Reconciling editorial independence and public accountability issues in Public Broadcasting Service: editorial policies at the South African Broadcasting Corporation1

Reconciling editorial independence and public accountability issues in Public Broadcasting Service editorial policies at the South African Broadcasting Corporation1

A public broadcaster is pulled in two directions: There is the need to be accountable to the public,and the imperative to be editorially independent at the same time. The first implies parametersand control systems; the second points to the need for autonomy. This distinctive tension marksout a key...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa Vol. 26; no. 1; pp. 92 - 113
Main Authors: Berger, Guy, Jjuuko, Denis
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: 20-10-2022
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:A public broadcaster is pulled in two directions: There is the need to be accountable to the public,and the imperative to be editorially independent at the same time. The first implies parametersand control systems; the second points to the need for autonomy. This distinctive tension marksout a key difference between public and private broadcasting (through the public accountabilitycomponent), and between public and government-controlled broadcasting (through the editorialindependence proviso). Several dimensions can be identified in regard to assessing accountabilityand editorial independence, and also to the way that policy can work to integrate these twoapparently contradictory imperatives. In 2004, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)was required in effect to mediate the complex challenges in this tension by formulating detailededitorial policies and systems. The significance of the SABC experience also extends to understandingthe nature of policy more broadly
ISSN:0259-0069
DOI:10.36615/jcsa.v26i1.1716