The field of media studies, broadly conceived, will become more and more important in the coming years. It is therefore equally important that we – scientists, policy makers and citizens – make sure that we do the things that need to be done. However, this will require choices and these are not trivial. To set these priorities in a responsible manner, it is important to not only take into account the institutional and organizational diversity of the relevant academic disciplines and traditions, but also to acknowledge the diverging needs of a wide variety of stakeholders.
The ESF Forward Look “Media studies: new media and new literacies” aims to meet this need by identifying a common, European research agenda and specifying the institutional frameworks that would help advance the organizational cohesion of European media research.