2007/2008 Translation into English: Anja Welle and Stan Jones ([email protected]) Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research at the University of Hamburg Heimhuder Str. 21 20148 Hamburg Germany Annex: Warburgstraße 8-10 20354 Hamburg Germany Tel.: (+49 40) 450 217-0 Tel.: (+49 40) 450 217-12 Publishing House Tel.: (+49 40) 450 217-12450 217-22 Library Tel.: (+49 40) 450 217-12450 217-41 Editors Fax: (+49 40) 450 217-77 Fax Warburgstraße: (+49 40) 450 217-99 Email: info@Hans Bredow Institute.de Internet: www.hans-bredow-institut.de Bank: Account no. 173922000 with HSH Nordbank Bank id code 210 500 00 Local tax office- Hamburg Central – taxation code 17/408/01380 – VAT DE 118 71 7458 July 2008 THE YEAR’S RESEARCH 2007/2008 In its research for the year 2007/008, the Institute of public communication, as well as setting out once again enjoyed the privilege of engaging with the problems addressed by research for the discus- many of the socially relevant questions in public sion on media politics. communication. The goal of using research activi- The main project of the Research Centre for ties to present insights, reflections and construc- the History of Broadcasting in Northern Germany tive options to a public interested in them was (FGRN), established jointly by the NDR (North realised across a range of different areas. German Broadcasting), the Hans Bredow Institute, In this way, large sections of the Institute par- the University of Hamburg and the WDR (West ticipated in an evaluation of the entire system for German Broadcasting) in 2000, which was de- the protection of minors from harmful media in voted to the history of the Northwest German Germany. Working on this had definite links to Broadcasting Service, was successfully completed methodological problems in interdisciplinary at the end of 2007. As the cooperating partners work, as a well-defined research landscape cer- also considered the organisational form and the tainly does exist in the area covering the use by work presented by the research centre had proved children and young people of various media and in themselves, it was agreed in 2007 to enable work that of potential effects. However the structure of to continue with core funding until 2012. that landscape does not by any means aim at Even though the Institute traditionally focuses bringing to light any results allowing the evalua- on the area of the publicistic media, questions tion of concrete mechanisms for the protection of raised “on the margins” and concerning the evolu- minors, such as, for instance, setting age catego- tion of new structures of communication do turn ries for computer games or controlling access to out to be particularly interesting. Against this cinemas. The Institute’s report was the subject of background, the Institute – together with the Uni- an intensive discussion about policies on young versity of Salzburg – has successfully tendered for people and on the media and it has been integrated a research project involving analysis of the use of into the first amendment of the Protection of so-called Web 2.0 services by young people, that Young Persons Act in 2008. The Federal Gov- is to say, social networks like StudiVZ or ernment and the States are engaged in implement- SchülerVZ. In this area, reliable data has been ing further results of evaluation. The Institute does lacking up to now, although this phenomenon has not regard its work as finished with the presenta- attracted much attention in public discussions. In tion of the report and it is much rather keeping addition, the Institute has concentrated its activi- abreast of the implementation process and is doing ties on computer games and virtual worlds into further work on some subsidiary questions – on one research focus, which investigates questions online computer games, for instance – through in this area in the transdisciplinary fashion charac- smaller-scale studies. teristic of the Institute. One further major undertaking with signifi- In the area of online research, the Institute was cance for media politics is the academic report, last year able to secure a proven expert for its completed in Spring 2008, on the federal govern- team in the person of Dr. Jan-Hinrik Schmidt. He ment’s report on communication and media; it is is not only active in various research projects, but to be published together with the report in Sum- has also gained considerable media presence for mer 2008. Here, the focus is not on acquiring new the Institute on topics related to Web 2.0. research results, but much rather on a compact and Its capacities permitting, the Institute also comprehensible description spanning all the media promotes international contacts by inviting guest researchers: Joan Ramon Rodriguez-Amat (Uni- a sufficient quantum of basic research must be versitat de Vic, Barcelona, Spain) a researcher maintained in order to generate ideas and insights into media and politics, has been our guest on a which are relevant for practitioners. The Institute six-month DAAD (German Academic Exchange is engaged in working out plans to meet these Service) scholarship since March 2008 and is goals. This is meant as a response to the recom- completing his doctorate with us on the role of the mendation from the “Wissenschaftsrat” (The media in the construction of mythologies of the German Science and Humanities Council) that a nation. In May / June Marcelo Thompson Mello research institute into communication and media Guimaraes, a lawyer from Rio de Janeiro, worked able to provide continuous and profound advice at at the Institute as a fellow of the Alcatel Lucent a high level for politics, commerce and the general Foundation. He has been pursuing a doctorate at public must continue to flourish. Kellogg College and at the Oxford Internet Insti- That it is also possible at the moment to work tute of the University of Oxford and has presented on fundamental questions alongside projects and his work on the topic of net neutrality at the con- to offer others a professional research infrastruc- ference “Chancengleichheit für Content auf Netz- ture comes about thanks to the long-standing insti- werken und Plattformen“ (Equal Opportunities for tutional sponsors of the Institute: the Free and Content in Networks and on Platforms). Hanseatic City of Hamburg, NDR Media GmbH As in previous years, the present research re- (plc) (the ad sales of the North German Broadcast- port represents an opportunity to thank all col- ing Corporation), WDR Media Group GmbH (plc) leagues in the Institute for their high level of com- (the ad sales of the West German Broadcasting petence and commitment without which the pleth- Corporation), ARD Advertising (the ad sales of ora of activities documented here would not be the Association of Public Broadcasting Corpora- possible, given the rather low ceiling on our staff- tions in the Federal Republic of Germany), the ing. ZDF – The Second German Television Service, As regards its research and knowledge-transfer the broadcaster Deutsche Welle, the Association performance, the Institute has completely ex- of State Media Authorities in the Federal Republic hausted the capacities of its current staffing level. of Germany as well as the Media Foundation The dominant orientation towards project work “Medienstiftung Hamburg / Schleswig-Holstein”. financed by third parties gives the Institute a close contact with practitioners, which is also helpful Hamburg, in July 2008 for its studies. Nevertheless, we are convinced that Uwe Hasebrink, Wolfgang Schulz CONTENTS A. THE RESEARCH PROFILE OF THE HANS BREDOW INSTITUTE Working Methods......................................................................................................................................................9 Research Foci ..........................................................................................................................................................9 Digital Games and Online Worlds ......................................................................................................................9 Media and Health Communication .....................................................................................................................9 Navigation and Orientation in the Media Society .............................................................................................10 Changes in Media Use.....................................................................................................................................10 New Forms of Regulation.................................................................................................................................10 Centre for the History of Broadcasting in North Germany................................................................................10 Survey of Individual Projects ..................................................................................................................................10 B. RESEARCH PROJECTS 2007/2008 I. THE SYSTEM OF THE MEDIA AND POLITICS 1. The Federal Government Report on Communication and Media.....................................................................11 2. Analysis of the System for the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media – Youth Protection Act and the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media...................................................................11 3. The German System for the Protection of Minors in the Area of Video and Computer Games – General Framework, Application