How can media change be systematically and continuously identified?
How is media change reflected in different spheres of society?
How can sustainable knowledge transfer be realised in media society?
In Research Programme 3, the Institute concentrates its activities by focusing on transfer research. It seeks to identify and communicate evidence-based knowledge of media-based topics and questions that are socially relevant. Therefore, the following three objectives are closely interrelated. At first, a constant monitoring of the changing media environment and its potential consequences will be implemented. Secondly, since these consequences can vary significantly depending on the range of topics, the Institute decided on specific areas in order to research the consequences of this change on a problem-orientated basis. Thirdly, we will address the question of what role evidence-based scientific knowledge plays in coping with this change on a meta level. Thereby, we will consider the respective constellation of actors, goals and conflicting goals as well as the way of gaining and processing knowledge.
Thematically, the focus lies on for areas of competence in which the Hans-Bredow-Institut acquired particular expertise over the past decades, making it a centre of competence for scientific, societal, and political actors: a) Growing up in Digital Media Environments and the Protection of Minors, b) Public Service and Public Value, c) Health Communication, and d) Media History.
Based on the findings in these four areas, the third focuses on analysing the role of science in a media society following a transdisciplinary approach. In this regard, we examine what kind of information is used in what way. Furthermore, we look at how the research process should be set up – from the research question to communicating the findings in order to contribute to the understanding and configuration of medial change.
With regard to the first objective – the constant monitoring of a changing media environment – the Institute combines different forms of research. This includes a summarising and classifying presentation of media development.
Furthermore, systematic research monitoring on specific issues will be carried out.
The second objective will primarily be realised by problem-oriented research projects: The Institute will communicate with relevant stakeholders regarding the topics mentioned above in order to establish concepts and instruments to identify relevant issues, to collect action-oriented empirical evidence and to transfer knowledge in a sustainable way. Furthermore, we will reflect on these experiences and develop them into case studies addressing the question of what factors empower or weaken the role of science for the media society. Thereby we consider the characteristic constellations of actors for this field, the relevant interests and the way scientific evidence is communicated.
For the third objective, these findings will be analysed interdisciplinary and used for the development of new research methods and forms of knowledge transfer to various target groups (scientific community, politics, civil society groups).
In this regard, specific examples are the Media and Communications Report of the Federal Government, expert opinions regarding the optimization of communications systems from the viewpoint of policy makers, as well as evaluation studies on various communication activities.
Speaker: Dr. Claudia Lampert, Dr. Hans-Ulrich Wagner
Researcher: Irene Broer, Dr. Stephan Dreyer, Prof. Dr. Uwe Hasebrink, Anne-Kristin Polster, Marcel Rechlitz, Dr. Jan-Hinrik Schmidt, Hermann-Dieter Schröder, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulz
