As part of CICANT's 20th anniversary celebrations, Lusófona University hosted a special roundtable and book presentation focused on "Democracy and Media in Europe: A Discursive-Material Approach," the latest work by scholars Nico Carpentier and Jeffrey Wimmer.
The event, titled "Imagining New Relations for Media and Democracy: Beyond Defeatism," took place on October 8th, from 11 am to 1 pm, in Professor José Araújo's Auditorium. The panel was chaired by Manuel José Damásio, with the authors providing exclusive and deep insights into their work.
Lusófona's academic community engaged in the discussion, collectively reflecting on dilemmas related to citizenship, participation, and democracy in the contemporary age. CICANT researchers Sara Pina, José Gomes Pinto, and Maria José Brites posed critical questions, problematized the book's key topics, and challenged the audience to collectively reflect on the risks, dangers, and challenges that democracy is currently facing.
The conversation explored current democratic practices and media dynamics across Europe, prompting participants to move beyond pessimistic assessments toward constructive approaches for strengthening both media and democratic systems. The dialogue blended academic insights with local and historical perspectives, engaging participants in a critical reflection about the future of media-democracy relations.
This event was co-organised by the Horizon Europe project MeDeMAP - Mapping Media for Future Democracies (HE 101094984), which Lusófona University/ CICANT integrates. The roundtable recording will soon be available on MeDeMAP's channels.
About the book
"Democracy and Media in Europe: A Discursive-Material Approach" presents research conducted within the Horizon Europe project MeDeMAP - Mapping Media for Future Democracies (HE 101094984). The book examines European media and democratic systems through a comprehensive framework that addresses both the communicative aspects of democratic participation and the material conditions that shape media practices. The publication is available on the Routledge website and also as an open-access version.