Workshop in Mannheim: Digital feminism in the focus of the media!

Workshop in Mannheim: Digital feminism in the focus of the media!

On May 30, 2025, the workshop "Knowledge - Identity - Mediaality" will take place in the University building B6 at the University of Mannheim. The event, which is organized by the University of Mannheim in cooperation with external guests, aims to discuss central debates at the interface of knowledge production, digital public and identity discourses. The workshop is open to anyone interested and promises a variety of valuable lectures from the areas of cultural, media and political sciences.

A special Highlight of the workshop is the lecture by Prof. Adrian Daub, PhD, who as J.E. Wallace Sterling professor at Stanford University works and lingered as a visiting professor at the University of Mannheim by the end of June. His lecture is entitled "Learning Digital Anti-Feminism: Depp v. Heard, YouTube and How Platforms Shape What Counts as‘ Evidence ’and takes place from 1:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Daub discusses the influence of YouTube comments on the court trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, a case that is characterized by intensive public discussions and charged social media entries.

public perception and social media

The court trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has not only become a legal, but also a social phenomenon. Depp sues Heard for defamation after describing herself in a 2018 article published as a "public figure for domestic violence". Heard, on the other hand, also sued Depp for defamation after his lawyer had accused her of maintaining a “vertical vertigo”. Despite the lack of detailed knowledge of the background, public opinions are widespread and have increased strongly, which is partly due to the role of social media, which are often emotionally charged and polarizing.

In social media, the events are often shown in dichotomous categories "good against bad". While Amber Heard is negatively connoted in many reports, Depp and his lawyer Camille Vasquez are often perceived positively. These representations meet stereotypical archetypal roles that reflect how women are treated in society. The attractiveness of the people involved plays an important role in public perception, since attractive people are often perceived as more credible; However, this does not apply to the same extent to women who are often shown in these stereotypes as "bad".

opportunities and risks of social media

Digital culture has also produced aspects of abuse, whereby false narrative and dangerous rhetoric is often fueled by manipulated content and memes. Such content can significantly distort public perception and have the potential to generate dangerous calls to violence against Heard. In the course of this, the importance of a critical reflection on the influence of social media on thoughts, behavioral patterns and information spread within Echo chambers becomes increasingly clear. The ACATech project examines exactly these challenges by analyzing communication between science, public and media as well as the opportunities and risks of social media.

science and journalism form cornerstones of a democratic society, and the investigation of social media shows both the possibility of enlargement and participation as well as the risk of lack of quality control and the spread of disinformation. At a time when public and private communication increasingly merge, the nuancing of scientific communication is of crucial importance.

Overall, the workshop at the University of Mannheim will illuminate the critical questions of knowledge production, identity and mediality in the digital public and thus make a valuable contribution to the current social discussions.

For more information, interested parties can be interested in Prof. Dr. Contact Stefanie Schäfer on 0621 181-2361 or by email to stefanie.schaefer@uni-mannheim.de. Katja Bauer, deputy press spokeswoman at the University of Mannheim, can also be reached at katja.bauer@uni-mannheim.de.

For a detailed reading for the event, the role of social media and its risks and the aspects of science communication, the following links can be visited: Mannheim , Acatech .