On March 8, Switzerland will vote on whether to reduce the compulsory contribution that funds the country’s public service broadcaster. All major parties oppose the cut and argue that it would be dangerous for democracy.
I struggle with the idea that a centralized media institution is a reliable guarantee of pluralistic, objective news coverage and healthy political discourse. Yet I also find it hard to identify established democracies that function without some form of public broadcaster. The United States is an exception at the national level, but it is hardly a model for preventing a democracy from sliding into plutocracy.
The Swiss model—direct funding that is largely independent of the federal budget—does appear to provide stronger safeguards for editorial independence than systems like India’s, where the government both finances and can exert direct influence.
What do you think: are public service broadcasters essential to democracy? Do they strengthen checks and balances? And do they promote a plurality of views in the media—or risk stifling it?
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