New Media Dynamics and European Integration

Abs ac This a icle add esses he ques ion whe he he po en ial o mass media as a mo o o social in eg a ion, o de and uni y can be ansposed om he na ional o he ansna ional and Eu opean le el o socie y. The issue is how he media (new and old) can e-es ablish he link be ween social o de and democ a ic legi imacy ha cha ac e ized he na ional public sphe e. To app oach his ques ion o he ela ionship be ween he media, a new ansna ional (Eu opean) socie y and democ acy he a icle deli e s a gene al accoun o how media (old and new) in e ac wi h he p ojec o Eu opean in eg a ion. Can we speak in any meaning ul way o he mass media as a acili a o o Eu opean in eg a ion? O a e he mass media he majo obs acle o he poli ical e o s o u he in eg a e Eu ope. The no ion o an EU media ized democ acy is in oduced o unde s and his in e play be ween EU ins i u ions and a ious a en i e publics in he con es a ion o EU legi imacy. Resumen El p esen e a ículo a a la cues ión de si el po encial e eb ado de los medios de comunicación de masas como mo o de la in eg ación social, el o den y la unidad pueden se asladados del ni el nacional de la sociedad al asnacional y eu opeo. Se a a de cómo los medios (nue os y iejos) pueden e-es ablece el nexo en e o den social y legi imidad democ á ica que ca ac e iza la es e a pública nacional. Pa a ap oxima nos a la elación en e los medios, una nue a sociedad y una democ acia asnacional (eu opea) el a ículo o ece una pano ámica gene al de cómo los medios ( adicionales y nue os) in e ie en en el p oyec o de in eg ación eu opea. ¿Podemos habla con sen ido de los medios como acili ado es de la in eg ación eu opea?¿O son los medios un g an obs áculo pa a los es ue zos polí icos de in eg a Eu opa? La noción de una democ acia eu opea media izada se in oduce pa a en ende las in e acciones en e las ins i uciones de la Unión Eu opea y los di e sos públicos que con es an la legi imidad de la UE. Keywo ds Eu opean public sphe e, EU democ acy, media isa ion, EU communica ion policies Palab as cla e Es e a pública eu opea, democ acia eu opea, media ización, polí icas de la comunicación eu opeas Summa y 1. In oduc ion: Rede ining he ole o media and social in eg a ion in con empo a y Eu ope 2. Wha does i mean o speak o he media iza ion o poli ics? 3. Towa ds an EU media ized democ acy? 4. App oaching e ol ing o ms and p ac ises o EU media ized poli ics 5. Conclusion: EU media iza ion and he econ i ma ion o he public sphe e Suma io 1. In oducción: ede iniendo el ol de los medios y la in eg ación social en la Eu opa con empo ánea 2. ¿Qué signi ica la media ización de la polí ica? 3. ¿Hacia una democ acia media izada en la Unión Eu opea? 4. Una ap oximación a ó mulas y p ác icas e olucionadas en una polí ica media izada en la Unión Eu opea 5. Conclusión: la media ización de la Unión Eu opea y la econ i mación de la es e a pública Hans-Jö g T enz (Uni e si y o Copenhagen) [[email p o ec ed]k] E-ISSN:2173-1071 IC – Re is a Cien í ica de In o mación y Comunicación 2013, 10, pp. 35 - 51 New media dynamics and Eu opean In eg a ion Nue as dinámicas de medios e In eg ación Eu opea E-ISSN:2173-1071 IC – Re is a Cien í ica de In o mación y Comunicación 10 (2013) [pp. 35-51] 36 Hans-Jö g T enz 1. In oduc ion: Rede ining he ole o media and social in eg a ion in con empo a y Eu ope Communica ion heo is s oge he wi h his o ical sociologis s ha e o en main ained an in e es in he social in eg a ion unc ion o he mass media. F om an ins umen al pe spec i e, he ole o he mass media as a acili a o o collec i e ac ion and as an agen o social con ol has been emphasized. Mass media main ain social o de by con olling he in o ma ion lows wi hin socie y and acili a e he exchange be ween powe holde s and he ci izens (Deme s and Viswana h 1999). F om a symbolic pe spec i e, he emphasis was placed, ins ead, on he ole o he mass media as he signi ie o he uni y o socie y. Mass media de ine ci izens’ iden i ies and eelings o a achmen o social uni s and hus acili a e democ acy as g ounded in he us o an imagined poli ical communi y (Ande son 1991; Ha d 2004; McQuail 2010: 89). A he same ime, communica ion schola s a an ea ly s age ha e shi ed he ocus om he mass media as he mo o o social in eg a ion o he disin eg a ing media e ec s. The e is a long adi ion o c i ical media s udies holding mass media esponsible o he lack o social cohesion and he aliena ion o dispe sion o he publics in mode n socie ies (Bu on 2010). This ela ionship be ween mass media and social in eg a ion con inues o occupy ou a en ion in he analysis o con empo a y Eu opean socie ies and hei ans o ma ion. Ou adi ional unde s anding o he in eg a i e unc ions o he mass media o mode n socie y is challenged by wo cu en de elopmen s. The i s challenge is linked o he displacemen o poli ics and democ acy. The poli ical in eg a ion o he Eu ope o s a es has been ad anced a a highe speed han he social and cul u al in eg a ion o he Eu ope o ci izens. While poli ical au ho i y has g adually shi ed om he na ional o he sup ana ional le el he e is no co esponding communi y o communica ing ci izens ha could back such a p ocess. Public opinion emains agmen ed and bound o na ional public sphe es. The second challenge is linked o displacemen e ec s o he media i sel . The na ion s a e is no longe he uni a y space o media p oduc ion and dis ibu ion. Wha conce ns us he e is a co ela ion be ween he disin eg a ion o socie y and he disin eg a ion o o me ly uni a y sys ems o mass media communica ion. Wi h he e en o he new media he imagined communi y called he na ion is agmen ed again in o di e en use communi ies and such di e en ia ed media use is seen as one o he d i ing o ces o social disin eg a ion (Keen 2012). Today’s media c ea e an en i onmen o u bulence and ola ili y. Wi h he B i ish media schola B ian McNai we can speak o a new ‘cul u al chaos’ ha has eplaced he o de ed and con olled lows o communica ion wi hin adi ional public sphe es (McNai 2006). IC – Re is a Cien í ica de In o mación y Comunicación 10 (2013) [pp. 35-51] E-ISSN:2173-1071 cla es 37 NEw mEdIa dyNamICS aNd EuRopEaN IN EgRa IoN In his a icle, I wish o add ess he ques ion whe he he in eg a i e po en ial o mass media as a mo o o social in eg a ion, o de and uni y can be ansposed om he na ional o he ansna ional and Eu opean le el o socie y. In sho , he ques ion is how he media (new and old) can e-es ablish he link be ween social o de and democ a ic legi imacy ha cha ac e ized he na ional public sphe e. To app oach his ques ion o he ela ionship be ween he media, a new ansna ional (Eu opean) socie y and democ acy I will o he pu pose o his o e iew a icle deli e a gene al accoun o how media (old and new) in e ac wi h he p ojec o Eu opean in eg a ion. Can we speak in any meaning ul way o he mass media as a acili a o o Eu opean in eg a ion? O a e he mass media he majo obs acle o he poli ical e o s o u he in eg a e Eu ope. The unc ion o he mass media – ollowing a dic um o Niklas Luhmann – is o acili a e he sel -obse a ion o socie y (Luhmann 1996). The mass media a e i mly es ablished as he obse a o y o socie y, o i s uni y and o i s ic ions. Bu h ough mass media ed communica ion, socie y p ima ily obse es i sel as na ional socie y. Can mass media be he ca alys o he sel -obse a ion o a Eu opean socie y? Can mass media acili a e he imagina ion o uni y and cohe ence ha unde lies he social bonds o Eu opeans? 2. Wha does i mean o speak o he media iza ion o poli ics? I we wan o analyse how and a which le el media ha e an in eg a i e o ce, we need o unde s and how media in e ac wi h socie y. The e is a speci ic e m o his in e ac ion be ween media and o he sub-sec o s o socie y: we speak o media iza ion. Media iza ion, mos basically, indica es ha he e is a social ela ionship be ween he media and some hing which is no he media. Media iza ion is a ela ional e m; i is only possible o speak o he media iza ion o some hing. Schola s, who discuss media iza ion emphasize ha media iza ion and media e ec s o media causali ies should be kep sepa a e. Agains he mo e na ow analysis o media causali y, media iza ion ela es o a b oade p ocess o socie al ans o ma ion (K o z 2007). I ela es o a dual s uc u al ela ionship o dependence and independence be ween media and o he socie al subsy ems (like poli ics). The omnip esence o he media and hei ope a ional independence pene a es o he socie al sec o s and causes hem o adap o media logic. Following his dual s uc u al logic, “media a e a once pa o he ab ic o socie y and cul u e and an independen ins i u ion” (Hja a d 2009: 106). Media iza ion heo y in i s b oades sense is a heo y o social change and change akes place a he le el o socie y (Could y 2012: 134-137). E-ISSN:2173-1071 IC – Re is a Cien í ica de In o mación y Comunicación 10 (2013) [pp. 35-51] 38 Hans-Jö g T enz 1 Fo a no ma i ely g ounded de ini ion o publici y ha links he ac i i y o ‘making isible’ o he possibili y o c i ique and e lec ion see Bohman (1999; 2004) and my own c i ical econs uc ion o a heo y o he digi al public sphe e in T enz (2009) 2 Fo his o me adi ion o Eu opean public sphe e esea ch see Bohman (2007) and E iksen and Fossum (2002). 3 Fo his la e adi ion o Eu opean public sphe e esea ch see Koopmans and S a ham (2010), Risse (2010), T enz (2005) and Wessle e al. (2008). F ank Ma cinkowski in an impo an con ibu ion in e p e s media iza ion as a unc ional equi emen o social subsys ems which ely on he gene a ion o publici y, de ined he e in a mo e na ow sense as isibili y1 (Ma cinkowski 2005). The e a e howe e impo an di e ences in he deg ee o which di e en socie al sec o s ely on publici y and hese co ela e wi h hei deg ee o inclusi eness (Ma cinkowski and S eine 2009). Especially democ a ic ins i u ions ope a e unde he cons an p essu e o gene a e su icien deg ees o isibili y o hei ope a ions. Democ a ic poli ics ope a e unde he assump ion o all-inclusi eness, which c ea es he highes demand o public a en ion and accep ance o i s opics o communica ion. The media iza ion o poli ics is hus explained in ela ion o he legi imacy equi emen s o he mode n s a e, which is based on popula so e eign y and claims o democ acy. Media iza ion becomes in his sense a key no ion o poli ical legi imacy esea ch. Democ a ic poli ics a e ne e jus he ic im o media iza ion, no subjec o i , no subo dina ed o media o colonized by i . The e is a he a speci ic co ela ion be ween media iza ion and democ a iza ion ha conce ns us he e. Media iza ion immedia ely ela es o he way socie y de ines i sel as an all-inclusi e and in eg a ed uni y o indi iduals, in o he wo ds, as a poli ical communi y o democ acy. In spi e o hese ecen schola ly e o s, media iza ion emains a uzzy concep ha does no e e o a well-es ablished esea ch agenda (Could y 2012: 134-155; Li ings one 2009). In he ollowing, one possibili y o ske ching such a esea ch agenda is ollowed wi h ega d o he ques ion o he media iza ion o he poli ical sys em o he Eu opean Union. The speci ic co ela ion be ween media iza ion and democ a iza ion will hus be es ed wi h ega d o he dynamics o he eme gence o an EU media ized democ acy. 3. Towa ds an EU media ized democ acy? In a i s app oxima ion, i is use ul o discuss EU media iza ion dynamics beyond he mo e gene al backg ound o he possibili ies o he eme gence o a Eu opean public sphe e. Schola s who a e in e es ed in he communica i e exchanges and deba es ha con ibu e o he cons i u ion o a Eu opean public sphe e ha e ollowed di e en pa hs. One g oup o schola s has analyzed p ocesses o poli ical communica ion ha in ol e EU-le el ac o s and ci izens di ec ly (e.g. he p omise o mo e pa icipa o y o ms o democ acy o he po en ial o so-called s ong, delibe a i e publics and p ocedu es o EU decision-making).2 O he s ha e in es ed in la ge scale quan i a i e o quali a i e compa a i e media con en analysis o measu e media pe o mance in co e ing EU issues and deba es. Rela ed o his, a esea ch agenda has been de eloped o compa e deg ees o Eu opeaniza ion be ween di e en coun ies o media o ma s.3 IC – Re is a Cien í ica de In o mación y Comunicación 10 (2013) [pp. 35-51] E-ISSN:2173-1071 cla es 39 NEw mEdIa dyNamICS aNd EuRopEaN IN EgRa IoN 4 A media pe spec i e is ch onically absen in poli ical scien is s’ deba es on he p ospec s o EU democ acy and hei main ocus on ins i u ional and p ocedu al designs o EU go e nance, legal-cons i u ional p o isions o he s a egic posi ioning o main ac o s like go e nmen s, pa liamen s, poli ical pa ies o ci il socie y. See howe e he con ibu ions in E iksen and Fossum (2012) and Kohle -Koch and Ri be ge (2006) whe e plu al pe spec i es on EU democ acy a e discussed ha mo e beyond he EU go e nance pa adigm. In all hese di e en a ian s, Eu opean public sphe e esea ch implies ha he e is an in e ela ion be ween media and EU poli ics ha shapes he gene al ep esen a ion o he EU sys em o go e nance and he possibili ies o i s public legi ima ion (Fossum and Schlesinge 2007; T enz 2008a). This ela es o he ques ion o he media iza ion o he EU sys em o go e nance (K iesi e al. 2013; Meye 2009; Michailidou and T enz 2010; T enz 2006; 2008a). Ins ead o mapping he pe o mance o jou nalism in co e ing EU news om a na ional- compa a i e pe spec i e, media iza ion esea ch aces eedback mechanisms o media p esence and p ac ice on he EU poli ical sys em and i s public legi ima ion. The media iza ion hesis main ains ha ‘p ocesses o poli ical communica ion depend on he media in as uc u e and a e subjec o change as he media a e changing’ (K iesi 2013: 10). Unde condi ions o media iza ion, ‘media logics’, and, in pa icula he comme cial logic o he media indus ies in ma ke ing public a en ion, inc easingly become a ame o e e ence o he ‘s aging’ o he poli ical p ocess and hus o democ acy (Mazzoleni and Schul z 1999). In acing back hese eedback mechanisms o media p esence in he EU poli ical p ocess, he ques ion is no so much how he media (new and old) ha e a di ec impac on EU policy-making. I a he wish o discuss in he ollowing how EU ac o s and ins i u ions ake up he democ a ic challenge o espond and in e ac wi h media. This opens a di e en pe spec i e on EU democ acy no simply as di ec o ep esen ed o pa icipa o y bu as media ed. A he same ime i opens a di e en pe spec i e on EU go e nance no simply as in e go e nmen al, poly- a chic o delibe a i e bu as media ized.4 EU democ acy om a media iza ion pe spec i e is hus econcei ed as a dynamic communica i e p ocess which akes place in he public sphe e, il e ed and shaped by he media en i onmen . In a se ies o p e ious publica ions, Asimina Michailidou and mysel ha e add essed his complex ela ionship o poli ical ins i u ions, media, ci izens and o mal se ings o democ a ic pa icipa ion and ep esen a ion unde he label o EU media ized democ acy (Michailidou and T enz 2010; 2013). The aim o his wo k was o shi he ocus o EU democ acy esea ch om an ins i u ional-inpu -ou pu pe spec i e o a media pe spec i e. The decisi e ques ion o us was no o assess he no ma i e c eden ials o EU democ acy, o measu e he pe o mance o poli ical ins i u ions, o o con on EU ep esen a i es wi h o e s’ p e e ences o changing a i udes o he ci izens. Media iza ion esea ch a he akes i s s a ing poin om he media p ac ices and ou ines ha a e de eloped by EU ins i u ional ac o s and ci izens alike o con es democ a ic legi imacy. Going beyond he mo e con ined agenda o Eu opean public sphe e esea ch and i s assessmen o he no ma i e c eden ials o EU go e nance in he in e play wi h na ional o Eu opean media, he media iza ion esea ch agenda opens a di e en pe spec i e on EU democ a ic legi imacy as being essen ially shaped by media ac ions and in e ac ions. In his sense, EU media ized E-ISSN:2173-1071 IC – Re is a Cien í ica de In o mación y Comunicación 10 (2013) [pp. 35-51] 40 Hans-Jö g T enz 5 This has been he backg ound assump ion o he so-called legi imacy u n in EU s udies (Kohle -Koch and Ri be ge 2007). democ acy needs o be unde s ood no only in e ms o he media salience and news co e age o EU ep esen a i e poli ics bu mo e b oadly, in e ms o he gene al ans o ma ion o ep esen a i e poli ics and i s impac on he gene a ion o poli ical legi imacy o he EU. In o de o unde s and he legi imacy impac o media communica ion on Eu opean in eg a ion, we need o look beyond he ins umen al use o media by poli ical ac o s/ins i u ions o poli ical pa ies and de elop a mo e encompassing app oach o media logics and p ac ices pene a ing and cons aining he EU poli ical sys em. Wi h his widened ocus, he media ized public sphe e can be econs uc ed no me ely as he in as uc u e o he media ion o EU ep esen a i e poli ics bu as he place whe e he ep esen a i e claims-making o he new ansna ional eli es esona es, mee s wi h na ional (o o he ) coun e claiman s and in o ms public opinion and will o ma ion. F om he abo e, we can app oach no only he downsides bu also he p omise o a media ized EU democ acy. We can expec he EU o become a case o media iza ion o he ex en ha i de ines i sel as a poli ical en i y ha is also in need o public legi imacy. The e is hus a ela ionship be ween media iza ion and he de ici s o democ a ic legi ima ion in he con ex o poli ical in eg a ion in Eu ope. Enhanced media communica ion and deba es con ibu e o ou lining he con ou s o he poli ical socie y o Eu ope which aises public demands o democ acy. 4. App oaching e ol ing o ms and p ac ises o EU media ized poli ics The Eu opean Union is, wi hou any doub , a new ype o poli ical o de and au ho i y in sea ch o public legi imacy.5 Bu is i also a case o media ias ion? One way o a gue is ha he Eu opean Union is p ima ily a case o sys em in eg a ion and no a case o he social in eg a ion o ci izens. Since inclusi eness o he sys em owa ds indi iduals would be low, also i s demand o c ea e public a en ion and accep ance would be low. This would be he case o a poli ical sys em ha c ea es legi imacy pu ely h ough he e iciency o go e nance. A second possibili y would be ha we a e con on ed he e wi h a complex, mul i-le el sys em o go e nance ha c ea es speci ic demands o public legi ima ion. The eason o his is ha poli ical decisions ac ually a ec ci izens. Like any o he poli ical sys em, he EU would hen need o de ine deg ees o inclusi eness and publically jus i y hem. I would wi h all likelihood also p o oke esis ances by hose who eel a ec ed by i s decisions. The EU would be in need o gene a ing publici y, i would need o ely on inclusi e and pa icipa o y mechanisms ha add ess he a ious a ec ed pa ies in ol ed in i . In he wo ds o John Dewey, he e would be ‘ he p oblem o he public’ in need o sel -iden i ica ion, he public ha needs o be included in discussions and ha IC – Re is a Cien í ica de In o mación y Comunicación 10 (2013) [pp. 35-51] E-ISSN:2173-1071 cla es 41 NEw mEdIa dyNamICS aNd EuRopEaN IN EgRa IoN needs o be pe suaded abou he bene i s o in eg a ion. The EU would be simila o any o he poli ical sys em in elying on mechanisms o public legi ima ion, which in complex socie ies can only be sa is ied h ough se ices p o ided by he mass media. The EU would howe e s ill be di e en , because i canno ely on mass media se ices and ope a ions o he same deg ee as na ional go e nmen s do and i is con on ed wi h highe deg ees o media con ingencies. The public a en ion and esonance o an anonymous mass audience emain spo adic and agmen ed. I he Eu opean Union we e a case o media iza ion, i would ep esen he a he unique case o media iza ion wi hou an independen mass media sys em ha se es demands o publici y and as a consequence makes also he o ma ion o a mass audience di icul . The EU would be a case o media iza ion a he demand side wi h a de ici in ac ual media a endance and pe o mance a he supply side. The EU would c ea e a g owing demand o media iza ion while s ill being con on ed wi h a la ge de ici o media ion. My p oposal is ha media iza ion esea ch should analyse his disc epancy be ween inc eased demands o media a en ion gene a ed wi hin he poli ical sys em and he limi ed supply o publici y by he media o ganiza ions in ol ed. In he case o he cu en c isis o EU legi imacy, we need o analyse why he EU is in need o media a en ion, how i gene a es mass publici y and o wha ex en i can ely on i . The answe o he ques ion why he EU is in need o gene a ing publici y can be ound in i s s i ing o public legi imacy h ough inclusi e mechanisms ha empowe he ci izens. The media iza ion o he EU sys em o go e nance is i s and o emos o be seen as a condi ion o he acili a ion o democ a ic poli ics. Following he public legi ima ion pa adigm jus ou lined abo e, he e is a co ela ion be ween media iza ion and democ a iza ion o he EU (T enz 2008b). The mo e he EU sys em o go e nance con on s public demands and expec a ions o democ acy, he mo e i elies on he gene a ion o publici y o i s in e nal unc ioning. To he ex en ha media iza ion is imposed upon he poli ical sys em o he EU om he ou side, he e is a g owing demand o engage wi h media om wi hin he EU sys em o go e nance. The legi imacy equi emen o EU policy- making and he publici y seeking e o s o EU poli ical ac o s and ins i u ions a e closely in e linked. To app oach EU media ized democ acy empi ically hus implies no simply looking a how EU poli ics a e inc easingly exposed o he media bu how hey a e elying on media pe o mance. In he case o he pe o mance o EU democ a ic ins i u ions such as he Eu opean Pa liamen , o ins ance, we would expec a sho age o media a en ion. Fo an inclusi e ins i u ion such as he Eu opean Pa liamen , such a sho age o public a en ion is howe e inc easingly pe cei ed as insu icien (Ma cinkowski 2005; Ma schall 2009). E en i he Eu opean Pa liamen emains o he mos pa in isible, i can s ill be in need o media iza ion. The Eu opean Pa liamen can be unmedia ed bu media ized. I can c ea e demands o E-ISSN:2173-1071 IC – Re is a Cien í ica de In o mación y Comunicación 10 (2013) [pp. 35-51] 42 Hans-Jö g T enz media iza ion and ope a e unde he assump ion o publici y, ye be con on ed wi h he e ec s o a sys ema ic sho age o supply o media se ices. Le ’s u n now o he ques ion how he EU is media ized. Media iza ion o he EU akes place whe e e he EU and i s ins i u ions ely on speci ic se ices o he mass media as pa o hei own ope a ions, no only e ec i ely make use o media se ices, bu qui e equen ly also simply exp ess in en ions o make use o i , demand i o engage in ailed a emp s o make use o i . A he mo e abs ac le el, we can dis inguish be ween he basic media iza ion and he e lexi e media iza ion o poli ical ins i u ions (Ma cinkowski and S eine 2009: 13). In he basic mode, EU ins i u ions would be ound o espond o he agenda ha is gi en by he mass media, hey would u n media opics in o hei own opics. In he case o e lexi e media iza ion, EU poli ical ac o s and ins i u ions would ea ange hei own in e nal communica ion in a way o inc ease he chance ha hei inpu s a e aken up by he media. They become ‘ e lexi e’ on he pe o mance o he mass media in o ganizing hei own communica ion and hey can launch ‘s a egic’ communica ion o add ess he media and ela e o he public. One could claim ha he EU is a special case o e lexi e media iza ion ha is cha ac e ized by a de ici o basic media iza ion. Re lexi e media iza ion is enhanced by he EU’s own communica ion policies. Media communica ions become an in eg al pa o he unc ioning o EU poli ical ins i u ions. All EU ins i u ions in es in public ela ions and he cu en Eu opean Commission has se up a e y esou ce ul di ec o a e-gene al o public and media communica ion. The e is howe e no s aigh o wa d way o he EU o simply espond o he media. The basic media iza ion o he EU encoun e s se e al well-known s uc u al ba ie s: he e is no media e e ence sys em, he e a e only na ional media wi h di e ging agendas. The e is also no uni ied audience ha pays a en ion. The e is wha has been labelled a demoi-c acy o se e al agmen ed cons i uencies: e i o ial, sec o al o simply i egula bys ande s (Chene al and Schimmel ennig 2013; Nicolaidis 2004). The EU is hus a case o enligh ened go e nmen o e lexi e go e nance which c ea es demands o media iza ion, bu has only limi ed possibili ies o ely on media ion: o in e ac wi h media, o espond o i and o each a ge ed audiences h ough he media. Looking in de ail a such ou inized in e ac ions be ween EU poli ical ins i u ion and media o ganiza ions, I will ske ch in he ollowing he media in e ac ions and dynamics o h ee key ins i u ions ha se up he EU sys em o go e nance: he Eu opean Commission, he go e nmen s o he membe s a es and he Eu opean Pa liamen : a) The Eu opean Commission The PR and in o ma ion policies o he Eu opean Commission ha e been accu a ely desc ibed as a mul i-le el game o public a en ion (B üggemann 2008; 2010). The Commission needs o balance i s in e ac ion wi h jou nalis s a wo IC – Re is a Cien í ica de In o mación y Comunicación 10 (2013) [pp. 35-51] E-ISSN:2173-1071 cla es 43 NEw mEdIa dyNamICS aNd EuRopEaN IN EgRa IoN le els: B ussels-based EU co esponden s a he sup ana ional le el and na ional and local media a he membe s a e le el. In pa icula he Commission has gi en p io i y o he p omo ion o he decen aliza ion o media and communica ion policies. Fo his pu pose, i has ied h ough i s na ional ep esen a ions o es ablish egula con ac s wi h na ional and egional jou nalis s. We can in e p e his as an ins i u ional lea ning e ec o a e lexi e mul i-le el media iza ion game. Decen alized media communica ion is coo dina ed in pa ial au onomy by he p ess o ices o he na ional ep esen a ions o he Commission in he capi als o he membe s a es and hei egional b anch o ices. In he UK, o ins ance, he London Rep esen a ion’s P ess O ice se es all B i ish media, as well as in e na ional media based in London. Th ee local o ices in Edinbu gh, Ca di and Bel as espond o egional and local media. “We a e he e o p o ide a apid esponse o jou nalis s on opical Eu opean Union issues and b ing issues o possible media in e es o hei a en ion. In addi ion o esponding o eques s o in o ma ion om jou nalis s, he P ess O ice encou ages accu a e media co e age o he EU”. Eu opean Comission ep esen a ion in he Uni ed Kingdom. Online p ess oom: (h p://ec.eu opa.eu/uni edkingdom/p ess/index_en.h m) The encoun e be ween poli ical ins i u ions and media ins i u ions is o ganized he e in a adi ional hie a chical way, no in e ac i e, no e en esponsi e bu op-down: he Commission’s p ess o ice selec s ele an opics and expec s ai and accu a e co e age by he jou nalis s. The p ess eam o he Commission’s Rep esen a ion is a ailable o ’assis ’ and o ‘b ie ’ jou nalis s, bu esponsi eness is es ic ed. The Commission’s Rep esen a ion websi e is also used as a ool o each ou and o p e en misin o ma ion o UK ci izens who a e exposed o B i ish media co e age o he EU. A cu ious example o hese pedagogical e o s o he Commission is he ’no-nonsense guide o UK ci izens’ ega ding wha he EU deli e s (h p://www. he-eu-and-me.o g.uk/). I is designed as a ool o help UK ci izens o lea n abou he bene i s o EU membe ship, p esupposing ha hey migh know oo li le o be misguided. The Commission’s websi e e en p o ides a his o ical a chi e o ‘media lies’ and a specially designed ‘Eu omy hs’ sec ion: “He e in he online P ess Room you can ind Fac shee s o help you unde s and wha lies behind some o he EU s o ies ea u ed in he UK media, o ind ou some o he u hs behind he mos pe sis en Eu omy hs”. Eu opean Comission ep esen a ion in he Uni ed Kingdom. 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