Tales Tomaz gives media ownership workshop at HLW 19 in Vienna

On Monday, 27 April, Tales Tomaz visited the Höhere Bundeslehranstalt für wirtschaftliche Berufe Wien 19 (HLW 19) to give the workshop “Wem gehören die Medien in Europa?” as part of the Wissenschaftsbotschafter programme, which is a public science-communication initiative run by Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD). The visit took place at the invitation of ethics teacher Caroline Frey. HLWs are Austrian upper-secondary vocational schools that combine general education with career-oriented training.

The workshop introduced students to the question of who owns the most important news media in Europe, how ownership structures differ across countries, and why transparency in media ownership matters for democratic public communication. It also addressed media concentration, the role of large media groups, and differences in regulation and market structure across Europe, with Austria discussed in a broader comparative perspective.

The event highlights the Department of Communication Studies’ commitment to public engagement and science communication, while bringing current research on media systems and pluralism into dialogue with younger audiences.