Dear AMARC Europe members,
Dear friends and colleagues from the community media sector in Europe and worldwide,

The current technological shift to digital communication (infra)structures, the visible effects of big internet platforms and streaming services on the way we consume and produce media and information, the shift in the participation in democratic discourses and the impact on the (community) media landscape in Europe will be one key area for the up-coming work of AMARC Europe and also a key discussion point at the AMARC Europe General Assembly holding in autumn 2020.

While it is obvious that the proliferation of internet services and new technologies did not result in the expected fostering of democratic principles, upholding of human rights and the creation of a utopian universal European citizenship. The current developments rather bring up numerous challenges for the European project and are undermining the democratic minimal consensus of rule of law and the independence of essential tools of democracies e.g. elections. These platform are thereby threatening key areas of the democratic development in Europe such as social cohesion, diversity and dialogue by becoming platforms which can be used to disseminate mal- and disinformation (“Fake news”), delegitimise public services and are commercialising public communication spheres.

Therefore, we want to start a discussion with an initial member survey on the ways the current on-going technological developments are impacting the work and existence of our members and the community media sector and which answers and strategies have emerged out of these challenges.

Your answers will help to develop an AMARC Europe digitalisation strategy, common projects, activities and answers to the common challenges.

We would highly appreciate if you could fill this short questionnaire. Thank you!