Michael V. Reiss
@mvreiss.bsky.social
PostDoc Leibniz Institute for Media Research | HBI, Hamburg.
Previously: University of Zurich & LSE.
🔎 Generative AI | Political Communication & News Consumption | CSS
Previously: University of Zurich & LSE.
🔎 Generative AI | Political Communication & News Consumption | CSS
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
“These findings provide clear evidence that data collected on MTurk simply cannot be trusted.”
January 8, 2026 at 8:47 PM
“These findings provide clear evidence that data collected on MTurk simply cannot be trusted.”
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
🚀 We’re hiring a Postdoc!
Our group is looking for a Postdoc to join the team working on computational comm research. If you’re excited about automated content analysis, large text & social-media data, open science, this might be for you.
💡 Sounds like you or someone you know? Please share/boost!
Our group is looking for a Postdoc to join the team working on computational comm research. If you’re excited about automated content analysis, large text & social-media data, open science, this might be for you.
💡 Sounds like you or someone you know? Please share/boost!
December 12, 2025 at 6:45 AM
🚀 We’re hiring a Postdoc!
Our group is looking for a Postdoc to join the team working on computational comm research. If you’re excited about automated content analysis, large text & social-media data, open science, this might be for you.
💡 Sounds like you or someone you know? Please share/boost!
Our group is looking for a Postdoc to join the team working on computational comm research. If you’re excited about automated content analysis, large text & social-media data, open science, this might be for you.
💡 Sounds like you or someone you know? Please share/boost!
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
This paper is now out in Artificial Intelligence Review
Bottom line: using LLMs to "simulate humans" sits in a no-man’s-land between theory and empirics—too opaque to function as a model, too ungrounded to count as evidence.
Validation remains the core challenge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Bottom line: using LLMs to "simulate humans" sits in a no-man’s-land between theory and empirics—too opaque to function as a model, too ungrounded to count as evidence.
Validation remains the core challenge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
December 8, 2025 at 8:31 AM
This paper is now out in Artificial Intelligence Review
Bottom line: using LLMs to "simulate humans" sits in a no-man’s-land between theory and empirics—too opaque to function as a model, too ungrounded to count as evidence.
Validation remains the core challenge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Bottom line: using LLMs to "simulate humans" sits in a no-man’s-land between theory and empirics—too opaque to function as a model, too ungrounded to count as evidence.
Validation remains the core challenge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
🚨 New in Nature+Science!🚨
AI chatbots can shift voter attitudes on candidates & policies, often by 10+pp
🔹Exps in US Canada Poland & UK
🔹More “facts”→more persuasion (not psych tricks)
🔹Increasing persuasiveness reduces "fact" accuracy
🔹Right-leaning bots=more inaccurate
AI chatbots can shift voter attitudes on candidates & policies, often by 10+pp
🔹Exps in US Canada Poland & UK
🔹More “facts”→more persuasion (not psych tricks)
🔹Increasing persuasiveness reduces "fact" accuracy
🔹Right-leaning bots=more inaccurate
December 4, 2025 at 8:43 PM
🚨 New in Nature+Science!🚨
AI chatbots can shift voter attitudes on candidates & policies, often by 10+pp
🔹Exps in US Canada Poland & UK
🔹More “facts”→more persuasion (not psych tricks)
🔹Increasing persuasiveness reduces "fact" accuracy
🔹Right-leaning bots=more inaccurate
AI chatbots can shift voter attitudes on candidates & policies, often by 10+pp
🔹Exps in US Canada Poland & UK
🔹More “facts”→more persuasion (not psych tricks)
🔹Increasing persuasiveness reduces "fact" accuracy
🔹Right-leaning bots=more inaccurate
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
My Nieman Lab prediction for 2026: The AI bubble may pop but people’s use of AI for information won’t and it's better if we start taking this seriously.
December 5, 2025 at 10:04 AM
My Nieman Lab prediction for 2026: The AI bubble may pop but people’s use of AI for information won’t and it's better if we start taking this seriously.
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
Unser Highlight am Ende unseres Jubiläumsjahrs zum 75. Geburtstag des Instituts: 💐𝗪𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗺𝗴𝗲𝘇𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮ß𝗲 𝟯𝟬𝗯 𝘇𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻! 🏠🗝️ #HBI75
Wir freuen uns auf alles, was wir hier bewegen können! 🚀
leibniz-hbi.de/hbi-news/akt...
Wir freuen uns auf alles, was wir hier bewegen können! 🚀
leibniz-hbi.de/hbi-news/akt...
December 4, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Unser Highlight am Ende unseres Jubiläumsjahrs zum 75. Geburtstag des Instituts: 💐𝗪𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗺𝗴𝗲𝘇𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮ß𝗲 𝟯𝟬𝗯 𝘇𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻! 🏠🗝️ #HBI75
Wir freuen uns auf alles, was wir hier bewegen können! 🚀
leibniz-hbi.de/hbi-news/akt...
Wir freuen uns auf alles, was wir hier bewegen können! 🚀
leibniz-hbi.de/hbi-news/akt...
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
After a long time in development, {traktok} #rstats is now finally on CRAN!
Whether you have access to the Research API or just want to scrape some pages, traktok has you covered
jbgruber.github.io/traktok/
Whether you have access to the Research API or just want to scrape some pages, traktok has you covered
jbgruber.github.io/traktok/
November 24, 2025 at 8:50 PM
After a long time in development, {traktok} #rstats is now finally on CRAN!
Whether you have access to the Research API or just want to scrape some pages, traktok has you covered
jbgruber.github.io/traktok/
Whether you have access to the Research API or just want to scrape some pages, traktok has you covered
jbgruber.github.io/traktok/
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
📢 CCR needs a new Editor in Chief! 📢
@vanatteveldt.com is rotating out so we are inviting (self)nominations to lead our journal through its next phase. Deadline 15 January, see link for details: journal.computationalcommunication.org/announcement...
@vanatteveldt.com is rotating out so we are inviting (self)nominations to lead our journal through its next phase. Deadline 15 January, see link for details: journal.computationalcommunication.org/announcement...
CCR Editor in Chief - call for nominations
| Computational Communication Research
journal.computationalcommunication.org
November 19, 2025 at 5:35 PM
📢 CCR needs a new Editor in Chief! 📢
@vanatteveldt.com is rotating out so we are inviting (self)nominations to lead our journal through its next phase. Deadline 15 January, see link for details: journal.computationalcommunication.org/announcement...
@vanatteveldt.com is rotating out so we are inviting (self)nominations to lead our journal through its next phase. Deadline 15 January, see link for details: journal.computationalcommunication.org/announcement...
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
new paper by Sean Westwood:
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
November 18, 2025 at 7:16 PM
new paper by Sean Westwood:
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
Super important and dear to my heart! Also a good opportunity to remind people of the super helpful systematic list of open science/access media and communication research journals by Moritz Büchi and @tobiasdienlin.com here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
November 14, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Super important and dear to my heart! Also a good opportunity to remind people of the super helpful systematic list of open science/access media and communication research journals by Moritz Büchi and @tobiasdienlin.com here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
🚨 Job Alert! Postdoc in POLITICAL TEXT ANALYSIS in the MULTIREP project
You do quant text analysis? You are interested in political representation? Enjoy working in teams? Would like to live in a great city? Consider joining us in Vienna!
⏱️ Apply by 15/12/2025
wratil.eu/files/MULTIR...
1/4 🧵
You do quant text analysis? You are interested in political representation? Enjoy working in teams? Would like to live in a great city? Consider joining us in Vienna!
⏱️ Apply by 15/12/2025
wratil.eu/files/MULTIR...
1/4 🧵
November 10, 2025 at 6:50 AM
🚨 Job Alert! Postdoc in POLITICAL TEXT ANALYSIS in the MULTIREP project
You do quant text analysis? You are interested in political representation? Enjoy working in teams? Would like to live in a great city? Consider joining us in Vienna!
⏱️ Apply by 15/12/2025
wratil.eu/files/MULTIR...
1/4 🧵
You do quant text analysis? You are interested in political representation? Enjoy working in teams? Would like to live in a great city? Consider joining us in Vienna!
⏱️ Apply by 15/12/2025
wratil.eu/files/MULTIR...
1/4 🧵
Interesting and important, thanks for doing this!
🚨New Publication Alert 🚨"Gender diversity in the field of communication in Germany, Austria, Switzerland". 3 Studies in 1 Paper! We analyzed the scientific job market, publications, citations, and grants! Available open access: doi.org/10.1007/s116... [English]. German summary in 🧵 #commSky
Wie steht es um Geschlechterdiversität in der Wissenschaft? Wir haben uns das für die deutschsprachige Kommunikationswissenschaft (DACH-Raum) angeschaut – alle Hierarchiestufen #IchbinHanna & Jobs in Relation zu Publikationen, Zitationen, Preisen und Drittmitteln doi.org/10.1007/s116...
November 6, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Interesting and important, thanks for doing this!
Interesting insights that align well with what we found for Germany with 63% having used GenAI in May 2025, up from 44% in 2024.
🧑💻 The share of the Swiss online population that has used generative AI has risen sharply – from 37% in 2023 to 54% in 2024 and 73% in 2025.
📈 Explore all our World Internet Project – Switzerland 2025 reports: mediachange.ch/research/wip-ch-2025
#WIP2025 #Switzerland #Schweiz #AI #internet
📈 Explore all our World Internet Project – Switzerland 2025 reports: mediachange.ch/research/wip-ch-2025
#WIP2025 #Switzerland #Schweiz #AI #internet
November 6, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Interesting insights that align well with what we found for Germany with 63% having used GenAI in May 2025, up from 44% in 2024.
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
Join us as postdoc at the Inequality Discourse Observatory at the University of Konstanz: stellen.uni-konstanz.de/jobposting/7...
We will do epic research between Linguistics and Computational Social Science at the Cluster of Politics of Inequality. Feel free to DM if you have any questions.
We will do epic research between Linguistics and Computational Social Science at the Cluster of Politics of Inequality. Feel free to DM if you have any questions.
One postdoctoral Research Position
Deadline: November 15th, 2025
stellen.uni-konstanz.de
October 13, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Join us as postdoc at the Inequality Discourse Observatory at the University of Konstanz: stellen.uni-konstanz.de/jobposting/7...
We will do epic research between Linguistics and Computational Social Science at the Cluster of Politics of Inequality. Feel free to DM if you have any questions.
We will do epic research between Linguistics and Computational Social Science at the Cluster of Politics of Inequality. Feel free to DM if you have any questions.
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
This week, we have @lorenzspreen.bsky.social visiting our lab. He presented his work on disinformation classification and toxicity in group discussions on Reddit. He also has a new CSS group, check it out: css-synosys.github.io
October 30, 2025 at 1:53 PM
This week, we have @lorenzspreen.bsky.social visiting our lab. He presented his work on disinformation classification and toxicity in group discussions on Reddit. He also has a new CSS group, check it out: css-synosys.github.io
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
Elmo just started #Grokipedia. I took a quick look at the "racism" entry since I was wondering if it might be slightly(!!) biased. I asked #Grok, who would be a fairer judge, to compare the entry with #Wikipedia. The results speak for themselves...
October 28, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Elmo just started #Grokipedia. I took a quick look at the "racism" entry since I was wondering if it might be slightly(!!) biased. I asked #Grok, who would be a fairer judge, to compare the entry with #Wikipedia. The results speak for themselves...
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
My lab is looking for a Senior Scientist (= PostDoc with option of permanency)!
We are looking for someone interested in doing cutting-edge computational social science + helping us with data & software engineering 🤓.
See job ad for details jobs.uni-graz.at/en/jobs/7d14...
We are looking for someone interested in doing cutting-edge computational social science + helping us with data & software engineering 🤓.
See job ad for details jobs.uni-graz.at/en/jobs/7d14...
Universität Graz
jobs.uni-graz.at
October 28, 2025 at 7:02 AM
My lab is looking for a Senior Scientist (= PostDoc with option of permanency)!
We are looking for someone interested in doing cutting-edge computational social science + helping us with data & software engineering 🤓.
See job ad for details jobs.uni-graz.at/en/jobs/7d14...
We are looking for someone interested in doing cutting-edge computational social science + helping us with data & software engineering 🤓.
See job ad for details jobs.uni-graz.at/en/jobs/7d14...
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
The Yearbook Quality of the Media 2025 is here!
📊 Focus topic: News deprivation and its consequences for democracy.
👉 Learn more and find additional analyses, including on the sources used by AI chatbots: www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/...
1/3
📊 Focus topic: News deprivation and its consequences for democracy.
👉 Learn more and find additional analyses, including on the sources used by AI chatbots: www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/...
1/3
News Deprivation on the Rise – with Consequences for Democracy
www.news.uzh.ch
October 27, 2025 at 1:01 PM
The Yearbook Quality of the Media 2025 is here!
📊 Focus topic: News deprivation and its consequences for democracy.
👉 Learn more and find additional analyses, including on the sources used by AI chatbots: www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/...
1/3
📊 Focus topic: News deprivation and its consequences for democracy.
👉 Learn more and find additional analyses, including on the sources used by AI chatbots: www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/...
1/3
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
New paper: LLMs are increasingly used to label data in political science. But how reliable are these annotations, and what are the consequences for scientific findings? What are best practices? Some new findings from a large empirical evaluation.
Paper: eddieyang.net/research/llm_annotation.pdf
Paper: eddieyang.net/research/llm_annotation.pdf
October 20, 2025 at 1:57 PM
New paper: LLMs are increasingly used to label data in political science. But how reliable are these annotations, and what are the consequences for scientific findings? What are best practices? Some new findings from a large empirical evaluation.
Paper: eddieyang.net/research/llm_annotation.pdf
Paper: eddieyang.net/research/llm_annotation.pdf
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
Work!! 🚨
We are looking for a #postdoc in our AI, media and Democracy Lab @aimediademlab.bsky.social
Dynamic position, great team, nice colleagues 💥
Profile: communication/ poli sci/ computational social sci
🗓️ DL November 1
Spread the word 📣
werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...
We are looking for a #postdoc in our AI, media and Democracy Lab @aimediademlab.bsky.social
Dynamic position, great team, nice colleagues 💥
Profile: communication/ poli sci/ computational social sci
🗓️ DL November 1
Spread the word 📣
werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...
Vacancy — Postdoctoral researcher Communication Science at AI, Media & Democracy Lab
Do you want to be part of the AI, Media & Democracy Lab? We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher with a profile in communication science.
werkenbij.uva.nl
October 19, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Work!! 🚨
We are looking for a #postdoc in our AI, media and Democracy Lab @aimediademlab.bsky.social
Dynamic position, great team, nice colleagues 💥
Profile: communication/ poli sci/ computational social sci
🗓️ DL November 1
Spread the word 📣
werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...
We are looking for a #postdoc in our AI, media and Democracy Lab @aimediademlab.bsky.social
Dynamic position, great team, nice colleagues 💥
Profile: communication/ poli sci/ computational social sci
🗓️ DL November 1
Spread the word 📣
werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
How do people use AI tools for health information? @cward1e.bsky.social & co asked them - through 27 qualitative interviews, they document users' "sophisticated “mix-and-match” behaviors, drawing on multiple tools depending on context, urgency, and familiarity." www.jmir.org/2025/1/e79961
Evolving Health Information–Seeking Behavior in the Context of Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Alexa: Interview Study Using the Think-Aloud Protocol
Background: Online health information seeking is undergoing a major shift with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI)–powered technologies such as voice assistants and large language models (LLMs)...
www.jmir.org
October 16, 2025 at 8:58 PM
How do people use AI tools for health information? @cward1e.bsky.social & co asked them - through 27 qualitative interviews, they document users' "sophisticated “mix-and-match” behaviors, drawing on multiple tools depending on context, urgency, and familiarity." www.jmir.org/2025/1/e79961
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
Verschiedene Studien belegen, dass parteipolitische Annäherungen an Rechtsaußen-Parteien in erster Linie diese weiter stärken, z.B.:
October 15, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Verschiedene Studien belegen, dass parteipolitische Annäherungen an Rechtsaußen-Parteien in erster Linie diese weiter stärken, z.B.:
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
🚀 And this marks our launch of the CampAIgn Tracker 🇳🇱!
@meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social and I are glad to finally publish our dashboard where we monitor the use of AI imagery in campaign messages, by parties, politicians & other actors during the election #tk2025
See here
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/
@meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social and I are glad to finally publish our dashboard where we monitor the use of AI imagery in campaign messages, by parties, politicians & other actors during the election #tk2025
See here
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/
October 11, 2025 at 8:39 AM
🚀 And this marks our launch of the CampAIgn Tracker 🇳🇱!
@meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social and I are glad to finally publish our dashboard where we monitor the use of AI imagery in campaign messages, by parties, politicians & other actors during the election #tk2025
See here
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/
@meinungsfuehrer.bsky.social and I are glad to finally publish our dashboard where we monitor the use of AI imagery in campaign messages, by parties, politicians & other actors during the election #tk2025
See here
www.campaigntracker.nl/en/
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
How do people think different sectors’ use of generative AI will change their experience of interacting with them?
More optimists than pessimists for e.g. science and search engines, but more pessimists than optimists for news media, government, and – especially – politicians 1/3
More optimists than pessimists for e.g. science and search engines, but more pessimists than optimists for news media, government, and – especially – politicians 1/3
October 7, 2025 at 9:18 AM
How do people think different sectors’ use of generative AI will change their experience of interacting with them?
More optimists than pessimists for e.g. science and search engines, but more pessimists than optimists for news media, government, and – especially – politicians 1/3
More optimists than pessimists for e.g. science and search engines, but more pessimists than optimists for news media, government, and – especially – politicians 1/3
Reposted by Michael V. Reiss
🗞️ 🤖 Weekend reading anyone? For the launch of @transformernews.ai as a standalone publication, they invited me to contribute a piece on what persuasive AI might mean for democracy and elections.
Here’s the result…
buff.ly/OJsNmpK
Here’s the result…
buff.ly/OJsNmpK
AI is persuasive, but that’s not the real problem for democracy
Opinion: Felix M Simon argues that AI is unlikely to significantly shape election results in the near future, but warns that it could damage democracy through a steady erosion of institutional trust.
www.transformernews.ai
October 3, 2025 at 5:19 PM
🗞️ 🤖 Weekend reading anyone? For the launch of @transformernews.ai as a standalone publication, they invited me to contribute a piece on what persuasive AI might mean for democracy and elections.
Here’s the result…
buff.ly/OJsNmpK
Here’s the result…
buff.ly/OJsNmpK