European Communications Policy

This task, given to MC by Margot Wallstrom the EU Commissioner for Press and Communications, is reckoned in PR circles to be "one of the most strategically important communications budgets." It is intended "to anchor the policies of the EU more deeply in European public consciousness".[1] In total 80 million euros annually will be at its disposal [2] for EU public relations activities. These will be deployed within the framework of a unified EU "Communications Policy" "to help close the gap between the EU and its citizens" [3] - a circumlocution for breaking up the expected resistance to Berlin's intention to carry through the EU constitution.

Plan D

At the end of 2005 the EU Commission decided on "Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Discussion" to neutralise resistance. In the "White Book on a European Communications Policy", the media were allocated a key role. The official view was that reporting of EU matters by newspapers, radio and TV stations was "little and fragmentary", so a "better instrument of communication" must be brought into operation.[4] Next consideration was given to the creation of an in-house news agency ("inter institutional service"). As critics remarked, this would give the EU Commission " supremacy of interpretation in reporting its own activities".[5] After this proposal was removed from the table in face of massive protests, a new project "Europe by Satellite" is being built up. It will provide a central service of news provision for TV stations which will be offered pre-produced reports ("high quality audio visual content").[6] EU strategists are counting on the considerable cost saving to broadcasters in personnel if they reduce their own EU reporting staff or get rid of them completely. "Europe by Satellite" is therefore attractive to TV stations, which could broadcast its output as their own reporting.

Penetration

With its offices in Berlin and Cologne, the PR agency Media Consulta, now under contract to the EU Commission, is well placed for such an enterprise. The firm offers so-called integrated communications campaigns in which content provided by the client is blended into editorial programmes in the media. With the help of "allied" journalists pre-prepared interviews and editorial commentaries on required themes are so placed that they no longer recognisable as the opinions and assertions of the client. This technique is used alongside traditional promotional methods such as newspaper advertisements, radio and TV spots as well as large poster campaigns and the use of pseudo events ("Event PR"). "Doubtful seekers after truth" will be "persuaded" by exhibitions, lectures, podium discussions and instructional units in schools. As Managing Director Harald Zulauf states, it is the final aim of MC-organised campaigns to give "an optimal penetration of the key opinion formers in the target groups".[7]

Pan-European

Media Consulta claims to have almost 600 employees, operational "in all 25 EU states as well as in the two accession states Romania and Bulgaria." Additionally it has a "pan European agency network" at its disposal. Thus the agency is the only one in its field able to " execute large integrated PR and promotional campaigns Europe-wide". This enabled the freezing out of French, British and US-American competition.[8]

Public Relations

MC, with an annual turnover of 134 million euro is noted for its remarkable closeness to German government bodies. Its clients include the German Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ). Before he joined MC in 1993, Managing Director Zulauf worked as a TV journalist for Westdeutscher Rundfunk in Cologne. From 1987 to 1989 he was PR advisor to the then Defence Minister, Christian Democrat Manfred Woerner. From 1990 he worked in the office of the public trustee, responsible for the privatisation of East German media.[9] In 2004 Zulauf declared that his agency was "optimally positioned" for the continuing eastern expansion of the EU. Especially for large companies, its work would be "highly attractive".[10]

Politico-Military

Zulauf's expertise appears to be very welcome at the EU Commission. Media Consulta has not only been entrusted with image campaigns but with the subversive media propaganda conducted against Belarus at Berlin's demand.[11] The agency is dedicated to the promotion of a Common European Military Policy (European Security and Defence Policy/ESDP), in which it has supported the federal government. On the instructions of Javier Solana, General Secretary of the European Council, it publishes an "ESDP Newsletter" with a print run of 20,000. This is targeted at journalists ("multipliers"), diplomats, officials and researchers. Media Consulta may well have strategic significance for the carrying through of another aim of German Foreign policy, the so-called EU constitution.

[1] Media Consulta unterstützt EU-Medienstrategie; PR-Journal 16.02.2005
[2] Generaldirektion Kommunikation: Jährliches Arbeitsprogramm betreffend Finanzhilfen und Aufträge im Bereich Kommunikation für das Jahr 2006
[3], [4] Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaften: Weißbuch über eine europäische Kommunikationspolitik, Brüssel 2006
[5] Daniela Weingärtner: Margot Wallström - Sprachrohr des europäischen Turms zu Babel, in: Das Parlament 27.03.2006
[6] see also Expelled from Class
[7] Harald Zulauf: Mehr als Werbung - Politik-PR in der Praxis, in: Forum.Medien.Politik. (Hg.), Trends der politischen Kommunikation. Beiträge aus Theorie und Praxis, Münster 2004, S. 142-154
[8] Pressemitteilung der Media Consulta 09.07.2004
[9] www.media-consulta.com
[10] Pressemitteilung der Media Consulta 09.07.2004
[11] see also Über Minsk hinaus
[12] Pressemitteilung der Media Consulta 06.01.2006