Mediapunt: Knowledge Centre for Media Research

• Media monitoring
• Media use
• Cross media repertoires
• Knowledge centre

Project description

Mediapunt is the novel Knowledge Centre for Media Research, and aspires to become the reference for media research in Flanders. By consolidating and analyzing the results of extensive media research, Mediapunt will identify critical trends and formulate policy implications that will help shape the future of media in the region.

Why a knowledge centre?

Mediapunt provides an answer to two current challenges of the media ecosystem in Flanders. First, the media landscape is rapidly changing, and Mediapunt will monitor the latest trends. Second, across the different universities and other knowledge institutions, Flanders is the home of a wide variety of valuable media research. Today, these insights however often remain scattered and below the radar.

As a knowledge centre, Mediapunt seeks to gather, create and share knowledge on media use in Flanders.

Aims of the knowledge centre

1. Provide an overview of media research in Flanders in a database
2. Generate policy implications and meta-analyses on recurring research in Flanders, including imec.digimeter, Apestaartjaren, ENA and Digital News Report
3. Map cross media use
4. Perform ad hoc research initiated by policy makers
5. Disseminate the expertise of the knowledge centre with policymakers and media industry

Mediapunt's mission is further strengthened by its close cooperation with partners within the media sector and media policy. This collaborative approach will help ensure that the center's research is firmly rooted in the needs and realities of the industry.

Expected output

To make its findings widely accessible, Mediapunt will develop a range of formats, from a newsletter, to policy briefs and an up-to-date database of media research in Flanders. The annual overview of the state of the media in Flanders will be a must-read for policymakers and industry stakeholders alike. To do so, all publications are made publicly available on the website of Mediapunt.

Role of mict

We at imec-mict-UGent are proud to participate in this project, and we will:

• Cross media use. Mict is responsible for a study on cross media use, which seeks to unravel the different media repertoires in Flanders.
• Valorization. We support Mediapunt in valorization and dissemination of the project insights.
• Ad hoc research. We contribute to the ad hoc researches that are initiated by policy makers.

Project details

Partners: Mediapunt is a decentralised research centre, consisting of four research teams spread over three universities.

• Studies in Media, Innovation and  Technology (imec-SMIT), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and imec
• Media, Innovation and Communication Technologies (imec-mict), Ghent University and imec
• Antwerp Media in Society Centre (AMSoC), University of Antwerp
• Media, Movements, and Politics (M²P), University of Antwerp

Duration: January 2023 – December 2026

Contact: dr. Kristin Van Damme & prof. dr. Tom Evens