Mr. Lönneker, you conducted a study on media acceptance and media criticism in Germany. What about the credibility of the media in the face of "fake news" and "lying press" accusations?

Around 75% of Germans have more or less confidence in the established media. In the West, the figure is slightly higher at 77% than in the East at 69%. But beware: 25% of the adult population, and thus a large minority, really do develop decidedly critical attitudes toward the established media. For historical reasons, this minority is larger in the east of Germany (31%) than in the west. There, however, it still accounts for 23% of the population. In terms of media acceptance, we are therefore dealing with a split in society. That is very worrying. After all, according to important media researchers, a functioning democracy requires broad acceptance of the major media.

Aren't you exaggerating a bit? Is it really necessary to immediately see democracy in danger just because people are critical of the media?

Let the findings and the numbers speak for themselves: 68% of the media critics surveyed feel left alone by the system and politics. 32% are avowed AFD voters. In addition, the media critics repeatedly developed distinctly system-critical attitudes in the extensive individual interviews. It can be said that many of these people no longer have the impression that their concerns are being heard in society. Most of them lead quite normal lives but feel virtually alien in their own country - a phenomenon that also exists in other Western countries and became the title of a successful book from the USA. Listening to them seriously again is therefore very important. Because listening means paying attention, giving attention, and thus being heard.

But wouldn't it be downright fatal to give people with media- and system-critical attitudes also a stage by "listening" to them?

They are basically already getting this stage. Precisely because their personal concerns are not heard very often, they like to play on the keyboard of socially irritating topics, which then attract their attention: such as expressions of sympathy for the AFD, criticism of the treatment of refugees, questioning of climate change, criticism of the EU and the system, and claims that the media are controlled "from above”. In our in-depth conversations, however, we often encountered other backgrounds.

In my opinion, this also has consequences for market and media research: New exploration concepts are needed - a new way of listening to pick up on the perspective of these people. Up to now, we have been familiar with the phenomenon of irrational or emotional motivations for behaviour being rationalized. Here and now, we actually have to speak of a "provocative shift." Because there is a feeling of not being heard for one's own concerns, these are psycho-logically interwoven with irritant issues. It is therefore a matter of listening to grasp the important issues beyond a "provocative shift".

And what topics did you find there? What leads to media criticism?

Here, we were able to differentiate three major topics:

Media withdrawal as a means against complexity and permanent excitement
The range of media has more and more enlarged in the recent decades. Psychologically, we can speak of a multiplication of realities. The media world has become significantly more complex. On the one hand, each medium develops its own perspective and focus on reality, and on the other hand, many media are so similar that media critics often complain about both the diversity and the uniformity. However, an enormous mass or a flood of media offerings is experienced. The constant excitement is therefore too much for these media critics, so they react by withdrawing from the media.

Media aggression as a remedy for disappointed life dreams
Many media critics complain about major and many minor disappointments in their efforts to achieve their own goals and dreams in life. They blame this on a course taken by an overall social course, which is "driving the country up the wall" (78 percent agreement of the media critics) and which they see as fundamentally supported by the media. This leads to a high level of aggression toward the media and politics.

Media bashing as a secret hope for improvement
Established media become a kind of friction surface for these people. They deal with them again and again but in a critical-negative way. Psychologically, there is still a relationship and a latent hope for improvement. However, these media critics also tend to be on the way out.

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