Interview conducted by Davor Marko, 18 January, 2017
Media Intelligence Service (MIS) is the primary market research unit of the EBU, but it also combines market related data with inputs from the academic and research community that might be valuable in the planning of future strategies. By providing a trustworthy and tailored analysis, the main goal of MIS is to support Public Service Media (PSM) in member states in their everyday operations. Roberto Suarez Candel, who has been leading this unit for more than 4 years, has a strong academic background in media studies. Passionate about research, visual presentation and the future of PSM, Mr. Suarez, together with his team, has contributed significantly to the establishment and recent expansion of MIS, its visibility and undisputable impact on EBU members.
What is the main philosophy that drives Media Intelligence Service activities?
Our goal is to collect all kinds of data about our members, public service broadcasters around Europe, to understand trends and how they impact public service media. Then our role, as a professional association, is to make all these data available to our members, to produce trustworthy analysis, to deliver relevant arguments to them, and to make the case for public service media. Basically, we provide all kinds of data and arguments to create a discourse on why they are valuable to society. In addition, we support them in strategic processes. Not all broadcasters across Europe have the capacity and resources, like the BBC, to establish in house research teams. EBU and MIS also bring an international perspective to our members.
How does your unit generate knowledge from these data to create visible, sound, and feasible solutions for your members?
There are several aspects. First - and this is something that existed in the past but we have added a new perspective to it - we conduct a Media Intelligence Survey every year, asking our members to provide all kinds of data about their performance, including a list of their services, their investments in programming, their funding, etc. As a result, at the moment, we have the biggest, and a unique, database on PSM. We are also buying data from third parties. These data might relate to the market, audience measurement, and so on. In order to provide value to our members, it is not only a question of making these data available, or producing some kind of analysis we consider to be interesting, we first need to understand their needs. With that in mind, we try to have constant contact with our members. So, in my case, I travel every year in order to visit members, to talk with them in order to understand their needs in terms of research and strategy, and based on this we plan how to support them with data. It is based on very fluent and constant communication with our members. In addition to that, our task, as a point of reference in terms of research, is to be in contact with the academic community, since what is developed by academia might also be interesting for professionals, and it is also our role to identify the key trends that might have an impact on public services. If you asked me now – what are these topics, I would say contestable funding, since in several countries we have the situation where money from public broadcasters is taken to create a fund and competition for private broadcasters to produce programs of public interest. It is also a question of big data, algorithm based content, and a question of the legitimization of public service. So, we are identifying all these topics, and here – me and my team – we are trying to see what the best way to deliver data and analysis is.
What is particular about your services, and this is a kind of innovation, is that you are trying to present data in an innovative way, to be visually attractive. How do you make the balance between the content and presentation format? And how you decide on the channels of communication, which are also important?
When we arrived, we realized that the reports produced by EBU were 200 pages long, huge, and that nobody read them. The reality is that TV and broadcasting professionals, executives, they don't have much time, and they are not used to reading a lot. If you produce a 200 page volume on any topic, even if it is the best research, with the best scholars and market analysts, it is not going to be read. Yes, we conduct research, following strict academic procedures, taking into account different perspectives on analysis, methodological settings; some of my team have an academic background like me, but the outcome cannot be a paper, a book. It has to be a report with a lot of visual elements. It includes graphic elements that attract attention, with big headlines, and when they become interested in the details, they will call you. Online channels are the main ways we need to communicate to our members. We use our website, as a point of reference, to publish the stories, but also we use LinkedIN, Twitter, but not Facebook so much within my unit. Everything is available online, so our members can go to the website to log in and access the digital library we have there. But going radical and being only digital is not a solution. What we have realized, when we have our general assemblies and big meetings, my team always has an information point, with all our reports on paper. High level managers love to take documents away. We also send printed reports to a targeted public. Then people have it on their desk. In many cases when you have it on your desk, you can easily look for any information. It is easier than going to the website, logging in, searching for the document, etc. So, it is a combination of traditional and more innovative channels.
A hard part of your work is to convince the managements of PSBs and decision makers that data can be very useful for the creation of different strategies. Do EBU members have enough capacity to absorb your inputs and implement the different solutions that you propose to them?
We are overloaded today and don't have time for anything. At the moment MIS is producing a huge volume of reports and data, but expecting every manager to have all these in mind is not realistic. So we constantly need to work on the awareness that EBU is there with its Media Intelligence Service, which is producing reports that can be useful for them. And they should also consider us when they have an idea. We are constantly improving our website, making it easy to find information with the fewest clicks, and we are also trying to print some documents and present data that way, and we are always available on the phone. In many cases I tell them, don't waste your time looking for certain data, just call me or any of our senior analysts, tell me what you need and we will tell you where to find it. In fact, the most successful service we have is what we call “information request” – people can call us at any moment. This is a very challenging and also an exciting part of our work, but it really delivers value. For example, we have managers that have to be prepared for parliamentary meetings and they need some benchmarks on the funding of their company or of companies in similar countries. They can call us, and we prepare all the information for them. Since our team is well organized, getting data and creating maps is a job we can complete in half an hour. I would say to many of our academic colleagues, you can't just sit and wait for people to come and grab your research, you need to bring it to them, you need to cut it into pieces and adapt it to their needs and you need to be available. In many cases it is not only about having a website and putting some articles on it, you need to be available, to be open, to be called and to be asked about your expertise. That's even easier than writing an email. I prefer to call people and ask them directly.
Our platform, Policy Hub, is oriented towards the public from Western Balkan countries. What are your experiences when it comes to WB countries so far?
The EBU is very committed to the development of the PSBs in the Western Balkan countries. In fact, some of the people who might be watching know the EBU has a partnership program which is supported by the European Commission by some funding. We also have people here in the EBU, like Mrs. Radka Betcheva who comes from Bulgaria and knows the region well, and we also collaborate very much with Boris Bergant. We are in constant contact with broadcasters, trying to support them in addressing their most urgent problems. We are also helping their staff to develop their mentality and practices; we also support them with research. We receive many questions from the countries in the area, and we are happy to help. In many cases, I must say, our potential to help broadcasters there is higher than the impact we can have on the BBC, which is an enormous broadcaster with plenty of researchers, good funding, etc. In general, I think the services the EBU is providing to these countries are well perceived, they are valued, and I must say we have never had any trouble in the region. They have demonstrated willingness to improve things, they are aware how politics is having an impact in some cases, and that is not always positive, and people are aware that things can be done to improve the situation regarding public broadcasters and their services. And these societies want to know what is happening around them. Generally, I have found very positive and dynamic attitudes.
Can you provide us with an example of a country from the region where you have had a positive experience with a PSB management, or any other stakeholder relevant to the policy making process?
I can share a just recent experience when I exchanged some emails with Croatia. I am very aware, since I had a meeting with the new director general, Mr. Markota, in December, that HRT is actively using all the research we produce in order to develop their strategy. I recently had an email conversation with the head of the International Relations unit because they wanted to check and verify some data that we provide. Actually, you can see an interest from these countries not only in receiving but in ensuring that what the data base provides properly portrays the country and broadcaster in the right way. In most of the cases we need to help, but we are not natives – no member from my team is from the region. For us, understanding the reality in which broadcasters operate is very valuable.
In the region of the Western Balkans knowledge regimes are still weak and in the process of policy development and research is still looking for a proper niche in the decision making process. What is your impression - are current strategies and policy related documents in the Western Balkan countries based on evidence?
We are dealing with pretty diverse realities of our 56 members, from developed Western countries to Russia, to northern Africa, to the Balkans. It is not up to us to judge, to decide who is better or worse; of course you will find different levels of development. In the Balkan area what we see is a strong eagerness for development. The past, of course, has an influence on how the media system has been shaped, has an impact on its governance. You can still see, and that’s nothing new, the political interference. In many cases Public Service Media do not enjoy the necessary political support, not in the terms that the ruling party use PSM for its own purposes, but PSM as an instrument for positive impact on society, on democracy. In that respect, it needs to enjoy proper funding in order to be independent and fulfil its mission. In many cases, and this is not an exclusive characteristic of the Western Balkans, citizens are also having doubts about whether these broadcasters have completed their evolution to become Public Service Media. I must say that in some countries we have witnessed these media becoming state broadcasters again. In many cases people identify commercial media as more independent and free. There is also the question of working culture, and the big influence of the past. Altogether, it is true that the region is not on the same level as Nordic countries, which is not surprising. But, again, we can see that in some cases, not all, there is positive evolution in the funding of broadcasters, and we can see that they are active in our community, in the different expert groups we have.
The research community in the Western Balkans has a problem with data availability and accessibility. Even some EU-based and supported research is missing data from some of the countries in the Western Balkans. What do you think, is there enough reliable data on these countries to serve your purpose, and on which Western Balkan countries can base and develop relevant media policies, and those related to Public Service Broadcasters?
What you say, it is really true. Data is expensive. Basically, one of the biggest experiences for me leaving my university and now working for the EBU is that here we have resources to buy the data I need. I was never able to buy this when I was working for the university. That’s the biggest obstacle. Secondly, as you said, some public findings are not publicly available. What’s the point? I understand that in many areas you have some conflict patterns, but in social science, what’s the purpose of restricting access to papers and ideas? Actually, as a researcher, I would like my papers and my ideas to be read by as many people as possible. Regarding how easy it is to find data about the Balkan countries; here we face an obstacle in finding a proper statistical system, a proper process of collecting data on the performance of different players on the market. You need time, and very importantly, you need money, because collecting data according to certain standards is difficult. We have seen in some countries, not only in the Balkans, that in some cases the audience measurement systems have failed. Collecting data requires professionals capable of ensuring the quality of the data, which also requires training. This is a matter of investment, and I must say that sometimes we find difficulties in finding data. Also because of language, sometimes you need to speak the language of the country in which you look for data. We see in many small and medium size countries, they make an effort to publish in English. But, of course, first you need to ensure the quality, and only then might it be useful to publish it in English.
Does your unit have any experience, partnership or communication with non-institutional actors, like the academic community, researchers, professional associations and consultants in the region of the Western Balkans?
We have cooperated with the South East European Media Observatory, they published a report on Public Service Media funding recently. We also encourage people to get in contact with us, especially those who are researching public service, since we are able to provide data. At the same time, I want to make this clear, in some cases we are not allowed to provide data because we have confidentiality agreements with third parties, or with our members. But it is always good to try. We haven’t focused so much in the past on doing research on national media systems, but I have seen the Policy Hub website, and Analitika’s website, SEE Media Observatory... I have seen several initiatives that we now have on our radar. If we need to understand the reality of these countries, we don’t need to have knowledge or know the language ourselves, but it is good to know who is out there. I would encourage people to make themselves visible. So, if you are a researcher specializing in media policy issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, in the region, and if you are not visible than you are useless. We need to know that you are there. So, have your Twitter, FB, website... make sure you can easily be found by key words. That’s how we find people. And one requires people to understand the reality there.
Speaking or thinking strategically, how can MIS help and empower non-institutional actors in WB countries when it comes to policy research?
As I said, whenever you have any research connected with public service media, you can contact us. And then, if you have needs regarding data, we might be able to deliver that to you. Again, there may always be some restrictions, and I cannot promise that my senior researchers can dedicate all their time to you since we have a very tight schedule. But, let’s talk, that is very important. I am very honest with this. If we can help I will say that, if we don’t have time or resources, I will say that as well. Also, if the research is outside of our focus, we can point you to a third party, to other academics. Here we try to know who is doing what and where. We can contact people in Brussels, academics from the Nordic countries. Sometimes we are conditioned by our agenda and our availability and we cannot be responsive that minute but we always try to help. Basically, it is in our interest. We are here to support the interest of public service media, we are doing plenty of research about that and therefore we want this research to be spread, to be read, to be understood, to be contested, to be questioned and to help people who are doing research in this field. To be up to date, you can follow the MIS web page (www.ebu.ch/mis), you can follow me on Twitter, and on LinkedIN, as well as the EBU accounts on these platforms. We have a Newsletter that presents new research every month, and announces what will happen. Our goal for this year is to have a calendar there, which will contain information on the publication of research and where members of the MSI are going to be, at which conferences. We want to make people know where we are in order to arrange meetings in advance during these conferences. It is also important for us to be aware of the research people are doing. So, if any institution or individual researcher has anything related to Public Service Media, let us know about it. Also, in our Newsletter we distribute content from third parties. There is always a section with recommendations for papers from other research institutions. Our role is to help our members be aware of the research that is going on.
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Dr Roberto Suárez Candel is the Head of the Media Intelligence Service (MIS), the research unit of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). He manages a team of international researchers responsible for data collection processes, the implementation of research and analysis projects and the publication of market reports. MIS' main goal is supporting European Public Service Media across Europe in their daily operations, advocacy activities and strategic planning. Previously, Roberto Suárez worked as an academic researcher in Germany (Hans-Bredow-Institut für Medienforschung), Sweden (Stockholm University) and Spain (Pompeu Fabra University). His work was focused on communication public policy, public service media and ecology of the media sector. Roberto Suárez has contributed to a wide range of international conferences and academic journals, and his research has been awarded several prizes. He is passionate about project designing, visual thinking and how public service media can contribute to build a better society
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