The role of EU civil society in a globalised world of communications

The 11th Civil Society Media Seminar, which the European Economic and Social Committee is organising in cooperation with European institutions and with the support of the Spanish Economic and Social Council, the City of Madrid and  the Estonian presidency, will take place in Madrid from 23 to 24 November 2017.

Given the radical changes that the media have undergone as a result of globalisation – a process whereby everything is moving from print to digital, and the market is increasingly dominated by a small number of large transnational cooperations (technology, computing, telecommunications) – the topic we have chosen for 2017's seminar is "The role of EU civil society in a globalised world of communications".

Journalists, representatives from civil society, experts on modern communication tools and academics will discuss this topic, focusing in particular on social media and other phenomena that are either associated with it or have been exacerbated as a result of it, such as populism and fake news. Panellists will also discuss the measures that civil society can take not only to alleviate the undesirable effects of social media, but also to use certain developments to its own advantage. Last but not least, the seminar will look at the role of culture and the possibility of using social media in a positive way to promote cultural exchange and education.