Users of media belong to those groups without a strong institutional base, which find it difficult to have their voices heard vis-à-vis media companies and media politics and to bring their interests into debates on media politics and into the programming of the media business. In the context of a cooperation project with partners from several European countries being sponsored by the EU Commission, the Hans-Bredow-Institut has investigated which instruments for promoting and securing the interests of viewers have been developed in 29 countries and which models and initiatives have proved particularly durable.
Building on the results of this project, the institute developed a concept for a project in the 7th EU Framework Programme in cooperation with partners in Bulgaria, Greece, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. The concept picks up the new form of research promotion, "Research for the benefit of social groups"; in line with this, EURALVA, the European Alliance of Listeners and Viewers Associations, among others, belongs to the project’s consortium. Alongside conceptual and empirical steps towards investigating the preconditions, limitations and the possibilities for promotion of a role for media users in accord with civil society, the concept aims at founding a "European Platform for Media Citizens".
Duration: 2008-2008
Europäische Kommission, E-Learning Programme
Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung │ Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI)
Rothenbaumchaussee 36
20148 Hamburg
