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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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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University of Johannesburg
2022-10-01
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Series: | Communicare |
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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
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format | Article |
id | doaj-art-f984bff66351403181846669981fdb82 |
institution | Kabale University |
issn | 0259-0069 2957-7950 |
language | English |
publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
publisher | University of Johannesburg |
record_format | Article |
series | Communicare |
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 |