NEWSLETTER #8

The MEDIATIZED EU project held its final Conference, Mediatized Discourses on Europeanisation: A Changing Landscape, on September 10, 2024, in Brussels. Our researchers showcased key project results and evidence-based recommendations for EU policy-makers. The conference also brought together top experts on Europeanisation, media freedom and democratic transformations. Find more information and watch the video stream of the conference in full, here.

MEDIATIZED EU has released four research summaries in its four-part series, presenting findings from desk research, media analysis, elite interviews and population surveys in an accessible format. It has also released our Policy Recommendations for EU policy-makers, which are based on the project’s findings, in each of the seven case-studies.

The desk research summary provides a brief overview of our longitudinal examination of academic literature, policy developments, and data on media discourses, elite perspectives, and public opinion about the EU and Europeanisation across seven case studies. The media analysis summary provides a concise set of findings from our content analysis and discourse analysis of media coverage and examines how the EU is represented in local media outlets in the target countries. The elite interviews summary provides insights from discussions with media actors and politicians across the seven case studies, revealing how our analyses of media discourses about the EU are perceived and interpreted by decision-makers and media professionals. The population surveys summary complements these findings by capturing the attitudes and opinions of citizens, offering a broader perspective on how media representations and elite narratives resonate with the public. Together, these summaries deepen our understanding of the interplay between media, elites, and citizens in shaping perceptions of the EU and Europeanisation.

The Policy Recommendations stem from these analyses and from a civic discussion held in each target-country. Key takeaways include the following: 

• Prioritizing ‘EU literacy’ and public awareness about EU governance and benefits should be higher on the policy agenda to promote the European way of life.
• Developing new ways to grow digital literacy skills to empower citizens and measures to combat disinformation/FIMI is key for ensuring a Europe that is fit for the digital age.
• Giving civil society and the public more visibility and voice on core EU issues and developing connections between elites and the general public on core EU matters should be at the heart of strategies to support European democracy.

Explore our publications here.

The MEDIATIZED EU podcast series has returned with a second round of episodes exploring findings from nationwide surveys and civic discussions across all seven project countries. So far, we’ve released episodes on Ireland, Estonia and Belgium.

Stay tuned as we continue to release episodes covering findings from  Spain, Georgia, Portugal, and Hungary. The series will conclude with two special episodes focusing on policy recommendations and overall project takeaways, as well as comparative analysis of the target country findings.

Over the past months, MEDIATIZED EU researchers have actively contributed to academic discussions, high-profile conferences, and media platforms, disseminating key findings on media discourses, political polarization, and Europeanisation across various countries. Below we highlight those activities:

30th International Conference of Europeanists (July 2024, Lyon, France):
MEDIATIZED EU researchers presented findings on political polarization in a two-part panel titled Political Polarization in the EU and Eastern Partnership (EaP) Countries in the Context of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine. Key presentations included:

• “Media Discourses in Polarized Societies: The Case of Estonia” by Holger Mölder (Tallinn University of Technology).
• “The Deviation Discourse as a Manifestation of Polarization: The Case of Georgia” by Dr. Lia Tsuladze (Tbilisi State University).
• “Peace Discourse and Hegemonies: Further Polarization in Hungary” by Attila Melegh, co-authored with György Lengyel (Corvinus University).
• “Neutrality vs. European Values: Irish Elite Discourses” by Dr. Tetyana Lokot, co-authored with Alessio Cornia (Dublin City University).
• “Political Polarization in Portugal” by Moara Crivelente, co-authored with Maria Raquel Freire, Sofia José Santos, and Luiza Bezerra (Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra).
• “The EU as a Normative Power in Spanish Media and Politics” by Sonia Boulos and Juan Racionero (Nebrija University).

Ireland (Dublin City University)

• ECPR 2024 General Conference (August 2024, Dublin, Ireland):
  Dr. Tetyana Lokot and Dr. Alessio Cornia presented a paper on “Irish Neutrality vs. European Values: Affective Polarisation in Irish Elite Discourses.”

Public Seminar at DCU (November 2024): The Irish team hosted a seminar titled “How Does Ireland View the EU?” to discuss findings on media analysis, elite interviews, and public opinion surveys. The event included contributions from journalists and a lively discussion on Ireland’s engagement with European integration.

Georgia (Center for Social Sciences, Tbilisi State University)

• Caucasus Analytical Digest: Dr. Lia Tsuladze published “The Georgian Ruling Party’s Discursive Confrontations with Domestic and Foreign Actors”.
• Jordan Center (NYU): Dr. Tsuladze authored “Tracing the Georgian Ruling Party’s De-Europeanization.”
• RevDem Interview (October 2024): Dr. Tsuladze explored the electoral environment and civil society’s role in Georgia.
• Lecture at Lund University (October 2024) on “De-Europeanization as Discursive Disengagement”.

Hungary (Corvinus University Budapest)

• ECPR 2024 General Conference (August 2024, Dublin, Ireland):
  Hungarian researchers Dr. Gabriella Ilonszki and Prof. György Lengyel presented “The Elite Agenda and Public Views: A Mirroring Perspective on EU Issues in Hungary.”
• ESA 2024 Conference (August 2024, Porto, Portugal): György Lengyel and Gabriella Ilonszki presented on the role of trust in supporting EU policies whereas Ákos Bocskor, Réka Tamássy, and Anna Vancsó discussed Christianity’s role in Hungarian media discourses on the EU.
• Podcast (January 2024): György Lengyel appeared on a podcast discussing EU public opinion and media narratives in Hungary.

Portugal (University of Coimbra) and Spain (Antonio de Nebrija University)

On December 9, the Centre for Social Studies (CES) organized a seminar at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra (FEUC), Portugal, titled “Europeanization under Critical Discourse Analysis: Framing and Representing a Political Project”, and coordinated by Dr. Maria Raquel Freire, Professor of International Relations at FEUC and Researcher at CES. Dr. Sonia Boulos, Associate Professor of Law and International Relations at the University of Antonio de Nebrija (UANE), presented her team’s results in MEDIATIZED EU; Dr. Kennet Lynggaard, Associated Professor in European Union studies at the Department of Society and Globalisation, Roskilde University, Denmark, and Dr. Xavier Giró, Director of the Conflicts News Coverage Observatory, retired Professor of Political Journalism at the Faculty of Communication of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, presented their approaches to Critical Discourse Analysis in their research.

As the MEDIATIZED EU project nears its conclusion, several exciting outputs are on the horizon. Six additional podcast episodes will be released, covering findings from the remaining country cases (Spain, Georgia, Portugal, Hungary) and concluding with two special episodes focused on policy recommendations and comparative insights. An open-access edited volume is also in development, which will detail the results of each country case and conclude with a comparative chapter that ties together the project’s core insights and contributions. Beyond these deliverables, the MEDIATIZED EU teams will continue to disseminate the findings widely through conferences, publications, and media engagements, ensuring the research reaches diverse audiences and contributes meaningfully to discussions on Europeanisation, public engagement with the EU, and the European Union’s strategic priorities in the coming years. Stay tuned for more outputs and continued updates from the project!