Public Service Broadcasting Research Articles

Embrace or leave social media? On the viability of public service media organizations’ strategies facing platform power

This article addresses the question of whether a withdrawal from social media platforms represents a viable strategy in the ongoing relational power negotiations between public service media and platforms, and if so, under what conditions. Recent diverging strategic efforts from public service broadcasters in two European countries – Germany and Norway – serve as illustrations of how existing organizations attempt to manoeuvre the current online realm dominated by platforms. I discuss findings from qualitative studies of news use in Norway and draw on comparative survey data on news use. I propose that high levels of trust in public service media, and widespread use of the public service broadcaster's own sites and offers, are key prerequisites to consider when assessing the viability of a withdrawal from third-party platforms in different countries. By zooming in on one type of media organization (public service broadcasters), and looking at different such organizations’ characteristics and context, and the dynamics of their relations to online platforms, the paper contributes to our understanding of platform power.

The European Broadcasting Union: corporate management and voluntary work

Information as a public good is not a thing of nature, but a purposeful action. In my contribution, I explore an international association that got institutionalised around the idea of information as a public good by means of lucrative cooperation between public service broadcasters. It emerged after the Second World War, in a world where public services would become the norm rather than the exception, and has continued to a time when priorities switched fundamentally towards profit and liberalisation. The object of study is the European Broadcasting Union, the largest association of public service media providers in Europe and beyond, servicing more than one billion people as audiences via its members. In order to understand whether EBU's institutional practices still prioritise information as a public good or have moved towards a more neo-lib focus, I undertook an institutional analysis based on secondary data. The research shows that the combination of a neo-lib corporate layer with voluntary working groups from national PSMs makes EBU particularly successful; it looks like a new public management dream come true, except that EBU is not an accountable public organisation. Through the NGO structure, corporate management and voluntary work, it opens large avenues of cooperation for professionals to innovate together, at the end of the day enhancing information as a public good.

Ruth Price: creating a nation’s pop scene

ABSTRACT In Wales, during the 1960s, the seeds of a devolved nation were being sown. The Welsh Language Society was established in 1962, and Gwynfor Evans, first Member of Parliament for Plaid Cymru, was elected in 1966. Against this backdrop Ruth Price left her post as headmistress in 1961 to forge a career at the B.B.C. This article traces a career that led to her successful pop music series Disc a Dawn (Disc and Talent) (1966–73) in which she demonstrated an understanding of the vital role pop music had in addressing a youth audience. In doing so, she ensured the cultural capital of the Welsh language amongst young people and demonstrated the importance of light entertainment for public service broadcasting.

“Gays in Your Living Room”: LGBTQ+ Television, Homophobia, and the Birth of Channel 4 in 1980s Britain

ABSTRACT This article examines the conflicting attitudes toward homosexuality and public-service broadcasting among British program-makers, pressure groups, newspapers, politicians, and viewers in the 1980s through the prism of Channel 4’s One in Five (1983), billed as “the first programme ever to begin to show what it means to be positively gay.” It pairs a close reading of the broadcast with wide-ranging research in the archives of broadcasters, LGBTQ+ organizations, Parliament, and the press to show why minority programming formed a major arena of contestation over the representation and rights of lesbian and gay people in late twentieth-century Britain. Straight opposition to One in Five captured the strength and characteristics of homophobia in the 1980s, while the program’s divisive effect on queer audiences illuminated divisions within the LGBTQ+ community at the cusp of the HIV/AIDS crisis. The program was dogged by difficulties in creating a cohesive queer identity capable of accommodating differences in gender and ethnicity, region and nation, lifestyle, class, sexual practices, and political orientation. The inception, production, and reception of One in Five simultaneously highlight the particularities of sexual politics in Thatcherite Britain and ongoing dilemmas about the processes and merits of achieving inclusion, diversity, and equality for marginalized groups.

Analysis of Textual Complexity in Danish News Articles on Climate Change

Structural linguistic features are often overlooked yet potentially important aspects of journalistic practice. Especially in news reporting on climate change, these features can play a crucial role as the proper use of language is tied to message credibility, processing fluency and knowledge retention, which can positively influence the reader to take more climate action. This article analyzes language use in Danish news articles on climate change using a sample of around 32,000 articles from four different outlet types (quality news, niche papers, tabloids, and public service broadcasters) published from 1990 to 2021. We create a machine-learning model of text complexity covering this concept’s semantic and syntactic dimensions. Our findings confirm expected differences in complexity between news outlets, highlighting tabloid articles as engaging with higher semantic complexity, while quality papers and niche papers exhibit higher syntactic complexity. We observe a significant decrease in semantic complexity and a slight increase in syntactic complexity over time, a trend towards more generic language, and an increased use of pronouns, verbs, and adverbs. Most of these changes can be attributed to the emergence of articles by public service broadcasters. Articles by public service broadcasters are characterised by high syntactic complexity, which we consider problematic due to their popularity among the general public.

Features of Coverage of the SARS-COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic in the Ukrainian Audiovisual Media (on the Example of News Releases of Central and Regional Television Channels and Public Service Broadcasters of Ukraine)

This paper explores some patterns of coverage of the coronavirus pandemic in the news programs of television and radio channels of the National Public Television and Radio Company of Ukraine. The process of pandemic coverage is reflexive and does not have a clear strategy or policy. The study is the first in this direction, and this is its scientific novelty. The most stable characteristic of vaccination coverage by Ukrainian Radio news is informing the audience about everything related to COVID-19 vaccinations.

COMMUNITY RADIO BROADCASTING: REGAINING THE LOST FAITH AND AUTHENTICITY OF RADIO BROADCASTING IN INDIA

The debacle of conventional broadcast media, in spanning and drawing the local communities has stimulated the mandate of Community Broadcasting. Through the times, communal media has risen as a feasible alternative option to the conventional and recognized media. A highly sought-after kind of civic broadcasting is the ‘Community Radio’, and it is fervently utilized and functioned in a community, intended for the community and by members of the community. As the public service broadcaster in India, All India Radio offers the best radio programming. Nowadays, private FM radio stations are considered to be second-tier. The third tier, community radio, promises to be the most accessible. The reach of community radio in India has significantly increased over the past 20 years. In the country today, there are more than 350 active community radio stations, the majority of which serve rural areas. In community radio, the creators of information and communications are from resident communities and delineate local worries and unease through constant involvement which makes it trustworthy and authentic. The public services broadcasting has been questioned over the issues of authenticity as it is recognised as the mouthpiece of government whereas commercial and entertainment-related concerns dominate the private FM Radio. Community radio uses its own distinctive idioms and terminology to inform, educate and engage the community using a low cost, low return model of operation. This paper investigates how the community radio has emerged as an authentic and trustworthy medium of communication in the contemporary broadcasting services. The foremost and widely recognised community radio station in the Indian state of Rajasthan, Apno Radio Banasthali 90.4 FM has been chosen for conducting the case study. The conclusions of this research divulge that the community radio has regained the lost faith and authenticity of radio broadcasting particularly in terms of information dissemination.

Snapping the news: Dynamic gatekeeping in a public service media newsroom reaching young people with news on Snapchat

The relationship between news media and social media platforms is complex, involving dependencies and conflicts. Being present on these platforms offers benefits, such as increased visibility and engagement, particularly with younger audiences. However, platforms also function as gatekeepers through guidelines and algorithmic filtering, impacting the spreading of news media content. Snapchat, popular among young audiences, has been adopted by many traditional news outlets as a more playful distribution channel. Limited research exists on how newsrooms navigate Snapchat’s guidelines and the consequences of violating these, including practices like “flagging,” and the interplay between editorial decisions and algorithms. This study relies on an ethnographic fieldwork at the Norwegian Public Service Broadcaster’s (NRK) editorial group “NRK UNG” (NRK Youth) publishing news to young audiences on Snapchat. The study expands on gatekeeping theory, incorporating recent advancements, and illustrates how the journalists navigate Snapchat’s algorithmic gatekeeping. The study thus highlights the interplay between human news judgment and algorithmic news dissemination on Snapchat at various stages of the news production process.

The anatomy of internal interference in public service media: How do journalists interpret whether editorial interference constitutes unacceptable encroachment on their autonomy?

This study examines the suspected transmission of political pressure through management to journalists in public service media, where independence is crucial for fulfilling its democratic mission. Such interference is often covert and performed without hard evidence, making it difficult to prove. To provide insight into these practices, this study explores the case of RTVS, the public service broadcaster in Slovakia, during a conflict that arose after the appointment of a new director general in 2017. Using semi-structured interviews with journalists and managers ( N = 16), it introduces an inductively developed classification scheme for internal interference and examines the context and conditions under which the journalists considered it to be politically motivated and as an illegitimate encroachment on their autonomy. The study shows that perceived internal interference by management takes two forms: interference in editorial content at various levels (and through multiple tools and means) and the use of disciplinary mechanisms. When journalists experience internal interference with a possible political background, trust in their superiors and the perception of their motives are crucial factors influencing their reactions and interpretation of the situation. However, for a variety of reasons that the study analyzes in detail, the RTVS journalists distrusted their superiors' moral integrity, professional skills, and political independence, which resulted in the departure of a large part of the TV newsroom. The article concludes with suggestions for methodological implications for further research on perceived interference.

Watchdog or Lapdog? South African Broadcasting Corporation News in the Coverage of the 2021 Local Government Elections

ABSTRACT The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) post-1994 was transformed into a public service broadcaster, to advance the course of democracy. The SABC newsroom continued to navigate modern technology, although with challenges. Also, the heads of news at the SABC were mainly political deployees who promoted the African National Congress (ANC)-led government's mandate, ignoring the interests of the citizenry. Using the social responsibility theory, this paper argues that the appointment of the new head of news in 2018 revived the SABC’s mandate and the institution performed well in the 2021 local government elections. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with SABC journalists and recorded programmes for news and current affairs for six weeks during the election period, this qualitative study's findings attest that the journalists felt more protected from censorship and political interference, which promoted a culture of ethical performance. However, the SABC newsroom convergence process still appeals to the elite at the expense of its radio platforms. This paper argues that SABC needs to invest more in its radio platforms. Ethical leadership is another crucial ingredient for the SABC to perform its watchdog role, instead of operating as a lapdog of the ANC or politicians from other parties.

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“Stay tuned!"

“Stay tuned!"

State or Public Service Broadcasting? Assessing the Making of a National Television Service in Botswana

This paper uses the political economy framework to examine developments surrounding the establishment and structuring of Botswana Television since its introduction as a national broadcaster in 2000. The focus is to identify the broadcasting model for Btv, and establish whether PSB or SB would be appropriate for a national television in Botswana context. Data obtained through documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews showed that Btv has always been funded and structured to operate from either the Government Ministry of Transport and Communications, or the Office of the President. Consequently, the channel’s broadcasts are predisposed toward the ideologies of the ruling elites, than those of the public. Therefore, we argue that Btv should be re-structured and allowed to operate in the interests of both the state and public. Doing so could result in collective use of state media and safeguard against unnecessary government control. Thus, for developing contexts such as Botswana, we suggest a hybrid model of both PSB and SB.

Love/Hate as lyrical sociology: Mapping the spaces of urban crime

This article considers the sociological function of television drama via the Irish television crime series Love/Hate, which aired over five seasons between 2010 and 2014 on RTÉ, Ireland’s public service broadcaster. Drawing on Andrew Abbot’s concept of ‘lyrical sociology’, it will examine how media discourse surrounding Love/Hate consistently foregrounded the connection between its fictional events and real-life crime scenarios. Media coverage of Love/Hate, as well as the content of the series itself, it will be argued, posed the problem of sympathy between audience and its violent protagonists in spatial terms, as a question of belonging or otherwise in a shared social space. In particular, the experiential quality of home as a space of belonging will be explored as a central organizing structure in the series, one which ambiguously connected the lived spaces of its domestic television audience to the highly gendered home and city spaces of Love/Hate’s story world.

The Historic, Present and Future Role of Regulation in Securing the Standards of ‘Public Value’ Media

AbstractThis article examines the evolution of public service broadcasting (PSB) regulation in the UK, contrasting two opposing perspectives on its role and addressing its contemporary challenges. Analysing the historical context and recent regulatory changes, the article argues that PSB remains vital to the UK's media landscape, providing high quality content and serving the public good. However, it identifies technological advancements and political interference as significant threats to its continued success. The article critically evaluates the draft Media Bill's potential to address these challenges and enhance PSB's competitiveness. Additionally, it raises concerns about potential bias within the regulatory body, Ofcom, urging greater transparency and fairness in its oversight of the media market. The article emphasises the need for a robust regulatory framework to ensure the continued viability of PSB and foster a vibrant and diverse media ecosystem.

Introduction: Where Next for Public Service Broadcasting?

AbstractGood quality information is a public utility: the rich and powerful will always have access to what they need to know, but poor people do not. Indeed, increasing inequalities in access to decent information underlie other more obvious inequalities. Bad information does not respect borders and yet democracy depends on informed citizens. The case for public intervention in what used to be called broadcasting, now including digital media—but which needs to be thought of as a public information space—is at a tipping point. This collection of essays sets out these vital challenges and offers some innovative solutions.

Public service broadcasting and gender equal coverage: reflections on research and practice in Ireland and Sweden

This paper makes three important contributions: to research on media and gender equality, specifically through the lens of gender equal sports coverage; to understanding the lived experiences of women in public service sports broadcasting, and to gender-sensitive public discourse and policy debates concerning the relationship between media and sport. In it, we examine industry attempts to achieve gender equal coverage in public service broadcasting (PSB) in Ireland and Sweden. The paper draws on a three-way dialogic exchange between the authors who, together, have sizeable professional and personal experiences of public service sports broadcasting, sports participation (from amateur to elite levels), and of voluntary sports coaching and administration. This novel exchange also responds to calls for greater insights into women’s engagements with media. The paper concludes by considering current issues for PSBs in relation to gender equal coverage and suggesting potential future lines of enquiry.

Quality User-Generated Content? A Case Study of the Quality of Online News Comments on the Site of Finnish Public Service Broadcaster Yle

ABSTRACT Over the years, studies have assessed the quality of discourse in comment sections and results have been mixed. Some argue that newspapers have created forums for hate speech against minorities, that the quality of discourse undermines the democratic potential of comment sections, or that comments are troubled by incivility. Others have found that commenters produce content resembling public deliberation and that comment sections can contain fruitful discussions on divisive topics. This article contributes to the literature on the deliberative quality of news comments by assessing the deliberative quality of news comments in Finland. What is the deliberative quality of comments on Svenska Yle’s news articles? We conduct a quantitative content analysis of 565 news comments to 30 articles on Svenska Yle. Using a novel measurement strategy derived and developed from earlier research on assessments of deliberative quality, we analyze the deliberativeness, emotiveness, and confrontativeness of comments. Our findings are relatively positive since the overall quality level exceeds that of several previous studies. However, several indicators of quality still need improvement.

Finally, beyond status quo? Analysis of steps taken to improve gender equality in the European audiovisual sector in light of the #MeToo movement

ABSTRACT This research examines the situation of women and the initiatives implemented to support women in the audiovisual sector in Europe in light of the #MeToo movement. Our study is grounded in critical feminist cultural theory. We engaged primarily in secondary data analysis of two study objects: (1) reports and studies that highlight the situation of women and (2) secondary data on initiatives and practices that aim to change the situation of women. We also conducted eight interviews. Although the representation of women in the audiovisual sector is still estimated to be 20–30%, there exist initiatives and actions aiming to support women by different means to reach equality in the labour market, tackle sexual harassment and gender stereotyping, and create visibility. These initiatives include networking opportunities, mentoring and training programmes, regulatory measures, psychological and legal support, and data gathering and provision. The success of the initiatives can depend on the organisational and funding structure/public support. Most initiatives involve NGOs, public service broadcasters (PSB), film festivals, public institutions, and film funding bodies. Finally, we recommend going beyond the notion of visibility while adopting an intersectional approach to action and data collection.

Colombian Television in the 1980S

This article examines the claims that the unique public-private television system of the 1980s provided space for the development of a national sense of community-based on common narratives and decentralization. The sources for the analysis included a revision of its contemporary discussion in printed media coupled with an analysis of TV shows currently available on streaming services and interviews with relevant figures of the time. The television content shot on location was praised for representing the nation, while simultaneously giving rise to debates about decentralization, which was finally addressed by the creation of regional broadcasters. The hybrid system fostered diversity, production quality, and a national representation that was strongly contested from the regions. At the same time, the system unintendedly hampered the creation of an audiovisual archive, and complaints about its tender systems resonate with the plight of contemporary public service broadcasting in Colombia.