From the Netherlands to Turkey and from Poland to Greece, political leaders are winning the popular vote on 'patriotic' and/or xenophobic platforms. The ongoing crisis of the EU following the rejection of the Lisbon treaty by Irish voters is a direct expression of a deep-seated tendency towards a self-assertion of 'national identities' and 'national histories' in large parts of Europe. Media are the main platform to promote these sentiments and policies.
What is and should be the role of the media in Europe in dealing with these challenges? Are they properly understood and analyzed? How to create a European public and network on these issues?
Organized by:
Federal Agency for Civic Education (Germany)
Allianz Cultural Foundation (Germany)
Center for Liberal Strategies (Bulgaria)
Media partners:
Euro|Topics
Netzwerk fur Osteuropa-Berichterstattung
Main topics:
"Rywingate" - Presentation of the corruption scandal around the Polish "Gazeta Wyborcza"
Adam Michnik, editor-in-chief, "Gazeta Wyborcza"
Paul Cristian Radu, Co-founder, Romanian Center for Investigative Journalism
"Batak" - Presentation of the case of a scientific report that was allegedly diminishing the Batak massacre of 1876 in Bulgaria, and the media campaign that surrounded it.
Prof. Bozhidar Dimitrov, Director of National History Museum;
Prof. Rayna Gavrilova, Sofia University
"Forza Media" - Presentation of the recent Italian media campaign against illegal immigrants and in particular against Roma.
Andre Wilkens, OSI, Brussels
Remzi Lani, Media Institute, Albania
Welcome Address by
Michael Thoss,
Allianz Cultural Foundation (Germany)
Thomas Krüger,
Federal Agency for Civic Education (Germany)
Christoph Müller-Hofstede,
Federal Agency for Civic Education (Germany)
Opening Address
Ivan Krastev, Centre for Liberal Strategies (Bulgaria)