Making Public Television Social? Public Service Broadcasting and the Challenges of Social Media

Television & New Media, doi: 1527476414527136, first published on March 21, 2014

Posted: 5 Feb 2020

See all articles by José van Dijck

José van Dijck

University of Amsterdam

Thomas Poell

University of Amsterdam (UvA)

Date Written: March 21, 2014

Abstract

This article investigates how the rise of social media affects European public service broadcasting (PSB), particularly in the United Kingdom and The Netherlands. We explore the encounter of “social” and “public” on three levels: the level of institution, professional practice, and content. After investigating these three levels, we address the more general question of how public broadcasters are coping with the challenges of social media. How can public television profit from the abilities of social media to engage new young audiences (and makers) without compromising public values? And will PSB be able to extend the creation of public value outside its designated space to social media at large? While the boundaries between public and corporate online space are becoming progressively porous, the meaning of “publicness” is contested and reshaped on the various levels of European public broadcasting.

Keywords: social media, television, public service broadcasting, public value, public service media, publicness, pubic sphere

Suggested Citation

van Dijck, José and Poell, Thomas, Making Public Television Social? Public Service Broadcasting and the Challenges of Social Media (March 21, 2014). Television & New Media, doi: 1527476414527136, first published on March 21, 2014 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2413117

José Van Dijck

University of Amsterdam ( email )

Spui 21
Netherlands

Thomas Poell (Contact Author)

University of Amsterdam (UvA) ( email )

Spui 21
Amsterdam, 1018 WB
Netherlands

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