Category: Essay

Edition 1/2025, Essay

Journalism under threat, democracy under threat Remarks on media development in an age of digitalization

By Thomas Hauser | Digitalization and economization are not only changing the public space and thus the public discourse. Today, anyone can communicate with anyone. In theory, this enables discourse free from domination – in reality, the result is a Babylonian mix of media, with fake news, propaganda, and PR on an equal footing with serious information. Many are talking, few are listening. It is a development that undermines the business models of conventional media and throws journalism into a crisis of legitimacy. This text analyzes this development and names the greatest challenges facing media and society.

Edition 1/2025, Essay

The culture wars Right-wing media and the salience of societal security in the 2024 elections

By Fred Vultee | The 2024 US election points to the political value of insecurity: a sense that mutually cherished cultural referents are in peril, fueled by a steady flow of episodic yet correlated news. This information does not have to be false; through repetition and salience, isolated events create an image of a country in peril and a leader-in-waiting prepared to rescue it. In a closely divided electorate, a well-oiled partisan press aimed at half of the voters has the edge over a traditional media system trying to reach all of them.

Edition 2/2024, Essay

What is plagiarism in journalism? Benchmarks as guidance for editorial offices

By Klaus Meier | The term and the meaning of »plagiarism« have recently been transferred from academia into journalism without further thought. This is highly problematic and dangerous given that, although different standards and benchmarks apply for the two professions, merely a public accusation of plagiarism has the potential to destroy reputations and careers. This essay hopes to contribute to a nuanced debate and thus help to prevent scandalization of the issue of plagiarism in journalism. What benchmarks can be used as a guide – both during research and writing and when accusations arise after publication? What is common and reasonable journalistic practice, and what is a »no go?«

Edition 2/2024, Essay

Counter-narratives for »self-thinkers« An attempt to classify right-wing conservative »alternative media«

By Luis Paulitsch | »Alternative media« have gained in importance for the far right in the digital space, while recent years have also seen a rise in similar platforms at the right-wing, conservative end of the spectrum. Although media projects like this represent alternative positions, their relationship with the criticized »mainstream« is much more ambivalent. This essay highlights various unique features that can be used to distinguish right-wing conservative media from other »alternative media.« The publications Tichys Einblick, eXXpress and NIUS are used as examples.

Edition 1/2024, Essay

Peace Journalism revisited A plea for better reporting on debates, controversies and social conflicts

By Sigrun Rottmann | A society that is challenged by multiple crises with many upheavals and conflicts needs journalists with conflict expertise. It needs journalists who are impartial, who contextualize and who report in a balanced and solution-oriented way. The media – even »quality media« – too often report on debates or conflicts using emotional and partisan language. They also increasingly make dubious diagnoses of division and polarization. Peace Journalism or Conflict-Sensitive Journalism as proposed by some peace and conflict researchers can provide inspiration and a basis for an interdisciplinary transfer of knowledge that supports good reporting on crises and social conflicts in Germany and elsewhere. They also provide an impetus for a debate about journalistic values and the role that journalism can and should play in uncertain times. This is an important topic when training new and more experienced journalists – especially in view of the communication strategies of populists and right-wing extremists who instrumentalize conflicts for their own purposes.

Edition 3-4/2023, Essay

Fixers in a war zone Foreign media’s invisible producers

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By Maryna Grytsai | Fixers are rarely mentioned as members of journalistic teams, yet their contribution to foreign and specifically war reporting is enormous. The current war in Ukraine is no exception. Fixers act as guides for foreign correspondents, helping them to navigate a foreign country, language, and culture. At the same time, they often receive the least protection – as demonstrated recently by the death of the Ukrainian journalist and fixer Bohdan Bitik, who was working together with a correspondent from the Italian newspaper La Repubblica in Kherson. This case, and others like it, give rise to plenty of questions: Under what conditions do fixers work and what are the rules for their work? What does their role include and (how) are their rights protected?

Edition 2/2023, Essay

How language AI could change journalism training A workshop report by Gabriele Hooffacker

By Gabriele Hooffacker | There are already some indications of what generative language AI can and will be able to do. It will transform journalism, the »profession of the public sphere« (Pöttker 2010). What does journalism teaching look like under these conditions? Which competencies need to be taught? Which specific knowledge and skills? Instead of dealing with the topic in a theoretical way, this subjective debate piece attempts to approach it by exploring the topic together with students. It provides a workshop report, compiles possible learning objectives for both students and teaching staff, and inspires further thought about the competencies needed for the profession of the public sphere.

Edition 1/2023, Essay

Content creation A new phase of journalism?

By Gabriele Hooffacker | Conventional providers of news and journalism have now been joined by a new group of actors, known by terms like ›influencer‹ and ›content creator.‹ While the job description ›content creator‹ usually describes professions from the world of content marketing, some successful content creators also adhere to journalistic standards and are received accordingly. This essay uses games journalism as an example to present a model for the way a segment of journalistic functions is shifting onto new actors and channels.

Edition 03/2022, Essay

An ideal hobby garden (for me) Communication studies’ forays into media regulation

By Roger Blum / Absurdly few experts from communication science and media law participate in the bodies of media regulation – in press councils, broadcasting councils, television councils, audience councils, media councils – and in the media in ombudsman’s offices in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. That is a shortcoming. Knowledge of fundamental rights and media law, media ethics, journalism, media structures and media effects research would help to find meaningful solutions.

Edition 02/2022, Essay

The problem with pictures Source analysis and fact-checking in a time of war

by Peter Welchering / In a hybrid war, photos and especially videos become a weapon in themselves, image material is mercilessly falsified. That is why a basic knowledge of source analysis and image forensics methods is so important. Image forensics and source analysis cannot convict war criminals – but they can be used to research initial indications of when and where a crime was committed.