INFORMATION POLICY AS A MEANS OF DEVELOPING CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of European integration as a process of industrial, political, legal, economic (also in some cases social and cultural) integration of states. It is presented that information policy plays a key role in European integration, as it shapes public opinion, ensures transparency of processes and promotes mutual understanding between member states and candidate countries. The components of information policy are studied, which stimulate the dissemination of information about the values, norms and advantages of European integration, as well as about the legal, economic and social aspects of integration. The role of platforms in the European audiovisual market is noted. It is argued that digital transformation will be the key to unlocking this true potential. It is proved that the competitiveness of the European media industry is of great importance. Information policy contributes to effective communication between EU institutions and citizens, helps to overcome negative stereotypes. Attitudes to key topics were determined: habits and sources of information about current social and political events, patterns of social media usage and preferences for information about current events, propensity for and response to disinformation, trust in messengers, interaction with influencers and creators of social media accounts and political content, as well as the best formats and types of content for political content on social media.