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Monday, September 13, 2010

New media: the emergence of a European public sphere

To what extent new technologies could be a lever in communication on European issues? The new social networks will they contribute to the emergence of a genuine European public sphere? The European Parliament adopted a resolution last week to address these issues.In the resolution backed by MEPs it says that there is a need to continue efforts to overcome the distance between the EU and its citizens. Politics and communication are two sides of the same coin. Consequently a problem arises if politics fails to be communicated properly. It is in this context that the EU faces its greatest challenges. The resolution was based on a report put forward by Danish Liberal MEP Morten Lokkegaard.

The report looks at how communication can initiate, encourage and further develop the European debate. It stress that better communication by governments, political parties, universities, public service broadcasters and the EU institutions themselves is vital for constructing a European public sphere of debate.

Public broadcasters, governments & MPs

On Europe's public broadcasters it says that national public broadcasters have a responsibility to cover the EU and need to set ambitious targets in this field. It also says that journalists accredited to the European Union need support. The resolution says MEPs are extremely worried about the decreasing number of journalists accredited to the European Union Institutions like the Commission, Council and the Parliament.

The resolution calls on countries to nominate a specialised European affairs officer responsible for explaining the implications of European policies to people. In addition political parties should give European issues a more prominent position in their manifestos.

Moreover, MEPs want the stronger involvement of national parliamentarians in European politics (for example through web-streaming). On education the resolution calls for Universities to integrate EU studies more fully into their curricula.

Turning to the European Parliament and its communication policies, it says that its web based europarltv channel should be developed further and be more integrated into Parliament's internet strategy. In addition European Union information offices in national capitals should have larger resources.

Role of social media examined

The resolution also addresses the recent revolution in the social media area with platforms like Facebook, twitter, MySpace and an array of blogs. While acknowledging the immense potential of social media to reach young people, the final resolution warned that their reliability as sources cannot always sufficiently be guaranteed, and may give rise to serious breaches of journalistic ethics. Caution is required when taking up these new tools, the report declares, stressing the importance of drawing up a code of ethics applicable to new media.

After the vote Morten Løkkegaard commented that civil servants and politicians within the system should undergo in-service training to give them the skills needed to inform and communicate with the public. We have to look at new ways, where we hire experienced media professionals to undertake this role. Social media has proven an excellent way to do this by giving the public a chance to have a look at what goes on behind the walls. This is the easiest way for citizens to talk and debate directly with decision-makers.

Source  European Parliament

More information  European Parliament

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