Rethinking transparency in public service media: a multidimensional framework for better governance

Transparency has become a cornerstone of public service media (PSM) governance yet it remains inconsistently understood and applied. Increased scrutiny from various stakeholders has resulted in a need for actionable and meaningful transparency. Scholarly evidence highlights transparency’s benefits a...

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Main Authors: Hilde Van den Bulck, Minna Horowitz, Tim Raats
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Communication
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1569363/full
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author Hilde Van den Bulck
Minna Horowitz
Tim Raats
author_facet Hilde Van den Bulck
Minna Horowitz
Tim Raats
author_sort Hilde Van den Bulck
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description Transparency has become a cornerstone of public service media (PSM) governance yet it remains inconsistently understood and applied. Increased scrutiny from various stakeholders has resulted in a need for actionable and meaningful transparency. Scholarly evidence highlights transparency’s benefits and risks, including potential misuse, as illustrated with current examples from Finnish PSM organization Yle and tVRT in Flanders (Belgium). This brief provides a multidimensional framework for actionable transparency efforts that allow PSM to move beyond ad hoc, reactive and partial approaches by elaborating key dimensions of transparency about what, when, how, by whom and to whom, transparency is required. Recommendations include fostering transparency practices that are meaningful and resistant to weaponization and politicization, developing participatory governance models, and leveraging transparency as a tool for organizational resilience.
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spelling doaj-art-04d5765be0f14754a166b0d9fe87c8ac2025-08-20T02:37:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Communication2297-900X2025-07-011010.3389/fcomm.2025.15693631569363Rethinking transparency in public service media: a multidimensional framework for better governanceHilde Van den Bulck0Minna Horowitz1Tim Raats2Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United StatesUniversity of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandVrije University Brussels, Brussels, BelgiumTransparency has become a cornerstone of public service media (PSM) governance yet it remains inconsistently understood and applied. Increased scrutiny from various stakeholders has resulted in a need for actionable and meaningful transparency. Scholarly evidence highlights transparency’s benefits and risks, including potential misuse, as illustrated with current examples from Finnish PSM organization Yle and tVRT in Flanders (Belgium). This brief provides a multidimensional framework for actionable transparency efforts that allow PSM to move beyond ad hoc, reactive and partial approaches by elaborating key dimensions of transparency about what, when, how, by whom and to whom, transparency is required. Recommendations include fostering transparency practices that are meaningful and resistant to weaponization and politicization, developing participatory governance models, and leveraging transparency as a tool for organizational resilience.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1569363/fullpublic service media (PSM)policytransparencyEUlegitimacysustainability
spellingShingle Hilde Van den Bulck
Minna Horowitz
Tim Raats
Rethinking transparency in public service media: a multidimensional framework for better governance
Frontiers in Communication
public service media (PSM)
policy
transparency
EU
legitimacy
sustainability
title Rethinking transparency in public service media: a multidimensional framework for better governance
title_full Rethinking transparency in public service media: a multidimensional framework for better governance
title_fullStr Rethinking transparency in public service media: a multidimensional framework for better governance
title_full_unstemmed Rethinking transparency in public service media: a multidimensional framework for better governance
title_short Rethinking transparency in public service media: a multidimensional framework for better governance
title_sort rethinking transparency in public service media a multidimensional framework for better governance
topic public service media (PSM)
policy
transparency
EU
legitimacy
sustainability
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1569363/full
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