Using the Timeout dialogue method

In our work within WP3, DIACOMET consortium members used the Timeout dialogue method, promoted by the Finland-based Timeout Foundation.

Eighty-seven focus groups using this technique were held across eight participating countries, engaging over 500 participants. The Timeout Foundation trained local facilitators, and participants were chosen using the attention economy framework, bringing together both high-visibility public figures (politicians, researchers, influencers) and individuals often excluded from public debate.

The discussions explored ethical challenges in the communications environment, with topics tailored to each group. For example, politicians examined their responsibility for media content, while ethnic minority participants discussed portrayals of specific issues, drawing on personal experiences rather than predefined principles.

The leaders of WP3, Heikki Heikkilä and Elina Tolonen from the University of Tampere, shared their views on the method with the Timeout Foundation. Elina suggested that the discussions succeeded partly because participants entered the dialogues with shared, agreed-upon settings, which encouraged a different and more constructive approach than in typical discussions. Heikki emphasized: “The dialogues generated ideas that no one had ready when they came to the discussion. All of that was accomplished in just a couple of hours. That speaks to the strength of the dialogue method. The discussions confirmed that the method works cost-effectively.”

We invite you to read more about the method and its use in the DIACOMET project via this link.