Füricht-Fiegl, Gerda

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Official Name
Füricht-Fiegl, Gerda
Main Affiliation
Team Europe (Speakers network of the European Commission)
EAPC (The European Association of Political Consultants)
Akademische Titel
PhD
Status
staff

Research Outputs

2020 2020 2019 2019 2018 2018 2017 2017 2016 2016 2015 2015 2014 2014 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.6 0.6 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.0
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
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    Publication
    EU Think Tanks in the Back Seat? Perspective for the 21st Century
    (Verlagshaus Hernals, 2014)
    Füricht-Fiegl, Gerda 
    ;
    Dialer, Doris 
    Our central argument was that EU think tanks’ evolution has resulted in an interconnected hybrid EU think tank sphere, built on a common need for access to the political elite, to financial resources, and to media attention. We substantiated our claim by taking a closer look at three dominant Brusselsbased EU think tanks. Hence we proved that their activities are driven by the logics of the market or more precisely the ‘art’ of responsiveness to political demand and the ability to sell ideas. In this struggle for economic survival a tendency for enhanced competition but also cooperation can be recognised in approaching the target audience. EU think tanks tend to please politicians and EU stakeholders by giving intellectual feed to pre-existing concepts. You hardly find any EU-sceptic think tanks around Brussels. Yet, without producing innovative ideas, they only act as a driving force behind already established political debate. We argued that meeting the challenges of 21st century requires updating think tanks’ logic from an obsolete “EU operating” system focused entirely on corporate and institutional elites to a future orientated “EU shaping” system that emphasises creative and innovative thinking beyond existing institutional and financial frameworks.
      111  426
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    Publication
    (Social) Media and their Role in Public Discourse
    (Institut für den Donauraum und Mitteleuropa; Böhlau Verlag GmbH & Co.KG, Wien, 2020)
    Füricht-Fiegl, Gerda 
    The role of the mass media in political communication and more specifically agenda setting has changed significantly, not only since Donald Trump’s opposition to traditional mass media and preference for social media. The following article examines the role of the media in the formation of public opinion in liberal democracies. In particular, the paper explores a shift in the power of interpretation in the agenda setting process, for example, when journalists are questioned in their gatekeeper role. From Gatekeeper to Gatewatcher? This perceived threat to journalism is receiving attention in many places. Social media are the main drivers of this role change. Yet how are they changing public discourse and the role of mass media? The paper discusses these two core questions as well as the opportunities and risks for political discourse that the increasing use of social media entails.
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