How Do Public Service Broadcasters Make a Case for Themselves? An Analysis of BBC’s ‘Charter Manifestos’

As publicly-funded organisations operating in a sector characterized by ever-greater private-sector provision, public service broadcasters need to build a robust case for their continuing legitimacy. This paper examines the discursive strategies of the BBC in the UK in the context of the last three Royal Charter reviews. It shows that since the early 2000s, and particularly during the most recent Charter review, the BBC has deployed influential policy ideas on the creative economy to build a case that in keeping with the times emphasises its economic contribution as well as its more traditional role in fostering political and cultural citizenship