The EU, the media and the public: A love-hate relationship

Asimina Michailidou has published a chapter (in German) in the book Geschlossene Gesellschaften: Beteiligungsprozesse, Medien und Öffentlichkeiten in Europa.

The book is edited by Peter Limbourg and Ronald Grätz.

About the book

Europe has been in economical and political crisis for years. The popularity of, and trust in, the European Union is at an all-time low. Across the continent, Eurosceptic parties enjoy success, negative crisis reports and national perspectives dominate the media, and the voter turnout in European Parliament elections is low.

Why is the European Union neglected by the media and disfavoured by so many of its citizens? How has the media coverage of the European Union developed over time? What are the obstacles to a European democracy, public sphere, and citizen participation, and can they be surmounted? What are the roles and responsibilities of politics, the media, and the citizens?

This volume attacks these questions through essays, analyses, country case studies and discussions.   

The EU, the media, and the public: a love-hate relationship 

In her chapter 'Europäische Union, Medien und Öffentlichkeit. Eine Hassliebe', Asimina Michailidou discusses the relationship between the EU institutions, the media, and the public. Despite the EU's ever increasing effort to communicate with and inform its citizens, through traditional and social media, voter turnout at EP elections is still low and Euroscepticism is growing. Is the EU getting an unfair treatment from the media, as Brussels often maintains? What exactly should we expect from the media, when it comes to the EU institutions and how can we measure and evaluate their impact on EU politics? Michailidou argues against the myth that a more informed and engaged public would necessarily like the EU more. Rather, EU institutions exposing themselves to the whole range of media coverage and public debates, from the uncritically pro-European to the fanatically anti-EU, is the necessary rite of passage for EU democracy to come of age. 

Full info

Europäische Union, Medien und Öffentlichkeit. Eine Hassliebe
Asimina Michailidou

In: Geschlossene Gesellschaften: Beteiligungsprozesse, Medien und Öffentlichkeiten in Europa
Peter Limbourg and Ronald Grätz (eds)

Steidl, 2016
ISBN 978-3-86930-952-1                                            

Published Aug. 16, 2016 10:51 AM - Last modified Feb. 2, 2022 12:36 PM