Media Seminar - European Consumer Summit 2011

Mary-Alice Arthur sent the following story about how she, Helen Titchen Beeth and Mary Heneghan hosted a World Café in the European Commission for media representatives and Commission staff. With their permission, we post this story here. May it inspire!

Hosts:

• Mary Alice Arthur, SOAR
• Helen Titchen-Beeth, European Commission
• Mary Heneghan, (then) Media Officer on Consumer Affairs, Directorate General for Health and Consumers, European Commission

Hosting Organisation/Sponsor:
European Commission

Location:
European Commission, Brussels, Belgium

Who was this World Café for:
• European media representatives who write or broadcast on topics which impact on peoples' daily lives as consumers
• European Commission staff supporting consumers in the European region, and the Media Team, Consumer Affairs, Directorate General for Health and Consumers

Purpose:
The Media Seminar was offered as part of the programme designed to give participants a good overview of the most topical consumer policies that were relevant for their audiences and the possibility to probe areas of special interest more deeply. The discussion also considered how and what the European Union provides to media, what does and doesn't work, what can be done in common support for consumers, and to build collegial relations.

Number of People Attending (approx): 25

Questions Used:

FOCUS
How can we best help each other in support of European consumers?

ROUND 1

• What time is it for consumers in Europe right now? (for example, is it time for them to be assertive/time to know and stand up for their rights?)
• What time is it for journalists? (For example, is it time for journalists to work differently? Serve a different purpose?)
• What time is it for the European Commission? (For example, is it time to work differently? Take on different functions?)

ROUND 2

• What difference could we make to European consumers by working together that we can't achieve on our own? How can we best help each other in support of European consumers?

Impact:

For Mary Heneghan, this was the start of a brand new career. At the beginning she was extremely reluctant to take on the idea of World Café, as dealing with the media is founded on a strict set of protocols. But she also wanted to make a difference and trusted us enough to go with the idea.

The Café format meant that people found themselves in conversations they would never have had and the questions enabled them to move away from their previous adversarial roles and really listen to each other.

"One thing we have in common: consumers are important to us – we need to know who they are and understand what matters to them. We also want to empower and educate them. Citizens who read articles on consumer affairs are better informed, more assertive and empowered than the average. This is encouraging for journalists, and something that the Commission needs to take on board."
~ Jaqueline Minor, Director of Consumer Affairs, Directorate-General for Health & Consumers

The journalists and Commission staff said:
“It was great to have the opportunity to meet journalists from other EU countries, to discover that we are all dealing with the same issues and that citizens have the same problems. Now we see an opportunity to talk to each other, to share experience and knowledge, so that we can help consumers even more through our broadcasting and writing. It has been really useful!”

“Europe promised it would make life better for citizens. Today showed that we are trying to do that.”

“We discovered each other in a human way.”

“It has broken down the barriers. I have never spoken to a journalist without a script and being nervous. There was no agenda, no message and no preconceived ideas.”

“The format was amazing. Before this I had a stereotyped view of the Commission and that’s now changed.”

And as for Mary -- she eventually left the Media Team and joined HRBC3 -- the team that supports participatory leadership (and the spread of the Art of Hosting practices) throughout the Commission. Once she got a taste of working this way, she just had to keep going!

Comments
The Media Seminar began as the journalists expected -- with a press conference. The room was set up with tables in a square, microphones, name cards -- very formal. When they went out for coffee, we changed it completely-- café tables, red and white checked tablecloths, flowers. We even ended up with a real waiter wearing a black suit and bowtie! They were shocked when they came back in. "Is this the right room?" some of them asked.

World Café did its magic and by the end of a few hours people were agreeing that this was the first time they had ever spoken as human beings without a protocol document between them. They decided they really were on the same side!

Please find a detailed report (with more pictures from the event) as an attached file below.