🔎 Exploring Democracy and Media through a Discursive-Material Lens
MeDeMAP WP2 panel will take place during this year’s Weizenbaum Conference, focusing on the book “Democracy and Media in Europe: A Discursive-Material Approach” (Carpentier & Wimmer, 2025, Routledge) and our ongoing EU Horizon project.
📍 Panel: Democracy and Media
🗓️ 5 June 2025
🕙 10:00 CET
📌 Berlin (Weizenbaum Institute)
➡️ Full details and program: https://www.weizenbaum-conference.de/05-06-2025.
📢 From Media Economy to Systemic Reform: Citizens Take the Lead in Slovenia
On March 29th, the second Citizens’ Parliament on Media and Democracy took place in Ljubljana, a powerful exercise in democratic engagement organized by the @peace Institute Ljubljana within the MeDeMAP project.
🔗 Read the full blog post by Lori Šramel Čebular (Peace Institute): https://medemap.eu/from-media-economy-to-systemic-reform-second-citizens-parliament-in-slovenia-unveils-first-11-demands/
🔎 Ever typed “media and democracy” into your podcast app and wondered what’s really out there?
🎥 The MeDeMAP Podcast is made for those asking the right questions about the future of media in Europe.
🎧 From platform regulation to public service media, from youth voices to underrepresented communities — our podcast brings these issues to the surface.
🎙️ Listen and subscribe: https://open.spotify.com/show/6vUGDE7dyJ1Hvjz3WhEMon?si=f32eaaaee0e24ee9
🎬 New Film Essay from MeDeMAP WP2: Trailer & Website Now Live
The trailer and website for Agon - a new 26-minute film essay - is now available. Inspired by the book Democracy and Media in Europe: A Discursive-Material Approach (Nico Carpentier & @Jeffrey Wimmer), the film was developed as part of Work Package 2 of the MeDeMAP project.
📽️ Watch the trailer on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/1083254168
🌐 Explore the website: http://www.constructionsofdemocracy.eu/
📍Citizens in Ireland Deliberate on Media and Democracy
On March 22, the National Citizens’ Parliament on Media and Democracy held its first session at Mary Immaculate College, Ireland. Over four Saturdays, participants discussed how media can better support democracy and propose concrete resolutions to protect free speech, journalism, and the public’s right to information.
🔗 Learn more: https://www.mic.ul.ie/MeDeMap?index=0
📰What role do media play in a democracy shaped by rapid technological changes and shifting audience practices?
In a compelling interview, Tania Napravnik (@commit) speaks with Ernest Taqi (@austrian Academy of Sciences) about the evolving European media landscape, from the rise of social media and citizen journalism to the growing impact of personalization algorithms and state censorship.
📌 Read the full blog post here: https://media.medemap.eu/2025/05/18/a-functioning-democracy-needs-media-as-platforms-for-public-discourse/
🔎How do media practices reflect the democratic pulse of Europe? Insights from Deliverable 5.4
MeDeMAP’s latest publication—Deliverable 5.4—dives deep into this question through a transnational qualitative study across ten European countries. From over 400 interviews and focus groups, this study captures the expectations, meanings, and habits shaping public media use today.
📘 Dive into the full report here: https://www.medemap.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MeDeMAP-Deliverable-5.4_V1.0.pdf
🗳️ Citizens shaping the future of media and democracy in Austria!
In the first meeting of the Citizens' Parliament on Media and Democracy, 30 individuals from across Austria came together to identify what matters most in today’s media landscape. These discussions mark a crucial step in MeDeMAP’s mission to understand and map how media systems can better serve democracy in Europe.
📚 Read the full blog post here: https://medemap.commit.at/quality-transparency-and-media-literacy-at-the-first-meeting-of-the-citizens-parliament-on-media-and-democracy-in-austria-participants-identify-key-issues/
On Saturday, March 22, twenty citizens gathered in Vienna for the inaugural meeting of the Citizens' Parliament on Media and Democracy in Austria.
🌍 On March 15, the first Czech Citizens’ Parliament on Media and Democracy took place in Prague, hosted by our partner Charles University. Teachers, seniors, artists, and students gathered for a full day of respectful debate, shaping the next steps for this participatory process.
👉 Read the full blog post here: https://medemap.commit.at/czech-citizens-deliberated-about-how-to-strengthen-the-multiple-voices-of-media-audiences/
🗞️ World Press Freedom Day | May 3rd
🧠 At MeDeMAP, we are investigating how media policies and platform governance can better protect editorial independence, ensure transparency, and promote access to trustworthy information. Today, on #WorldPressFreedomDay, we reaffirm our commitment to a media ecosystem where press freedom is not just protected, but actively nurtured.
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