Lecture Seven: Public Media

My investigation into commercial media left me with this quote:

“Advertisers are the real customers of commercial media cooperation, not its viewers, readers or listeners”.

Now, if that is the case, one could say that it is the complete opposite when dealing with public media.

Public media is described as being :

 ‘Media whose mission is to serve of engage the public. It is less associated with taxpayer support, it may be for profit so long as its ultimate purpose is to serve the public and not turn up a profit’.

So, it seems public media is just that: here to serve the public, without government funding or projecting advertising undertones.  To me, the journalistic aspects of public media are far more ‘honest’ and real than that compared to commercial media. It is a vital platform for true, interesting stories that delve deep into people’s lives and addressing important issues in Australia and around the globe.


We can find public media on channels such as SBS and the ABC, which give us great shows, multi-cultural programs, news from around the world and incredible, yet forgotten, foreign films. This provides the whole nation with media they can relate to, creating a better society by closing the gap and catering to all Australians. 

This has certainly persuaded me to eventually, follow a career in public media. I am much more open-minded about the contrast between the two, and in the future, will look to public media to get a more honest, realistic, and thought-out perspective of the world.