JOURNAL

Programming Queerness? PSM Remits, Metarepresentational Discourse, and LGBTQ+ Portrayals 

Florian Vanlee | International Journal of Communication

Public service media (PSM) are often seen as key actors in ensuring greater representation of LGBT+ voices in society. They are also seen as having a role in instigating and shaping domestic depictions of sexual and gender differences through their public remits. But in a critical examination of these remits at three European public broadcasters, this paper argues that these remits have instead discouraged the production of queer-themed (fiction) content in favour of programming with “universal appeal.” It also highlights how their pluralism delegitimises “harmful” portrayals and requires PSMs to actively engage with changing representational norms.