Council of Europe | Another Narrative

The Reykjavík Declaration commits European leaders to strengthening democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in response to today’s major challenges. We analysed how this political commitment resonated in public discourse, assessing its reach and reception across media.

Category
Evaluation

Services
Public Perception, Media Analysis

CONTEXT

In the context of a broader evaluation mandate led by independent evaluation partners, Another Narrative was brought in to contribute a public perception and media analysis perspective. Our role focused on examining how high-level political commitments translate into public discourse, and how institutional narratives travel beyond policy circles into wider societal conversations over time.

THE CHALLENGE

How is international cooperation perceived by the public today? In the face of the ongoing Ukraine war, democratic backsliding, and human rights violations, the 46 member states of the Council of Europe reaffirmed their commitment to shared values by adopting the Reykjavik Declaration at the Reykjavik Summit in May 2023. But reaffirming isn’t enough – these values must connect, must resonate. That’s where we came in.

OUR SOLUTION

Together with the Geneva-based agency Stiefel, Irvin & Associates and alongside the evaluation firm KEK-CDC, we contributed to the evaluation of the implementation of one of the Council of Europe’s recent initiatives – the Reykjavík Declaration - by assessing its relevance through a public engagement and sentiment analysis.

We assessed how the Declaration was received across traditional and social media. Our task was to understand how the Council’s messages landed with the public, and what that says about the power – and limits – of institutional communication. We assessed public attention, sentiment, and engagement with regard to the Declaration and subsequent steps and initiatives taken by the organisation following the Reykjavík Summit in May 2023 up to the end of 2024.

The methodology employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative metrics like reach, impressions, and engagement with qualitative analyses of content value and sentiment polarity. It combined social media monitoring using Talkwalker, an AI-driven platform for social and online media analysis, with traditional media coverage. Data was collected from social media platforms and traditional media outlets, primarily in English and French.

LEARNINtGS

Abstract, policy-heavy language doesn’t move people. If you want to inspire public engagement, you have to make it tangible and relatable. Public attention is highest where outcomes are clear and stories are emotionally resonant. Important but complex topics received far less visibility – not because they don’t matter, but because they weren’t made relevant to people’s daily lives. The Reykjavík Declaration generated momentum during the Summit – but struggled to sustain it afterward. To maintain visibility, narratives must evolve with the context, not end with a press release. Our takeaway: To truly uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, institutions must rethink how they communicate. Strategic storytelling isn’t an add-on – it’s essential. Narratives shape public understanding. And public understanding shapes political will.

Read the report and findings here (https://rm.coe.int/1680b5f5c0).

Credits

Client: Council of Europe (CoE)

Project Management: Magali Bernard (KEK-CDC)

Communications Evaluation & Analysis: Chloé Bitton (Stiefel, Irvin & Associates),

Lara Twerenbold (Another Narrative)