Researchers at Södertörn University have published a comprehensive overview of international research on public service media, alongside a searchable research database hosted by the Knowledge Center for Public Service Media (K-pub).
Public service media continue to face structural transformation driven by digitisation, platformisation, and shifting political environments. In this context, Research on Public Service Media: An Overview of Scientific Articles 1998–2024, written by Amanda Ramsälv and edited by Fredrik Stiernstedt and Anne Kaun, maps how the research field has developed over the past 25 years.
The report analyses 275 peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science. It examines three central questions: Where and when is research on PSM conducted and published? How is PSM defined and operationalised in scholarly work? And which thematic areas dominate the field?
The findings show a clear concentration of research in Western Europe, particularly the United Kingdom and Spain. Thematically, the field is largely structured around two areas: funding and regulation, and digitisation and platforms.
By contrast, fewer studies address audiences, trust and mistrust, populism, disinformation, and public values. The report also identifies methodological patterns, including a predominance of qualitative document analysis and policy-focused research. Issues related to distribution and research beyond Western Europe remain comparatively limited.
– There is a need for research overviews that take stock of the field. With this report, the ambition is to contribute to a clearer picture of what we know, and where further work is needed, says Ramsälv.
Research database
All 275 articles included in the overview can also be accessed through a searchable research database hosted by the Knowledge Center for Public Service Media (K-pub) at Södertörn University.
– We are pleased to release the database. It makes it easier for researchers and others interested in public service media to gain an overview of existing research, says Fredrik Stiernstedt.
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