{"title":"Public service media and public service internet as a counterweight to media concentration","authors":"Barbara Thomass","doi":"10.1177/02673231241270972","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"This article will discuss the question of whether and to what extent private ownership of media is the appropriate form for organising the infrastructures of social communication, or whether media oriented towards the common good and not profit-driven are better suited to the requirements of democratic communication in a pluralistic society. Starting from the dual character of media as merit goods and commodities, the connection between media concentration and democracy will be discussed based on concentration theories. In view of the fears that this connection might lead to negative excesses, media policy has long been attempting to curb media concentration. These efforts are shortly presented and discussed. Possibilities of balancing the dual character of the media within the framework of different ownership structures lead to the idea that public service media can form a counterweight to media concentration. This is as well an option for an internet oriented towards the common good. The suggestion of a Public Service Media and Public Service Manifesto that was published in 2021 and supported by more than 1000 subscribers from the academic and media community worldwide illustrates this possibility.","PeriodicalId":47765,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Communication","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Journal of Communication","FirstCategoryId":"98","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/02673231241270972","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"COMMUNICATION","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This article will discuss the question of whether and to what extent private ownership of media is the appropriate form for organising the infrastructures of social communication, or whether media oriented towards the common good and not profit-driven are better suited to the requirements of democratic communication in a pluralistic society. Starting from the dual character of media as merit goods and commodities, the connection between media concentration and democracy will be discussed based on concentration theories. In view of the fears that this connection might lead to negative excesses, media policy has long been attempting to curb media concentration. These efforts are shortly presented and discussed. Possibilities of balancing the dual character of the media within the framework of different ownership structures lead to the idea that public service media can form a counterweight to media concentration. This is as well an option for an internet oriented towards the common good. The suggestion of a Public Service Media and Public Service Manifesto that was published in 2021 and supported by more than 1000 subscribers from the academic and media community worldwide illustrates this possibility.
期刊介绍:
The European Journal of Communication is interested in communication research and theory in all its diversity, and seeks to reflect and encourage the variety of intellectual traditions in the field and to promote dialogue between them. The Journal reflects the international character of communication scholarship and is addressed to a global scholarly community. Rigorously peer-reviewed, it publishes the best of research on communications and media, either by European scholars or of particular interest to them.