The EU Centre at RMIT University with the School of Media and Communication (RMIT) and the Media and Democracy in Eastern Europe Research Project (MDCEE) at the University of Oxford, UK, invite you to attend the Centre's inaugural annual conference entitled Media, Communication and Democracy: Global and National Environments.

The Treaty of Lisbon, adopted in December 2009, has marked a significant development in the European Union’s approach to external affairs. The European Union has been at the forefront of debate and legislative action about democracy, and about establishing common principles in relation to rights and democratic processes, especially with the ongoing expansion of the number of Member States in the Union. In the wake of Wikileaks, it is apparent that the role of media and communications in democratic processes is more important than ever.

Panels, papers and debate will focus on media, communication and democracy in the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe, the Asia Pacific region, Latin America or Africa, as well as the established areas of Europe and Australia. In a world of regular, unforeseen crises and growing power of media owners, online and otherwise, various questions about the implications for democratic processes will be explored.

Further details and registration form below...