Vienna (OTS) – The ORF Audience Council decided on the following recommendation in its plenary meeting on Thursday, June 6, 2024, chaired by Mag. Walter Marschitz:
Recommendation of the ORF Audience Council on the program mandates to promote Austrian identity from the perspective of European history and integration as well as information about the meaning, function and tasks of the federal state and the promotion of the regional identities of the federal states
The ORF Audience Council Study 2023 has provided clear findings on the audience’s requirements and expectations for Austrian identity on the ORF: From the audience’s perspective, promoting Austrian identity is a relevant mission of the ORF (mean value 2.1). Particularly important to the audience for Austrian identity on ORF are the Austrian language and dialect (for 72% “very important” or “important”) as well as the promotion of regional diversity from the federal states (for 66% “very important” or “important”) . To promote Austrian identity, the ORF should increasingly cover the areas of nature and landscape (61%), country and people (59%), crafts, traditions and customs (58%) as well as history and contemporary history (53%). Other audience concerns include reporting on people who have done or are doing something important for Austria (43%), Austrian companies (40%), art and culture (38%) and sport (35%).
The Audience Council recommends that the ORF management implement these requirements more intensively in reporting and programming.
Further concerns in the implementation of the program mandates are to promote Austrian identity from the perspective of European history and integration as well as to promote the regional identities of the federal states
1. the increased examination of the topic of identity with a focus not only on history, but on the future in Austria and Europe 2. program offerings, especially for young target groups, that address everyday life, culture and society in other European countries, as well as European information for young people Audience on platforms appropriate to the target group 3. the increased engagement with Austria’s neighboring countries, also using the “bridging function” of the Austrian ethnic groups 4. the strengthening of diversity in the ORF editorial teams 5. the increased journalistic examination of the “defacement” of cultural landscapes and the Search for beauty in nature and culture 6. addressing the role and achievements of science in and for Austria 7. strengthening the services of the state studios for regional identity and their visibility 8. expanding European reporting (including knowledge and short formats) as well reporting on European location issues 9. the better editorial integration of issues of Austrian and European identity (e.g. B. Discussion of local economic topics with EU representatives 10. the consideration of topics of European identity also in entertainment 11. the teaching of Austrian Sign Language and the autochthonous ethnic group languages as part of the linguistic identity creation 12. the increased reflection of the special role of the ORF for Austrian identity, which he played a major role in shaping, especially with regard to the country’s younger identity.
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