Evolving European media landscapes and Europeanisation

Research on this topic needs to draw on regional, national and European data sources to analyse transformations of the European media landscape from the turn of the 21st century to the current day in the European media landscape in its global context. Where relevant, the research may put recent transformations in historical perspectives, including comparisons with other past ‘media revolutions’. Beyond analysing media production, ownership and eventual censorship, the research should look into the patterns of representation, dissemination and consumption or usage at a certain level of disaggregation, in terms of socio-economic categories and European countries and regions. It should study the contradiction or compatibility of an emerging European Media landscape with an increasing localisation of the content of European Media. The research should provide new knowledge including data concerning the evolution of the spatial and social, including gendered, distribution of media consumption and use. This action should study the impacts of the deep transformations of the media landscape on the prospects and evolution of a common European political and cultural space as well as on the media representations and narratives of major European political and cultural issues, markers, symbols and identity elements.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU in the order of EUR 3 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

The traditional and social media landscape is changing rapidly. Digitization, the spread of globally interactive delivery platforms, greater emphasis on data, capital concentration, concerns about undue political interference and fake news, plus transformation in journalism and news production are among the triggers for these changes. Media play a crucial socio-cultural and political role through shaping views and aspirations, opinions, political choices and identities. Gap exists in knowledge about the about the nature and implications for Europe as a whole and at the national and regional levels of recent transformation in the European media landscape. The role of contemporary media in fostering process of political and cultural Europeanization through re-shaping towards a European political and cultural representations and identities needs to be better understood How are major transformations in the media landscape affecting the evolution of a European political and cultural space? Do processes of Europeanization and localisation contradict or complement each other? How are media representations of major European political and cultural issues (like refugees, migration, religions, common history, geopolitical and economic crises, terrorism, sport, elections, etc.) affected by new modes of production, consumption, and by new trends of ownership and control over media content? How have global and European media landscape impacted on specifically European political and cultural markers, symbols and identity elements and on perceptions and attitudes towards Europe? To what extend does the European media landscape foster or hamper the European project and societal cohesion?

Funded projects will fill the knowledge gap, concerning rapid transformations of the European media landscape, in its global context. The action will provide diachronic and synchronic analysis of the European media landscape and its interlaced patterns of production, representation, consumption and appropriation patterns and will produce reliable forecast about its evolution. This RIA, in examining representations and narratives surrounding major issues commonly seen as being of European relevance and significance will deliver a rigorous analysis of how European political and cultural spaces are evolving and of their prospects.. It will also improve statistical data and methods of researching concerning contemporary media,drawing as appropriate on, for example, national and international statistical institutes, cultural and media support bodies, national research organisations, networks, research infrastructures and Eurostat. It will aim to equip policymakers with knowledge and effective tools for understanding the impact of the changing media landscape on European politics and on political and cultural Europeanisation.