Categories of Media Organs - by Suzanne Nanyonge

Last time, we talked about the editorial policies of media organs, and how those policies condition their broadcasting system. The aspect of Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) and State Broadcasters (SBs) were mentioned too, with a hook on what they're all about. So, what are these PSBs and SBs, and what differentiates them?Starting with PSBs, they focus on providing unbiased information to the public that are neither commercial nor political. Such media work mainly for the public, with the aim of educating, informing and entertaining. They are governed by independent laws, license fees. The best example is the British Broadcasting Corporation, that was established in the 1920s. It is governed by the BBC Royal Charter, that details their work ethic and policies. In the United Kingdom, the Communications Act of 2003 sets out the purposes that define public service televisions, stating their purposes and characteristics. The purposes are that of informing and understanding the world, stimulating knowledge and learning, among others. While for the characteristics, they are well funded, so productions are of high quality; they're original, innovative, challenging and widely available. PSBs are run by the public, through a compulsory licence fee paid by viewers if they want to watch or record programmes. So one can say that the media are funded through taxes that are not directly controlled by the government. Hence, they are free from any political interference which makes them free to criticise government policies without fear of consequences. They are accountable only to the public, so this makes them very much independent. State broadcasters (SBs) on the other hand, focus on pro-governmental activities. They are accountable to the government first, because they are fully funded by the government, so the information they pass out are thoroughly screened by the government. They educate, inform and entertain too but majority of their content is on nation building, unity and progress. Hence, critical voices are censored for most cases. In Cameroon, the only organ in this case is the Cameroon Radio and Television corporation, as well as Cameroon Tribune newspaper.Then, another category is Private Broadcasters. With private media, there is slight progress when it comes to independence, in the sense that the PBs can criticise government policies in favour of the opposition, even though they have some restrictions,because they may face sanctions like temporary suspension. Private media are mostly funded by advertisements, private investment and donor support. This can influence the content they put out for consumption, because they would want to promote the investors who fund them, even if not regularly. In Cameroon, these media are under the legal supervision of the Ministry of Communication, so it is this ministry that issues licences for broadcasting. Also, they are regulated by the National Communication Council. Hence there is more progress when it comes to freedom of speech in private media in the country. It is worth noting that all the media organs have the same aim; to inform, educate and entertain, but their editorial policies determine the different domains they focus on.In summary, PSBs are funded by the public, openly criticise the ruling government, and are mostly found in developed countries, while SBs are pro-governmental, funded by the government and found in developing countries, then PBs are funded by individuals, have a certain level of independence for critiques (depending on the country) and are mostly found in developing countries as well.Do you have any of these or all of these categories in your country? You can share in the comment section.

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