MEDIA LITERACY IN KNOWLEDGE SOCIETIES The Relevance of Public Service Media from the Audience s Perspective in Austria

Transcription

1 MEDIA LITERACY IN KNOWLEDGE SOCIETIES The Relevance of Public Service Media from the Audience s Perspective in Austria Nicole Gonser Markus Grammel Johann Gründl PANAM 2015 conference Governance and Public Service Media in Knowledge Societies Université du Québec à Montréal, July 16 17, 2015

2 PSM IN AUSTRIA Sharing the same language and a similar culture with Germany All of its media face strong foreign competition No commercial TV until 2002 Therefore: Austrian PSM, ORF, still in strong position But (like other European PSM): also decreasing market shares 2

3 RESEARCH INTEREST Which role do Austrians assign to PSM? importance of PSM to audience expectations towards PSM evaluation of PSM s performance attitudes and knowledge 3

4 METHODS telephone survey experimental study semi-structured interviews N = /2010 N = N = First public value research project ( ) Second public value research project ( ) 4

5 PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERVIEWS Formal education Age Sex Basic Intermediate High Total Male Female Male Female Male Female Male 70+ Female Julian Leon Philipp Benjamin Martin David 6 Isabel Sarah Emilia Helena Livia Elisa 6 Oliver Luis Ben Samuel Alexander Adrian 6 Sophia Nora Paula Bianca Ursula Lara 6 Felix Thomas Christoph Marco Noah Gabriel 6 Theresa Jasmin Stefanie Greta Clara Andrea 6 Erich Josef Peter Georg Kurt Michael 6 Monika Anna Elisabeth Karin Barbara Viktoria 6 Total

6 IMPORTANCE OF PSM Austrian citizens highly agree that PSM are important for society. The notion that they are also important for individuals is shared by fewer people. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 86% 72% years 73% 67% 80% 74% 75% 71% 84% 84% 79% 79% Importance of public service broadcaster for society Importance of public service broadcaster for individual years years years years years 94% 88% 70 years and older N = 1000; Percentages of answers in the top 2 out of 5 categories ( 1 = not at all important, 5 = very important ) 6

7 EXPECTATIONS TOWARDS PSM AND EVALUATION OF FULFILLMENT Purposes and characteristics Expectation Delivery Diff. Transparent proceedings and decisions within ORF New ideas in shows and contents Quality entertainment Promotion of civic engagement and social cohesion Attractive contents for all ages Promotion of Austrian productions and talents Thought-provoking content Making knowledge accessible Helping to understand what happens in the world Considering different cultures and opinions Assistance in everyday life Contents for my federal state N = 1000; Percentages of answers in the top 2 out of 5 categories ( 1 = not at all important / not at all delivered, 5 = very important / fully delivered ) 7

8 INTERVIEWEES EVALUATIONS OF PSM Positive evaluations innovative independent unbiased distinctive trustworthy high brand-related quality high service-related quality high person-related quality many-sided content proper amount of advertising well-off / many resources Negative evaluations conservative dependent biased undistinctive untrustworthy low brand-related quality low service-related quality low person-related quality one-sided content improper amount of advertising greedy too strong position out of reach self-referential N = 48 8

9 INTERVIEWEES EXPECTATIONS TOWARDS PSM Positive evaluations innovative independent unbiased distinctive trustworthy high brand-related quality high service-related quality high person-related quality many-sided content proper amount of advertising well-off / many resources Negative evaluations conservative dependent biased undistinctive untrustworthy low brand-related quality low service-related quality low person-related quality one-sided content improper amount of advertising greedy too strong position out of reach self-referential N = 48 9

10 MEDIA LITERACY Access and Use Analysis Evaluation Content Creation (Livingstone, 2004) 10

11 MEDIA ACCESS AND USE Classification according to frequency moderate users low-frequency users high-frequency users 11

12 MEDIA ACCESS AND USE Classification according to preferences Broadcast-first users Online-first users 12

13 MEDIA ACCESS AND USE Broadcast-first users are more likely than digital-first users to attribute expected characteristics to PSM. Public service media have the duty to inform the public which they more or less fulfill. (Gabriel 62 high) The ORF is a construction site [ ] (Ben 32 high) Indeed, ORF offers more high-quality programs than private channels. (Georg 71 high) 13

14 KNOWLEDGE AND ANALYSIS + advanced understanding intermediates - basic understanding 14

15 KNOWLEDGE AND ANALYSIS + The fees are justified. They are not that high and what you get in return is public service broadcasting on grounds of the mandate to provide thorough information. (Gabriel 62 high) - ORF is available for free online. (Peter 76 high) I m glad that I do not have to pay fees at the moment [ ]. I pay for UPC and therefore also for ORF anyway. (Isabel 22 basic) 15

16 IT S NOT ALL ABOUT AUSTRIA Most documentaries I watch do not come from ORF [ ] I cannot tell whether they are private or public service or something else, but they are from German and Swiss television. (Samuel 49 basic) 16

17 DISCUSSION More knowledge and analytic competencies inspire assessment of PSM on a more general level apart from personal preferences Transition from PSB to PSM is not yet (fully) recognized by the audience An advanced understanding of which content or services are funded through license fees appears to enhance individual willingness to pay PSM should take their role as media educators more seriously Notion of media literacy as multiple literacies (Livingstone, 2004) Also consider productive skills 17

18 Journalism Research Center at the Institute for Journalism & Media Management FHWien University of Applied Sciences of WKW Währinger Gürtel 97, 1180 Vienna Nicole Gonser Markus Johann Gründl Public Value goes international