[alt-media-res] Fw: EU call for proposals on independent media

[Zoe]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Plakopliko 
To: Zoe 
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 8:10 PM
Subject: EU call for proposals on independent media


Hi Zoe,

Just got back from an exhausting but very successful trip on Sunday. While looking at background documents on the EU application I am working on, I remembered that I was going to send you info on this one, about independent medias and democracy. I have attached the most important files, and included the relevant text from the work progamme at the end of this message, full info is at

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.CooperationDetailsCallPage&call_id=152



Activity 8.5: The Citizen in the European Union    Rationale   The European Union has often been associated with democratic consolidation and  fundamental rights. At the same time, critics suggest that the European Union is driven more  by economic integration rather than democracy and citizen participation. Criticisms relate to  issues of citizenship, and participation, the direction of policy agendas, political trends and  more.    This leads to a question whether a common European citizenship and a responsive and  efficient new type of European democratic governance and policy could or should emerge  today that are compatible with other kinds of democratically accepted existing cultures,  identities and practices within and across Member States and how this could happen.    Interdisciplinary research will address the various ways in which diverse forms and  interpretations of the role of the media, the notions and practices of citizenship, diversities and  commonalities can overcome problems and difficulties emerging at the national, regional, and  EU level. In all areas, research should not only improve the current picture of socio-political  situations, but also make the widest possible use of findings to develop or reflect upon  possible solutions to more particular problems. It should therefore attempt to develop critical  perspectives and innovative theories as well as building on empirical data. In this context,  comparisons with other social, economic and political systems outside the EU area will be  important. Analytical and critical new perspectives, interdisciplinary (e.g. interaction between  social scientists and humanities scholars) and reflection on policy relevance are important in  addressing these issues.      Area 8.5.1.  Participation and citizenship in Europe    Objective  Understand the participation and representation of the citizen and to reflect upon the evolving  role of the media in contemporary democracy.   Expected Impact  The projects will advance knowledge on how media independence can be safeguarded in  Europe and how this influences democratic practices and debate. They will foster a European  and comparative analysis of the subject and encourage the involvement of relevant civil  society organisations in the research activities, through the use of the funding scheme  'Research for the Benefit of Specific Groups - Civil Society Organisations (BSG-CSO)'.   Topics:    
SSH-2009 - 5.1.1.  Independent media and democracy in Europe    Independent media are essential for sound democracies – and transition to democracy – as  they provide information that help citizens judge the actions of their political representatives  and foster a plurality of views. Concentration of media ownership – a phenomenon of  increasing importance in Europe and beyond – can undermine plurality, integrity, editorial  freedom. At the same time, the rise of blogs, open access and on-line publishing point towards  new venues for pluralism.  Research should explore and explain in a comparative manner the  role of media in the formation, consolidation and working of democracies in Europe, also in  comparison with experiences outside Europe. Governance of the media sector, processes of  media convergence and concentration, perspectives for media pluralism and independence  should be examined, as well as the relations between different considerations (e.g. freedom of  expression and information vs commercial interests, respect for different cultures, provisions  for state security) in selecting and framing news.     Funding scheme: Collaborative project; BSG-CSO (Research for the Benefit of Specific  Groups - Civil Society Organisations)  



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