Commentary Is the Role of Public Service Media in Estonia Changing? ANDRES JÕESAAR, Tallinn University, Estonia; email: [email protected] RAGNE KÕUTS-KLEMM, University of Tartu, Estonia; email: [email protected] 96 10.2478/bsmr-2019-0006 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2019 / VOLUME 7 / COMMENTARY ABSTRACT The need to re-structure established media systems needs to be acknowledged. In a situation where new services will be provided by different actors of the digital economy, the role of public service media (PSM) requires attention. If, generally, PSM are under pressure in Europe, the situation in small national markets is even more complicated. PSM are under pressure and also need to find ways to reformulate their role in society and culture. Broad discussions and new agreements between politi- cians, citizens and the media industry are necessary to change this situation. We will approach the question of whether a specific gap still exists in the media market that can be filled by PSM? The article will seek these answers based on various survey data and collected statistics in Estonia. INTRODUCTION Historically, public service media have home culture. On the other hand, in case of held a strong position in the European information overload and growing informa- countries. PSM have played a leading role tion disorder, PSM can help to safeguard as a reliable source of information, provider democratic developments. The role of PSM of quality entertainment, and educator. An in ensuring “that citizens have access to excellent summary of traditional public ser- well-researched and trustworthy journal- vice values is provided by Lowe and Maija- ism is central to the functioning of demo- nen (2019). According them, the role of cratic societies EBU (2019a: 1)”. public service media includes the following: The US presidential election in 2016 1) developing and defending democracy; 2) (Silvermann 2017) and Brexit attracted providing independent, impartial, and trust- even more attention to the role of the media worthy information; 3) providing relevant as a reflector and influencer of societal pro- content for all; 4) ensuring that high jour- cesses. Whereas traditional media chan- nalistic standards are maintained; 5) serv- nels used to play a clear role as the ‘fourth ing as a domestic cultural institution; and power’ in society, the increase in the popu- 6) maintaining and developing the national larity of social media and the amount of identity (ibid.: 12). In the globalising world, false information that is spread therein has and especially in digitally united Europe called the importance of traditional media where the borders of the nation states have into question. Not only does the so-called become more fluid, keeping cultural com- mainstream media have to compete with munities together is an additional func- social media news (Hermida et al. 2014), tion. If people move to live, work or study in but also with increasingly popular alterna- other countries, digitalised media can help tive media channels. Users face new chal- them maintain stronger connections to their lenges in finding news in the oversaturated 97 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2019 / VOLUME 7 / COMMENTARY media landscape, as well as navigat- informed about news and current affairs in ing between the growing number of news the countries where public television has a sources (Swart et al. 2017). The role of pub- strong standing. PSM have created stand- lic media in analysing facts and filtering ards and influenced the television and content in the information overload of net- radio programming decisions in the private work society has become a central ques- media – at least in the provision of news. tion of media policy (Donders, Raats 2015; This finding is in line with the EBU (2019b: Goodwin 2017). 9) report outcome: “Countries with high The special strength of PSM has been, PSM TV and radio market shares and high and still is, its contribution to areas of fail- PSM funding per capita tend to rank higher ure in the market, e.g. domestic children in the democracy index”. programmes, the representation of minori- In various national and cultural con- ties etc. The parliaments and governments texts, the combination of elements results of many nation-states have seen the impor- in PSM playing a specific role in the media tance of guaranteeing the development of systems. Several studies indicate that the PSM and provided significant resources function of public service systems differ to ensure the functioning of PSM. This has significantly in various European countries. been rewarded with high quality services Nowak (2014) found that the main distinc- being provided by PSM to the citizens. In tion lies in the orientation to the main tar- some countries, especially the Nordics get group, i.e. PSM can be accountable to (including Estonia), PSM enjoy the attention the governments or to the audiences. For and trust of its audiences (Weibull 2007), example, the systems in Italy, Spain and while in other countries, PSM have weaker Poland are less politically independent, positions (Terzis 2007). In the context of whereas in Germany and Sweden they are general ambiguity about the future role of accountable to the public (Nowak 2014: 17). PSM, it is probably rather surprising that Dobek-Ostrowska (2015) argue that, in the population of Switzerland overwhelm- Central and Eastern Europe, four media ingly supported their public service media models exist with the PSM in each model in a public referendum on the 4th of having a different (value proposition or) March 20181. position. Born and Bosser (2001) defined the The achieved goals that have been “three central principles [of PSM] with the formulated by the legislation and regula- second and third being largely derived from tion of PSM have not changed significantly the first, that provide their ultimate justifi- during the last few decades, but the con- cation: a) Citizenship: enhancing, develop- textual factors that enable or disable the ing and serving social, political and cultural fulfilment of some goals have changed citizenship, b) Universality, and c) Quality of quite a lot. Based on the changes in the services and of output” (Born, Bosser 2001: UK market, Doyle and Barr (2019) ask an 671). existential question related to the national Serving civil society is the most impor- media: “Does “national” television con- tant function of PSM and has included tent still have any relevance in the digital “three elements: genres (e.g. information, era?” (Doyle, Barr 2019: 940). Furthermore, education, or culture), goals and functions we can assume that the acuteness of the (e.g. inclusion, participation, national iden- question based on the amount of resources tity), and characteristics of journalistic every country invests in PSM. practice (e.g. innovative, balanced, impar- Thus, the central issue is what are the tial)” (Schweizer, Puppis 2018). Aalberg et possible new roles that PSM can have in al. (2010) argue that audiences are better digital contexts (Lowe et al. 2018). Wauters and Raats (2018: 178) argue that for PSM to successfully exist, it should be defined as 1 https://www.ebu.ch/news/2018/03/swiss-vote-in- favour-of-public-service-media a part of a media ecosystem that combines 98 BALTIC SCREEN MEDIA REVIEW 2019 / VOLUME 7 / COMMENTARY the media content value chain, broader – What are the main changes in creative industries, as well as the media- ERR programming compared to tech and internet technology industries. private media? Ibrus and Rohn (2019) believe that, thanks – How do audiences evaluate to the specific position that PSM have in the provision by ERR? What European markets, they can act as “coor- specific strengths do the dinators and facilitators of inter-sector audiences attribute to ERR? cooperation and various kinds of innovation activities” (Ibrus, Rohn 2019: 50). Expanding To provide the answers, we will use the on their conclusions, it can be said that the public data provided by Statistics Estonia market gap that needs to be fulfilled should on the changes in the broadcast program- not to be the provision of diversity, but the ming, as well as survey data collected by facilitation of cooperation between differ- various studies (representative surveys ent content providers, which will also cre- among the Estonian population in 2014, ate diversity. 2017, and 2019, with approximately 1,000 The analysis of the Estonian case respondents for each, organised in coop- should take into account that the Estonian eration with TNS / Kantar Emor and Saar- market, as a liberal economic system, is Poll). We will analyse the situation of the very open to external influences, and the Estonian public service media from three size of the language community presents angles: resources, content provision, and specific challenges to the developmen- audiences. The conclusions we draw could tal possibilities of the media companies in be relevant to PSM in other EU countries Estonia (Jõesaar 2017). On the one hand, as well, since those systems face similar the competition for limited resources is problems. acute – the Estonian media market totals approximately €100m (Baltic Media Health RESOURCES Check 2019). On the other hand, Ibrus The two most important transformations and Rohn (2019) who have analysed the that have impacted the position of PSM in changes in Baltic media markets, state the media market are: 1) digitalisation and that the private media organisations have easier distribution of content; and 2) the made important changes in their function- globalisation of the markets. We have wit- ing logic. Namely, they have entered other nessed an explosion of media communica- business sectors (like education, health, tions thanks to the internet and other com- tourism etc), and the industry is fostering munication technologies. Technology has cross-media solutions and cross-innova- been the enabler and disruptor of media tion (Ibrus, Rohn 2019: 48).