Logo: Bauhaus-University Weimar
≡
  • Jump to main menu
  • Jump to page menu
  • Jump to breadcrumbs and menu
  • Jump to subpage menu
  • Jump to main content
  • Jump to contacts and information
  • Webmail
    • for students
    • for staff (OWA)
  • Moodle
  • Course Catalogue
  • Message Boards
  • DE
  • EN
Shortcuts
  • Webmail
    • for students
    • for staff (OWA)
  • Moodle
  • Course Catalogue
  • Message Boards
  • Academic Advising
  • BAUHAUS.JOURNAL ONLINE
  • Calendar
  • University Library
  • Language Centre
  • Sports Centre
  • International Office
  • Digital Studieren (E-Learning)
  • Dining Menu
  • Emergency
  • Search people
  • DE
  • EN
Logo: Bauhaus-University Weimar Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
  • University
    • News
      • Bauhaus.Journal online
      • Newsroom and Communications+
      • Social Media
      • Podcasts+
      • Calendar+
      • Message Boards+
      • Open-minded Thuringia+
      • Aid for Ukraine from the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar+
      • A Cleaner Campus: More Respect
      • Saving Energy at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar+
      • Bauhaus.Module
      • Academic Year
      • Current competitions
      • Elections at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar+
      • Job Openings+
      • Fairs
      -
    • Profile+
    • Structure+
    • Studies+
    • Teaching+
    • International+
    • Research and Art+
    • Transfer+
    • Partners and Alumni+
    • Bauhaus100
    • Student Representative Committees+
    • Doctoral Council
    • Mittelbauvertretung
    • Services+
    -
  • Architecture and Urbanism
    • News+
    • Profile+
    • Structure+
    • Studies+
    • Research and Art+
    • International+
    • Partners and Alumni
    • Services+
    +
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering
    • News+
    • Profile+
    • Structure+
    • Studies+
    • Research+
    • International+
    • Partners and Alumni+
    • Services+
    +
  • Art and Design
    • News+
    • Profile+
    • Studies+
    • Structure+
    • Research and Art
    • International+
    • Partners and Alumni+
    • Services+
    +
  • Media
    • News+
    • Structure+
    • Studies+
    • Research+
    • International+
    • Partners and Alumni
    • 25-year anniversary
    • Services+
    +
  1. University
  2. News
  3. Bauhaus.Journal online
Contact and Information
  • Official Instagram account of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
  • Official LinkedIn account of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
  • Official Vimeo channel of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Markus Seifert, Maxi-Josephine Rauch und Jürgen Rösch (from left to right), Photo: Julian Linden
Markus Seifert, Maxi-Josephine Rauch und Jürgen Rösch (from left to right), Photo: Julian Linden
Published: 06 June 2025

BEYOND NOW – Digitally Environments: Public Law, Effective Democracy?!

Our environment doesn’t stop at the front door or at the gate to the garden. It extends beyond city boundaries and into digital networks, reshaping itself with each click. It is both physical and digital, analogue and networked, a social space and at the same time a political playing field and ecological influence factor. In the »Digital Environments: The Role of Public Service Broadcasting in Transforming Digital Information and Communication Spaces« course, Jr. Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rösch (Faculty of Media) and Dr. Markus Seifert (University of Erfurt) examine whether and how public service broadcasting (ÖRR) can contribute to creating new spaces that are organised around the common good and promote democracy.

Digital environments shape relationships, mould our knowledge and strongly impact the development of political opinion. But online spaces are by no means neutral: Platform structures, economic interests, and algorithms influence what is seen and what remains unseen. A small number of large corporations control the digital infrastructure; democratic influence is only possible to a limited extent.

»Given the growing disinformation, platform dominance, and polarisation, it is now especially important to understand how digital spaces work and to discuss the significance and justification of public service media«, stresses Jürgen Rösch. The goal is to »establish a critical understanding of how digital infrastructures work, who shapes them, and how they influence the public sphere, democracy, and participation.«

Photo: Julian Linden
Photo: Julian Linden

What if public service broadcasting provided not content, but also actively participated in the creation of inclusive, democratic communication spaces? How could it function as a platform and a trustworthy place for exchange, participation, and reliable information? »Understanding digital environments as public spaces means seeing them as not only economic markets, but also as spaces for democratic negotiation, cultural diversity, and communication for the common good«, explains Maxi Rauch. In this context, the main question is what role public service broadcasting can play in these digital public spaces.

This semester, 18 students from Media Management (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar), Arts Management (University of Music FRANZ LISZT), Health Communication and Children's and Youth Media Studies (University of Erfurt), are studying this exact question. Through lectures, group projects, discussions with experts, and an excursion to the MDR studio in Leipzig, the students will develop a nuanced understanding of digital public spheres.

»The students critically examine how the public service mandate can be transferred to the digital realm«, says Markus Seifert. This increases awareness of »the role played by public service broadcasting in today’s society – and where its range is limited by the legal framework.« The students analyse challenges and opportunities and develop their own concepts for alternative platform models and formats, which will discussed in a panel discussion during  »summaery2025«. After all: Anyone talking about digital environments today is negotiating social participation of the future.

The »Digital Environments: The Role of Public Service Broadcasting in Transforming Digital Information and Communication Spaces« course is taught by Jr. Prof. Jürgen Rösch Maxi-Josephine Rauch, scientific employee at the Junior Professorship of  Digital Economies in cooperation with Dr. Markus Seifert from the University of Erfurt. Students from three universities and four degree programmes are involved in the project.

The project is funded by the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar as part of the »Beyond Now ⸺ Environment« annual theme.

Text: Marie Kohlschreiber

Photos: Julian Linden

Social Media: Marit Haferkamp

Signet: Romi Klockau

Concept and Editorial: Claudia Weinreich

Back All News

Categories

  • BAUHAUS.INSIGHTS
  • Studies
  • Projects | Research and Art
  • Awards
  • Events
  • University
  • International

Archiv

Archiv-Beiträge des BAUHAUS.JOURNAL ONLINE

Contact the Editor:

Claudia Weinreich, Press Officer
Luise Ziegler, Media Relations

E-mail: presse[at]uni-weimar.de

go to top
  • Official Instagram account of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
  • Official LinkedIn account of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
  • Official Vimeo channel of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
  • The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar uses Matomo for web analytics.
  • Print
  • Send by e-mail
  • Feedback this Page
  • Studies

    • Academic Programmes
    • Advising
    • Discover the university
    • Application
    • New Students
    • Course Catalogue
    • Moodle
  • Information

    • Alumni
    • Employees
    • Researchers
    • Visitors and Guests
    • Academic Staff
    • Emergency Information
    • Press and Media
    • Doctoral candidates
    • Students
    • Businesses
  • Services

    • Message Boards
    • Campus Maps
    • Sitemap
    • Media Service
    • Data Protection Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Legal Notice
  • Contact

    • Contact form
  • Contact
  • Data protection policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Legal Notice
  • Sitemap
  • Internal
  • TYPO3
  • The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar uses Matomo for web analytics.
© 1994-2025 Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
  • Contact
  • Data protection policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Legal Notice
  • Sitemap
  • Internal
  • TYPO3

Accessibility panel

Simple language

Information about the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar in German.

Set contrast Read more about this setting

Changes from color to monochrome mode

contrast not active

Darkmode for the lightsensitive Read more about this setting

Changes the background color from white to black

Darkmode not active

Click- and Focus-feedback Read more about this setting

Elements in focus are visually enhanced by an black underlay, while the font is whitened

Feedback not active

Animations on this Website Read more about this setting

Halts animations on the page

Animations active