As a media aficionado and digital enthusiast, I am passionate about all aspects of media and communication. While scrolling through social media, reading a newsletter, leafing through a magazine or catching up on the latest news via news apps, there is always something captivating coming my way. In fact, sometimes there is an avalanche of topics and updates to the point that it gets hard to keep track.
Amidst this flood of information, I read a couple articles about how to get a handle on the situation. Pundits on self-organization and mindfulness suggest a practice they call “journaling”. While working on other projects – mostly public outreach, media literacy education and journalism – I grew fond of the idea of a place to write down thoughts and revisiting discussions I have throughout the day. In the end I settled on the blog format, which – for someone who likes to talk about the advantages of owned media – seemed a reasonable thing to do.
Practicing Media, Grounded in Science
And here we are. I call this project “The Media and The Science”. The name goes back to my studies in media science and my career as communication expert. To be clear: In this case “The Media” is broadly defined. It is not just about the transformation of legacy media or new forms to connect via social networks. We are also looking into technology disrupting markets, developments that shape society and how we as people get along with AI-companions.
I have been working at the intersection of science, media and society for several years now – and I just love to analyze and apply empirical concepts in real-life settings. This is why I take a professional interest in this side project. On the “The Science” side we get to explore theories, models and strategies of media practice, communication processes and their deployment.
What to Expect
To sum it up: In this blog we dive into the diverse and fascinating world of digital society, the twists of online communication and the science behind it. In this way, we shine a spotlight on current developments in the fields of media and communication. Serving this purpose, for now, are two categories:
- Memo: This rubric keeps track of words, phenomena and talking points that have momentum, went viral or are need-to-know.
- POV: Short for “Point of View” this is a space to explore thoughts, stories and current debates to provide a considerate view and assessment.
That’s the plan. In the coming weeks I am going to publish the first articles. From there on, we will see where the journey will lead us. No matter what, I will keep entries concise, so you can expect clear distinctions between fact and opinion. This blog is a joint learning space where we map the media landscape. If this resonates with you, I am happy you are part of it. Thanks for reading.