When it comes to reporting and analysing news from Europe – the Australian media emphasis has been primarily through the British lenses. Much of what happens in Europe and especially the European Union (EU) has been largely ignored or superficially addressed. Since the onset of the migration crisis in 2015 and rise of the Brexit momentum in 2016, followed shortly after by reporting of “populist” election outcomes, Australia has increased its attention towards Europe than it usually did. These events in Europe have all provided important political opportunities for reporting on Europe. What sources have the Australian media used for reporting on these issues? How have they presented the EU?
Language issues and the complexity of EU institutions and processes can be difficult to untangle, especially in a world of 24-hour news. Some Australian reporting has had a tendency to lean on British outlets rather than exploring the issues from an Australian or European perspective. However, the current negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with the EU and the prospect of working with a s ‘third country’ in the United Kingdom (UK) mean that there is a real need for Australian journalists to improve their understanding of how the EU functions, and how it is managing the various challenges that are currently in play. What does all of this mean for our region?
This series of workshops for journalists and journalism students bring the understanding of the EU alive and frame it for current debate in Australia. These workshops bring together various experts to explain how the EU works and how the challenges being faced are being reported.
Themes covered
- A crash course in European institutions: the who, what, where and how of the EU
- Different ways of reporting the EU
- Different voices from the EU and media reporting
- How will Australia manage its relationships with the EU and with the UK?
The program features interactive sessions with senior academics and practitioners, drawing on an interdisciplinary approach.
In 2019, workshops were held in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
Speakers
Speakers have included:
- Mark Kenny (ANU, Board director Nat Press Club, Columnist SMH and Age)
- Zoya Sheftalovich (Politico Europe)
- Davide Schiappapietra (SBS)
- Fabio Spadi (EU Delegation, Canberra)
- Professor Bruno Mascitelli (Swinburne University)
- Professor Bruce Wilson (RMIT)
- Associate Professor Alexey Muraviev (Curtin University)
- Antonia Mochan (Marketing and Communications at Uniting Vic & Tas and former Head of Media European Commission London Office)
Partners
- Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne
- European Union Centre at RMIT University, Melbourne
- University of Sydney
- Immigration Museum, Melbourne
With support from the Jean Monnet program of the European Commission.
This project is co-funded under the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Activities. Project number 600134-EPP-1-2018-1-AU-EPP-EPPJMO.
