Is There a European Public Sphere?
A closer look reveals that the media in which we talk about Europe are still predominantly organised along national lines. Transnational outlets such as ARTE or Euronews remain niche phenomena.
What does it mean for Europe if Europeans know too little about one another? Ukraine brings this issue into particularly sharp focus: a country at the heart of Europe that is covered in many languages, but within separate public spheres. It illustrates both what a European public sphere could look like and what is still lacking today.
The panel discussion asks: Who shapes the European public sphere – in which spaces, in which languages, and with what reach? And who is actually listening?
We will also look back and ask: Was the public sphere more European in the past than it is today?
Four guests from academia and journalism will discuss the conditions, fault lines and opportunities for a public sphere worthy of the name.
Panelists
Prof. Dr. Hartmut Wessler · University of Mannheim, professor of communication studies whose research focuses on public communication and transnational media discourses.
Prof. Dr. Tanjev Schultz · Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, professor of journalism. His work connects questions surrounding the European public sphere with the practical realities of journalism, journalism education and editorial structures.
Dr. Gesine Dornblüth · Freelance journalist, author and reporter specialising in Ukraine and Russia. She has reported from the region for many years and was Deutschlandradio’s Moscow correspondent from 2012 to 2017.
Diana Zulfoghari · Freelance journalist (COSMO / formerly Funkhaus Europa), presenter and reporter for the multilingual joint radio programme COSMO as well as for WDR, hr and SWR. Her work represents a form of public communication that reaches beyond national languages.
Venue: Leibniz Institute of European History (IEG), Alte Universitätsstraße 19, 55116 Mainz
Admission is free. Please register at veranstaltungen@ieg-mainz.de.
The event is jointly organised by the Leibniz Institute of European History (IEG) in Mainz and the Rhineland-Palatinate Agency for Civic Education (LpB).
