Open Keynote within the scope of the EUMEPLAT Project Meeting at
COMD, FF-B06, September 21, 2023 at 12:30-13:30
Protecting Digital Freedoms: On the Road with Giants
Josef Trappel, Department of Communication Studies, University of Salzburg
„Giants of flesh and steel” (Barlow) dominated the 20th century mass communication era. Freedom of expression and media freedom were carefully protected by national and supra-national checks and balances. Since Cybergiants emerged at the dawn of the 21st century, freedoms have to be recalibrated. While in some parts of the world, market forces are entrusted to ensure the protection of these freedoms, the European Union relies on regulation and rules for both types of giants. This talk will present contemporary EU legislation on digital platforms and critically examine its success.
Josef Trappel is Professor of media policy and media economics at the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Salzburg, Austria. He is Director of the Department and Director of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master programme “Digital Communication Leadership”. He studied communications and political science at the Universities of Salzburg and Zurich. His scientific and research work focuses on the relationship between media, digital platforms and democracy, changes in mass media structures and their implications on communication, national and international media policy and media economics. Together with Werner A. Meier he is the chair of the Euromedia Research Group. Recent research projects include “Media for Democracy Monitor” (2021) and “Euromedia Ownership Monitor” (2023).