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EP ELECTIONS’ COMMUNICATION CHALLENGE:MEDIA VIEW POINT

•Is it different? Potential impact of two novelties:• Shape EU's agenda for 2014-2019: only newish but key• Candidates for Commission President: late but new

•Media expectations… trends & constraints:• Social media, ads & new events not only channels… • Readiness to cooperate / plan with or without deals: surveys• Cooperating earlier & better in future?

CHRISTOPHE LECLERCQ Dominique Ostyn founder@euractiv.com communication@euractiv.com

Comments & enquiries welcome!

7th Civil Society Media Seminar

Brussels, EESC, 26 November 2013

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EURACTIV CROSSLINGUAL NETWORK

12 languages - 12 capitals

WHICH INFORMATION SOURCESDO BRUSSELS OPINION ELITES READ?

Source: September 2013

Media MEPsEuropean Trade

AssociationsBrussels-based

journalists

50%50% 54%54% 60%60%

49% 39% 33%

46% 25% 40%

45% 32% 47%

44% 50% 60%

39% 25% 40%

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PRESS IMPACTS – SOME EXAMPLES

SHAPING EU MANDATE 2014-2019:

Only newish but key

• Post crisis hope?

• Eurozone needs to be tackled

• Pro / Anti Europe debate is healthy

• Voters have stake in influencing coalition?

• Presidential candidates carry a programme:

“politicisation”, not only “personalisation”

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COMMISSION PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES:

Late but new

• Nominations late versus eg. France, UK, US elections, but nearly grouped

• EuroPCom: 4 mainstream campaign directors seem to agree broad terms of debates

• Questions: Euro-sceptics? Left of left? Right of right?

• Up to 5 presidential debates: time to organise!(TV, CoR Athens, written & online press, academic? + 1?)

• Important: roadshows around countries:• leveraging existing events & channels

• party campaigns more than institutional campaigns, largely set already 6

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CITATION

Basically three:

• a major scoop

• a high level interview

• a round-up network article

Plus additional factor: good timing!

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MEDIA TRENDS: Less ressources, less EU focus?

• Economic crisis, advertising slump

• Internet, Google, free content

• Side activities make money, eg events partner?

• Most medias are national decentralise radically !

• Less Brussels correspondents, top EU news only, syndication facilitate independent “retake”

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MEDIA CHANNELS

•Own • EP platforms and channels (web, video & social

media)• Other EU institutions & governments / regions etc• Party channels

•Earned• Ad-hoc (press relations, central & national)• Supported (media partners, grants)• Promoted (PR)

•Paid• Advertising

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• SURVEY AIM : Assess the potential for funded media partnerships or unfunded content partnerships

• SURVEY RESPONDENTS :• Respondents are members of European Business Press (EBP),

World Association Newspapers (WAN), European Magazine Media Association (EMMA) and Association of European Journalists (AEJ)

• About one third of the target sample answered• The majority of respondents are in print media (70%), followed by

online (30%). 90% of them are part of a national media and all write in their market’s national language.

• KEY FINDINGS :

• 8 in 10 respondents are interested to increase their coverage of EU policies, but for most (55%) the main barrier is funding

• The majority (78%) would find it appropriate to receive EU support for covering the EU elections

• The majority (78%) would be interested to partner with an EU specialised online media as part of a funded project

• 9 in 10 plan to start covering the elections once the EP launches its communication campaign (Sept. 2013) Have you ?

• A majority (57%) would be interested in a pure content partnership without EU funding alternate approach we are implementing

Survey : EBP Members ready to cooperate with European Parliament, in principle

Thank you for your replies !

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EU support to media ?• Shifting media revenue models : innovations under discussions• Network in 12 countries, commercial/public funding• Strict conditions, small “industrial policy” ?

AEJ Int. 51st Congress - Brussels, 22 November 2013

CHRISTOPHE LECLERCQ Dominique Ostyn founder@euractiv.com communication@euractiv.com

Note: this presentation is meant only for AEJ members and may not be published on any website. Comments & enquiries welcome!

BACK-UP SLIDES

5 TOP JOBS & 5 YEAR MANDATE, NOT JUST 1 DATE FOR 1 PRESIDENT

(very personal views!)

• We get closer to good parliamentary logic: choose EU ‘Prime minister’

• But still a long way, no real primaries, late process, unknown faces

• Stress 2014-2019 mandates: solving crisis and adapting EU

• Need several top faces for diversity (gender, small / big, South / North, age, main languages)

• Anyway, many campaign events & interviews & eventual negociations…

• So, why not party tickets of 5: Com Pt, Council Pt, EP Pt, High Rep, (Eurogroup) 13

European Liberal Democrat and Reform

European People's Party

Party of European Socialists

European Green Party

Other European political parties: •European Free Alliance•Alliance for Europe of the Nations  •EU Democrats •European Democratic Party  •Europe United  •Newropeans  •Party of the European Left    

POLITICAL PARTIES: EUROPEAN GROWING, NATIONAL AFFILIATES BETTER KNOWN

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• Edelman surveys on “sponsored content” US: survey in 2013, Europe: expected early 2014 

• AEJ Survey : Italy Congress, Nov. 2012

• EBP Survey : Stockholm conference, Nov. 2013

• EMMA MediaLab : Conference, 21 Jan. 2014

• Several conferences (EuroPCom, EESC, …) on EP Elections & media

• Frequent “discussions” when EU considers media-projects  time for constructive dialogue & policy ?

SHIFTING REVENUE MODELS Including sponsored content & public funds

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• Essential for media independence :

Permanent journalists and brand (“independence charter” not enough), own readership, diversified revenue model

• Important for pluralism and tax payers’ money :

Like for research projects: open concertation, calls for expression of interest, independent selection, independent & published evaluation

• Competition procedures matter :

Subsidies OK in limited cases, calls for tenders (services, “one takes all”) not as good as calls for proposals (several winners, co-funding only: diversification)

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EU SUPPORTING THE PRESS ? Part I : Useful under clear conditions

• EU spends much on “communication”:

How about long term strategy and a few mio € for sustainable EU media sector ?

–Quick & practical “industrial policy” document ?(DG CONNECT, DG COMM, EP, media & journalistic organisations)

–Room for several initiatives• Several DG-specific calls

• Several decentralized media networks (not just one by technology: cross-channel)

• Co-funded, not 100 % subsidised

–Save on “communication”, re-invest part in self-managed help to Brussels correspondents ?

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EU SUPPORTING THE PRESS ? Part II : Mini “industrial policy” ?

• EurActiv.com Plc– Corporate sponsors & events

– EurActor™ members

– Online advertising

– Public projects

• Fondation EurActiv PoliTech– Public funding, for communication + R&D

– Funding by Foundations, e.g. training

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EURACTIV’S REVENUE STREAMSHybrid models

Lively debates for media impactat national level

Lively debates create campaign momentum

Targeted channels optimize media impact

Leveraged and decentralized operations maximize national outreach

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