Brussels correspondents and EU officials: perceptions of the communication deficit debate

This paper aims at contributing to the EU (European Union) ‘communication deficit’ debate through a focus on the relationship between Brussels-based correspondents and EU officials responsible for communication and/or contact with the media. Our extant knowledge of EU-media relations presents two main constraints. Not only does previous literature neglect potential differences in the several European institutions’ communication performance, but it also tends to address the aforementioned actors separately. In light of these considerations, our paper draws on interviews with both groups in order to establish a direct comparison of their perceptions on (1) the press work of each EU institution; (2) the interaction between EU institutions; (3) their own informal contacts. Our results underline a set of long-standing structural and organisational hindrances deeply embedded in the EU institutional set-up. These deficiencies might be enduring the ‘communication deficit’ within the realm of EU democratic shortcomings.