Increasing the Citizens' EU Awareness

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• I. Introduction
• I.1. Research Motivation
• I.2. State of the Art in Research
• I.3. Research Question, Methodology, Preliminary Remarks
• II. The Framework
• II.1. Fitting 'European Publicity' into a Framework
• II.1.a. Sources of (European) Publicity
• II.1.a.1. The Media
• II.1.a.2. The Communication
• II.1.b. Developing the Framework
• II.1.b.1. The Actors
• II.1.b.2. Types of European Publicity
• II.2. Conclusion: The Publicity-Framework
• III. Media Policy
• III.1. A European Media System?
• III.2. Development of European Media Policies
• III.3. Media Concentration and Pluralism
• III.4. Conclusion: The actual role of Media Policies
• IV. Communication Strategy
• IV.1. The Aims and Ways of Communication
• IV.2. Development of the Communication Strategy
• IV.3. Communicating with the Citizen?
• IV.3.a. 'Commission's contribution to the period of reflection and beyond: Plan-D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate'
• IV.3.b. 'White Paper on a European Communication Policy'
• IV.4. Conclusion: Communication Strategy
• V. Recommendations
• V.1. Completing the Framework
• V.2. Appraisal of Findings
• V.2.a. The Influence of Media Policies on Awareness
• V.2.b. The Influence of the Communication Strategy on Awareness
• V.2.c. Conclusion of Appraisal
• V.3. Recommendations
• V.3.a. ...for Media Policies
• V.3.b. ...for the Communication Strategy
• V.4. Conclusion: Recommendations
• VI. Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis examines the role of the European Commission in promoting public awareness of the European Union. The study seeks to understand how the Commission's media policies and communication strategies contribute to increasing citizen awareness of EU affairs. The work aims to identify potential gaps and challenges in these efforts and provide recommendations for improving the Commission's effectiveness in engaging citizens.

• Public awareness of the European Union
• The role of the European Commission in promoting EU awareness
• The influence of media policies on citizen awareness
• The effectiveness of the Commission's communication strategies
• Recommendations for improving the Commission's engagement with citizens

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction lays out the research motivation, outlining the context of European integration and the challenges of low citizen awareness. It also introduces the research question, methodology, and key concepts used throughout the thesis.

Chapter II delves into the conceptual framework of 'European Publicity,' exploring its sources, actors, and different types. This chapter establishes a theoretical foundation for understanding the mechanisms of public awareness and information dissemination.

Chapter III examines the role of media policy in shaping the European media landscape. It explores the development of European media policies, analyzes media concentration and pluralism, and discusses the actual impact of these policies on citizen awareness.

Chapter IV focuses on the European Commission's communication strategy. It examines the aims and methods of communication employed by the Commission, analyzes the evolution of its communication strategy, and critically assesses its effectiveness in engaging with citizens.

Chapter V presents recommendations for enhancing the Commission's efforts to promote public awareness. It proposes concrete measures to strengthen both media policies and communication strategies, aiming to improve the Commission's effectiveness in reaching and engaging citizens.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key topics explored in this thesis include European Union, public awareness, European Commission, media policy, communication strategy, citizen engagement, democracy, legitimacy, accountability, and European integration. The thesis analyzes the Commission's role in promoting citizen understanding of EU affairs and explores ways to enhance its effectiveness in achieving this goal.