"Media coverage on European governance: Testing the performance of national newspapers"

The conditions for the emergence of a European media public sphere shall be tested by analyzing news coverage on European governance and policymaking of the year 2000. The sample includes eleven daily newspapers in six EU ¬member states. On the basis of a systemic content analysis three types of news shall be distinguished: First, European news characterized by the shared meaning of European events and issues. Second, Europeanized news characterized by the secondary impact of European events and issues on national news coverage. Third, national news on domestic events and issues characterized by evolving forms of European monitoring and rhetorics. By unfolding and comparing these three cases in the different national media, the theoretical argument will be made that a European public sphere can be identified which is based on the mutual observation of issues and events of common relevance and on the parallel development of communicative styles and discourses