Public service media are one part of the so-called dual broadcasting system, which is typical of most of Europe. The second backbone of this system is commercial media. The main goal of public service media is to serve the public by educating, informing, and entertaining. These institutions are usually established by law, and they are typically impartial and independent. These conditions were originally set in response to the state’s tendency to control the media and exert power over a fragile and limited frequency spectrum. In the early 1950s, reflections on World War II propaganda suggested that public service media could contribute to the development of democracy. With this idea, there was a demand to provide citizens with information that could help them to form opinions and support democratic participation. Another requirement for public service media is to serve as an alternative to commercial media.
Research shows that public service media, compared to commercial media, contribute to the strengthening of democratic values and are also far more effective at increasing people’s knowledge and understanding of politics and public affairs.
In recent years we have seen efforts by European politicians to interfere with the independence of public service media. For example, in Poland, a controversial law was signed in 2015, which allows a government minister to appoint and dismiss at his own discretion the supervisory and management boards of the state-funded media. Another example is the situation in the Czech Republic, where in 2020 an election of members of the broadcaster’s governing council provoked debate after many people with known links to the governing party were put on the shortlist.
