The ENACT Exchange Program, hosted by the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) in July and August, concentrated on public value and the enhancement of public broadcasting. The event brought together ENACT Project Partners to discuss accessibility and inclusion in media, highlighting the importance of Easy-to-understand News.
Innovative Projects and Public Value
The ENACT Exchange Program at ORF emphasized the significance of public value and accessibility in media. By focusing on Easy-to-understand-News, the initiative aims to offer news that is more accessible, engaging, and inclusive for all audiences.
The program provided an overview of ORF’s policies and its dedication to public broadcasting. A key aspect of the discussions was the focus on Easy-to-understand-News (E2U-News). Anna Mark, representing ORF, stated, “The EU-Project ENACT is an initiative seeking to redefine public value by delivering news in a more accessible and engaging manner. Our goal at ORF is to make news accessible to everyone.” This underscores the intent to provide news content that is easily comprehensible to a diverse audience.
Participants engaged in discussions about Public Value Media Projects, emphasizing knowledge sharing among media professionals from four EU countries.
Insights into E2U-News Production
The ENACT Exchange Program offered valuable insights into the production of Easy-to-understand-News. The event also included insights from the Austria Presse Agentur (APA) and the disability organization Lebensgroß, showcasing their contributions to E2U-News production. Attendees explored audio description and live subtitling, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the media landscape. Key sessions addressed news production for web, radio, and television, with a strong emphasis on accessibility and inclusion. These discussions facilitated an exchange of knowledge and best practices among media professionals, aiming to enhance the accessibility and comprehension of news content across various media platforms.
Learnings, Future Recommendations and next Steps
The program concluded with several recommendations to improve public communication across different media platforms. For web content, the integration of a dictionary and synthetic speech-to-text technology was suggested. In radio broadcasting, maintaining an eighty percent speech speed with significant pauses was recommended, alongside encouraging synergy between radio and television production. For television, incorporating presenters and explanatory graphics on top of subtitled videos was deemed ideal. These recommendations aim to further improve the accessibility and comprehension of news content, ensuring that it is inclusive and engaging for all audiences. These suggestions will be discussed and tested in upcoming consultation sessions as part of the next work package of the project.