Media Publici

Lets examine public media through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, our beloved ABC, and start with the Charter;

(1)The functions of the Corporation are:

(a) to provide within Australia innovative and comprehensive broadcasting services of a high standard as part of the Australian broadcasting system consisting of national, commercial and community sectors and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to provide:

(i) broadcasting programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect the cultural diversity of, the Australian community; and

(ii) broadcasting programs of an educational nature;

(b) to transmit to countries outside Australia broadcasting programs of news, current affairs, entertainment and cultural enrichment that will:

(i) encourage awareness of Australia and an international understanding of Australian attitudes on world affairs; and

(ii) enable Australian citizens living or travelling outside Australia to obtain information about Australian affairs and Australian attitudes on world affairs; and

(c) to encourage and promote the musical, dramatic and other performing arts in Australia.

This Charter covers the requirement to serve and engage the public and the functions hark back to Nation Building through the organisations projection of its programs to the World for the national good . It also concentrates on Australian Content as part of our National Heritage and National Identity. Of course National Identity and the need to entertain go hand in had with the function of National Conversation.

(2) In the provision by the Corporation of its broadcasting services within Australia:

(a) the Corporation shall take account of:

(i) the broadcasting services provided by the commercial and community sectors of the Australian broadcasting system;

(ii) the standards from time to time determined by the Australian Broadcasting Authority in respect of broadcasting services;

(iii) the responsibility of the Corporation as the provider of an independent national broadcasting service to provide a balance between broadcasting programs of wide appeal and specialized broadcasting programs;

(iv) the multicultural character of the Australian community; and

(v) in connection with the provision of broadcasting programs of an educational nature—the responsibilities of the States in relation to education; and

(b) the Corporation shall take all such measures, being measures consistent with the obligations of the Corporation under paragraph (a), as, in the opinion of the Board, will be conducive to the full development by the Corporation of suitable broadcasting programs.

Section 2 reflects the serious, broadsheet style of public media as it informs the Australian public on a wide range of issues that are not required to be rating driven. There is a sense in the Charter that the ABC is not there to break the news but to provide more in-depth coverage of the issues.

Onto some further reading to gather more of a feel for public media through ABC eyes. The ABC's Code of Practice further emphasises the high standards including those of impartiality, diversity and accuracy. It also stresses the anti-bias theme stating, "The ABC takes no editorial stance..."  and must be fair to all sides.

ABC Code of Practice

Next the future of public media and the ABC's Strategic Plan that clearly acknowledges the importance of its audience, “Faced with the certainty of change, the ABC must continue to place audience experiences at the centre of its plans and activities.", Maurice L Newman AC, Chairman. The strengths of the local radio network, large on-line presence and the changes already made to cope with the transition to digital television along with increased funding place the ABC in fairly good shape for the future. There is also acknowledgement that there is a need to maintain and improve news content and delivery in light of increasing commercial choices available to the public.

No real surprises until we come to innovation goals, "Pursuing new and sustainable business activities". What will these be and what does this mean for public media? A contingency plan should tax payer funding decrease dramatically but hopefully not a move in the direction of privatisation.

ABC Strategic Plan

In line with the British public broadcasting model the ABC has a few ticks and crosses.

• universal accessibility (geographic)  - Yes 
• universal appeal (general tastes and interests) - Yes although sometimes seen as elitist
• particular attention to minorities - More an SBS role
• contribution to sense of national identity and community - Yes
• distance from vested interests - Dependent on its future business activities
• direct funding and universality of payment - Yes at present mainly tax payer funded
• competition in good programming rather than numbers - Hopefully so long as an acceptable amount of government funding is assured
• guidelines that liberate rather than restrict programme-makers - Yes so long as anti-bias is no carried out to a stifling degree

Public media is in reasonably good shape in Australia and so long as it  continues to offer value, maintain public trust, engender public loyalty but most importantly be willing to renew itself with innovative programming, all should be well. As Rodney Benson from the New York University says, "If democracy is to mean anything you have to figure out ways to include everybody."