Go Local – The Local Mediain the North of Italy

Communicating Europe – Going LocalBrussels, 5 June 2007

Matteo FornaraRappresentanza a Milano della Commissione Europea

Commissione Europea

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NORTHERN ITALY

• 8 regions

• 48 provinces

• Population: 25 million• Local newspapers:

– diffusion: 4/1 vs national press– Big influence on local public opinion– Specific political situation

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GO LOCAL – THE MEDIA2006

• 60 newspapers’ HQ visited in 46 provinces

• Meeting with the Director

• Local dimension of the EU news

• EU dimension of the local news

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THE MEDIA

• Different structures – dimension– news coverage (only local vs

local + national & international)– website (or not)– …

… Our task: answer to their needs, not ours!

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ACTION

• Direct collaboration REP – media started

• Every week: 2-3 EU-related news sent to each of them– on issues of direct interest for them– In an adapted language (no

bureaucratic, avoid references to the unknown world of Brussels…)

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RESULTS

• Publication in various ways (episodical; periodical; specific places)

• Feed-back and requests from them (both the media and the readers)

• Specific actions for journalists organised

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ACTIONS

• Seminars for journalists (Turin, Piacenza, Trieste, Rimini, Pavia..)

• Visits to Brussels (next: September)

• Joint initiatives media – REP - schools

• Collaboration with the ED (top: Piemonte, Turin)

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CHALLENGES

• Adapt the product even more to the specific needs

• Widen the impact on other media (TV, radio, web)

• Give continuity: no end date (ressources to Milan)