‘
Don’t ask what the media can do for EU, but think what Europe and media could do together’
“The EU never handled the media like a normal economic sector. Rather: regulating it, discussing press freedom, and asking it to ‘preach the gospel”
#Media4EU is a joint project Fondation EurActiv / ULB IEE, plus media partners including EurActiv.com
(ULB: Université Libre de Bruxelles, Institut d’Etudes Européennes).
Building on the earlier #Media4EU project of Fondation EurActiv, and also the working group of Association of European Journalists, both involving many other stakeholders.
This time, more attention is geared toward media groups’ needs, accompanying political and strategic changes outside core EU circles, notably the Digital Single Market and Brexit.
Please do not hesitate:
– to consult EurActiv coverage and relevant OpEds under the #Media4EU topic overview (FR , DE )
– to contact SecGen AT EurActiv.com, or myself Founder AT EurActiv.com, with hints regarding interviews and speaking / OpEd opportunities,
– or to use #Media4EU and @LeclercqEU for any public reaction via Twitter.
Thanks, Christophe Leclercq
Goals: learnings from media groups, suggestions for strategies & policies, implications for Europe, before elections 2019.
Hypothesis: a) analysis to be confirmed
. Policy: EU never handled media as economic sector, unlike coal, steel, cars, IT etc
. Concentration & exchanges: essentially national, left-over from single market?
. Key for Europe’s future, notably Spitzenkandidaten 2019 / EU legitimacy vs.Brexit
. ‘Social media’ feed populism: European Public Space requires journalism quality
b) possible implications for policy makers and media leaders
. Policy: Digital Single Market plus media sector strategy, using existing tools and budgets (not subsidies or new directives!) . Focusing on political journalism?
. Media businesses: Collaboration, as technology & models change faster. Boosted across borders: content & business cooperation, and/or concentration (‘champions’).
Method: Publishers & Editors of top media, interviewed by media entrepreneur
Prepared with top Brussels correspondents, plus few political meetings.
Then debates at journalism schools / universities, plus academic data research (ULB / IEE).
Tour: 3 months altogether, nearly 2 weeks for each country (half on ground), plus follow-up / PR
Countries: mainly Top 6: Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Poland , building on the EurActiv policy media network in 12 countries (also present in Central Europe).
Deliverables: A series of interviews and ‘country policy articles’ + report
Later Grouped under #Media4EU Special Report on EurActiv + interested partners
Plus: one presentation for media conferences, one think tank-like policy document.
Team and feed-back: expertise + credibility + speed & impact
Media entrepreneur C. Leclercq + Fondation: coordination & costs, ULB/IEE + steering: guidance. Partners: media, journalism schools, institutes.
Timing: October to December 2016: before initiatives for second half of EU mandate, eg building upon Digital Single Market: strategy for the media sector?
Expected media impact: Initiator and partners available for interviews & OpEds on the topic, several media conferences pre-booked, notably January to June 2017 .