Role of Media

This semester’s media research journey brought us face-to-face with key players shaping how stories are told in Germany. Through both prompts and site visits, we can examine what responsibility media organisations carry today—and how differently they approach that task.

One core question stood out to me: what role does the media play in supporting democracy and education? The organisations we visited in the past few weeks —Media School Bayern and the guest speaker from Munich Science Communication Lab—offered very different answers.

At Media School Bayern, the focus was clearly on preparing young journalists for the fast-paced digital media landscape. They train students in video editing, scriptwriting, podcasting and even running live shows on social media. The goal is to equip the next generation with the tools and speed needed to survive in modern journalism. In this sense, their role in democracy is indirect but vital: they sustain a media workforce capable of reaching broad audiences. But the pressure to be quick, entertaining, and “clickable” can sometimes overshadow the deeper responsibility of journalism: holding power to account, building public trust, and offering context and not just content.

In contrast, the Munich Science Communication Lab takes a much more research-driven, reflective approach. Their mission lies in bridging science and society, not just reporting facts, but improving how complex information is understood. Here, the focus isn’t speed or visibility, but impact and evaluation. They use audience testing, behavioural studies, and design principles to ask: Does our message work? Do people trust it? Does it help them act? This plays a powerful role in education and informed citizenship, particularly around climate, health, and digital literacy.

While both organisations deal with communication, their cultures and methods are worlds apart. Media School Bayern runs like a newsroom—fast, creative, audience-first. The Science Communication Lab is closer to a think tank—measured, academic, focused on long-term effects. One prioritises production; the other, perception.

We need to critically question the trend toward speed and performance in journalism education. If training prioritises metrics, visibility, or audience engagement above all, there’s a risk that depth, ethics, and critical thinking fall behind. Are we preparing students to reflect—or just react? Also, science communication—while well-intentioned—can sometimes lean toward being too safe or overly technical, making it inaccessible to wider publics.

That said, both institutions should be praised for their responsiveness to today’s media challenges. Media School Bayern is boldly experimenting with new formats and platforms, keeping journalism alive among youth. The Science Communication Lab is pioneering a thoughtful, evidence-based model of communication that recognises the public as co-creators, not just passive recipients.

In a time where misinformation spreads fast and media trust declines, we need both: quick, relatable communicators and slow, careful researchers. Together, they paint a more complete picture of what responsible media can and should look like in Germany today.