This review of Work Package 6 (WP6) of the MeDeMAP project is being written while the WP6 members — the Community Media Institut (COMMIT), Charles University (CU), Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Mirovni Institut (MI) and the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) — are in the final stages of implementing Citizens’ Parliaments on Media and Democracy in their respective countries (and online in Germany for ÖAW). Prior to this, we researched best practice for Citizens’ Parliaments in Europe.
Citizens take part in MeDeMAP
Within the MeDeMAP Project, WP6 distinguishes itself through its research approach, operating at the intersection of the other work packages. This approach takes the form of Participatory Action Research, in which citizens gather in five citizens’ parliaments to learn, deliberate and develop resolutions on issues related to media systems, supply and demand. Both the results and the observed process will be analyzed in a subsequent stage.
A PAR design of Citizens’ Parliaments
The design of the Citizens’ Parliaments (CP) was based on a study of successful practices in Europe (Deliverable 6.1). This study drew on academic and non-academic literature, including evaluation reports, supplemented by interviews with practitioners. The WP6 partners contributed by researching their national experiences with CPs. The design incorporated a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach highlighted by Charles University in Deliverable 2.2. The Art of Hosting (AoH) was chosen as a facilitation method for the CPs as it focuses on creating a safe space for dialogue and encouraging the co-creation of proposals. In December 2024, all partners met in Vienna for an AoH training organized by COMMIT.
Five citizens’ parliaments on Media and Democracy
Twenty citizens from Austria, the Czech Republic, Ireland, and Slovenia form the local Citizens’ Parliaments on Media and Democracy, following a model script based on best practice. For each of the CPs, four sessions take place between March and May 2025. The participants form a diverse panel in terms of their geographical origin, socio-demographics, and views on media and politics.
The first session introduced the relationship between media and democracy, as well as the scope of the CP. The next three sessions each cover a specific subtopic: media systems and regulation, media representation, and participation in and through the media. Each session includes a learning phase in which experts and practitioners present the subtopic with practical examples. This is followed by a Q&A session, after which the participants deliberate on what they have learned. They then decide on the questions they are going to focus on and draft resolutions in small groups. Finally, the CP members present and discuss the resolutions in a plenary session before voting on their adoption.
Apart from the four face-to-face Citizens’ Parliaments, ÖAW has launched an online CP in Germany that follows the same structure and tests the feasibility of conducting a Citizens’ Parliament in an online format.
Learning objectives and learning materials
Charles University and COMMIT developed learning objectives for the CP sessions and produced three training videos with support from Lusofona. The videos feature interviews with experts from the other Work Packages. They present the main learning points related to media systems, media representation, and participation in and through media.
National presentations of the CP results
During the CP sessions that have taken place to date, CP participants have shown strong motivation to engage in participatory democracy and produce resolutions that support the democratic role of the media. The perspective of presenting the results to national policymakers, media stakeholders, and the public certainly increases their commitment. The national presentations will serve to disseminate the resolutions and raise awareness. The outcomes of all CPs will be presented in Brussels in January or February of 2026.
During the CP process, research data is gathered by collecting materials such as resolutions and other documents, as well as by taking observation notes and making audio recordings. A first insight into the preliminary analysis of the results will be presented at the MeDeMAP Project Meeting, which will take place in Sankt Pölten, Austria, from 24 to 26 September 2025.
For more information on the CPs you can find a report of each session on the MeDeMAP CPs Blog curated by COMMIT.
By Laurence Monnot, COMMIT