Professorship for Empirical Communication and Media Research II

“The Future Of VR Is Here, Let’s Start Using It Properly” (Pettijohn, 2018). With this headline, the influential Forbes magazine reported on the future of virtual reality (VR) last year. As early as 2021, VR sales are expected to grow from the current $4.5 trillion to $19 trillion worldwide. Currently, VR technology mainly uses VR headsets to evoke realistic images, sounds, and other impressions that simulate a user's physical presence in the virtual space. However, this apparently groundbreaking technological development still harbors problems that cannot be dismissed: the devices can be very expensive or the content too little, and social acceptance and monetization are still problematic. Nevertheless, VR should be seen as a rapidly growing consumer trend and is therefore the subject of academic research at our chair.

In addition to video game and film companies, journalistic organizations are increasingly turning to the VR trend. As journalism struggles with declining revenues, this approach can be helpful in strengthening journalistic brands and producing new value chains. A current strategy is to use VR in mobile applications that recipients can access using headsets.

In this research area we devote ourselves to the technical potential of VR, various prototypes and problems that need to be overcome for the future practicability of VR.

Digital storytelling gives newsrooms and media companies the opportunity to prepare complex topics in a user-oriented and multimedia way. Through the holistic linking of text, image, sound, video, interactive graphics, augmented/virtual reality, 360 degree videos, and other digital features on a website, specific content is communicated to and received by users in the best possible, concentrated, and yet profound form individually open to them. While the production of digital storytelling initially began in the online presence of large international newspapers such as The New York Times or The Washington Post, medium-sized and small media houses are increasingly making use of the advantages of storytelling production in online journalism and corporate publishing. As part of a dissertation project, an international inventory of storytelling production is sought with reference to digital trends (such as augmented reality, news games, robots, drones, big data). Individual sub-studies anchored both in academia and in praxis make a specific contribution to the epistemological interest, such as the current systematic literature study of international publications on the subject of digital storytelling. Furthermore, an editorial observation in international newsrooms is planned, which should provide information about the common practice and starting points for digital trends. The research focus of digital storytelling is thus closely linked to current technological trends in the online sector and is regularly considered from different perspectives in teaching.

Self-driving cars, intelligent houses and digital citizen participation: Concepts and applications for sustainable Smart Cities are currently being developed in many cities. But the intelligent city will hardly become a reality without the acceptance and active participation of the people who live in it. In an empirical project consisting of several modules, Alexander Godulla, Cornelia Wolf and Ulrike Rohn (Tallinn University) are investigating to what extent the responsible organizations have to carry out strategic acceptance communication for new technologies in cities. In two extensive surveys, the knowledge and attitudes of citizens of Smart City Leipzig and Smart City Tallinn were surveyed regarding new applications. The study currently being evaluated will show the connection between the acceptance of new technologies and the personality traits of the people surveyed.

In addition, Daniel Seibert (M.A.) examines organizational communication in smart city projects and the associated acceptance of information and communication technologies in his dissertation project. In the context of urbanization and the digitalization of our living environment, the demands for efficient and sustainable urban development concepts are becoming louder and louder. Smart City initiatives pursue the goal of using information and communication technology (ICT) to make the life of the urban population more efficient and resource-saving and to actively involve the public in decision-making processes. However, the goal of constructively working together as "Smart People" on sustainable Smart City initiatives not only involves potential hurdles, such as the acceptance and application of intelligent technologies, but also challenges to the communication processes of the actors involved.

Another research focus deals with the effects of artificial intelligence on the generation, dissemination and interpretation of disinformation campaigns using the example of deepfakes. The advances in artificial intelligence enable almost all internet users to create highly realistic, but fictional audio and video recordings. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for audiences to distinguish whether an audio or video recording is genuine or machine-generated. Although deepfake technologies have so far been used primarily for the generation of pornographic recordings, there is a risk of manipulating public opinion and ultimately damaging democratic discourse. In various research projects, deepfakes are first to be theoretically developed and practically examined. The research focus is interlinked with computer science as well as with journalist education and enlightenment and is therefore interdisciplinary.

Startups are an important part of our economic system. They hold potential for innovation, added value, and employment. In mature economies with low growth dynamics as well as in traditionally structurally weak regions, great hopes are attached to start-ups. In Germany, the federal, state and local governments, as well as numerous companies and foundations, are therefore trying to promote start-ups. A critical success factor in establishing new companies is communication: Startups and founders have to build relationships with customers and investors, recruit committed employees, and position themselves in public discourse, all while pressed for time and with limited resources. A good reputation, fascinating brands, thought leadership, a dynamic corporate culture, and an excellent network of opinion leaders and influencers are just as important as technologies, customer benefits, and capital. If the wrong paths are taken at the beginning, it will hardly be correctable later. The specific challenges for the strategic communication of startups require tailor-made models and instruments.

The established knowledge from corporate, marketing and financial communication has only been made fruitful for founders so far and specific research on the subject is almost non-existent. This is where the Center for Entrepreneurship Communication (CEC) comes in.