Accountability
Accountability is central to maintaining a trusted and credible shared public media space. A public media organisation is distinctive in that it is primarily accountable to the citizens who are its stakeholders rather than to state or commercial interests
Funding and governance should always enable a publicly funded media organisation to be transparent, accountable to citizens and true to the public interest. To ensure plurality, public media content may also be provided by more than one media organisation.
Funding
Financial models for public media organisations vary but an element of public funding is central. This is usually provided by either allocation from general government resources or via a general charge on users (licence fee). Public media organisations also supplement declining public resources with external revenue in order to maintain quality.
Governance
Effective governance models for public media organisations differ, but editorial independence and public accountability must be ensured. Public media organisations are usually accountable to parliament, government, the regulator and the public. Accountability may be guaranteed by independently appointed Boards that reflect the composition and diversity of society and stand apart from both government and the day to day management of media organisations.