Political talk shows as contested arenas for opinion-forming throughout German history

The starting point for this research is an empirical study of the shift in the sayability boundaries in political talk shows between 1980 and 2024. As an important arena for the media reenactment of political exchange, political talk shows are the subject of a wide variety of appeals, which are condensed here. Their research aims to provide information about which positions and statements are classified as legitimate and debatable at what point in time, and which are problematized, sanctioned, or completely excluded. The sociological reflection includes a reference back to the specificity of the field of research and its historical development. Only in this way can it be clarified which statements about social processes can be made through their analysis. In addition, it will be asked how the observed changes in the field of research relate to developments in society as a whole and how they are integrated into social power and domination structures.