by Laurence Monnot, COMMIT
On Saturday, March 22, twenty citizens gathered in Vienna for the inaugural meeting of the Citizens‘ Parliament on Media and Democracy in Austria. They became acquainted with the main topic of Media and Democracy and drew up a first list of questions that they will discuss and adopt resolutions on in the next sessions.
Adopting rules for discussion and collaboration
The first of the four sessions focused on the central topic of media and democracy and on how to work together as members of the citizens‘ parliament. Accompanied by the two experienced moderators Ruth Picker and Markus Götsch, the 20 participants worked alternately in small groups and plenary sessions. As soon as they got to know each other, it became clear that everyone was highly motivated. The participants agreed on principles and rules for respectful and productive collaboration, including “listen and let others have their say”, “stick to the subject” and “allow humor”. Which, as the many laughs in the small groups showed, was immediately put into practice.
“Media and democracy” as a central topic
Prof. Josef Trappel from the University of Salzburg introduced the topic of “Media and Democracy”. This was followed by a lively exchange with the participants. After the lunch break, Helmut Peissl, Managing Director of COMMIT, gave an overview of the three topics of the upcoming sessions on which the Citizens‘ Parliament will pass resolutions: Media Systems and Media Regulation, Participation in and through the Media and Representation in the Media. Graphic designer Verena Hochleitner artistically processed the inputs and questions on a poster.
Issues for the next sessions
The participants then worked in small groups in several rounds to develop a set of questions on the topics, which they want to explore more in depth in the next sessions. This initial list will be supplemented in the course of discussions with experts and among members in the next sessions. Transparency and quality criteria for media funding in Austria and for digital platforms aroused great interest, as did topics such as trust in the media, media literacy, and more inclusion and diversity in the media.
Next meeting on April 5 on media system and media regulation
At 6 p.m., the CP members said goodbye to each other with the good feeling of “having achieved something together”. The next meeting will take place in two weeks. After an exchange with Nikolaus Forgó, Professor of Technology and Intellectual Property Law at the University of Vienna, and Daniela Kraus, Secretary General of the Concordia Press Club, the Citizens‘ Parliament will adopt resolutions on media system and media regulation.