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Jean Monnet Chair on European Integration

Jean Monnet Chairs are interactive teaching and research programmes funded by the EU which aim at excellence in the field of European integration. This Chair is the only European academic chair devoted to the study and research of European Integration Journalism, understood as an academic and professional area that explores and covers political, economic and social issues explicitly from a ‘European’ rather than a ‘local’ and ‘national’ perspective. Beginning in September 2016, this Chair will provides a coherent undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, and research program under the direction of Dr. Christos A. Frangonikolopoulos, Assoc. Professor of International Relations at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications (https://auth.academia.edu/ChristosFrangonikolopoulos).

Objectives 

Across the Greek media journalism community awareness of the concepts, aspects and prospects of European Integration Journalism remains limited. As a result, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, wishes and intends to launch academic teaching, research and analysis with a long-term goal to change the way European politics and challenges are reported by media outlets and journalists.

Today, given the interrelated and multidimensional problems/challenges facing the European Union, the undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications of Aristotle University, need to grasp the main lines of development of contemporary European policies and politics, and in so doing, also explore the new opportunities and challenges of journalism practices and coverage on the European Union, its institutions and policies.

The undergraduate program of the School, beginning in the 2013-14 academic year introduced a course on “The Politics of European Integration”. This effort will be strengthened with courses on journalism and European Integration, such as the “Media and European Integration” and “EU for Journalists: Policies and Policy Making”. The same applies for the English language postgraduate program of the School  on “Digital Media, Communication and Journalism”, which started in the academic year 2015-2016  and is the first of its kind among Greek Universities, especially its second pathway on ‘European Journalism’ which focuses not only on the analysis and teaching of the challenges facing the emergence of a European Public Sphere, but also on the key investigative, analytical and reporting skills regarding the coverage of the European Union and the process of integration. This effort will be enhanced with a course on “Communicating European integration” and an “Advanced Research Seminar on European Journalism and Integration”.

The Chair will not only focus on theoretical issues or descriptive accounts of ‘European Journalism’, but also will pay attention to practical issues and skills that are in short supply in Greece. In particular, through various publications and workshops, it will bring together academics, students and journalists, combining lectures and seminars with training and practical issues, with the following objectives: to increase the understanding of the links between journalism and the public opinion’s perceptions of the EU and to provide students and journalists with tools that will increase awareness of European issues and enhance their skills in reporting them. The benefits from the realization of the project for the society will be: the enrichment of the public perception of and public dialogue on European Integration, the advancement of academic research on European Integration Journalism and the employment of young researchers with knowledge of European news and European Integration. In particular, the teaching activities will be accompanied by public lectures and workshops by invited European academics and journalists who will communicate expertise, construction of a Web Site for the Chair, the publication by a leading international publisher of a book and the publication of two articles in peer reviewed journals.

The benefits from the realization of the project for the society will be:

  • the promotion of a different approach regarding issues European Integration
  • the advancement of academic research on European Integration Journalism
  • the linking between academic research and media organizations’ needs
  • the employment of young researchers with knowledge of European news and European Integration
  • the development of tools, that can provide guidelines and resource materials that media professionals, journalists and students currently need in order to report European news and European Integration

The Chair Holder

Christos Frangonikolopoulos is Associate Professor at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Aristotle University. He studied Politics and Government (BA Honors) and International Relations (PhD) at the University of Kent at Canterbury (England). He has worked as a diplomatic newspaper correspondent (1995-2003) and advisor to the Greek Parliament (1997-2003). He combines a significant research output with practical experience. His research interests and teaching have an interdisciplinary character, combining international relations, European Integration with European Journalism.

In Greece, he is the co-editor of the textbook The European Union in the 21st Century Hellenic Open University, 2008, author of the book The Global Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (I. Sideris, 2007), co-author of the books Greek Media and Foreign Policy (Ι. Sideris, 2011), An Introduction to Cosmopolitan Democracy and Global Governance (I. Sideris, 2010), Theory and Aspects of International Conflict Resolution (I. Sideris 1994), editor of the book Media and Society in Greece (I. Sideris, 2005), and author/co-author of over 30 chapters/papers in edited volumes and peer reviewed journals, as for example:

  1. “Issues of Accountability and Transparency of NGOs”, in A. Seferiades (eds.), Democracy at a Turning Point: Challenges in the early 21st century, (pp.468-482), Nisos, Athens, 2014.
  2. “Economic Crisis and the ‘national-self’: The case of Greek news portals and blogs’, in G. Plios (eds.), Crisis and the Media, (pp. 271-312), Papazisis, Athens, 2013.
  3. ‘Doubting neo-liberal globalization: The Communication Strategies of Global Civil Society’, in A. Kontis & C. Tsardanidis (eds.), Global Political Economy, (pp.143-173), Papazisis, Athens, 2012.
  4. “Interpretive frames of mega events: Covering the fall of the Berlin Wall 1989 and 2009 in the Greek Press’, in K. Kentrotis (eds.), After the ‘end’ of history, (pp.301-321), Sideris, Athens, 2012.
  5. “The democratization of global politics: The case for cosmopolitan democracy’, in K. Lavdas et. al. (eds.), Directions in the Study of International Relations, (pp.462-493), Sideris, Athens, 2010.
  6. “The role of international non-governmental organizations in the Balkans: A Critical Approach”, in N. Tzifakis and A. Houliaras (eds.), International Development Aid in the Balkans: Contradictions of Generosity, (pp. 147-177), Papazisis, Athens, 2007.
  7. “Non-governmental organizations and Greek foreign policy”, in P. Tsakonas (eds.), Greek Foreign Policy, (pp.421-463), Sideris, Athens, 2003).
  8. “An evaluation of the role and activities of non-governmental organizations in the Balkans”, in P. Siklias and A. Houliaras (eds.), The Diplomacy of Civil Society, (pp. 111-127), Papazisis, Athens, 2002.
  9. “External and International News: The Challenge of a Global Perspective”, Issues of Communication, Vol.14-15, 2012, pp. 47-59.
  10. “The effect of global information networks on foreign policy and international relations”, Issues of Communication, Vol. 7, 2008, pp. 39-55.
  11. “Changing the rules: The contribution of non-governmental organizations to global governance”, Greek Review of Political Science, Vol. 28, pp. 34-51, 2006.
  12. “The Division between ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Europe”, (in English) agora Without Frontiers, Vol. 8, pp. 267-285, 2003.

Outside Greece and in English he is the co-editor of the book Transnational Celebrity Activism: Changing the World? (London, Intellect 2011), author/co-author of over 30 articles/chapters/occasional papers in peer academic journals and edited volumes, as for example:

  1. “Trends in the presentation of Greek NGOs in the Press before and during the financial crisis”, Journalism, 2016, DOI: 10.1177/1464884915625632
  2. “Politics, Media and NGOs: The Greek Experience”, Perspectives on European Politics and Society, 2014, 15(4): 606-619.
  3. “Reinforcing global legitimacy and efficiency: the case for strategic discursive public diplomacy”, Global Discourse: An interdisciplinary journal of current affairs and contemporary thought, 2014, 4(1):49-67.
  4. “Explaining the role and impact of social media in the ‘Arab Spring’, Global Media Journal, 2012, 8(1):10-20.
  5. “Communicating Greece in Times of Economic Crisis: The role and significance of Public Diplomacy”, Etudes Helleniques/Hellenic, 20(2): 85-117.
  6. “Public Diplomacy: How to think about and improve Greece’s neglected component of foreign policy in times of economic crisis”, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 2012, 8(3):185-193.
  7. “Refocusing Public Diplomacy: The need for strategic-discursive Public Diplomacy”, Diplomacy and Statecraft, 2012, 23(4):728-745.
  8. “Global Civil Society and Deliberation in the Digital Age”, International Journal of Electronic Governance, 2012, 5(1): 11-23.
  9. “Foreign policy and the media in Greece: Marking a shift from confrontational to peace journalism”, International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, 2010, 6(2):243-249.
  10. “Russia’s re-emergence in the global capitalist system: Globalising or anti-globalizing force?”, Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 2010, 18(1):79-90.
  11. “Non-governmental Organizations and Humanitarian Action: The Need for a Viable Change of Praxis and Ethos”, Global Society, 2005, 19(1):49-73.
  12. “The policy and evolution of non-alignment: Past and future”, Paradigms, 9:1, 1995.
  13. “Tanzanian Foreign Policy: The Proportions of Autonomy”, The Round Table:
  14. The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs, No. 387, 1988.
  15. Strengthening Greek Public Diplomacy: Present Conduct and Future Potential, Discussion Papers in Diplomacy, Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Cligendael’, No. 124, 2012.
  16. Seizing the middle ground: Cosmopolitan Democracy, its critiques and possible steps forward for global governance, FP7 Project CR:EEN-Global Re-ordering: Evolution through European Networks, October 2012.
  17. “The Six-Nation Initiative as a Third Party in the Arms Control Process”, The Kent Papers in Politics and International Relations, Series 4, No. 2, 1995.
  18. “The challenge of transnational celebrity activism”, pp.7-25, in L. Tsaliki, C. Frangonikolopoulos and A. Houliaras (eds.), Transnational Celebrity Activism: Changing the World? (London, Intellect 2011).
  19. “Making sense of Transnational Celebrity Activism: Causes, Methods and Consequences”, pp. 295-313, in L. Tsaliki, C. Frangonikolopoulos and A. Houliaras (eds.) Transnational Celebrity Activism: Changing the World? (London, Intellect 2011).
  20. “Vox Populi, Vox Dei. Reporting the Iraq War in Greece”, (with Sophia Kaitatzi-Whitlock), pp. 145-171, in Stig Nohrstedt & Rune Ottosen (eds.), Global War-Local Views: Media Images of the Iraq War, Göteborg University, Nordicom, 2005.
  21. “Thought on Mediation”, pp. 131-137, in Stephen Chan, Kaunda and Southern Africa: Image and Reality in Foreign Policy, I.B.Tauris/British Academic Publishing, London, 1992.

Last, but not least, Associate Professor Christos Frangonikolopoulos has also participated in many research projects), as for example:

  • As member of the scientific committee that recorded and evaluated the role of Greek Civil Society for the international organization CIVICUS (2005).
  • As member (2008-2009) of the scientific committee in the pan-European programme ’Imagine your Future’, part of the British Council’s South East Europe Living Together programme (which digital storytelling by giving young migrants and members of minorities a voice and an opportunity to articulate their ambitions and promote positive perceptions for their community).
  • As research coordinator of the programme “The Accountability and Legitimacy of Greek NGOs” (2012-2015), and in particular of the research group studying the “Image and Recognizability of Greek NGOs”, co‐financed by the European Union (European Social Fund – ESF) and Greek national funds through the Operational Program “Education and Lifelong Learning” of the National Strategic Reference Framework.