European survey on Media & Diversity

Internews Europe, the IFJ and the Media Diversity Institute are working on a joint project to identify best practices by and about media regarding the depiction of non-discriminatory topics and the promotion of diversity throughout thirty European countries. The participating institutions hope that this report will support the understanding of how journalism can help promoting diversity and fighting discrimination. The idea for this project was established in the aftermath of the Eurobarometer survey on attitudes of Europeans towards discrimination, which showed that, in terms of influence on society, the media rank in third position after parents and education.
The project is funded by the European Commission. The study will look for best practice in this area by identifying the most significant and innovative initiatives taken by or about the media to fight discrimination and to promote diversity. The initiatives will then be classified, their outcome and impact assessed, and any gaps identified. A seminar will be held in Prague in January 2009 to debate and finalise the recommendations prior to publication and submission to the European Commission.