Public service media and multilevel governance : Citizen participation in the networked society – The Spanish case

Abstract

The question about the future of public service media in the 'networked society' is directly related to the modernisation of European democracies and the role of citizen participation. In the context of a severe economic crisis, declining trust in public institutions and eroding citizen confidence in democratic structures, multilevel governance is an EU initiative for modernising democratic practices. Amone the core principles are: cooperation, prioritising network structures, decentralisation, complementarity between public and private sectors, and facilitating civic participation. This chapter exposes the connection between the historic mission of public service broadcasting (collected in five areas or 'blocks'), the contemporary obligations of public service media in a 'networked society', and the objectives of multilevel governance.