The way we communicate with one another shapes our society. Public debates, political opinion-forming, journalistic content, social media, platforms, and AI systems all play a role today in determining what people know, what they argue about, and whom they trust. Program Area 2 examines how such communication spaces function, what rules they require, and how they can be designed in the public interest.
The focus is on the question of under what conditions public communication succeeds: How do orientation, trust, and mutual understanding emerge? What role do media, platforms, algorithms, and new technologies play? And how can the law help shape communication spaces to be fair, open, democratic, and responsible?
The focus is not limited to digital platforms and social media. Traditional media such as broadcasting, the press, and public service offerings remain central. They are not being replaced by digital communication but are closely intertwined with it. Today, people obtain information through many channels simultaneously. This is precisely why it is important to understand how different forms of media interact and what significance they hold for democracy, the public sphere, and social cohesion.
Program Area 2 comprises two research groups:
