Power – Media – Society

Spokespersons: Prof. Dr. Dorothée de Nève, Prof. Dr. Elif Özmen 

The societal use of media is pervaded by power relations and, at the same time, causes power relations itself. This becomes most apparent when the power of the media is discussed, scandalised, or celebrated in public – particularly with regard to the protection of digital data from companies and intelligence agencies, or in reference to the revolutionary and participatory potentials of social media. Beyond that, the social power of the media also unfolds in the everyday life of political processes: for example, in the reconfiguration of democratic procedures through digital participation. Finally, the use of media involves power relations in social relationships, such as families and households, who increasingly organise their everyday life medially. This section provides an interdisciplinary framework for topics such as these.