The Mission Of American And German Public Tv Programming In The Post Digital Era

In Germany and the U.S., Public Broadcasting Services serve the public sector with openly accessible programming that is distinct from privatized commercial networks.They enrich the public by offering 'quality' programming that entails cultural influence and educational gain. However, existing tests fail to examine the content of the actual programs, which serve as flagships of their enterprise. The purpose of this study is to first establish an understanding of the public identity utilizing Jurgen Habermas's framework of the public and the 'Public Sphere' and then incorporate that into a textual analysis of two fictional series and two documentaries originating from both Germany and the U.S. to examine the networks' application of their mission statements into their programming. While public networks attempt to rebrand themselves with innovative programming, they remain stigmatized by their traditional modality of promoting veracity and historical accuracy. New media has become another disruptor of the public broadcasting enterprise. By creating more challenges but also benefiting the networks' core mission statements, new media has broadened the scope for new public spectatorship and has redefined public television.