PSM Call Out

Today, we are relaunching the PSM Call Out as the Public Media Alliance’s permanent campaign to stand up for public media, its journalists, and the citizens it serves.

The PSM Call Out was originally launched in September 2019. It sought to highlight attacks on editorial independence, funding cuts, threats to journalists, and attempts at political control — challenges that escalated significantly soon afterwards when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In the years since, the need for solidarity and coordinated action has only grown. Public media’s role as a reliable source of trusted information remains vital, but it is increasingly contested.

The PSM Call Out is more than just a campaign — it’s a continuous commitment. It’s a space where we will consolidate our advocacy statements, relevant insight reports, policy briefings, consultation submissions, and explainer content. It’s where urgent appeals for solidarity will meet deeper analysis and where the immediate and the strategic come together to defend public media worldwide.

It will complement our ongoing work in forums such as the Media Freedom Coalition’s Consultative Network and the Global Task Force for public media, working to ensure that the voice of public media, especially those in peril, is heard.

While the original Call Out advocated for the positive role of public media and its value to citizens, the revamped Call Out will do the same but with a caveat: We will advocate for the positive role of public media, its value to citizens, and vigorously highlight how this role and these values are under threat. Publicly funded media face unique threats, and it is high time that those instances where we feel PSM are continually threatened are called out.

The message is clear: Without strong, independent public media, democratic societies are weaker, less informed, and more vulnerable.

As a result, this new phase of PSM Call Out will also mean more direct advocacy to governments and policymakers through open letters and submissions. It will offer greater opportunities for individuals and organisations to sign and share letters in support of public media, amplifying collective voices across borders. Our goal is to amalgamate PMA’s advocacy efforts into a stronger, unified platform — working with others to connect breaking developments with broader policy trends, sharing case studies, briefings, and consultation contributions that provide evidence and solutions.

In short: PSM Call Out will not just sound the alarm. It will drive action.

Why relaunch now?

Because the threats are growing — and evolving.

In our recent coverage, we highlighted some of the threats public media have faced in the past year. In Europe, the Slovakian government is seeking to dismantle RTVS and replace it with a politically controlled broadcaster while in Bosnia & Herzegovina, BHRT is on the brink of collapse again. In the United States, restructuring and threats within the public media system threaten the independence of international public service media and access to information while its national services face defunding against the will of congress. In South Korea, KBS is facing a funding crisis after a new funding regime caused plummeting revenue. Even countries with historically strong public media like Switzerland are facing funding instability, that could not only result in diminished trusted news availability for Swiss audiences, but for millions around the world.

At the same time, rapid advances in AI technology are flooding the information space with deepfakes and disinformation, while journalists face state harassment, internet shutdowns, and legal threats that silence vital reporting.

We can’t afford to respond piecemeal. We need a united, ongoing call to action — and that is what the PSM Call Out will be.

This relaunch strengthens and formalises PSM Call Out as a permanent, flexible platform, capable of responding swiftly to emerging threats while driving long-term strategies to secure the future of public media.