Online tools and the EU’s Communication PolicyEuropean Media in transition – trends and

developments

January 2011, BrusselsEuropean Economic and Social Committee

Press Officers Seminar

Jamal ShahinPostdoctoral Research FellowVrije Universiteit Brussel, Institute for European Studies

What is changing?

• Patterns of communication are changing: from ‘organised’ to self-organised

spontaneity/immediacy

space/place redefined.

• Politics has changed:democracy challenged.

• Europe! (Growing, new powers, Lisbon Treaty)but what role does the EU play in citizens’ lives?

• Public deficits in engagement and trust of political actors: openness?

• Complexity leads to perceived lack of control: accountability?• Resistance / reform (oppositional social) movements have

changed our way of thinking about politics and democracy: representative or direct democracy?

• Globalisation has meant that many things happen outside polities: weakened legitimacy

• Where is the most appropriate place for politics to take place?

Democracy

Early Growth

July 2009 January 2010

Facebook logins/day

120 million 175 million

Active Twitter users 6-10 million 15 million

Wikipedia articles 2.9 million 3.1 million

Europa site visits 18 million 25 million

Aims of engagement:what do you want?

• Elections, policy, opinion-building and understanding

or

• Interaction, engagement, creation and collaboration?

Forms of engagement

•Voting

•Agenda setting

•Issue-related consultation

•Monitoring and feedback

EU Communications Policy

• Europa (I and II) / Your voice

• Plan D

• Going Local

• Commissioners and others have blogs

• Toolkits/seminars

• But a lot is “talk about Europe”

• Transformation or continuation?

The internet didn’t win Obama the US Election

Mobilising engagement

•Make politics a part of citizens’ lives, by highlighting the relevance to them of political decisions.

•Frame debates in terms that citizens will understand and appreciate. Clarity is necessary!

•Build up political literacy, through encouragement for political activity.

•Start with youth, and make participation fun!

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Recommendations

• Networks networks networks

• Cooperation with European civil society organisations, political parties, media and industry are necessary to deal with half a billion people (and the rest of the world).

• Any strategy must use different tools, including, codes, charters, quality guidelines, decision-aids, agreed structures and rules for debate, policy input, etc.

• Linking networks at all levels, from (and between) local to European: listen to the ‘local buzz’.