The Future Media Lab. had the opportunity to sit down with Kerstin Jorna, Director, DG MARKT at the European Commission during our last conference in April. The conference, “Understanding Disruption,” prompted discussions about how disruptive technologies impact the media environment today and in the future, and what legislative challenges could arise from this. For more information about the conference, please click here.
FML: Representative of the Future Media Lab.
KJ: Kerstin Jorna
FML: Describe the future political climate.
KJ: I think this will depend on where Europe is heading. The choices are between integration and fragmentation. I personally believe we will go towards integration. This means we will have a European public space and some issues will be dealt with at a European level. Citizens will be interested to know about and contribute to that evolution and they will need translators to help them understand the issues at stake and the different interests. They will need the European media to play that role.
What came out of the discussion today is that participants still feel they need a European regulator to do two things. The first is to establish a level playing field and to ensure a reward for investment. The second is to guarantee a number of values such as privacy and intellectual property rights. I think this will provide the scope for where the intervention of the regulator will be. Another question will be the methods employed. Do we use the legislative process as the sole mean or do we use other complementary means – such as for example stakeholder debates and dialogues facilitated by the Commission? There is a whole array of methods.
FML: Will it be sorted out by 2050 or will there be new challenges?
KJ: I think there will be new challenges, for sure. You just need to look at the pace of evolution. But there will always be a place for media. The role media plays on focusing on certain topics and areas will still be as valid and in demand as today.
Image: Kerstin Jorna participating in a panel discussion at the Future Media Lab. April 2013 conference, Understanding Disruption. Photo ©Thomas Geuens.
