Project: "Bytes & Geist" – Podcast on digital media ethics
What ethical principles does our society need in a digitalised media world?
We produce a podcast with the results of the research conference on the ‘Digital Media Ethics’ nexus, which took place in Munich in October 2024.
Research Focus
Digital Media Ethics, Ethics, Theology, Philosophy
Client
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
Funding
EKD, Digital Innovation Fund
Responsibilities
Ideation, funding application, consulting, production and marketing of a podcast – details at bottom of the page
Period
since 2023
Listen to the podcast (in German)
"Bytes und Geist – Being human in a digital society"
What is the significance of human dignity in the digital media world? Can artificial intelligence develop a consciousness or be creative? What is freedom on the internet and where are its limits?
Since April 2025, the podcast “Bytes und Geist” has been exploring these questions in six 45-minute episodes. Hosts Dr. Christina Costanza and Prof. Dr. Constantin Plaul are in conversation with renowned experts from the fields of theology, philosophy and media studies. We are delighted that the list of guests includes philosopher Prof. Dr. Dr. Julian Nida-Rümelin, cultural studies scholar Dr. Nathalie Weidenfeld, theologian and podcaster Prof. Dr. Thorsten Dietz, philosopher and media ethicist Prof. Dr. Jessica Heesen, communication studies scholar and media ethicist Prof. Dr. Christian Schicha, philosopher and science journalist Dr. Manuela Lenzen, theologian and media ethicist Prof. Dr. Florian Höhne as well as ethicist Prof. Dr. Toni Loh. The podcast reflects the conference “Digitale Medienethik. Theologische und humanistische Perspektiven im Dialog“, which took place at Theologisches Studienseminar Pullach in early October 2024.
The podcast will focus on the dialogue between humanistic and theological media ethics: Christianity and humanism share the ideas of human dignity and the common good. But when it comes to the topics of God and religion, they sometimes diverge sharply. The podcast offers various perspectives on questions of media ethics to shed light on similarities and differences.
“Bytes und Geist” presents current debates on media ethics for an audience outside of academia. In this way, it builds a bridge between research and practice. The podcast is primarily aimed at people who organise media ethics education processes: It provides teachers and lecturers with well-founded information from which they can derive impulses and recommendations for action in the classroom. Pupils growing up in a digitalised world are thus trained in the critical use of media and in reflecting on their own media use.
We are supporting the project, which is funded by the Digital Innovation Fund of the Protestant Church of Germany, with our SciComm expertise and our conceptual and technical know-how from application to publication.
Listen to the podcast here!
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More InformationMedia ethics as a guide in a digitalised world
Digital technologies and media have become an integral part of our everyday lives. Children and young people are growing up in an increasingly digitalised world in which we are constantly confronted with content on our electronic devices. While digitalisation offers many opportunities, it also brings with it new ethical and moral challenges.
Digital media ethics is dedicated to these challenges by examining how digital technologies can be used responsibly. It focusses on various aspects and topics, including human dignity in the digital world, the role of artificial intelligence and issues relating to privacy and data protection.
As an interdisciplinary field of research, digital media ethics draws on different disciplines such as theology, media studies, sociology and practical philosophy. Theological-Christian and humanistic approaches are often seen as opposing positions, as they sometimes diverge sharply in their judgement of the role of God and religion in media ethics debates.However, both approaches share fundamental ideas and values such as human dignity and freedom.
Similarities and differences between the approaches will be worked out in dialogue, allowing common guiding principles to be concretised. These guiding principles form the basis for media ethics, which can serve as a guide in our digitalised world.
From application to publication
As a full-service SciComm studio, we were on board with “Bytes und Geist” right from the start: We identified the podcast’s target group, conducted intensive research into science podcasts and developed a podcast concept tailored to the intended target group in collaboration with the hosts. This enabled us to play a key role in the successful application for funding from the Digital Innovation Fund of the Protestant Church in Germany.
With our technical expertise, we support the hosts in recording the episodes in Riverside. Post-production is then in our hands and culminates in publication on the usual podcast platforms such as Soundcloud, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The whole process is accompanied by promotion and marketing to give the podcast the visibility it deserves and to reach the target group. To this end, we work together with our long-standing marketing partner Astrid Schicht.
Podcasting needs? 🎙️🔬
Get in touch if you are interested in having your research turned into a podcast as well.
Artwork & Music – Man meets Machine
The central theme of ‘Bytes and Geist’ is being human in the digital world. We also depict the complex relationship between man and machine in the show artwork: the stylised, almost futuristic-looking face symbolises the fusion of man and technology – but at the same time the human features remain clearly recognisable.
The colours, shapes and symbols that also appear in the episode artwork create a retro look that suits the core target group and not only reminds them of their first encounters with digital technology in the form of video games, CDs, PCs, software, e-mail, chats and the like, but also revives the associated emotional world.
The design was realised with midjourney, Photoshop and InDesign. One of the prompts used is: a podcast cover for a science communication project for teachers and trainers in media ethics with topics such as ai, cctv surveillance, social media, chatbots.
This meta-level of communication, which appeals to human emotions, is continued in the music composed, recorded and arranged specifically for the podcast. On the one hand, jazzy trumpet sounds are used here, which symbolise the human level – after all, instruments played with the breath are among the most organic-sounding. In combination with electronic sounds that are remotely reminiscent of the 8-bit sounds of the first computer games and thus of the early days of digital technology, a coherent, effective sound design is created that can be heard in the intros and outros, as bridges between different topic areas within the episodes and in the social media reels.
Marketing – Disseminators and Social Media
We already defined the podcast’s target group when we submitted the application: While the topics addressed by ‘Bytes & Geist’ are of interest to anyone looking for guidance in the digital world, the podcast is primarily aimed at those in charge of media ethics education processes in schools or adult education. In order to reach the target group, our long-standing partner Astrid Schicht has developed a marketing concept that focuses on the potential of disseminators.
On the podcast’s Instagram account, @bytes_und_geist, we share several carousel posts and reels for each episode that spark curiosity about the respective episode and inspire reflection. Reposts by disseminators with a wide reach, such as podcast guest Thorsten Dietz, are particularly valuable.
At the same time, the podcast is also publicised via newsletters and websites of various institutions – universities, educational institutions, publishers. This allows us to reach the podcast’s target group via their usual information channels.
Our contribution
Services
Presentation
Share of the total scope of services
Products
6 podcast episodes, podcast trailer, podcast recording, podcast post-production, music production, podcast marketing, graphics
Partner
- Team Digital Media Ethics
- Astrid Schicht: Conception, ideation, marketing
- Gesine Fodor: Research, graphic design
