Beyond representation: Public service media, minority audiences and the promotion of capabilities through entertainment
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version
Date
2022Metadata
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Abstract
Entertainment programming is an important means for public service media (PSM) to address minority audiences, and to fulfill their social mission vis-à-vis these groups. We argue that these efforts are plagued by a thin normative grounding, stopping short at vague notions of representation. In this article, we argue that a capabilities approach invites a much-needed reconsideration of the fundamental objectives of such entertainment-based representations. The article offers a first operationalization of the capabilities approach in the context of televised entertainment. First, we identify and qualify a set of basic capabilities that we propose PSM should promote to minority audiences through entertainment content. Second, through a case study from Norway involving focus group interviews of young immigrants, we demonstrate how entertainment can facilitate the promotion of such capabilities. On this ground, we discuss the implications of a capabilities perspective for PSM efforts to accommodate marginalized audiences.