Coming Out – Public Broadcasters and Social Responsibility

Jo Bardoel, Kees Brants, Lodewijk van Noort

The Amsterdam School of Communications Research, University of Amsterdam.

Abstract

In a competitive media environment public broadcasters rethink and often rediscover their social responsibility towards society. On the basis of a content analysis of policy documents of public broadcasting organizations in the Netherlands over a 30-year period, we trace how they have defined their role in relation to the public interest, to providing diverse, reliable and quality information, and to minorities in a changing society. Moreover, we seek to demonstrate how traditional broadcasters come to terms with changed attitudes and media policies of subsequent governments.

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