Reconciling editorial independence and public accountability issues in Public Broadcasting Service

A public broadcaster is pulled in two directions: There is the need to be accountable to the public, and the imperative to be editorially independent at the same time. The first implies parameters and control systems; the second points to the need for autonomy. This distinctive tension marks out a...

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Main Authors: Guy Berger, Denis Jjuuko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Johannesburg 2022-10-01
Series:Communicare
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/jcsa/article/view/1716
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author Guy Berger
Denis Jjuuko
author_facet Guy Berger
Denis Jjuuko
author_sort Guy Berger
collection DOAJ
description A public broadcaster is pulled in two directions: There is the need to be accountable to the public, and the imperative to be editorially independent at the same time. The first implies parameters and control systems; the second points to the need for autonomy. This distinctive tension marks out a key difference between public and private broadcasting (through the public accountability component), and between public and government-controlled broadcasting (through the editorial independence proviso). Several dimensions can be identified in regard to assessing accountability and editorial independence, and also to the way that policy can work to integrate these two apparently contradictory imperatives. In 2004, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was required in effect to mediate the complex challenges in this tension by formulating detailed editorial policies and systems. The significance of the SABC experience also extends to understanding the nature of policy more broadly
format Article
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publisher University of Johannesburg
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spelling doaj-art-f984bff66351403181846669981fdb822025-01-20T08:52:54ZengUniversity of JohannesburgCommunicare0259-00692957-79502022-10-0126110.36615/jcsa.v26i1.1716Reconciling editorial independence and public accountability issues in Public Broadcasting ServiceGuy Berger0Denis Jjuuko1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8736-6395Rhodes UniversityRhodes University A public broadcaster is pulled in two directions: There is the need to be accountable to the public, and the imperative to be editorially independent at the same time. The first implies parameters and control systems; the second points to the need for autonomy. This distinctive tension marks out a key difference between public and private broadcasting (through the public accountability component), and between public and government-controlled broadcasting (through the editorial independence proviso). Several dimensions can be identified in regard to assessing accountability and editorial independence, and also to the way that policy can work to integrate these two apparently contradictory imperatives. In 2004, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was required in effect to mediate the complex challenges in this tension by formulating detailed editorial policies and systems. The significance of the SABC experience also extends to understanding the nature of policy more broadly https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/jcsa/article/view/1716public broadcasteraccountable to the publicimperative to be editorially independentparameters and control systemsautonomypublic
spellingShingle Guy Berger
Denis Jjuuko
Reconciling editorial independence and public accountability issues in Public Broadcasting Service
Communicare
public broadcaster
accountable to the public
imperative to be editorially independent
parameters and control systems
autonomy
public
title Reconciling editorial independence and public accountability issues in Public Broadcasting Service
title_full Reconciling editorial independence and public accountability issues in Public Broadcasting Service
title_fullStr Reconciling editorial independence and public accountability issues in Public Broadcasting Service
title_full_unstemmed Reconciling editorial independence and public accountability issues in Public Broadcasting Service
title_short Reconciling editorial independence and public accountability issues in Public Broadcasting Service
title_sort reconciling editorial independence and public accountability issues in public broadcasting service
topic public broadcaster
accountable to the public
imperative to be editorially independent
parameters and control systems
autonomy
public
url https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/jcsa/article/view/1716
work_keys_str_mv AT guyberger reconcilingeditorialindependenceandpublicaccountabilityissuesinpublicbroadcastingservice
AT denisjjuuko reconcilingeditorialindependenceandpublicaccountabilityissuesinpublicbroadcastingservice