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The public right to know in a sea of global media. Helen Shaw Athena Media -Ireland Amsterdam: Summit of the Future Jan 26-28 2005. The sea of global media. Fewer owners – more choice Fragmented commercial markets Digital expansion – new media
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The public right to know in a sea of global media Helen Shaw Athena Media -Ireland Amsterdam: Summit of the Future Jan 26-28 2005
The sea of global media • Fewer owners – more choice • Fragmented commercial markets • Digital expansion – new media • The death… or re-birth of public broadcasting?
Consumers and citizens • ‘the market is highly efficient but it has no goal, its sole purpose is to produce more in order to consume more’, Octavio Paz. • Consumer and citizen needs and rights are different even conflicting • Examples: plastic bag levy, smoking ban.
Information as a public good • Citizenship versus consumerism • Social versus individual • News and information as a public and social good rather than a product and commodity • Seeing public media like public health, part of the social contract.
Death or re-birth? • SO much choice on digital media why pay for content? • Yet …media independent of direct state and market control has become a compelling issue in today’s world. • Why? • Global media can mean a choice between more of the same – cultural imperialism. • Trust has become the core issue.
Defining…. • ‘we have to stop thinking of public broadcasting as a stand-alone organisation and see it as the principal node in an emerging network of public and civil initiatives that taken together, provide the basis for new cultural space, a digital commons, that can help forge communal connections..” • Prof. Graham Murdock – Loughborough University
Why do we need public media? • Post Iraq and media debate • Tsunami+ interconnectedness of our world • A market driven, globalised world needs trusted information to underscore our civil society – our humanity – our inter-relationship.
Why we need public media • ‘soft power’ rests on credibility • The ‘paradox of plenty’ – in a global information age power flows to credible gate-keepers • Plentitude of information – poverty of attention • ‘power in information flows to those who can…authoritatively validate, sorting out which is correct and important’ Joe Nye – Paradox of Power (2002)
Re-inventing public broadcasting • Content beyond institutions • Public media and the internet • Not-for profit content underscoring global civic society • Seeing public funding as a content pool • Public media competition to ensure quality and accountability
Emerging trends... • In Ireland 5% of the TV licence fee goes to a fund for all broadcasters • Australia has merged internet and broadcasting regulation • BBC Charter Renewal based around seeing content as a public good • DR – Denmark multimedia model