Australia has several media outlets, including privately-owned commercial media, and sponsored community networks.
The country also funds two public service broadcasters through tax revenue: these are the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (the ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service (or SBS).
Private mainstream media produces content for profit and ratings. They answer to their commercial sponsors and their interests. In contrast, public broadcasters are accountable to the community that funds them.
Kristian Porter is the CEO of the Public Media Alliance, the largest global association of public media outlets, which advocates for the core values of public media and journalism.
He says public broadcasters are mandated to inform the public accurately.
“They should be free from government or overt commercial interference. They should have oversight from ideally some sort of independent regulator and provide impartial news and quality content that informs, educates, and entertains all of society. Public media should also be a reliable source of information in times of emergencies or in crises, and a reliable counter to misinformation and disinformation. They should be universally available, reach diverse audiences, and ultimately inform democracy, particularly at times of election.”
So, what can the public expect from the ABC and the SBS?
Both public broadcasters are directed by their individual charters, editorial policies and codes of practice that mandate their content be fair and balanced.
The ABC is larger, with dozens of regional and international bureaus, as well as offices and studios in all Australian capital cities. It has radio stations and TV channels to cater to different audiences and interests. Among them are dedicated TV channels for news and children’s content.
The ABC also keeps communities informed during emergencies. It educates the public on preparedness, broadcasts warnings and updates during the crisis, and informs on the recovery efforts.
The SBS is Australia's multicultural and multilingual national public broadcaster. Its television channels include international programming, as well as news services in English and numerous other languages. It offers people from non-English-speaking backgrounds access to information and entertainment from their home countries.
SBS houses NITV, Australia’s National Indigenous Television, which showcases content from a First Nations perspective.
David Hua is the Director of SBS’s Audio Language Content. He oversees SBS Radio, which broadcasts programs in more than 60 languages.
Besides NewsCorp, there are some additional dominant conglomerates: Seven West Media, an ASX-listed company controlled by Australian Capital Equity. Also, Nine Entertainment, a merger between Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL), and Fairfax Media. These two former companies were founded by the Packer and Fairfax families.
Public Media Alliance CEO Kristian Porter says the drawback of private ownership is that some outlets may be editorially skewed.
