Resilient Media EU

🇺🇸 2024 US Elections and the media 👉 We asked Callum Craig, Postdoctoral Researcher at DCU FuJo, to share his take on the US elections and what has changed within the media landscape since Trump's defeat in 2020. 💬 "Record-low levels of trust in traditional media have led many voters to rely on social media and online influencers for news. A recent study found that 1 in 5 Americans, and 37% of those under 30, consume news through influencers, a space in which the right has significantly more influence." Read more: https://lnkd.in/e5Vmpbvn #ReMed #USElections #media #trust

"These new players are not journalists and nor do they claim to be. They operate outside established frameworks that support traditional journalistic ethics and accountability, but they are the driving force behind a lively news media environment that is both vibrant and precarious." ➡️ EFJ Vice-President Mustafa Kuleli discusses the increasing role of YouTubers, podcasters, influencers and streamers in shaping new narratives in a fragmented media landscape. #PostWithCare Resilient Media EU

✉️ The first ReMeD newsletter is out ✉️ After months of research, we can now reveal the first results! ▶️ Vito Laterza takes stock of the methodology ▶️ Charles University (Univerzita Karlova) published its first report on regulatory frameworks for social media platforms ▶️ We talk Digital Services Act #DSA ▶️ We get news from Spain, Czechia, Norway and Austria ▶️ Check out the call for abstracts on the political economy of traditional media and alternative media Read it here 👉 https://shorturl.at/OsJt7 #media #democracy #resilience #ReMeD #DSA #EMFA Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München University of Oxford University of Navarra Dublin City University University of Agder (UiA) Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg Vrije Universiteit Brussel Charles University (Univerzita Karlova) European Federation of Journalists

On Monday 14th October, the EFJ, a ReMeD partner, organised a high-level conference on Self-Regulation and Regulation in the Media Sector. Over 90 people attended the conference at the ULB hosting media regulators, self-regulators, journalists’ professional representatives, publishers’ professional representatives, journalism students, EU policymakers, researchers and civil society to discuss media regulation and self-regulation and its impact on journalists and citizens. The conversation on trust in journalism and digital news media focused on the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in newsrooms. The use of AI needs to be regulated accordingly, so as to empower journalists to be quicker, more efficient and more innovative, rather than substituting for their absence. Media and press councils have introduced codes and guidelines on AI. The necessity for an ethical code of practice for news influencers was also debated. “We’ve used the results of the Media Councils in the Digital Age project in our impact assessment. We need to open a channel of communication to start working with self-regulators and put a system of self-regulation in place in all EU countries. This will also require the help of regulators, and will be an important thing to follow up from this event” said Anna Herold, European Commission Head of the ‘Audiovisual & Media Services Policy’ unit of the Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT). The European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media (ERGA) Chair for the sub-group on the EMFA Frederic Bokobza explained that the group’s priorities include working with press and journalists and combating media market concentration. The day concluded with self-regulators and regulators agreeing that they share a common goal: to work towards fostering a media landscape that upholds ethical and legal standards that are in line with the rule of law and European democratic values.  “We are now looking to the grey zone of new media legislation [with regards to the European Media Freedom Act and the Digital Services Act]. Part of this process will be achieving a new level of cooperation between regulators and self-regulators” said Carlos Aguilar Paredes, Vice-President of ERGA. In his closing remarks, ULB Master of Journalism Coordinator David Domingo expressed the importance of having the right legislation tools to empower journalists and independent media. While these still need time to take shape, media and journalists have to be transparent and uphold ethical standards to build trust with their audiences. They have a responsibility to represent the diversity of society, opening newsrooms to workers of all ages, genders and cultural backgrounds. https://lnkd.in/gnmMpC9j

"Journalism, journalism, journalism" was Mercedes Medina Laverón's answer on how to engage citizens in democracy 🗞 Two of the ReMeD's partners, Renate Schroeder from the European Federation of Journalists and Mercedes Medina Laverón from the University of Navarra, gathered in Brussels at the European Digital Democracy Summit to discuss key topics in a panel entitled "The Role of Media in Strengthening Democratic Engagement in the Digital Age". While they highlighted the crucial need for proper enforcement of regulations such as the #EMFA and the #DSA, the speakers emphasised the role of quality journalism and sustainable business models for media across Europe.

💡 In mid-August this year, ReMeD’s University of Agder (UiA) team organised a panel debate titled “Alternative Media in Norway: Democracy’s Friend or Foe?”. It was a great opportunity to introduce some of ReMeD’s insights and early findings from our ongoing quantitative and qualitative research to a broader audience. The panel was hosted as part of Arendalsuka, the biggest annual politics festival in Norway, where politicians, policy-makers, civil society actors and ordinary citizens come together from all parts of the country to discuss the hottest national and international issues. Abit Hoxha, Verónica P., Kenneth Andresen, Ferdinand Arntzen Elmenhorst and Vito Laterza participated as panelists, moderated by Gunhild Kvåle. Here are some key takeaways: ▶️ Alternative media includes a broad range of actors and can play a key role in reinvigorating democratic debate. At the same time there is a need for regulatory frameworks that balance freedom of expression with freedom from discrimination and harassment. ▶️ Regulation of social media platforms (where alternative media are distributed and amplified) should not be something to be scared of. An interesting trend from the quantitative survey is that an increasing number of alternative media content producers see themselves as journalists. Professional journalists do indeed comply with a well established set of government regulations and professional guidelines, so it would make sense to establish similar processes for alternative media. Kenneth Andresen presented some emerging findings from the quantitative work carried out in Norway. You can find the slides here: https://lnkd.in/e4Z4Yk4Q ▶️ When it comes to the use of social media for political campaigning, trends in Europe are not unique and deserve broader global comparison: the new president of Argentina, right-wing libertarian Javier Milei used social media to push anti-establishment, divisive and reactionary messages in ways that resemble what populist parties have been doing in other European countries. ▶️ Younger people are more used to alternative media and follow a variety of sources and influencers, from lifestyle advice to politics. But many do so with a critical attitude. Perhaps they are more versed in assessing the quality of media sources than they are sometimes assumed to be.

Throwback to the ECREA Journalism Studies Conference 2024 🔙 Some ReMeD partners contributed to the conference from 24 to 27 September 2024 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. You can find the presentations on ReMeD's website: ➡️ From Charles University and University of Oxford: Trying to Fight Disinformation without Jeopardizing Media and Speech Freedom (https://lnkd.in/eztTiDZM) ➡️From Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München: The People at the Margins of Journalism: Peripheral Journalists and their (Semi-) Professional Aspirations in Eight European Countries (https://lnkd.in/eRXXZwMh)

📣 Call for Abstracts: Regulation and accountability in a hybrid media system Join the conference “Regulation and Accountability in a Hybrid Media System: Content Creators, Algorithmic Plurality and Online Platforms” on 10-11 February 2025 at Charles University, Prague 👇 This event will explore the evolving media landscape shaped by technology and its impact on democracy. The Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University invites scholars from media studies, political science, law, sociology computer science and more to submit abstracts (300 to 500 words) on topics dealing with the political economy of traditional media and alternative media, including both theoretical and analytical perspectives on the challenges, perceptions, risks, impacts, opportunities and regulatory framework involved. 🗓 Deadline for abstracts: 30 September 2024 🔗 Submit in english to: remed.conference@fsv.cuni.cz Get involved, spread the call to your network 🗣 More details here: https://lnkd.in/e7HVrYSa

Presenting ReMed partner’s project 🆕 The University of Oxford (UK), in collaboration with the @University of Florence (Italy) and the University of Helsinki (Finland) have launched the Oxford Information and Media Leadership Programme for Judges and Policymakers (InfoLead). This new executive education institute aims to transform the conversation across Europe around media and information literacy, focusing on the risks that digital media pose to democracy. Key topics to be explored include: 💻 The complexities of online content moderation, 🗳 Information threats during elections, 🤖 The evolving regulation of generative AI. In this context, the universities are conducting a survey to identify the gaps and priorities for executive education in this field: https://lnkd.in/eJ4YSiHw 📅 The first InfoLead executive education programme will take place at the University of Oxford from 3 to 7 December 2024. Applications are open until 17 October 2024, with funding available to support EU participation. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eVshyPF6 Nicole Stremlau

📚Call for Papers: Special issue on media ownership and resilience in the digital age The online quarterly journal Communication & Society will be publishing a special issue in April 2025 on resilient media companies and the role of media ownership in the industry of digital contents, as part of the ReMeD project under the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research. We invite authors to contribute empirical and theoretical research on how ownership can influence the continuity of news media and its essential role in democracy. The paper aims at examining topics such as (non-exhaustive list) : ▶️Financial stability and market concentration in the digital era ▶️Editorial independence and audience trust in relation to media ownership ▶️The role of private and public ownership in shaping media content ▶️Impact of changes in media ownership and ownership on content policies and strategies 📝 Submission deadline: 30 October 2024 📅 Publication date: April 2025 🔗 For submission, visit: https://lnkd.in/e9w4RD44 Contribute to advancing knowledge on media resilience, submit your work ✍ Josef Trappel, Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg - Tales Tomaz, Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg - Mercedes Medina Laverón, University of Navarra - Gillian Doyle, University of Glasgow