View presentations from this event:

Hans Weder, University of Zurich

Gabriele Siegert, Matthias Gerth, University of Zurich

Werner A. Meier, Pietro Rossi, University of Zurich

Robert Picard, Jonkoping University

Patrick Donges, University of Zurich

Jesper Strombaeck, Mid Sweden University

Experts from Switzerland, Europe and the US discuss their research on political communications and media democracy in this 2-day workshop. By presenting theoretical and empirical findings relating to democratic norms and practices with an emphasis on modern election campaigns, a special focus is given to the health of a democracy and the extent to which voters are willing and able to influence their society via the ballot box.

This conference is organized jointly by SwissGIS (Swiss Centre for Studies on the Global Information Society) and NCCR Democracy (National Centre of Competence in Research on Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century) to celebrate Zurich University’s 175th anniversary on the US West Coast.

Please note this is Day 2 of a 2-day event – mandatory registration is free and it is possible to register for each day separately. For Day 2 click here; for the introductory roundtable "How Do News Media impact Elections?" click here.

Download the complete conference program.

PROGRAM: DAY 1

19:15am   Doors open, registration

19:45am   Welcoming remarks:

• Elmar Ledergerber, Mayor of the City of Zurich
• Hans Weder, Rector of the University of Zurich 

10:30am   Keynote speakers:

• Shanto Iyengar, Stanford University: Changing Patterns of Political Communication
• Lance Bennett, University of Washington: Media Structures and Democracy

12:00pm   Lunch break

11:00pm   Panel 1: Media Power and Media-Politics-Relations in Europe and the United States

Mediatization describes a distinctive stage in the long-term development of contemporary mass democracies in which many political processes have grown more or less dependent on the mass media. Broad questions on the role of journalism and news in a globalized world will lead the panel into a discussion focusing on the relationship between media and politics in modern mass democracies. Full program

Panelists: Steve Reese, University of Texas, Austin

Panelists: Daniel Hallin, University of San Diego

Panelists: Jesper Stroembaeck, Mid Sweden University

Panelists: Frank Marcinkowski, NCCR-Democracy

Panelists: Patrick Donges, University of Zurich

13:45pm   Panel 2: Monitoring the Democratic Performance of the Media: Research and Records in the United States and Europe

Media are essential for the functioning of contemporary democracies. For over 60 years, media researchers, social scientists, media professionals and journalists struggle to monitor how media performance is linked to democratic quality. The panel looks at contemporary issues for media monitoring, methodological problems and ways of policy implementation. Full program

Panelists: Mark Whitehouse, IREX Europe

Panelists: Amy Mitchell, Project for Excellence in Journalism, Washington DC

Panelists: JGabriele Siegert, University of Zurich

Panelists: Matthias Gerth, University of Zurich

Panelists: Josef Trappel, University of Zurich

Panelists: Tanja Maniglio, University of Zurich

16:00pm   Program ends