Germany : a Structurally Differentiated Media Market

Kurzfassung/Abstract

Politically, Germany is a federal parliamentary democracy with party-state characteristics. With approximately 130 million people worldwide speaking German as a native or second language and media use in Germany amounting to almost 11 hours per person per day, there is a large market for German media content. However, the German media system has undergone major changes over time, strongly linked to German history. Today, the media landscape in Germany is characterized by different types of media as well as a market and regulations that are specific to each type of media. This chapter focuses on the market, regulation, and use of the German press and the dual broadcasting system. It also deals with general media use and nonjournalistic actors. In terms of audience interactions, legacy news media do play an important role not only on the internet but also specifically on social media.