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This handbook provides a strong collection of communication- and psychology-based theories and models on media entertainment, which can be used as a knowledge resource for any academic and applied purpose. Its 41 chapters offer explanations of entertainment that audiences find in any kind of 'old' and 'new' media, from classic novels to VR video games, from fictional stories to mediated sports. As becomes clear in this handbook, the history of entertainment research teaches us not to forget that even if a field is converging to a seemingly dominant perspective, paradigm, and methodology, there are more views, alternative approaches, and different yet equally illuminative ways of thinking about the field.

This study aims to develop and test "myth-busting," a promising strategy for science communicators to debunk common misconceptions among citizens. Widely spread counterfactual beliefs about biotechnologically produced food (BTF) as (a) unhealthy and unsafe, (b) unsustainable, and (c) unnatural served as context of application. A preregistered online experiment ( N = 2,925) showed that myth-busting messages effectively correct misconceptions. Trust in science but not pre-existing beliefs moderated this effect. Reduced misconceptions in turn led to greater changes in attitudes toward BTF. The study exemplifies an interesting option for science communicators to address citizens' misbeliefs about complex science and technology.

Given the invisible complexities of new food technologies, citizens oftentimes rely on the media and heuristics to form their judgments. Thus, citizens are at risk of believing in misconceptions that undermine technology acceptance and consequently hinder innovative solutions to global problems. The present study examined whether agreeing with widely spread misconceptions about biotechnologically produced food (BTF) predicts more negative attitudes among citizens. Three common misconceptions were identified: BTF is believed to be (a) unhealthy and unsafe, (b) unsustainable, and (c) unnatural - despite scientific consensus that BTF are not worse than conventional food. Descriptive statistics of a pre-registered, large-scale online-survey ( N = 2,925) conducted in November 2022 revealed that misconceptions are still widely spread. Multiple block-wise linear regression analysis showed that believing in misconceptions plays a dominant role in citizens' attitudes about such innovative technologies and therefore contribute to public skepticism. Science communicators should develop diligent communication strategies to address these misconceptions, as reducing them would enable more people to participate in a well-prepared fashion in discourses about how BTF can be integrated in future governance frameworks that foster sustainable, socially fair food supply and consumption.

Die Erwähnung von Herkunftsinformationen (z. B. Nationalität) über Verdächtige und Täter in der Kriminalitätsberichterstattung kann Vorurteile in der Bevölkerung schüren. In jüngster Zeit haben Rechtspopulisten erheblichen Druck auf die Nachrichtenmedien ausgeübt den Migrationshintergrund von Tatverdächtigen und Tätern offenzulegen und damit von der lange gepflegten Berufsnorm (Pressekodex, Ziffer 12.1) abzuweichen, die vorsah, solche gruppenbezogenen Informationen möglichst zurückzuhalten. Die vorliegende Inhaltsanalyse von 9.032 Artikeln der Kriminalitätsberichterstattung von zehn deutschen Tageszeitungen zeigt, dass zwischen 2014 und 2018 die Häufigkeit der Herkunftserwähnungen deutlich zugenommen hat, insbesondere in der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung. Diese Zunahmen betreffen sowohl explizite (Nationalität) als auch implizite (z. B. Sprache, Aussehen, Aufenthaltsstatus) Verweise und sind nicht auf Schwerverbrechen beschränkt, für die der reformierte Pressekodex seit 2017 ein "öffentliches Interesse" an der Täterherkunft annimmt. Die Befunde sind brisant mit Blick auf mögliche vorurteilsfördernde Wirkungen auf das Publikum und zugleich aufschlussreich mit Blick auf den Umgang des Journalismus mit populistischer Kritik.

Recent work on eudaimonic media entertainment has demonstrated that not only movies carry meaningful or inspiring topics but also content that is usually uploaded online, such as YouTube videos or memes in social media. Although past research found beneficial effects of eudaimonic movies for psychosocial well-being and motivational intentions, the daily audience of eudaimonic online fare has not been investigated yet. This article reports first findings from a survey ( N = 2777), representative of German Internet users. Specifically, it addresses the question of (daily) encounters with eudaimonic memes, remembered topics, emotional and motivational effects with a focus on gender differences. The results reveal that many social media users consume "small doses" of eudaimonic content on a regular basis and experience similar, yet weaker, emotional consequences of such exposure. These findings are discussed in light of eudaimonic entertainment and positive media psychology.

Research on eudaimonic media has so far predominantly focused on audiovisual offerings: movies or YouTube video clips. However, much meaningful and inspiring content nowadays is uploaded on social media in so-called memes. Three exploratory studies therefore investigated the occurrence, content, and effects of inspiring and meaningful memes in social media: The hashtags of eudaimonic memes were analyzed in semantic networks (study 1), a content analysis was conducted to typologize eudaimonic themes addressed in memes (study 2), and an online survey investigated the effects of eudaimonic memes on users (study 3). The results suggest that previously defined topics of inspiration and meaningfulness are also common among hashtags and memes and lead to the same beneficial effects for their consumers. The discussion aims at advancing the theory of mediated eudaimonia and understanding its relevance for well-being in the daily lives of social media users.

Inwiefern führt das 'prägende' Erlebnis der Einschulung eine systematische Veränderung der Mediennutzung von Kindern und/oder ihrer Rahmenbedingungen im Familienkontext hervor? Anhand der Befunde einer Elternumfrage wird der Mediengebrauch von Kindern im letzten Kindergartenjahr mit dem von Erstklässlerinnen und -klässlern verglichen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen deutlich mehr Kontinuität als Brüche in Folge der Einschulung.

AbstractThis study investigated the effectiveness of narrative communication in the applied field of road safety education. A narrative message about the risks of road accidents was compared to a message without elements of storytelling but with a focus on road safety statistics. Novice drivers' evaluation of risk connected to speeding was assessed as the target attitude. Transportation, facilitation of comprehension, and para-social interaction with protagonists were proposed as mediators of the persuasive message impact. Gender was examined as a moderator of the narrativity–attitude relationship. Results of a field experiment (