How people want public service media to help build a better future

In May and June 2026 the Responsible Innovation Centre, an independent research team hosted within BBC Research & Development, talked to one hundred members of the public about their views on the future of public service media (PSM) during a time of rapid technological change.

Over five online sessions and a full weekend of in-person discussion, participants learned about the ways PSM are being affected by issues such as AI, misinformation, personalisation, and the growth of the big online platforms. They then worked together to make their own recommendations for how organisations like the BBC should respond.

Our report sets out the results of this deliberation, the first major exercise of its kind. It provides a clear and well-grounded picture of what a representative sample of the British public has to say about public service media and technology.

The question we asked people to consider was “How can we make, shape or use technology to ensure that everyone benefits from public service media in an increasingly digital and online world?”

To help them in their task, we invited them to join five separate sessions where we explored the contemporary media and technology landscape and the role of public service media organisations, digital inclusion, online safety, civic participation online, personalisation, news, and AI, and information integrity.

They then took part in an in-person weekend summit where, after deep deliberation, discussing with each other, and weighing possible options, they agreed on four visions, twelve priorities, and over fifty recommendations, which are detailed in the report.

What we learned

The main takeaway is that people want a better online environment and think PSM should be key players in helping them achieve it. They highlighted several areas, from countering disinformation, to the negative impact of social media, to the need for digital skills, where they want PSM to take a stand. They want PSM to help improve their online lives by playing a distinctive role in shaping technology and innovation in the public interest.

People recognised that advances in technology had given them increased choice and flexibility in how they consume media, but that this had come at a social cost. For many, the growing demands of the online world are becoming overwhelming for them as individuals, but they are also worried about deepening inequalities and growing divisions on and offline.

They told us that spaces online were off-putting as places to share their views, and they were worried about the impact of unregulated spaces on children growing up online. They emphasised the importance of everyone being supported online as people increasingly access media and other digital services over the internet. And many felt that the rise of social media and AI had resulted in profits being put before people.

What people want to happen

People said they expect public service media to take a broad approach to digital inclusion, helping everyone participate in digital life by providing educational materials and practical tools so they can feel more equipped and empowered to navigate a rapidly changing online world.

They want positive, safer digital spaces for dialogue and participation - in particular for young people - and this all came with calls for regulators to do more. And lastly, as technology becomes more integral to everyday life and the information we rely on, they want a stronger voice in shaping the future, having their views and experiences heard.

Why this work matters

The success of this process clearly shows that deliberations of this kind are a good way to find out what people think about important issues of the day. And since one of the strongest recommendations was that the public should be directly involved in deciding the future of PSM, we now have good evidence that this particular approach can deliver good outcomes.

We are confident in the deliberation’s outcome because of the way we designed the process. In May this year, we worked with the Sortition Foundation to recruit a representative sample of people from across the UK via a civic lottery. They formed our mini-public. We then worked with Elgon Social Research who are experts in public deliberation, and colleagues within the BBC, to design and deliver an online programme of activity that would give our participants an understanding of the issues and the technologies we were concerned with before bringing them together in person.

Conclusion

People’s expectations of what it means for PSM to deliver for audiences in today’s online world are clearly changing. In reading the report, I invite you to reflect on what we need to do to create the conditions to meet these changed needs, and what actions each of us can take to help us get there.

Thank you to everyone who took part and gave their time to the deliberation.