Platform paradoxes and public service media legitimacy: a cross-national study

Abstract

The intricate relationship between public service media (PSM) andsocial media platforms has emerged as a critical factor significantlyimpacting the legitimacy of the PSM institution. This study adopts adiscursive institutionalism lens to examine how six PSMorganizations across Europe, Australia and Canada communicatetheir relationship and ideas about social media platforms via theirannual reports over a 10-year period (2013–2022). Annual reportsprovide valuable insight into PSM organizations’discursiveprocesses that are aimed at generating (and justifying) public andpolitical support. The analysis uncovers a complex and at timescontradictory set of discourses revolving around audience attentionand interaction, editorial integrity, and digital safety. While buildingplatform presence is portrayed as crucial for sustained reach andrelevance, PSM organizations also position themselves ascounterweights to negative platform influences within the nationalmedia ecology. We observe a shift towards increasingly risk-orientedplatform narratives over time, particularly concerning Facebook,resulting in a more deliberate social media strategy among somePSM organizations, and even disengagement with the platform.