MIDAS - Minority Dailies Association

[Gilen]

[http://www.midas-press.org/index]

Over 40 million people in the European Union speak a language other than the official language of their country. In order to promote these minority languages, a sufficient supply of media materials, including printed matter in the respective language, is fundamental.

Newspaper editors representing more then 10 linguistic communities in Europe decided to form an association, that would co-ordinate strategies and increase co-operation in publishing, marketing and obtaining funding. In this manner the continued existence of minority dailies as well as the creation of new papers will be secured through an exchange of know-how and common advertising campaigns so as to make a more efficient supply of minority printed media possible. Providing minorities currently without a daily paper with the possibility of collaboration with existing minority papers is also aimed at, as is the use of new media such as the internet (e.g. common homepages, a newspaper archive, links to the various papers and minority organisations), in order to provide quick and global information. In addition, the organisation also foresees common lobbying for minority protection at the Brussels institutions or the use of common advertising campaigns, making a wide advertising platform in other minority areas available also to the economy, tourist trade or cultural and sporting events.

According to the statute, the organisation is based in Bozen/Bolzano (South Tyrol) and is called the "European Association of Daily Newspapers in Minority and Regional Languages - MIDAS". It will be politically independent and the newspapers will also remain independent in relation to the association. Participation in projects as well as proposals for common activities and advice are voluntary for the individual members of the association.

The newspaper representatives unanimously elected Dolomiten editor-in-chief Toni Ebner as president of the association and the following persons as board members: Bojan Brezigar (from the newspaper Primorski Dnevnik), Josep Camprubi (Regio 7), Lars Rosenblad (Vasabladet), Bjarne Lonborg (Flensborg Avis), Edita Slezáková (Új Szó), Inaki Uria (Egunkaria). The following editors were chosen for internal arbitration: Benedikt Dyrlich (Serbske Nowiny), Nina Fellman (Nya Aland) and Miquel Serra (Diari de Balears).