Research

The research conducted by the Department of Communication tackles processes in public communication (via the media) and their infrastructure conditions, as well as their impact on society and individuals. From a comparative perspective, these include system and organizational research, journalism research, historical media research, and research into media content and impact. In terms of subject areas, our professors and academic staff work on such central issues as media regulation, media entertainment, media history, media innovation and media change, political communication, advertising and public relations. The use and further development of methods for empirical media and communication research are particularly key focuses, especially with respect to Computational Communication Science.

Flagship Areas

  • Democracy & Society

  • Crisis & Uncertainty

  • Digital Technology & AI

  • Health & Well-Being

Publications

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2026

Kulichkina, A., Balluff, P., Righetti, N., & Waldherr, A. (2026). Connective action and digital repression during China’s COVID-19 protests: A computational analysis of multilingual coordinated activity on Twitter. EPJ Data Science, 15(1), Article 39. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjds/s13688-026-00637-2

Weubel, D., Bauer, H., Karsay, K., Wendt, R., & Camerini, A.-L. (2026). "This didn't exist back then": A focus group study on adolescents' account of mental illness perceptions in the context of family, peers, and social media. Social Science & Medicine, 408, 119746. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119746

Rousseau, A., & Trekels, J. (2026). Selfies as a tool for self-presentation: Relations between strategic selfie-behavior, peer feedback and appearance dis/satisfaction among Belgian teens. Journal of Children and Media. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2026.2694774

Thomas, M. F., Binder, A., & Matthes, J. (2026). Decision-making on dating apps: Is swiping more less and swiping right wrong? Media Psychology, 29(5), 867-898. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2025.2555430

Binder, A., Stevic, A., Kanková, J., & Matthes, J. (Accepted/In press). AI on dating apps: Links between usage frequency, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and willingness to use AI. Telematics and Informatics.

Wahl, I., & Einwiller, S. (2026). DEI communication and climate for inclusion in Germany and the U.S.: The mediating role of managerial integrity. Public Relations Review, 52(3), Article 102705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2026.102705

Forrai, M., Balaban, D. C., & Schmuck, D. (2026). Disclosures and literacy as determinants of AI-influencer recognition and well-being. Computers in Human Behavior, 182, Article 108978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2026.108978

Moser, S., Bührer, S., Kostikova, D., & Matthes, J. (2026). From hostile feedback to withdrawal: Emotional exhaustion as a barrier to social media misinformation correction. Computers in Human Behavior.

Jack, D. B., Trekels, J., Capella, J., Maza, M. T., Lindquist, K. A., Prinstein, M. J., & Telzer, E. H. (2026). Neural and psychological predictors of digital status-seeking in adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 36(3), Article e70240. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.70240

Trekels, J., de Jong, C., & Pouwels, L. (2026). Reimagining Social Media Literacy: A Narrative Review On The Importance Of Social Contexts And Peer Relationships. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/k27ca_v1

Thomas, M. F., Binder, A., & Matthes, J. (2026). Safer sexting: Who cares and how? Cyberpsychology : journal of psychosocial research on cyberspace, 20(4), Article 7. https://doi.org/0.5817/CP2026-4-7

Lazic, A., Khaleghipour, M., & Matthes, J. (Accepted/In press). Whose voices and which effects? A scoping review of migration and social media effects. Information, Communication & Society.

Sarikakis, K., Chatziefraimidou, A., Haslauer, S., Ramadani, G., & Yeroshkina, M. (2026). “I feel like I slip through the cracks”: governance gaps and the precarity of young filmmakers in Europe. European Journal of Cultural Management and Policy, 16, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3389/ejcmp.2026.16374

Sarikakis, K., Wahi, C., Garner, D. S., & Permana, C. J. (2026). International Youth in Europe as Audiences of European Cinema. In The European Union as a Global Film Enabler (pp. 187-209). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-25320-0_8

Nguyen, P. Q. G., Bührer, S., Koban, K., & Matthes, J. (2026). Where digital hate finds its home: Perpetrators' preferred affordances and their experiences with content moderation and user intervention. Information, Communication & Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2026.2663190

Khaleghipour, M., Koban, K., & Matthes, J. (2026). The strategic provocation of digital hate: Empowered targets' perceptions of perpetrators and bystanders. Information, Communication & Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2026.2674873

Harff, D. (2026). Detection and spill-over effects of AI-generated images in political messages: Evidence from two pre-registered experiments. Computers in Human Behavior, 181, Article 108989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2026.108989

Hodzic, S., Stevic, A., & Matthes, J. (2026). Generative AI in practice: An umbrella review of risks, benefits, ethics, and future directions across major domains. Technology in Society, 87, Article 103331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2026.103331

Meerson, R., Koban, K., & Matthes, J. (2027). Pretty privilege? Effects of perpetrators' attractiveness and hate type on user responses against misogynist digital hate. Computers in Human Behavior, 186, Article 109112. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2026.109112

Egelhofer, J. L., Seeger, C., & Binder, A. (Accepted/In press). The effects of online harassment of scientists on bystander scientists. Science Communication.

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