This page provides information for participants in the Citizens' Assembly to discuss the future of public service media, convened in July and August 2020. The discussion will contribute to Ofcom's current consultation, Small Screen, Big Debate. You can find out more about the consultation here. You can also access the House of Lords report on public service broadcasting here, and Ofcom's most recent review here.
Below are four short videos that give you background information about the process of Citizens Assemblies, the origins of the idea of public service and public service broadcasting, current research, and questions for the future. You should watch these before the first event on 28 July so that you know what to expect, and are familiar with some of the key ideas relating to public service broadcasting.
You can also access three short background information documents. They cover the information in the videos, but also give you a bit of additional detail should you want it. Links to the documents are given below.
Citizens' Assemblies: What to expect
Public service media: Background
Public service broadcasting: Research and questions for the future
Videos
Please click on the following links to access the videos.
Citizens Assemblies: What to expect
In this video, Dr Lee Edwards (LSE) gives you a brief summary of how citizens' assemblies are conducted, and what to expect at these events.
PSB origins: The BBC
In this video, Professor Jean Seaton (University of Westminster) gives an overview of the origins of public service, focusing in particular on the history of the BBC as the flagship public service broadcaster.
Public Service Media: General background
In this video, Dr Lee Edwards (LSE) offers a brief summary of the way public service broadcasting operates in the UK.
The changing context of PSB
In this video, Anthony Szynkaruk (Ofcom) discusses the changes in the media landscape and asks what this might mean for the future of public service media.