Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ReMeD (RESILIENT MEDIA FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE DIGITAL AGE)
Período documentado: 2023-03-01 hasta 2024-02-29
Resilient Media for Democracy in the Digital Age (ReMeD) is a research project that develops them within the framework of HORIZONCL2-2022-DEMOCRACY-01-06: "Media for Democracy - Democratic Media". The project's principal objective is to contribute to creating and improving resilient relations between media and democracy. To achieve this goal, the ReMeD project collects and analyzes qualitative and quantitative data on the interaction between media technologies, journalists, content producers and citizens.
The hybrid media ecosystem encompassing news production and consumption requires a revision of its flow production and key actors. This research aims to understand the new role of journalists and journalism, the emergence of new media business models and legal frameworks, consumer perceptions and the overall interrelationship between all these elements.
The results will form the basis of the ReMeD proposal to revitalise European democracies. The first step is to identify the dynamics and problems in the production and consumption of news. The study of the interaction between information producers and consumers will form the basis of the second step, which is to propose practical solutions to the main problems and to guarantee the democratic dimension of the media.
The ReMeD project addresses eight challenges that cut across all areas of research:
The (1) eroding trust in democratic institutions; (2) the climate crisis; (3) the Covid-19 pandemic; (4) war & violent conflict; (5) socio-economic inequality; (6) immigration & integration; (7) gender equality & LGBTQIA+ rights; and (8) unregulated digitalisation of the political arena are the common basis for analysing the level of information and disinformation of citizens. On this basis, researchers can identify the main obstacles to the democratic production of information and help to propose solutions that meet real needs.
The main objective of ReMeD is to recover the democratic value of information and to propose guidelines for maintaining a healthy environment when the production and consumption of new would be in the service of democracy.
The hybrid media ecosystem encompassing news production and consumption requires a revision of its flow production and key actors. This research aims to understand the new role of journalists and journalism, the emergence of new media business models and legal frameworks, consumer perceptions and the overall interrelationship between all these elements.
The results will form the basis of the ReMeD proposal to revitalise European democracies. The first step is to identify the dynamics and problems in the production and consumption of news. The study of the interaction between information producers and consumers will form the basis of the second step, which is to propose practical solutions to the main problems and to guarantee the democratic dimension of the media.
The ReMeD project addresses eight challenges that cut across all areas of research:
The (1) eroding trust in democratic institutions; (2) the climate crisis; (3) the Covid-19 pandemic; (4) war & violent conflict; (5) socio-economic inequality; (6) immigration & integration; (7) gender equality & LGBTQIA+ rights; and (8) unregulated digitalisation of the political arena are the common basis for analysing the level of information and disinformation of citizens. On this basis, researchers can identify the main obstacles to the democratic production of information and help to propose solutions that meet real needs.
The main objective of ReMeD is to recover the democratic value of information and to propose guidelines for maintaining a healthy environment when the production and consumption of new would be in the service of democracy.
The ethnographic methodology is particularly relevant to the development of the ReMeD project. This methodology makes it possible to explore many elements at once and to sketch a general picture of the interaction between the media and the people who consume and produce news. In addition, the application of the techniques and tools of the ethnographic method produces results that are very close to the everyday life of the people concerned.
Because of its novelty and the potential of its findings to open up new avenues and questions for research, the study of the media ecosystem using this ethnographic approach is a remarkable element of the ReMeD project.
The correct development of this methodology is fundamental to obtaining good results from the research. For this reason, during the first year of the project, the researchers dedicated themselves to understanding, clarifying the main objectives and organizing the steps for the application of this methodology.
Consideration of the successful development of ethnographic techniques has included some tasks during the first 12 months of the project:
• Discussion on ethnographic methodology conceptualisation during kick-off meeting (31 March 2023)
• Creation of the Methodology Coordination Group: a group of ReMeD researchers responsible for developing guidelines for the application of ethnographic techniques and resolving methodological issues during the project (April 2023).
• Individual meetings with the Methodology Coordination Group and each WP leader. These meetings focused on the implementation of the methodology according to the objectives of each WP (June 2023).
• Online training season with the participation of all WP members and the Methodology Coordination Group to clarify and adapt the correct implementation of the ethnographic tool (February 2024).
• Workshop or physical training session: open to all members of the project, this session provides a space to discuss the details of the ethnographic techniques and to answer questions about their immediate implementation.
• During the first year, the Methodology Coordination Group produced a handbook containing key concepts related to ethnographic research, previous experience in applying these techniques and a bibliography. This document also includes guidelines for sample selection and the development of in-depth interview and observation techniques. This document was circulated among ReMeD members and its content was expanded with the collaboration of some researchers. This handbook which will guide the mini-ethnographies that are the main cross-cutting data collection task in Phase 2 of the methodology (starting from the beginning of the 2nd year of the project).
In addition to all regarding to methodology, during the first year ReMeD researchers were mapping and comparing the legislation of ReMeD member countries. A questionnaire was distributed among the project partners for collecting the data. The result was an information about differences and notable aspects found between the legal frameworks of ReMeD's participating countries. This document is available to all project members. This is related to WP4.
We designed another questionnaire for WP2 to assess the difference between standard and evolving journalistic work in digital media. This typology has been catalogued as "Peripherical Journalist", which includes workers of digital news media, native digital journalists, fact checkers and content creators of media not related to traditional media. The questionnaire will be administered over the next few months.
Because of its novelty and the potential of its findings to open up new avenues and questions for research, the study of the media ecosystem using this ethnographic approach is a remarkable element of the ReMeD project.
The correct development of this methodology is fundamental to obtaining good results from the research. For this reason, during the first year of the project, the researchers dedicated themselves to understanding, clarifying the main objectives and organizing the steps for the application of this methodology.
Consideration of the successful development of ethnographic techniques has included some tasks during the first 12 months of the project:
• Discussion on ethnographic methodology conceptualisation during kick-off meeting (31 March 2023)
• Creation of the Methodology Coordination Group: a group of ReMeD researchers responsible for developing guidelines for the application of ethnographic techniques and resolving methodological issues during the project (April 2023).
• Individual meetings with the Methodology Coordination Group and each WP leader. These meetings focused on the implementation of the methodology according to the objectives of each WP (June 2023).
• Online training season with the participation of all WP members and the Methodology Coordination Group to clarify and adapt the correct implementation of the ethnographic tool (February 2024).
• Workshop or physical training session: open to all members of the project, this session provides a space to discuss the details of the ethnographic techniques and to answer questions about their immediate implementation.
• During the first year, the Methodology Coordination Group produced a handbook containing key concepts related to ethnographic research, previous experience in applying these techniques and a bibliography. This document also includes guidelines for sample selection and the development of in-depth interview and observation techniques. This document was circulated among ReMeD members and its content was expanded with the collaboration of some researchers. This handbook which will guide the mini-ethnographies that are the main cross-cutting data collection task in Phase 2 of the methodology (starting from the beginning of the 2nd year of the project).
In addition to all regarding to methodology, during the first year ReMeD researchers were mapping and comparing the legislation of ReMeD member countries. A questionnaire was distributed among the project partners for collecting the data. The result was an information about differences and notable aspects found between the legal frameworks of ReMeD's participating countries. This document is available to all project members. This is related to WP4.
We designed another questionnaire for WP2 to assess the difference between standard and evolving journalistic work in digital media. This typology has been catalogued as "Peripherical Journalist", which includes workers of digital news media, native digital journalists, fact checkers and content creators of media not related to traditional media. The questionnaire will be administered over the next few months.