Małgorzata Winiarska-Brodowska

Internet plays an increasingly important role in the political communication between citizens and institutions of the European Union. There are the potentials and constraints of the Internet in terms of mediating or facilitating the communication processes for citizens. The World Wide Web may contribute to the democratization of the Union.  Nonetheless it appears that the right communication policy of the EU institutions is essential in this context. The results of content analysis of the European Commission’s websites allowed to indicate main trends in the EU communications. Application of such techniques as simplifi cation, visualization, personalization, dramatization and polarization redounds to the changes in political communication in the EU. Prevalence of techniques that aim to increase communication attractiveness – being in thrall to the rules of marketing – may have a negative impact on civic participation in the political processes in the EU and also on the institution of European citizenship

Health communication strategies of the European Union

Public health is one of the priorities of the European Union. The EU institutions complement and encourage the member states to take action for protecting and improving health. Promotion of health is of particular importance for contemporary European society and for that reason the EU health communication strategies, directed to the EU citizens, were analyzed. The European Antibiotic Awareness Day was presented as an example of a public health campaign conducted in the EU. The study explores: the role of press, radio and television and the significance of new media in the EU communication strategies concerning health; the citizen empowerment and the activity enhancement (especially engaging the patient in health communication); as well as health education.