Public Service Media (PSM) is facing significant changes driven by shifts in technology, audience behaviour, and the broader media environment. Traditional models, which once relied on national institutions and state-backed funding, are under increasing strain as new dynamics reshape the way information and culture are produced, distributed, and consumed.
Cultural and Informational Globalisation – Audiences now have access to a vast range of international content, which can both enrich and challenge national media institutions. PSM providers must navigate a landscape where global entertainment and news sources compete for attention, often offering content that resonates more with certain audiences than national broadcasters.
Market Globalisation – The expansion of multinational media corporations and streaming services has reduced the dominance of state-backed institutions like the BBC. Platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime cater to a global market, diluting the role of national media organisations in shaping public discourse.
Changes to Delivery Systems – The prevalence of digital streaming and on-demand services has undermined traditional broadcasting models. While linear television and radio still exist, audiences increasingly expect content to be available whenever and wherever they choose. Public Service Media providers have struggled to adapt their funding and content strategies to this new reality.
Personalised Media and Algorithmic Influence – Social media platforms and content aggregators use opaque algorithms to curate individualised media experiences, often reinforcing existing biases or limiting exposure to diverse perspectives. Unlike public broadcasters, which operate under clear mandates to provide balanced content, these digital platforms prioritise engagement over public interest, raising concerns about misinformation, polarisation, and audience segmentation.
Rise of Independent Content Creators – The decline of institutional gatekeeping has allowed independent creators to flourish. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Substack empower individuals to build large audiences without relying on traditional media networks. While this democratisation of media production brings new voices into the public sphere, it also challenges the legitimacy and reach of PSM providers, who may struggle to remain relevant in this decentralised environment.
Reduced Institutional Control – Traditional state-backed institutions such as the BBC no longer have the same influence over public discourse. With declining television licence revenue, political pressures, and increasing competition, their ability to serve as trusted sources of information is under scrutiny. The question of how such institutions maintain their role in a decentralised and digital-first media landscape remains unresolved.
These factors collectively challenge the sustainability of the traditional Public Service Media model, raising important questions about how to maintain a publicly accountable, independent, and accessible media ecosystem in the future.
Reassessing the Role of Media in Society
A focus on public-purpose media should take into account key societal needs, particularly in light of shifts in how media is conceptualised and delivered. The traditional view of media as a space for civic engagement and public dialogue has been largely displaced by commercial imperatives that prioritise audiences as consumers rather than citizens.
Downgrading of Citizen and Community Needs – Policy discussions about media increasingly frame audiences as consumers, segmented into demographically aligned groups for advertising and commercial targeting. The role of media in fostering community identity, shared cultural experience, and civic engagement has been pushed aside in favour of transaction-based interactions, where news and entertainment are treated as products to be sold, rather than public goods to be maintained.
Transactional Model of Exchange – Current policy thinking on media is largely shaped by market-driven frameworks, in which news and information are seen as the primary services provided. Other important aspects of media—such as fostering community identity, promoting public service, encouraging civic participation, and enabling creative and cultural expression—are often neglected. The emphasis on media as a commercial service rather than a civic space limits its potential to support democratic and social engagement.
Narrowing of Centralised Media’s Scope – Large, centralised media organisations increasingly function as content providers in competition with global entertainment and digital platforms. Their activities resemble the mass production of highly processed goods in a supermarket—designed for mass consumption but offering little in terms of genuine cultural or civic nourishment. This shift has led to a prioritisation of content optimised for engagement and revenue generation rather than substantive or meaningful public discourse.
Algorithmic Curation and Loss of Public Interest Control – As media consumption shifts to digital platforms governed by opaque and proprietary algorithms, public interest values are often subordinated to engagement metrics. The ability of traditional public media institutions to shape and guide civic discussion is weakened by these new gatekeepers, which prioritise user retention and revenue generation over the promotion of diverse viewpoints and constructive dialogue.
To address these challenges, media must be repositioned as a public and civic resource rather than a purely commercial entity. Public-purpose media should seek to restore media’s role in strengthening civic identity, fostering inclusive discussion, and ensuring diverse and locally relevant content is accessible to all.
Distinguishing Public Service Media from Public Purpose Media
The Public Service Model is traditionally based on centralised institutions such as the BBC or PBS, which operate under regulatory and funding frameworks designed to provide content in the public interest. While this model has played a significant role, it faces challenges in adapting to changing media habits and audience expectations.
A Public Purpose Model suggests a different approach, emphasising:
- A Pluralistic Media Landscape – Combining local markets, civic initiatives, and independent journalism to ensure a broad range of perspectives.
- Decentralised Production – Supporting media creation at community and independent levels rather than concentrating production within a few large organisations.
- Democratic Participation – Encouraging media users to be involved in content creation and decision-making.
Applying the Distributionist Principle
A guiding idea in public-purpose media is distributionism, which suggests that activities should be carried out at the lowest appropriate level. This principle represents a reformed form of capitalism rooted in local places and communities, where people develop stable social identities rather than being reduced to transactional agents in a globalised marketplace. The current economic model often prioritises efficiency and scale over cultural and symbolic value, leading to an artificial simulation of identity and meaning through commercial media offerings.
To counteract this, distributionism emphasises the importance of localised economic and cultural ecosystems, where media production is connected to tangible communities rather than being driven solely by remote corporate interests. This approach supports:
- Local Production – Encouraging communities to develop their own media content, fostering a sense of identity and representation.
- Media Literacy and Skills Development – Strengthening critical engagement with media through education and capacity-building initiatives that allow individuals to create, interpret, and contribute meaningfully to public discourse.
- Support for Civic Forums – Facilitating spaces for informed discussion and democratic deliberation at the community level.
A complementary concept to distributionism is bildung, a principle rooted in self-cultivation and civic education. Bildung extends beyond media literacy to encompass a broader commitment to cultural and intellectual development, supporting a holistic approach to media engagement. By integrating bildung into local production markets and community-based media ecosystems, public-purpose media can serve as a tool for civic advancement and social capacity building.
Rather than viewing media as a purely transactional commodity, distributionism and bildung promote a participatory and knowledge-based approach, ensuring that media serves not just as entertainment or information, but as an enabler of democratic participation, local economic sustainability, and cultural enrichment.
A More Participatory Media Ecosystem
A Public Purpose Media approach envisions a media environment that includes:
- Community-led media platforms that operate with local accountability.
- Collaborative media-making that involves a range of contributors.
- Education and training initiatives to enhance media literacy.
- Public forums that encourage diverse discussions.
Participation in media is not merely about access to content; it is about actively engaging in the processes of production, storytelling, and dissemination. Through direct involvement in media creation, individuals and communities develop a sense of meaning and agency. Practical media production and the sharing of content among defined and knowable groups—typically rooted in specific places—strengthens social bonds and fosters a greater sense of belonging.
However, the abstraction of media audiences into demographic categories for commercial targeting has alienated people from common associations and interest groups. Instead of being part of tangible communities with shared concerns and interests, individuals are increasingly treated as fragmented data points in a digital marketplace. This shift has contributed to a weakening of collective identity and a diminished sense of social responsibility.
Public Purpose Media must counteract this trend by ensuring that participation in media is meaningful and rooted in real-world connections. Encouraging participatory media ecosystems means prioritising place-based engagement, where local stories and shared experiences matter. By creating environments in which people can contribute to and interact with media that reflects their realities, we move towards a system that is driven by civic and cultural value rather than purely commercial imperatives.
Reviewing the Role of Public Interest Media
The future of public-interest media requires ongoing discussion about how it remains relevant and accessible. A Public Purpose Media model emphasises participation, decentralisation, and adaptability. Instead of relying on a single institutional framework, various media models can coexist to support civic engagement, informed discussion, and representation.
To move forward, we need extended conversations that explore the developmental nature of Public Purpose Media, focusing on grassroots and community-oriented processes that build up from the bottom, rather than relying on top-down control and organisational mechanisms. Media should be embedded in communities, allowing individuals to develop media practices that reflect their lived experiences and immediate social environments. Policies should prioritise local autonomy, participatory decision-making, and self-organising structures over bureaucratic or corporate-led models.
A useful framework for this discussion is the distinction made by political philosopher Michael Oakeshott between ‘communitas’ and ‘civitas.’ Communitas represents organic, voluntary associations of people who share common interests and values, working together to develop meaningful relationships and shared practices. Civitas, on the other hand, is a formalised structure where individuals relate to one another through abstract legal and institutional frameworks.
Public Service Media, as traditionally conceived, has largely functioned within a civitas framework—structured, hierarchical, and often detached from direct community involvement. In contrast, a Public Purpose Media approach seeks to prioritise communitas, fostering participatory and locally rooted forms of media that respond directly to community needs and interests.
A shift in focus from passive consumption to active participation could contribute to a more engaged and informed public. Reviewing existing structures and incorporating diverse, community-driven initiatives may provide a more sustainable approach to public-interest media. By recognising the importance of communitas, we can build an inclusive media ecosystem that supports democratic participation, cultural exchange, and civic renewal.