In the digital age, visibility and invisibility become important categories for describing and explaining digital forms of communication and content. Three main dimensions are relevant here: Firstly, with regard to the (in)visibility of data, conditions of accessibility and availability of information are discussed. Secondly, the visibility of persons and institutions raises questions regarding their ability to speak and their leadership of opinion. Thirdly, a structural or process-related consideration focuses on the significance of making digital communication visible. The working group approaches the topic of (in)visibility in the digital era from the perspective of communication and media studies. Participants work on the central research question: What is the significance of (in)visibility in the digital world, how does it arise and what consequences does it have for individual actors, organisations and socially relevant processes?
The working group meets for a two-day kick-off workshop as well as for further sessions, e.g. at conferences. The kick-off meeting includes scientific presentations by the participants, group work meetings and a World Café where questions and findings for the socio-political public are discussed in a dialogue with citizens. Participants of the working group contribute expertise from central research fields of media and communication studies and represent different theoretical and empirical approaches that allow a broad conceptualisation of visibility and reflect the spectrum of design and methods commonly used in the field.
The aim of the working group is to develop a joint publication, e.g. in the form of a special issue or an anthology on the topic of “Visibility and Digital Communication”, and to prepare a follow-up proposal. In addition, scientifically based information material on the topic of “Visibility on digital platforms and its challenges and opportunities” is to be developed, e.g. for the school context, which aims to sensitise young media users to the risks and potentials of the topic.
Research focus
- Visibility
- Invisibility
- Digitalisation
- Digital Communication
- Communication and Media Studies