Making literature visible in space: Made possible by an app that is currently being developed at the chair of media and culture. It allows the user to acquire a city via art and to celebrate the cultural space.

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(Book project; Vincent Kaufmann, Publication 2017)

How does the new overall situation in media (hegemony of the “videosphere”, digital dispositives) lead to new positions, types and figures of the author and his or her authority? How do audiovisual and digital media in particular contribute to the hegemony of the categories of autobiography and self expression?

(Doctoral thesis project; Alexander Barclay)

As public service broadcasters (PSB) increasingly come under pressure due to changes in media consumption patterns, regulation, and financial constraints, their role in contemporary society is increasingly being questioned. The research project addresses this issue by analysing the commissioning and production of television series by PSB, which fits in an entertainment mission. Based on the notion of public value, this research aims at identifying characteristics of a television series providing public value. Both positive and negative cases from selected European countries are studied to evaluate in which cases such public value television series must be commissioned or produced by the PSB and in which case private actors may fulfil this mission. The project reviews both commissioning and production practices as well as content factors. Lastly, the research aims at providing a framework for television executives, producers and policymakers to conceptualise the commissioning and production of television series by PSB for public value.

(Doctoral thesis project; Jana Baumgartner; published in 2016)

This research project examines the influence of media culture on the corporate culture of German-speaking trade publishers. Corporate culture is considered to be stable and grown. In times of technological change corporate culture might enable, as well as prevent adaptation on dynamic changes in the environment. The current media-technological change has not only economic implications for trade publishers, but it also includes a cultural dimension - the media culture. The aim of the work is therefore to examine the effects of the media cultural change on the corporate culture of publishing houses, in order to gain new theoretical and practical insights. This project will be funded by the Waldemar-Bonsels Foundation between 2012 and 2013.

(Doctoral thesis project; Julian Maitra)

This research project examines the impact of computerization and associated job automation in the field of journalism from a cultural studies‘ perspective. The ongoing computerization transforms both how journalists work, as well as how users consume journalistic content. On the one hand computer technologies offer previously unknown opportunities for journalism. For instance when it comes to the pattern recognition and content analysis of huge data sets (i.e. « big data ») for investigations. A further example of technological opportunity is so called robot journalism, for instance when a writing algorithm generates a personalized stock market portfolio report for a small investor in a matter of seconds and at nearly zero marginal cost. On the other hand, the consequences of computerization and job automation in journalism are new cultural and ethical areas of conflict, that in turn lead to the emergence of new fundamental research problems regarding the interaction between the reader, the author and the text. The methods of this research project include an analysis of algorithmic texts and case studies related to computerization in journalism, as well as a theoretical consideration of the matter using discourse analysis and insights from the philosophy of technology.

(Doctoral thesis project; Noémie Christen)

The latest developments in the genre of the autobiography have brought two closely connected processes to the fore: on the one hand, the staging and performance of one’s private and intimate life and, on the other hand, either in the form of intermediality or with the selection of new media (e.g. blogs). This project is part of the CIM research group “Subjectivity and Cultural Order”.

(Book project; Jana Baumgartner, Vincent Kaufmann, Anna Pirhofer, Sophie Rudolph; published in 2015)

This project systematically and comprehensively explores the social, cultural and technological requirements for marketing in the book industry. Based on new trends, the study plans to examine the relevant focuses in the following areas: The author as brand, book marketing on television, internet advertising (in particular through social media), film adaptations of literary works as a form of marketing.

(Book project; Vincent Kaufmann in collaboration with Dieter Thomä and Ulrich Schmid; Publication 2015)

Studies on the impact of subjectivity on theory (e.g. in the case of Guy Debord, Roland Barthes, Walter Benjamin, etc.)

(Doctoral thesis project; Ulrike Gärtner)

Starting from the concept of the cultural memory as a significant part of the discourse on cultural forms of memory and the collective formation of a sense of identity, this doctoral thesis project investigates the question of how the cultural memory of today is constituted.

(Book project; Vincent Kaufmann in collaboration with Dieter Thomae and Ulrich Schmid, SHSS-UNISG; published in 2014)

Theory as autobiography, autobiography as theory: explorations in the shaping of theory by subjectivity (e.g. in the works of Guy Debord, Roland Barthes, Jacques Derrida, etc.).

The Center for Book and Publishing Studies is financially supported by the Waldemar Bonsels Foundation (Munich) as part of a service agreement for research and teaching. With the agreements reached, the Center undertakes on the one hand to offer the book and media education program (LBW) and to develop research projects connected with the book industry. On the other hand, it is committed to a long-term cooperation with the St. Gallen Center for the Book, which is housed in the St.Galler Kantonsbibliothek Vadiana and also supported by the WBS. The center for the book consists of more than 60,000 documents on the subject of books. The rich archive stock of monographs, periodicals and other materials is regularly accessed by researchers and students. The focus of the cooperation between the Center for Book and Publishing Studies and the center for the book lies on the promotion of the reading culture. Research, teaching (within the scope of the LBW) and public relations work are to be combined on the basis of specific projects and cooperation with other institutions and organizations. Within the framework of the LBW, the ZeBu also offers lectures on topics such as cultural promotion or cultural and educational institutions. Further information can be found under the link to the cooperation = mcm - ZeBu.

The = mcm3 cooperates with numerous book scientific institutes. Particularly noteworthy is the co-operation with LMU Munich (Chair of Prof. Christine Haug) in teaching and research. Topics such as plagiarism and censorship were worked together in teaching, research as well as at conferences, the results also included in publications. In addition, Prof. Dr. Vincent Kaufmann and Prof. Dr. Christine Haug are also jointly in charge of the series "Buchwissenschaftliche Beiträge" at the publishing house Harrassowitz (Wiesbaden).

Since 2011, the Center for Book and Publishing Studies has been working closely with the International Book Society (IBG). Prof. Dr. Vincent Kaufmann, together with Prof. Dr. Christine Haug (LMU Munich), has taken over the editorship of Kodex, the yearbook of the IBG published by Harrassowitz. Since 2015, Vincent Kaufmann is also deputy chairman of the board of directors of IBG.