Over the last decades, the Club of Venice has provided an informal forum for senior communication professionals from European institutions and member state governments. Aiming at connecting European professionals and fostering effective communication with an emphasis on Europe, the Club of Venice has organised numerous events over the past decades with topics ranging from strategic communication to the migration crisis.
The book comprises among others chapters on government communication, crisis communication, online communication and media freedom. Authors include partners of the KAS Media Program South East Europe, such as Oliver Vujović ("Media freedom today"), Alex Aiken ("Government communication in Europe - deliver, create and inspire"), Vuk Vujnović ("Public communication between projecting values and feeding populism") and Stefan Vukotić ("Public diplomacy and branding: re-telling Europe").
Since government communicators in South East Europe face very unique and particular challenges, Christian Spahr, Director of the Media Program South East Europe, has been invited to evaluate current developments from a South East European perspective in his own chapter: "Media in turmoil – and how about trust in politics?"
In his contribution, Christian Spahr gives an overview of the developments that have led to a decreasing trust in media, such as budgetary constraints and difficult framework conditions. "Today, much less journalists produce much more news, and this inevitably leads to a lower quality", he states and adds that this may result in "weak newsrooms (that) are less immune to PR content and other forms of influence." Since this worrying development has been accompanied by a substantial strengthening of political communication and PR in general due to better working conditions for spokespersons, Christian Spahr emphasises the need for responsible communication that does not try to manipulate the media but adheres to ethical standards.
The KAS Media Program itself aims at strengthening independent media as well as political communication in the countries of South East Europe and organises conferences and workshops in this European spirit, some of them in cooperation with the Club of Venice.
Author: Konstanze Nastarowitz
Topics
On the Self-inflicted Causes of the Crisis in Journalism
The fire disaster in Kočani: Shock for state and society in North Macedonia
Why an independent Digital Ministry is indispensable and how it could be structured
The election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission
Presidential and parliamentary elections in North Macedonia: victory for the opposition VMRO-DPMNE