Beyond representation: Public service media, minority audiences and the promotion of capabilities through entertainment

Abstract

Entertainment programming is an important means for public service media (PSM) to address minority audiences, and to fulfill their social mission vis-à-vis these groups. We argue that these efforts are plagued by a thin normative grounding, stopping short at vague notions of representation. In this article, we argue that a capabilities approach invites a much-needed reconsideration of the fundamental objectives of such entertainment-based representations. The article offers a first operationalization of the capabilities approach in the context of televised entertainment. First, we identify and qualify a set of basic capabilities that we propose PSM should promote to minority audiences through entertainment content. Second, through a case study from Norway involving focus group interviews of young immigrants, we demonstrate how entertainment can facilitate the promotion of such capabilities. On this ground, we discuss the implications of a capabilities perspective for PSM efforts to accommodate marginalized audiences.