Public Service Media and democracy in the digital age

The development of non-profit, public interest alternatives to access and debate information online can contribute to a healthier information ecosystem – the question is what role should public service media play in providing them? We are living within an increasingly volatile and unpredictable democratic landscape in the UK. We face challenges with political polarisation and social cohesion, exacerbated by the decades-long fragmentation of our civic infrastructure.

The shift to an online information ecosystem has disrupted traditional media. Digital public spaces have enabled almost anyone, anywhere, to speak their minds, opening new avenues for connection. Yet, the open internet has become overrun by sprawling platform monopolies, shaped by algorithms and profit-seeking incentives towards attention and outrage.

Policymakers, and to a large extent the media industry, are stuck on one part of the solution: regulating harmful online content. To move forward, we need to identify and build on opportunities to improve the digital information ecosystem, rather than only targeting potential threats.

A changing role for public service media in supporting civic participation online

Public service media have traditionally played a crucial role in supporting democracy and civic participation and have provided reliable, up-to-date information and centred shared cultural experiences. In the words of director-general Tim Davie, the BBC is a vital resource for the UK to overcome our current democratic challenges and achieve “a future where trusted information strengthens democracy”.

The BBC was an early proponent of participatory digital media, such as creating avenues for user-generated content (UGC) submissions. Channel 4 has focused on younger audiences, using social media platforms and collaborating with content creators.

As the digital landscape has matured, public service media face new challenges and some exciting opportunities in creating and sustaining civic participation online. Without innovative approaches to connect with audiences online, public service media risk losing relevance in a digital age.

Looking ahead to new opportunities for public service media

One avenue for change is for public service media to move away from using social media platforms as distribution channels. Instead, harnessing digital tools and platforms to build deeper, more participatory relationships with audiences.

There are many examples of digital civic participation initiatives to draw on, inside and outside of public service media. A recent promising example is the Debate platform, developed by German commercial news outlet Der Speigel to replace their comments section. Debate is a carefully moderated platform where readers discuss new topics each day related to news stories. The design encourages civility, such as points awarded to users for high-quality comments.

Many organisations are developing a broad range of digital tools that support democratic and civic participation. From the government-backed vTaiwan initiative for democratic deliberation, and civic platforms developed by non-profits and academics, such as New_ Public and the Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure.

Public service media can build on these promising examples and experiments, in collaboration with other media organisations, civil society, and academic researchers. Together they can play a central role in creating the future of democratic discourse and civic participation online and contribute to a healthier information ecosystem.

However, there remain several barriers to achieving this goal and making progress. Previous digital civic participation initiatives by public service media organisations have faced practical challenges to implementation. These include a propensity to being risk averse and resource constraints, which can limit their ability to experiment and sustain initiatives.

Additionally, without ways to measure or assess whether digital activities are fostering genuine civic participation, making the case for long-term resource and investment remains challenging. While the challenges are great, in a fast-moving digital landscape, the opportunity cost of failing to act is greater.

Moving forward

Developing alternatives will require addressing several knowledge gaps. Our report identified three critical areas where focused investigation can help public service media organisations move from aspiration to implementation.

• Case study analysis of civic participation initiatives: Evaluate past and present civic participation experiments to identify success factors and implementation barriers.

• Alternative metrics development for democratic value: Create measurement frameworks that capture civic impact beyond engagement metrics, enabling public service media to assess their democratic contributions.

• Audience-centred platform design research: Investigate what audiences want from alternative digital public spaces and develop design principles that balance democratic participation with universal access.

So, what’s next?

In the coming months we will explore these critical gaps. Working with our partner network to take this research agenda forward in collaboration with other media organisations, civil society and academic researchers.

At the Responsible Innovation Centre for Public Media Futures (RIC), we believe that better digital spaces are key tobuilding trust in reliable information through transparency, accountability, and participation. Public service media face challenges in supporting civic debate online, but are well-placed to take the lead in creating non-profit platforms for public discussion.