Public Service Media and Information Disorder

Public service media (PSM) institutions around the world exist in challenging conditions: not only do the commercial counterparts claim that PSM is distorting the market, governments are increasingly meddling with content and tightening financing for these institutions. This is an alarming trend in times of viral misinformation, filter bubbles, distrust of media, and global political and economic turbulence.The Center for Media, Data and Society has curated a series of lectures addressing the challenges and the future of public media titled Public Media Institutions at a Crossroads: Visions, Strategies, Tactics.

This white paper, authored by Minna Horowitz, is an extended reflection on the theme of the speaker series, focusing on a specific challenge for public service media: “fake news” and disinformation, or more broadly, the current “information disorder”. The paper draws from the outlined problems and threats, as well as opportunities, strategies, and tactics discussed in the above presentations when documenting how PSM institutions around Europe have tackled the challenge.