Distilling the value of public service media
JOURNAL
Distilling the value of public service media: Towards a tenable conceptualisation in the European framework
Azahara Cañedo, Marta Rodríguez-Castro, and Ana María López-Cepeda | European Journal of Communication
2022
This paper examines the challenges of defining the public value of public service media. Looking at the multiplatform era, this research attempts to establish a definition of public service media’s value which can keep its validity for a longer period of time in an era of constant change. In doing so, the results demonstrated the complexities associated with a single definition of public value.
Campaigns against PSM: Hot air or existential threat?
JOURNAL
The populist campaigns against European public service media: Hot air or existential threat?
Annika Sehl, Felix M. Simon and Ralph Schroeder | International Communication Gazette
2022
In Western democracies, right-wing populism is gaining momentum. This paper explores possible responses to the challenges raised by right-wing populists who often criticise PSM of being biased against them. Looking at Austria, Germany and Sweden, this paper examines the commonalities and similarities of PSM in these countries and the attacks they receive. The paper asks whether right wing populists pose more of a threat to PSM and if so, is this threat isolated or does it indicate the potential for a bigger and more continued pattern going forward?
Are public service media distinctive from the market?
JOURNAL
Are public service media distinctive from the market? Interpreting the political information environments of BBC and commercial news in the United Kingdom
Stephen Cushion | European Journal of Communication
2022
With many citizens having access to a variety of media, this paper questions whether public service provides a distinctive and informative news service compared to private media? It found that BBC news and commercial public service platforms mainly covered politics, public affairs and international issues, plus BBC news online covered more informative topics than the market-based media which reported more on celebrity and entertainment news. In addition, where public service media reported with a world view perspective, market-driven media reported news with a UK perspective.
Public Service Broadcasting in the Online TV Environment
JOURNAL
Public Service Broadcasting in the Online Television Environment: The Case for PSB VoD Players and the Role of Policy Focusing on the BBC iPlayer
Maria Michalis | International Journal of Communication
2022
In the era of online TV, this article assesses the main challenges faced by public service broadcasting (PSB). As of yet, the development of BBC iPlayer reveals that online TV has not fundamentally changed PSB, because of the interrelationship between VoD services and tv linear offerings. This article examines how PSB could be revived through personalisation and public service algorithms with the help of online TV.
Public service media in the age of SVoDs
JOURNAL
Public service media in the age of SVoDs: A comparative study of PSM strategic responses in Flanders, Italy and the UK
Alessandro D’Arma, Tim Raats and Jeanette Steemers | Media, Culture & Society Journal
2021
This paper examines the response of public service media to the expansion of streaming services like Netflix and their disruption to established national television models around the world. This paper found that the response of PSM to the disruption caused by giant stream services is due to factors including the country’s governmental support for the role of PSM, and market size. It also found that PSM responds through different strategies one of which is production collaborations.
The Public Service Approach to Recommender Systems
JOURNAL
The Public Service Approach to Recommender Systems: Filtering to Cultivate
Jockum Holden | Television & New Media Journal
2022
The use of algorithms that recommend content to their users has dramatically transformed online media consumption. PSM is catching on and have adopted these algorithms into their own systems to personalise how their online content is distributed. However, since these algorithms cater to a more commercialised recommending system, it could make them incompatible with PSM values, which is to disseminate diverse content. This study gives an in-depth knowledge of how PSM have modified these recommender systems to suit a non-commercial setting.
What are the ethical concerns behind 'recommendations'?
REPORT
What are the ethics behind ‘recommendations’?
Elliot Jones | Ada Lovelace Institute
2022
As public service media organisations now match other media platforms and content providers in offering personalised recommendations on their apps and websites, what are the ethical concerns they need to consider when building these systems? This report from the Ada Lovelace Institute examines this question. The objectives of public service media are completely different to those of private entities – where the latter use personalisation as a tool of increasing engagement and monetisation, the former must use it to serve their principles of openness, accountability, and public service. They also need to be more transparent in how the recommendation systems themselves work.
State Media Monitor: The world's state media database
WEBSITE
State Media Monitor: The world’s state media database
Center for Media, Data & Society, Marius Dragomir
2022
The CMDS has made available its global database of state-administered media organisations, with information on how they are funded, managed and editorially controlled.
“Nearly 80% of the 546 state-administered media companies in 151 countries covered by this report lack editorial independence, analysis of the State Media Matrix data shows. More than 80% of the 436 media outlets whose editorial agenda is controlled by the government in various ways are media companies that fall into our state-controlled media category comprising outlets predominantly funded, managed and editorially controlled by the government.”
Read more: The State of State Media (CMDS)
PSM Innovations
The best and latest public media innovations worldwide
PSM Innovations is a regularly updated feature, which explores the wide variety of innovations being adopted by public media globally. This includes anything from pioneering a new form of tech, or a new way of reaching unheard communities; to a bold move to protect journalists, or an experimental method of countering misinformation.
This is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on how public media organisations are pushing boundaries and developing solutions to new or existing challenges.
If your organisation is embarking on a new innovation which you think PMA would be interested to hear about and share with our members, email us at editor@publicmediaalliance.org.
SBS visualises a changing Australia
SBS launched the multilingual Australian Census Explorer last month to enable Australians to better understand how the country’s population has diversified in recent years.
SVT Sport: A world leader in equal sports coverage
SVT has pioneered award-winning coverage of women’s sport and is aiming to become one of the first sports journalism gender-equal workforces.
RFI Afrique: Using WhatsApp to disseminate news across the continent
RFI Afrique’s innovative use of WhatsApp has been found to reach audiences across the continent, push back against disinformation, and combat accessibility challenges in Africa.
RTBF supports Ukrainian refugees in Belgium
RTBF has helped expanded its offerings to support Ukrainian refugees arriving in the country since the Russian invasion.
Collaborative media literacy programme takes off in India
BBC Young Reporter India taught more than 8,000 school students about critical thinking, fact-checking and digital safety, to improve media literacy.
NOWU: public media paving the way for a ‘greener web’
France Télévisions and WDR have launched NOWU, a joint youth service aimed at engaging younger audiences about climate change and sustainability issues, and public media.
From Cornwall to Cape Cod: Collaborative radio project unites coastal stations across Atlantic
Public radio station CAI and community radio station Source FM have joined forces in an innovative new radio project to produce hour-long programmes of conversations between their communities.
KBS uses “cutting edge technology” in 2022 election coverage
South Korea’s largest and most trusted public broadcaster used technological innovation to push its election coverage to new heights.
ABCQueer: Australia’s public broadcaster representing marginalised groups
ABCQueer is the Australian public broadcaster's innovative, dedicated channel for representing young LGBTQIA+ Australians.
Czech Television’s services for children on Russia-Ukraine war
Czech Television has launched a new service for children to seek information and ask questions about the Russia-Ukraine war.
Colombia’s local radio stations working for peace
In Colombia, local radio stations are being established to help communities rebuild after decades of civil war.
PBS’ Innovation Centers
A new production initiative by the US’ Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) exemplifies how public media is embracing digital innovation, collaboration, and diversity.
Over to you...
Does your public media organisation have an innovation that you’d like to share?
Let us know by emailing us at editor@publicmediaalliance.org
Header Image: Videoconferencing, Virtual Meeting. Credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock.com
PSM Research & Resources
About
Welcome to our shared public media research and resource page in collaboration with IAPMR and MJRC
Here you will find a broad selection of recommended journals, reports, websites and guides related to the core values of public service media.
Topics include best practices, country reports and the mounting challenges faced by PSM worldwide such as media capture, diminishing budgets and media convergence.
The resources below have been curated by the Public Media Alliance in collaboration with the International Association of Public Media Researchers (IAPMR) and the Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC). You can find out more about our collaborators at the bottom of the page.
Is there something we have missed? Please get in touch, we would be pleased to review it here. Also see the Our Publications section for our own reports and handbooks as well as the InnoPSM website. We also keep track of research news and calls for papers.
Most of the following resources are open-source but some contain links to articles that require an institutional log-in to view. Please refer to your University, institution or employer if this is the case.
Coronavirus: Resources & best practices
Essential resources for sourcing and reporting news about the coronavirus pandemic
Research & Resources
Use the headers below to filter resources
Our Partners
We are pleased to partner with the IAPMR and MJRC for this resource
IAPMR
The International Association of Public Media Researchers (IAPMR) brings together quality academic and industrial research from different disciplines. We support the continual evolution of public service media by aggregating theory and practice. We look critically from industrial, production, audience, technological, economic and societal perspectives. We run conferences, produce publications and communicate knowledge to academia, industry, governments, and publics.
MJRC
The Media and Journalism Research Center is an independent media research and policy think tank that seeks to improve the quality of media policymaking and the state of independent media and journalism through research, knowledge sharing and financial support. MJRC continues the work of the Center for Media, Data & Society (CMDS), which until October 2022 operated as a unit of Central European University (CEU).
Header Image: Students Experimenting With Video Software stock photo. Credit: TommL/iStock
