Democracy and Public Service Broadcasting
REPORT
Democracy and Public Service Broadcasting
European Broadcasting Union
2023
In a world with increasing challenges to democracy and a market-driven landscape, public service broadcasters are increasingly being asked to justify their value to society.
But how can public service media’s role as a reliable and stable source of information that plays a vital role in a healthy democracy be measured? This report from the EBU attempts to answer this question and offer broadcasters a way to respond to challenges.
PSM countering disinformation: opportunities and challenges
REPORT
Opportunities and challenges of public service media organisations in countering information disorder: The Case of Nordis
Elis Karell and Minna Aslama Horowitz l Nordis
2023
One of the key challenges that Public Service Media have to face today is the dissemination of disinformation. With the flourishing of so-called “fake news” all over social media platforms and certain media outlets, finding strategies to combat the spread of disinformation has become an important role of PSM. Based on the cases of the NORDIS countries, where PSM are known to have a strong legacy and are highly trusted by the population, this report investigates different remedies that are put into place to counter disinformation and educate citizens about this growing issue.
This study stresses out how important it is for PSM to be politically, editorially and financially independent to carry out their mission against disinformation, but also that they have to be supported by national governments and EU institutions in this fight, in terms of finance and design of policies. The conclusion to this report highlights the necessity for PSM to be allocated means that would allow them to tackle disinformation from different a front, as strong PSM are vital for a healthy national media system.
Traditional broadcasting features in VoD services
REPORT
The reappropriation of time in television: How traditional qualities of broadcast media are being adopted by their video-on-demand services
Julie Münter Lassen l Nordicom
2023
In an increasingly digital media landscape, traditional broadcasters adapt their services to suit the new habits of their audience, who are spending more and more time using digital platforms. But how does it affect the presentation and the scheduling of programmes? Are old broadcasting theories such as immediacy, being live, being daily, and providing event television compatible with the new on-demand services offered by more public broadcasters today?
This study takes a look at these different questions through two different models of Danish Video on-demand services, DRTV and TV2 Play and demonstrates how features of traditional linear television are still key characteristics of SVoD services in Denmark.
Public Service Media's contribution to Society
REPORT
Public Service Media’s contribution to Society
Manuel Puppis & Christopher Ali l Nordicom
2023
According to the authors, the contribution of Public Service Media (PSM) to society is a concept that has lost its meaning and this is why its legitimacy is being questioned in a context of transnational and fluid media ecosystem.
In this research, the authors take a look at the different perspectives and assessments that Public Service Media could undertake, in order to truly embody and legitimise their mission of a public service. They emphasise the fact that the crisis that PSM are currently facing regarding their role in society is not just a problem of communication with citizens and principal stakeholders. It delves deeper, to its conceptualisation and the fact it is currently tangled up in a neoliberal discourse to maintain its legitimacy. Through the lenses of public value, social integration or even rising technologies, this research rethinks the contribution of PSM to society to recover its initial and essential mission.
Public Service Media: Bridging Values and Trust
REPORT
Public Service Media: Bridging Values and Trust
Minna Horowitz & Alessandro D’Arma | EBU
2023
Trust is at the core of journalism and the media profession and has been one of the main concerns of recent academic research in media and communication. Public service media have been challenged in the last few years by the rapid rise of new technologies such as social media platforms. With disregard to values such as accountability and accuracy, these platforms and their constant flow of information, has led to a wave of distrust in the news and media institutions. Rather than looking at the erosion of trust induced by surveillance capitalism, this research focuses on the reasons why public service media have generally remained trusted institutions. Built around core values of public service media such as universality, independence, excellence, diversity, accountability and innovation, this study offers new perspectives on the relationship that links trust and public service media.
The value of public service broadcasting in Japan during Covid-19
JOURNAL
The value of public service broadcasting in Japan during COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of WTP by Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition
Hisanobu Kakizawa | Telecommunications Policy
2023
The article analyses the shift in willingness to pay (WTP) for public service media (PSM) before and after the first Covid-19 outbreak in Japan. NHK Japan’s public broadcaster offered pay subscriptions to get premium services. Based on the data of the NHK survey WTP estimation was noted. During the pandemic, NHK increased public service educational and medical programmes to combat Covid-19. This led to increased WTP, the satisfaction level of viewers, and the value of journalism. The data also revealed that the WTP for PSM fell slightly as a result of the reduction in sports programmes.
Integrating Ethnic Content into Public Service Broadcasting
REPORT
Integrating Ethnic Content into Public Service Broadcasting
Centre for Law and Democracy
2023
When working towards a democracy, it is important that ethnic content can be integrated into public service broadcasting (PSB). This Note looks at how this can be achieved. In democracies, the overall regulatory system for broadcasting has tools and mechanisms to help aid and encourage broadcasting material and content that is a rough representation of the population. Broadcasters also take measures to ensure they serve the needs and interests of all members in society. This Note looks at ways to promote ethnic voices in PSB.
What is life like without the BBC?
REPORT
Deprivation Study: What is life like without the BBC?
MTM
2022
The Deprivation Study set out to uncover the value of BBC to its audience. The study took away all BBC services from 80 households from 16 different locations. Before the study, 30 households neither wanted to pay or receive BBC services, 30 households wanted to pay less of the BBC TV licence, and the last 20 households were happy to pay full licence or more. After nine days without the BBC, results of this study found that 42 of the 60 ‘pay nothing’ and ‘pay less’ households changed their minds and became willing to pay the full licence fee or more. Another 4 households from the ‘pay nothing’ households also changed their stance to at least be willing to the licence but pay less of it. The results reveal that people underestimated the value of the BBC and found that they were elements unique to BBC that led them to feel the licence was worth it. “When households are without the BBC and assess its role and what they missed, the majority re-evaluated the value of the licence fee and what the BBC brings.”
How Do Public Service Media Innovate?
JOURNAL
How Do Public Service Media Innovate? An Analysis of Product Development by European PSM
Annika Sehl & Alessio Cornia | Journalism Studies
2021
This paper examines how PSM innovate new products for digital news. To what extent does PSM rely on “institutional links or on tight coupling with the environment” during development of new products? Following interviews with public media workers, the findings conclude that when developing a new product, the public service mission, its audience and purpose are all taken into account. It finds that PSM also copy one another, as their structure and mandate are similar. But PSM does not simply copy other digital born media players who are already popular with younger audiences but rather PSM innovation is led with PSM values.
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.