Lecture 7 - Public Media

After the relaxing mid semester break, it was time to get back into JOUR1111 for week 8. This week we looked at what public media is, the value and aims of a public service broadcaster (in the case of Australian examples: the ABC and the SBS), the functions, commercialization and style of public media, and finally, the challenges for public media in the future. These were the notes that I took from this weeks lecture.

What is public media?

•        Media whose mission s to serve engage a public. Taxpayer supported and may be for profit so long as its ultimate focus is to serve the public
•        In a democratic society media is in place to support public interests and the democratic process

Public Value

•             Embedding a public service ethos
•          Value for license fee money
•          Weighing public value against market impact
•           Public consultation

Public/Community media types

•        BBC, NPR, Channel 4, CBC, PBS, TVNZ; 4ZZZ, American Public Media

Public Service broadcasting

•        Geographical universality
•        University 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 broadcasters

 

The ABC

•        The ABC was founded in 1929 as a nation building project
•        ABC, ABC 2/3, ABC news 24, ABC local radio, Radio national, classic FM, Triple J

The SBS

•        Launched as channel 0/28 in 1980 as a multicultural channel to reflect Australia’s multicultural       society 
•        Hybrid network that incorporates to ads and public service

Functions of public media

•        Nation Building
•        National heritage
•        National identity
•        National conversations

Commercialization of Public Media

•        BBC Worldwide, the world game soccer shop online, ABC shop
•        News and News CAFF

New style of public media

•        Serious
•        Broadsheet
•        Importance over interest
•        Considered, not quick and unchecked

 Can be considered...

•        Boring
•        Elitist
•        Limited interest
•       Out of touch

Public media function/ communications style

•        The press
•        Entertainment
•        Utility
•        Social
•        Propaganda

Challenges for public media

•         Produce quality 
•           Make itself relevant
•         Engage with the democratic process
•         Inform the public
•         Be independent – tricky when funded by the government
•      Commercial pressures for one = political pressures for another