European policy proposals to meet the challenge of public service media

Abstract

The new media scenario is causing a crisis affecting the legitimacy of public service media (PSM). When several countries are considering far-reaching reforms, this paper analyses the PSM policy proposals of the political parties in Western Europe in the last elections in each country until 2021. Its methodology is based on a content analysis of the election programmes and semi-structured interviews with experts. Results confirm that PSM are present in electoral contexts, albeit with uneven attention depending on the political contexts. The main differences between countries can be seen in governance and funding, both related to the independence. Some changes can also be found in the speech of some populist parties that advocate for the most radical positions on the usefulness of PSM.