Social impact is part of the DNA of public service media (PSM). It is ingrained in the essential tasks of informing, inspiring and connecting audiences. Recently, a remarkable shift in the narrative on the legitimacy of PSM has caused a growing ‘burden of proof’. PSM organizations need to come up with evidence to support their added value to the different aspects of society.
This is easier said than done. Definitions and methodologies are often complex, and PSM operates in different contexts, meaning there isn't a gold standard for measuring social impact. As a result, communicating the contribution to society to citizens and other stakeholders is a challenging task.
Following its report on Unpacking Social Impact, EBU’s Media Intelligence Service invited Marco Catena from Rai (Italy) and Tomas Coppens from VRT (Belgium) for a roundtable on how to approach measuring and reporting on social impact as public service media, and the role of PSM in maintaining a solid social cohesion.