The “Database of Public Speakers” or “Datenbank Öffentlicher Sprecher” (DBÖS) is a comprehensive and up-to-date collection of media, organizations, and individuals from Germany which contribute to public debates.

We have now published a dataset consisting of 7.169 entries, including basic publicly available information (e.g. party membership for politicians, or mode of financing for media outlets) as well as public social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) for each database entry, if existing. The dataset includes around 2.150 media accounts, e.g. all daily and weekly newspapers, news programmes of the main TV and Radio broadcasters, and news-orientied online-only outlets; about 750 national and regional party organisations and governmental agencies; and almost 4.300 journalists and members of federal and regional parliaments. The dataset documentation describes the different types of public speakers as well as our sources and reports basic descriptive statistics. We are happy to finally share this first version of the DBÖS with the public and hope that it will assist other researchers in the FGZ/RISC and beyond in their studies.

Schmidt, Jan-Hinrik, Lisa Merten, Felix Victor Münch (2023): Die „Datenbank Öffentlicher Sprecher“ (DBÖS). June 2023. Online: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/SK6T5.

[Latest edit on 29.06.2023]