Number twenty three

LECTURE WEEK 7

PUBLIC MEDIA

• what is public media?
• its role in democratic society?
• who are the major players?
• what do they make?
• the various functions of public media
• challenges for public media
• the future for public media

what is public media?

• media whose mission is to serve and engage a public
• less associated with tax payer support
• may make a profit, as long as ultimate aim is to serve public

in a democratic society?

there to support public and democratic processes

public value

should embed a public service ethos

value for licence fee money

weighing public value against market impact

public consultation

public media functions

• nation building
• national heritage
• national identity- who are we, what are we, what are we in terms of our identity
• national conversations- sport

commercialisation of public media?

public media can make a profit, but the profit has to go back into serving the public

ABC commercial- ABC shops, huge operation that makes millions for ABC every year- money that they can put back into programs

The news 'style' of public media

• serious
• broadsheet style (as opposed to tabloid)
• importance over interest
• considered, not quick and unchecked

• downsides?
• boring, elitest, limited interest, poorly presented, out of touch

Robert Richter- public media is important because it is the last bastion of long-form investigative journalism

"such a special vehicle for voices to be heard...visions and viewpoints...ignored by commercial media"

public media communication style:

• 'the press'
• entertainment
• utility
• social
• propaganda

challenges for public media?

• both public and commercial and public media need audiences.
• to produce quality
• to make themselves relevant
• to engage with the democratic process
• to inform the public
• to be independent 

After having the lectures on both commercial and public media, I can now see why the two services are so different, and have to be in order to survive. Commercial media seems to be purely about entertainment factor. Informing the greater population who work hard all day, and want the news fed to them more via TV osmosis, than really sitting down and watching a hard-hitting television report. And for the majority of people this is completely suitable for their needs. Public media it seems, is serving a more educated audience. I'm in no way implying that public media followers are smart than those who watch commercial media, but rather they are the ones to question, and debate, and have semi-argumentative discussions at the family dinner every night on subjects that wouldn't even interest half of us.I like to think I'm a 50/50 viewer. I watch Sunrise in the mornings purely to enjoy the Kochie/Mel banter, but I watch ABC news at 7pm in the evenings. Best of both worlds?