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Department of Economics

British Media, EU Membership and the Referendum

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British Media, EU Membership and the Referendum

Thursday 15 Dec 2016
Academics, civil servants, journalists and members of non-profit organisations discuss the role of the media in shaping attitudes towards the EU.

This conference brings together academics, civil servants, media professionals and members of non-profit organisations to discuss the role of British media in shaping public attitudes towards the EU. Of particular interest are the complex relationship between British media and different strands of Euroscepticism, and the potential impact of social media and new technologies on political engagement in general.

The relationship between media, attitudes and behaviour is complex and may have serious consequences for British political life. There is a clear need to bring together studies from different disciplines such as Political Sciences, Media and Communication, and Political Economy, and communicate them to the general public in an accessible language. By providing unbiased and clear reports about the impact of the media on public opinion, we seek to contribute to a more comprehensive and transparent debate about the relationship between the UK in the EU.

The event is supported by the UK in a Changing Europe initiative, and organised by the Department of Economics and Warwick Policy Lab.

For further information, please contact Tatiana Coutto - t.coutto@warwick.ac.uk

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Event Programme

Time

Venue: The Shard, London - 19th January 2017

9.00-9.30am

Registration

9.30-11.00am

Opening remarks and Panel (1): UK-EU relations six months after the referendum

This comprehensive panel takes stock of Brexit negotiations and discusses the economics, political and social implications of triggering Art.50 to the UK and the EU.

Chair: Dr Tatiana Coutto, University of Warwick

Panel Speakers:

  • Prof David Bailey, Aston University
  • Prof Simon Hix, LSE
  • Prof Anand Menon, KCL
  • Prof Paul Taggart, University of Sussex
  • Prof Vera Troeger, University of Warwick

11.00-11.15am

Coffee Break

11.15-12.40pm

Panel (2): Communicating politics and the EU to the British public: an interdisciplinary view

This panel will discuss methodological and empirical trends concerning the influence of the media on political behaviour. Special attention will be paid to the framing of EU affairs in Europe, and to the relationship between media and Euroscepticism. The panel will also discuss future perspectives.

Chair: Dr Elena Lazarou, European Parliament 

Panel Speakers:

  • Mark English, European Commission
  • Prof Oliver Daddow, University of Nottingham
  • Prof Alison Harcourt, University of Exeter
  • Prof Abhinay Muthoo, University of Warwick
  • Prof Claes de Vreese, University of Amsterdam

12.40-1.40pm

Buffet lunch

1.40-3.00pm

Panel (3): Communicating politics and the EU to the British public: “old” and “new” media
This panel will discuss specific features of online and social media, and to what extent existing models of content and discourse analysis may be adapted in order to better tackle the relationship between political communication and public attitudes. The panel will also discuss media neutrality, and possible policy strategies to fight misreporting and the diffusion of fake news on the internet.

Chair: Prof Stefania Paredes Fuentes, University of Warwick

Panel Speakers:

  • Dr Clare Llewellyn, University of Edinburugh
  • Amy Longland, My Life My Say
  • Caroline Macfarland, CoVi (Common Vision)
  • Emran Mian, Social Market Foundation
  • Will Moy, Full Fact

3.00-3.15pm

Coffee break

3.15-4.30pm

Panel (4): Media, technology and youth engagement. Concluding remarks

This panel tackles issues such as turnout among young voters in the UK and elsewhere, how they obtain information about politics and policy processes, and their perceptions vis-a-vis the relationship between the UK and the EU.

Chair: Siobhan Benita, University of Warwick

Panel Speakers:

  • Mete Coban, My Life My Say
  • Dr Robin Hill, University of Edinburgh
  • Kenny Imafidon, Bite the Ballot
  • Paul MacIntyre, Myton School, Warwickshire
  • Jill Robinson, Aston University