Media, Populism and Political Stability in the European Union

ended

Media, Populism and Political Stability in the European Union (MEDIAPOP) deals with relationships between development in politics and media in European space. It assumes that the rise of populism Europe is a reaction to the anomalies and (unintended) consequences of globalisation as well as s symptom of the crisis of established politics and deficiencies of mainstream politics, both at national and European level. Furthermore, the spread of populist messages is related the profound change the media space is facing with, particularly with the crisis of traditional media and journalism. Commercialisation and tablodisation of media on one hand and mediatisation of politics on the other significantly contribute to the populist appeal. Populists utilise different media channels that often serve for spreading disinformation. Maintaining, strengthening and legitimising European democracy requires improving the institutional effectiveness of terms of capacity for problem-solving, responsiveness and accountability toward the citizenry as well as building European identity. The later applies not only to politicians but also to media protagonists (editors, journalists and other opinion-makers). These challenges will be addressed, analysed and tackled through open teaching, public debates, research and recommendations for policy makers and other stakeholders. We will emphasise the need for revitalisation of European democracy in the form of a combination of participative and representative aspects with the active role of citizens as well as free and professional media, in order to make populist claims less attractive. MEDIAPOP will combine 3 courses (Challenges of Contemporary Society; European Values and Identity; Media, Globalisation and Culture) and Summer schools, dealing with issues of media, populism, and European democracy with theory and method, supported by Virtual Classroom activities and linked to Forum debates.