What we do and do not know about the impact of public service media
REPORT
What do we know about the relationship between public media and private media and their respective impacts?
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) has published a new report commissioned by the Danish Ministry of Culture.
The report reviewed the status of public service media and private media by examining over a thousand academic and stakeholders studies. The research covered three main aspects: their political impact, social impact, and market impact.
The research indicates that there is strong evidence that public service media have a positive political impact. However, there is little research on the social and market impacts.
As RISJ says, “what we do not know about the impact of public service media, especially in a digital environment, is at least as striking as what we do know.”
Ofcom: Public Service Broadcasting in the Internet Age
POLICY BRIEF – REPORT
This document, produced by the independent British broadcasting regulator, sets out its conclusions from its third review into public service broadcasting in the UK.
It assesses the performance of the PSB system as a whole and the potential challenges it faces in the future. It also looks to the methods that could be employed to maintain and strengthen PSB across the UK.
The report is published alongside various additions and annexes which assess PSB in each of the UK’s regions and nations specifically. These can be found here.
New Zealand: Children’s Media Use Study
REPORT
“How our children engage with media today”
This research produced by New Zealand’s Broadcasting Standards Authority elucidates to the changing use of media platforms by the country’s 6-14 year olds.
The paper finds that television is still the dominant format for children although the use of tablets and smartphones is rapidly rising. It states that this age range is the biggest differentiator in media behaviour, with usage evolving as the child grows older. However, there is a clear tipping point at the age of 11 when the use of Youtube and social media rise dramatically.
The report also highlights differences between social setting, background and ethnicity in the use of different media platforms, the level of exposure and content preferences.
CRTC: Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2015
POLICY BRIEF
“The way forward – creating compelling and diverse Canadian programming”
Published in 2015, this regulatory policy paper by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) sets out the Commission’s findings on ways to build a future Canadian television system that encourages the creation of compelling and diverse programming made by Canadians.
The report looks to build on the current strengths of the Canadian television industry and take it into the future; ensuring its ability to develop alongside changing audience viewing habits and the growing use of on-demand services.
The Legitimacy of Public Service Broadcasting in the 21st Century
JOURNAL
The Case of Scandinavia
University of Oslo, Norway
Nordicom Review 35 (2014) 2, pp. 65-76
Abstract
“The present paper examines the debate on the future of public service broadcasting in Norway and Sweden in the 2000s. I have analysed the discourses on PSB that dominate the public debate in the two countries, the cultural policy related to PSB, as well as the legitimising rhetoric of the Norwegian public service broadcaster Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK) and that of the Swedish public service broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT). Theoretically, the analysis draws on normative theories on the role of PSB in promoting democracy, culture and a well-functioning public sphere, as well as theories on democracy and the public sphere per se.”
Autonomy and Regulatory Frameworks of Public Service Media in the Triangle of Politics, the Public and the Economy
REPORT
Eva Nowak
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
University of Oxford
2014
Overview
“Traditional regulatory frameworks for public service broadcasters in Europe are challenged by developments in media technology, media use, and media economy. European states react in very different ways to these challenges emphasising political, public, or economic objectives in their regulation. This study analyses the influencing factors on PSM regulatory frameworks in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom”
To read the full article, click here.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority
POLICY BRIEF
The ACMA is Australia’s broadcasting, internet, radio communications and telecommunications regulator. Their intention is to make “media and communications work for all Australians“.
The role of the ACMA is diverse, from online safety courses for children and parents to conducting research on the Australian media communications environment to inform decision makers. Away from education and research, the ACMA also manage Australia’s radio frequency spectrum, ensuring that it is equipped for the continuing pressures rapidly growing ownership of mobile internet devices.
As regulators, the AMCA is responsible for investigating codes of conduct and practice both on an individual and organisational level. This includes combatting the misuse of content, abuse and producing guidelines that help to protect consumer and citizen rights.
The links below take you to two of the ACMA’s most recent reports. ‘The Communications Report 2014-2015‘ reports on the “performance of carriers and carriage service providers, including consumer satisfaction, consumer benefits and quality of service“, whilst the inaugural ‘ACMA snapshot‘ (September quarter, 2015) offers an overview of the ACMA’s “broad and diverse” regulatory activities.
Germany: Interstate Treaty on Broadcasting and Telemedia
POLICY BRIEF
This treaty is a great example of how to implement a funding transition and regulatory changes within a federal State.
Written by Germany’s Die Medienanstalten (the corporation representing all state media authorities in Germany), this 2019 version of the Interstate treaty contains the principal regulatory framework for public-service and commercial broadcasting in a dual broadcasting system of Germany’s federal states. It also takes into account the development of the broadcasting sector in Europe.
Mapping Digital Media: News and New Media in Central Africa
REPORT
Challenges and Opportunities
Marie-Soleil Frère
The Open Society Media Program, December 2012
Abstract
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa. Rwanda and Burundi are among the continent’s smallest states. More than just neighbours, these three countries are locked together by overlapping histories and by extreme political and economic challenges. Their populations are overwhelmingly rural and young. In terms of media, radio is by far the most popular source of news. Levels of state capture are high, and media quality is generally poor. Professional journalists face daunting obstacles.
Telecoms overheads are exorbitantly high. In these conditions, new and digital media — which flourish on consumers’ disposable income, strategic investment, and vibrant markets — have made a very slow start. Crucially, connectivity remains low. But change is afoot, led by the growth of mobile internet access.
In this report, Marie-Soleil Frère surveys the news landscapes of DRC, Burundi, and Rwanda. Marshalling an impressive range of data, she examines patterns of production and consumption, the often grim realities of law and regulation, the embryonic state of media policy, the role of donors, and the positive impact of online platforms. Most media outlets now have an online presence. SMS has become a basic tool for reporters. Interactivity gives voice to increasing numbers of listeners. The ease of digital archiving makes it possible to create a collective media “memory” for the first time. Chinese businesses are winning tenders for infrastructure projects.
The report ends with a set of practical recommendations relating to infrastructure, strategies to reduce access costs for journalists and the public, education and professionalisation, donor activity, governance, regulation, and media management.
Quality Indicators for Public Broadcasters – Contemporary Evaluation
Guide | Policy brief | Report
This UNESCO report discusses ways of assessing quality in public media.
This report, published by UNESCO, gives an insight into possible indicators for quality in public media. Public broadcasters and companies around the world are striving to produce high-quality content and face the market competition, but often their efforts cannot be quantified, and there is no structured way for public media companies to assess their performance. Public broadcasters can currently rely only on audience measurement instruments and ratings. According to the report, indicators are necessary to correctly assess the services provided by public broadcasters, make evaluations clearer and more objective and paving the way for continuous improvements.
This study offers a set of indicators that can be adapted or considered for different institutions and offers indicators related to production diversity, originality, the use of new languages and platforms and much more.