From European Identity and Media Imperialism to Public Diplomacy: The Changing Rationale Behind Euronews

Euronews can be regarded as Europe’s most experimental and successful pan-national broadcaster. It is increasingly international in its organisation and output. The issues covered no longer concentrate on Europe. ‘Going global’ is the channel’s new motto. This paper outlines the changing rationale behind the creation of Euronews. It starts by discussing the American cultural imperialism of the 1970s and 1980s and the way it ignited European responses and counter-measures. It subsequently examines the politics of pan-national identity building in Europe and media’s role in the process. Finally, it demonstrates how Euronews has transformed itself into an instrument of the European Union’s transnational public diplomacy.