Lecture 8: Public Media

The role of public media
Public media should have public value. According to the BBC that means:

1. Embedding a ‘public service ethos’
2. Value for licencefee money
3. 'Weighing public value against market impact'
4. Public consultation

In 1985 the Broadcasting Research Unit defined public service broadcasting as involving:

• Geographical universality
• Universality of appeal
• Special provision for minorities
• Special relationship to the sense of national identity and community
• Distanced from all vested interests
• Universality of payment
• Competition in good programming rather than competition for numbers
• Liberate rather than restrict

Public Media Functions:

• Nation Building
• National Heritage
• National Identity
• National Conversations



"The difference between commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting is the difference between consumers and citizens". Public media is a media whose mission is to serve or engage a public. Its purpose is to serve the public, rather than make profits. In Australia, ABC and SBS are the two largest public broadcasting corporations. Due to really tight budget, public media producer or journalist has to take up serveral job duties. Therefore, producing quality media work is never easy with little money. Public media really are facing challenges to continue its run in competition with commercial media. It is difficult to avoid commercialization when getting consumers' support.