Public service journalism

Last updated June 22, 2024

Public service journalism, public service media, or public service internet, is when mission-driven organizations report the news and have editorial independence from governments (unlike state media) and for-profit companies.^[1]^[2]

Public service outlets place more emphasis on public-interest reporting such as investigative journalism.^[3] In the United States, many struggling for-profit newspapers and radio stations have transformed into nonprofits in order to continue to serve their constituents with the help of new funding streams like foundation grants.^[4] The competition from misinformation, whether for profit or political reasons, as well as the dominance of platforms have created challenges for public service media while elevating their importance in providing accurate information to citizens. In order to provide good information, public service outlets need both funding support and a degree of editorial independence.^[5]

History

For-profit newspapers have been declining in the United States, for example, with the rise of the internet, cable TV and other forms of information and entertainment.^[6]

In 2016, the European Broadcaster Union found that countries with popular, well-funded public-service broadcasters have less right-wing extremism, corruption and more press freedom.^[7]

As of 2020, there was little to no public service media strategy at the European level, with individual states pursuing a range of initiatives without much collaboration or thoughtful regulation to promote public media in Europe, potentially hampering democratic debate about European issues.^[5]

Non-commercial outlets

Nonprofit business model

Of the members surveyed for the Institute for Nonprofit News, most revenue as of 2022 typically comes from foundation grants and other donations.^[8]

Bill Birnbauer argues that nonprofits can reduce influence from their funders with total transparency.^[9]

Tara McGowan criticizes commercial news organizations that put paywalls up for their most important content, especially before big elections. She also believes modern media creates content with too much bias, negativity, and false equivalency.^[10]

Industry associations

Globla Investigative Journalism Network

The Global Investigative Journalism Network supports almost exclusively not-for-profit organizations engaged in or otherwise supporting investigative journalism around the world that maintain high journalistic standards.

Institute for Nonprofit News

The Institute for Nonprofit News serves mostly organizations in the United States but also in other countries and publications with a global reach.^[11] It describes itself as a group that "strengthens and supports more than 450 independent news organizations in a new kind of news network: nonprofit, nonpartisan and dedicated to public service."^[12]

Public Media Alliance

The Public Media Alliance (PMA) is a global network of self-described "Public service media" organizations, whose members have, historically, delivered most content through broadcasting on radio and television.^[13] The Alliance also monitors and advocates for public-service media around the world.^[14] In a 2020 overview of public service media, Sally-Ann Wilson of PMA argued that public media remained the most trusted source for news and information. The report found that 150 organizations define themselves as public media but noted that some have been captured by states, especially in the global south. It also noted the influence of China as a major media player in Africa, Asia, and increasingly the Caribbean and Europe, which, unlike western ties to public media, does not promote democracy.^[15]

Related Research Articles

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References

↑ "Public Service Broadcasting". UNESCO. Archived from the original on 2022-03-21. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
↑ Harrison, Jackie (2019-03-26), "Public Service Journalism", Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.867, ISBN 978-0-19-022861-3 , retrieved 2023-11-08
↑ Cheruiyot, David (January 2021). "Journalism Without Profit: Making News When the Market Fails". International Journal of Communication (Book Review). 15: 403–406.
↑ Seelye, Katharine Q. (2021-06-20). "When the Local Paper Shrank, These Journalists Started an Alternative". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-07-25.
1 2 Rodríguez-Castro, Marta; Campos-Freire, Francisco; López-Cepeda, Ana (2020-05-01). "Public Service Media as a Political Issue: How Does the European Parliament Approach PSM and Communication Rights?". Journal of Information Policy. 10: 439–473. doi:10.5325/jinfopoli.10.2020.0439. ISSN 2381-5892.
↑ Waldman, Steven (2020-10-26). "The Coming Era of "Civic News"". Washington Monthly. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
↑ Conlan, Tara (2016-08-08). "'Countries with strong public service media have less rightwing extremism'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-06-15.
↑ "Revenue Growth". Institute for Nonprofit News. May 23, 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
↑ Edmonds, Rick (2019-01-07). "A fresh look at the rise of nonprofit journalism — and the issues that remain". Poynter (Book Review). Retrieved 2023-08-05.
↑ Sherman, Ella (2022-11-01). "Tara McGowan Thinks Paywalls Are Hurting Journalism". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583 . Retrieved 2023-10-14.
↑ Bauder, David (2021-11-18). "Independent websites team up to boost rural journalism". AP News. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
↑ "INN Mission & History". Institute for Nonprofit News. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
↑ "What is PSM?". Public Media Alliance. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
↑ Aslama Horowitz, Minna; D’Arma, Alessandro; Chin, Yik Chan (2020-07-01). "Advocating for public service media: Scholarship and praxis". Interactions: Studies in Communication & Culture. 11 (2): 129–133. doi:10.1386/iscc_00014_2. ISSN 1757-2681.
↑ Wilson, Sally-Ann (2020-07-01). "Public service media, an overview: Reflecting on news and trends". Interactions: Studies in Communication & Culture. 11 (2): 253–259. doi:10.1386/iscc_00022_7. ISSN 1757-2681.