Public Broadcasters, Online News Media and Questions of ‘Voice’:

Developments at Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service

Cultural Research and Political Theory: New Intersections Preconference at International Communications Association 60th Annual Conference, Singapore, 22 June, 2010

Professor Terry FlewARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and InnovationQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbane, Australia

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SBS: Australia’s multicultural public broadcaster

Established in 1978 - began TV in 1980SBS ‘has given cultural diversity visibility in the media and in the process it has made Australian culture richer, more varied and more inclusive’ (Ien

Ang et. al., 2008: 4).

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SBS and Multicultural Citizenship

Challenges for SBS in the 2000s– Did it go too far down the

path of popular multiculturalism (populism – Top Gear, South Park)?

– How does it reconnect with newer ethnic communities in Australia?

– Can it still claim distinctiveness in a multi-channel universe?

Rapid growth of Internet as a site of media consumption

The wider picture

Review of National Broadcasting (2008)Issues for SBS

• The principal function of SBS is to provide multilingual and multicultural

broadcasting services for all Australians, reflecting our multicultural

society. Is this an appropriate function for SBS in a 2020 media

environment and, if so, how should it harness the available digital

technologies to fulfil this function?

• Are there opportunities for the national broadcasters to more

effectively fulfil the objectives of universal access and the provision of

local content by utilising new delivery platforms such as broadband

internet?

Review of National Broadcasting (2008)Issues for SBS (cont.)

• Should the charters of the national broadcasters be amended to more

clearly define their broad programming directions and priorities? Should

such priorities take into account the nature and reach of particular

delivery platforms?

• What opportunities do new digital broadcasting and other platforms

provide for the national broadcasters to more effectively deliver

programming in languages other than English?

• Are there ways of better harnessing new media and broadcasting

technologies to enhance the value of the national broadcasters services

to migrant groups, particularly those that are newly arrived?

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Findings from 2007 YouDecide project on Australia Federal election: New types of media work (Flew &

Wilson, 2010)

Content work– Contribution

management– Site moderation– Seed content

Networking– How to get attention– Multi-platform

strategies

Community work– Building and

maintaining a user community

– Harnessing “super-contributors”

Technical work– On site tech work– Off site tech work– Meta-tech work

Findings from QUT-SBS MA partenrship on user-created content

• UCC can be one response to SBS’ heavy reliance on international news agencies

• Potential for SBS to lever links to Australia’s ethnic communities for new perspectives

• UCC could never be the primary solution to diversifying news content - importance of perceived quality and SBS ‘brand’

• UCC increases the importance of editorial functions in news selection

• Focus of user comments needs to balance 99% engaged ones with 1% problematic ones

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Opening up SBS Online for user-created content

STRENGTHS– Scope to move beyond

being ‘re-broadcaster’ of agency news material (CNN, BBC etc.)

– Reputation as trusted news source

– Multiple links to Australia’s diverse ethnic/language communities

– Educated and informed audiences

– Scope to be ‘honest broker’ between communities in conflict

WEAKNESSES– Accusations of bias/lack of

balance– Not expected to be an

‘opinion’ outlet– Risks to brand and

reputation– Balance between editorial

standards and opening up to user participation

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Opening up SBS Online for user-created content

OPPORTUNITIES– Harnessing cultural diversity

as a productive resource– New sources of news

agenda-setting– New forms of

participation/public sphere– Engaging disenfranchised

communities (e.g. young)– Telling different stories/new

forms of identification with SBS

THREATS– Credibility and

quality/regularity of output from non-SBS sources

– Site moderation and legal risks

– Editorial management of site

– Scope for conflict between SBS professional and UCC ‘pro-ams’

A decade online

• 2000

A decade online

• 2005

A decade online

• 2009

2009: A year in review• Total visitors: 196,000

2009: A year in review• Total visitors: 196,000

• Insight: 186,000

• Living Black: 32,000

• WNA: 1,157,000

• Where from?

• 60% from Australia (118,000)

• 40% from overseas (80,000)

2009: A year in review

2009: A year in review• Potential language hubs?

2009: A year in review• Potential language hubs?

• Total visitors: 109,700 (as of May 24)– This time last year: 95,400

2010: The year so far

• Engagement

2010: The year so far

• Engagement

2010: The year so far

• Live chat

2010: The year so far

UCC @ SBS and future of public service media

From Public Service Broadcasting to Public Service Media:– Reforming the legislative Charter– Renewing the funding base (no funding for online)– Rethinking the pubic service remit

Not just multi-platform but new modes of engagement

Scope to be innovators in changing the media form

Opening up - moving beyond the media professionals and ‘transmission model’

Challenges of multicultural citizenship