hosts its first symposium in Berlin from 26 to 28 October. 250 international researchers will meet under the title “Exploring the Digital Future”. Speakers include the director of the Berkman Center Urs Gasser (Harvard University), Oliver Gassmann (University of St. Gallen) as well as Niva Elkin-Koren (University of Haifa). The three are also members of the academic advisory board of the newly founded institute.

Founding partner of the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) are the Humboldt-University Berlin (HU), Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) and the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB). The Hamburg-based Hans Bredow Institute is an integrated cooperation partner. The partners delegate as directors Ingolf Pernice (HU), Thomas Schildhauer (UdK) and Jeanette Hofmann (WZB). Wolfgang Schulz of the HBI will be part of the academic lead of the institute. Hendrik Olbertz (HU), Martin Rennert (UdK) and Jutta Allmendinger (WZB) form the board of trustees. Further both the general secretary of the Leibniz Association Christiane Neumann and the inventor of mp3 technology Karlheinz Brandenburg of the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology will obtain a seat in the board of trustees. The formal establishment of the institute requires the approval of committees at the involved institutions.

The objective of the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society is to better understand interdependencies and correlations between Internet and society and enable all groups to co-determinate the digitally connected future. This particularly includes the topics innovation, Internet policy, media politics as well as philosophy of law and constitutional law. The open and integrative research emphasises the collaboration of scientists, policy-makers, civic society and the private sector.

Further information is available online at 

• http://www.internetundgesellschaft.de
• http://www.Facebook.com/hiig.berlin
• http://www.berlinsymposium.org/

Press Contact

Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Gesellschaft c/o Publiplikator GmbH Christoph Blase Königstraße 2 14163 Berlin +49.30.200 898-31 |

Ahmet Emre Acar, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, +49.177.69 23 778 |

Dr. Ralf Bremer, press spokesperson Google Berlin, +49.30.303 98 63 58 |

Claudia Assmann, University of the Arts Berlin, head of press office, +49.30.31 85 24 56 |

Constanze Haase, press spokeswoman of the president (acting), Humboldt-University Berlin, Department of Public Relations, Marketing & Fundraising, +49.30.20 93-2332 |

Dr. Paul Stoop, Social Science Research Center Berlin, head of department of information and communication, + 49.30.25 491-509 |

Christiane Matzen, press spokeswoman, Hans Bredow Institute, +49.40.45 02 17-41 |

Radio Aesthetics – Radio Identities

Scientific workshop with German and Danish academics of the network "Radio Aesthetics – Radio Identities" to explore the relations between sound aesthetics, targeting strategies and individual uses of radio — today, in the past and in intercultural comparison, at the Hans Bredow Institute, February 24th and 25th, 2012

more information about the network "Radio Aesthetics – Radio Identities"

Programme

Friday 24.2.2012

14:00: Welcome and introduction

15:00: Short presentations (Bose, Föllmer, Wagner) on the general concept of ‘Radio Aesthetics – Radio Identities’ followed by short presentations on the general concept of ‘LARM’

16:00: Short break

16:15: Doctorate students of the german ‘core team’ present their projects and adjoined master’s projects (Boehme, Richter, Schwenke)

17:30: Short break

17:45-19:00: Invited researchers of prospective european partners present their approaches on the subject
Invited are: Mette Simonsen Abildgaard, Per Jauert, Jacob Kreutzfeld, Bente Larsen, Anna Lawaetz, Heidi Svømmekjær

19:30: Dinner (good but honest)

Saturday 25.2.2012

10:00: Welcome and small talk

10:30-12am: Workshops on 3 sub-projects:

• Characteristics and manipulations of the product: sampling of voice variations and developement of experimental designs
• Perception of German Morningshows: listeners describe presenters’ voices (danish radio examples welcome)
• History of Radio and of Radio in Movies

12:00: Reports from the workshops

13:00-14:00: Lunch break

14:00: Presentation of further research aspects/projects

15:00: Summary/Plans on a european cooperation

16:30: End

Social Media and the Transformation of Publicness

Lecture by Jan-Hinrik Schmidt at the Social Media Week Hamburg, University of Hamburg, Monday, February 13 at 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM, Auditorium ESA W 221, Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1, Flügelbau West, room 221, 2nd floor, no fee, registration required

Social Media are changing the structures of our media system by expanding public spheres to new actors, by providing new mechanisms for sharing and distribution of information, and by shifting boundaries between the public and the private. The presentation introduced key practices of social media use, identified resulting changes in public communication, and areas where new skills and fluencies are needed.

• Language: English
• more information
• Interview with Dr. Jan-Hinrik Schmidt: As Lawrence Lessig said “Code is Law”

Freedom of Speech in Israel

Colloquy with Dr. Elad Peled, Visiting Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, about the Constitutional Protection of Speech in Israel, Thursday, January 26th 2012, 6.00-8.00 pm, in the library of the Hans Bredow Institute

Though the freedom of speech has never been anchored as a general legal principle in the legislation of the State of Israel, and was calculatedly omitted from its constitution, it forms an integral part of the Israeli jurisprudence. At the same time, its status and scope are the subjects of sharp controversy, both within and outside the professional legal discourse. The lecture surveyed the principal aspects of the protection of speech in the Israeli legal system, and explained how it has been influenced by foreign legal traditions, by social and political realities prevailing in different periods of the county’s history, by diverse theoretical justifications attributed to the freedom of speech, and by the nature of the interests with which it collides.

Dr. Elad Peled, visiting fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, obtained his LL.B., magna cum laude, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2003), his LL.M. from New York University (2006), and his Ph.D. from the University of Haifa (2010). His legal experience includes, inter alia, serving as a law clerk and a senior law at the Israeli Supreme Court, working as a reporter and commentator for the Oxford University Press legal database International Law in Domestic Courts, and membership in the editorial board of Israel Law Review, the Hebrew University law review in English. Dr. Peled's main area of research is defamation law, which he currently teaches as an adjunct lecturer in Israeli law schools, in addition to tort law in general, media law and free speech law. He has published a book and several articles in the aforementioned fields both in Israel and in the United States. Dr. Peled is a member of the German-Israeli Lawyers' Association.

Fact-Checking Hungarian Media Law

"Hungarian Media Laws in Europe: An Assessment of the Consistency of Hungary’s Media Laws with European Practices and Norms" is the name of a now published study of the Center for Media and Communication Studies (CMCS), a research center at the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest. Stephan Dreyer, Hans Bredow Institute, contributed as German Country Expert to this study.

For more information about the project and the results please see the page of the CMCS

Here you can download the study as well as an Executive summary.

Now available: M&K 4/2011

among others with articles on the impact of repeated political slogans on people's perception of credibility, climate change from the perspective of media consumers, and an overview on the research of social online networks. In the series "Methodological Innovations in Communication Studies" an article on combining manual and automated content analysis through automatic learning is included, and as part of the series "Classics of Communication and Media Studies Today" there is an article on Gerhard Maletzke. Contents ...

EU Study on Indicators for Independence of Audiovisual Media Services Regulatory Bodies now available

The independence of regulatory bodies in the field of audiovisual media can not be measured mathematically; however, indicators that indicate risks and detrimental constellations potentially allowing external parties to influence the independence of media regulators can be found. These indicators have been identified by the EU study "Indicators for Independence and Efficient Functioning of Audiovisual Media Services Regulatory Bodies" which was carried out by a research team led by the Hans Bredow Institute. Besides drafting a theoretical framework for regulatory independence the study was able to theoretically deduce, empirically establish and – at times – qualify a number of indicators for the independence of media supervision. As a service of transfer into practice, a ranking tool has been developed from the numerous indicators. This tool provides an opportunity for regulators, governments, agents of civil society and finally also for the European Commission to roughly analyse whether and – if applicable: where – regulators are vulnerable as far as their independence is concerned.

• Final Report (pdf file)

• Online Ranking Tool and additional material (Annexe)

• Project description "Indicators for Independence and Efficient Functioning of Audiovisual Media Services Regulatory Bodies"

The Adaptation of Public Service Broadcasting to the Multiplatform Scenario

Workshop presenting the results of the project "Redefining and Repositioning Public Service Broadcasting in the Digital and Multiplatform Scenario - An international Comparative Analysis within the European Union", February 6th 2012 - 09:00 to 15:00, Hanse-Office in Brussels, free attandance, registration required

Date:  February 6th 2012 - 09:00 to 15:00

Venue: Hanse-Office in Brussels, Av. Palmerston 20, B-1000, Brussels

Free attandance / Registration is required (deadline: Jan. 27th 2012)

This workshop wanted to analyse the current transformations as well as the extension experienced by Public Service Broadcasting due to technology innovation. Both factors have resulted in relevant conflicts and discussions within the media market, which have also fostered an intense political debate.

By means of presenting the results of the research project "PSB-Digital: Redefining and Repositioning Public Service Broadcasting in the Digital and Multiplatform Scenario - An international Comparative Analysis within the European Union", which has been funded by the Marie Curie Programme and hosted by the Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research, together with to the participation of relevant speakers, this workshop aimed to provide valuable insights and knowledge about a major political and professional issue within the European media scenario.

• Programme (pdf-Datei)
• Further Informationen about the Workshop

Programme

09:30 – 10:00 Registration

10:00 – 10:15 Welcome & Presentation
“Researching Public Service Media at European Level and with the Support of the European Commission’s Marie Curie Programme”
Prof. Dr. Uwe Hasebrink, Director of the Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research (Hamburg, Germany)

10:15 – 11:00 PSB-Digital Project: Presentation of results
“Redefining and Repositioning Public Service Media in the Multiplatform Scenario: Challenges, Opportunities and Risks”
Dr. Roberto Suárez Candel, Marie Curie Researcher, Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research (Hamburg, Germany)

11:00 – 11:15 Questions & debate

11:15 – 11:45 Coffee Break

11:45 – 12:45 Professional / Academic Debate Panel
“Adapting Public Service to the ‘Anything, Anywhere, Anytime’ Paradigm: National Strategies in Germany, Poland and Spain”
Mr. Niels Rasmussen, NDR Online & Multimedia Department (Germany)

Mr. Wiesław Łodzikowski, TVP Technology Director (Poland)

Mr. Ignacio Gómez, RTVE Director of Interactive Media Programmes (Spain)

Prof. Dr. Barbara Thomaß, Ruhr University Bochum (Germany)

Dr. Michał Głowacki, Warsaw University (Poland)

Dr. David Fernández-Quijada, Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain)

Moderator: Dr. Roberto Suárez Candel

12:45 – 13:00 Questions & debate

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break

14:00 – 15:00 Supranational Debate Panel
“Regulation and Accountability: Shaping the Extension and the Future of Public Service Media”

Dr. Anna Herold, European Commission, DG Information Society & Media

Mr. Jan Malinowski, Council of Europe, Head of the Media Division   

Mrs. Nicola Frank, European Broadcasting Union, Head of the Brussels Office

Moderator: Dr. Roberto Suárez Candel

15:00 – 15:15 Questions & debate

15:15 – 15:30 Concluding Remarks
Prof. Dr. Uwe Hasebrink

15:30 End of the event – Networking Coffee

Broadcasting Media in Thailand under Convergence: Challenges to Regulation

The Hamburg Society for Thai Studies e.V. and the Hans Bredow Institute invited to a lecture by the guest researcher at the HBI, Chanansara Oranop Na Ayutthaya from Thai Media Policy Center in Bangkok, on Monday, Nov 21, 2011 at 6 pm at the University of Hamburg, Asien Africa Institute, Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1, east wing, room 232, Flyer (pdf-Datei) 

Mapping Digital Media: Germany

A Country Report for the Open Society Foundations written by Hermann-Dieter Schröder, Uwe Hasebrink, Stephan Dreyer, Wiebke Loosen und Felix Schröter (pdf-file for Download).

Human[i]ties Perspective 2011

The conference and professional networking event aimed at Erasmus Mundus students and alumni from Culture, Media and Communications studies was held at the University of Hamburg, November 11th and 12th.

The conference took place over two days and included four themed sessions: three academic sections exploring, ‘Cultures & Identities’, ‘Communication & Democracy’, and ‘Crisis & Risk Communication’, and one session focussing on career paths. Leading professors and professionals spoke on these topics, providing insight and inspiration into research lines and professional development ideas. Speakers included Dr. Roberto Suárez Candel (Hans-Bredow-Institut), Dr. Hans Kleinsteuber (University of Hamburg), and Dr. Kathrin Voss (University of Hamburg).

For further information see: http://humanities2011.wordpress.com/

Research Report 2010/2011 available

The Research Report of the Hans Bredow Institute is now available in English and can be downloaded here (pdf-file, 792 kb).

1. Berlin Symposium on Internet and Society

On October 25-28th 2011, the new Institute for Internet and Society had its international Inauguration Symposium. The symposium consisted of three elements: 1. the Inauguration on October 25th, 2. the Research Symposium on October 26th and 27th, a transdisciplinary academic conference which brought together researchers who are committed to work in the area of Internet and Society, and 3. the Open Science Forum, on October 28th, which provided an innovative platform for academia and different stakeholders from industry, politics and various different civil society interest groups.

For further information please see http://www.berlinsymposium.org/.

Lecture Series “The Literary Field in Hamburg 1933-1945”

of the University of Hamburg in winter semester 2010/11, among others with a lecture by H.-U. Wagner from the re-search project "History of Broadcasting in Northern Germany".

LfM Conference “Video Games between Fun, Education and Excess”

Presentation of the results of the project “Kompetenzerwerb, exzessive Nutzung und Abhängigkeitsverhalten bei Computer-spielen” [Competencies and Excessive Use among Gamers: Challenged, Supported, Endangered] in Düsseldorf on 16 February 2011.