Public Media Autonomy and Accountability: Best and Worst Policy Practices in 12 Leading Democracies

Authors

  • Rodney Benson New York University
  • Matthew Powers University of Washington
  • Timothy Neff New York University

Keywords:

public media, media policy, comparative media systems, journalism, democracy, digital transition systems, digital transition

Abstract

Public media’s contributions to democracy are well established. Less widely known are the specific policies that make these contributions possible. This study finds that professional autonomy and civic accountability in public media are supported by (1) funding established for multiyear periods; (2) legal charters that restrict partisan government influence while also mandating the provision of diverse, high-quality programming; (3) oversight agencies, whose “arm’s length” independence from the government in power is bolstered through staggered terms and the dispersal of authority to make appointments; and (4) audience councils and surveys designed to strengthen links to diverse publics. Public media governed by policies that continue and extend, rather than depart from, these best practices will likely be the most successful in maintaining their civic mission online.

Author Biographies

Rodney Benson, New York University

Associate Professor in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University and the author of Shaping Immigration News: A French-American Comparison (Cambridge, 2013).

Matthew Powers, University of Washington

Matthew Powers is assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washigton.

Timothy Neff, New York University

Tim Neff is a doctoral student in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University.

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Published

2017-01-01

Issue

Vol. 11 (2017)

Section

Articles

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