The platformisation of public service broadcasting in Germany: The network ‘funk’ and the case of Druck/Skam Germany

Abstract

This article investigates how platformisation changes the practices of content production and distribution through the case of the web series, Druck (tr. Pressure (2018–), for the public service content network ‘funk’ (ARD and ZDF). An analysis of the German adaptation of the Norwegian television and web series Skam (tr. Shame) (NRK3, 2015–2017) shows how public service broadcasting (PSB) in Germany is changing due to the influence of social media. To reach a younger audience, PSB has to meet them on third-party platforms. Consequently, PSB must provide content that fits the mobile media environment of social media.

New Strategies for Old Dilemmas: Unraveling how Spanish Regional Public Service Media Face the Platformization Process

“…As noted by Couldry and Hepp (2017), platforms do not reflect the social; they produce the social structures in which we live. In this context, PSM have not escaped the process of platformization, being forced to implement gradual changes (D'Arma et al, 2021;Stollfuß, 2021;van Es & Poell, 2020). In Donders's (2019Donders's ( : 1024 words, "public broadcasters are well aware of the platformization and are working to adapt to it".…”

“…In this context, there are recurrent debates about what services, products, benefits, or value PSM should provide and what models of funding and control are appropriate (Evens & Donders, 2018;Don-ders, 2021;van Es & Poell, 2020). Although the debate is historic, platform capitalism (Srnicek, 2018) brings with it new challenges that have become an incipient academic line of great interest (Berry, 2020;D'Arma et al, 2021;Donders, 2019;Stollfuß, 2021).…”

Debates teóricos para el estudio de la televisión pública ante la convergencia digital en América Latina

“…Schawrz (2015) se pregunta sobre formas realistas de sostener los valores públicos en un contexto en línea configurado comercialmente y fuertemente marcados por el uso de algoritmos como forma de creación de perfiles individuales y en la mejora de las experiencias de usuario. Stollfuß (2021) realiza un estudio de caso de la televisión pública alemana donde destaca las transformaciones en las prácticas de producción y distribución de contenidos públicos destinados a ser consumidos en redes sociales digitales. Sørensen (2019) y Hildén (2021) advierten la creciente adopción de algoritmos y sistemas de recomendación personalizados en las plataformas de televisoras públicas en distintos países de Europa.…”

Editorial

“…Collectively, the featured research investigated how television has been amplified across platforms and screens to attract and engage younger audiences. In the first issue on the ‘youthification’ of television, the articles examined how the relations and the attitudes of both creators and young audiences towards youth-oriented media are not straightforward (Redvall and Christensen, 2021; Sakr and Steemers, 2021; Sundet, 2021) and reflected critically on the practices and habits of younger viewers in Europe in terms of contemporary forms of television, storytelling and (social) media use (Podara et al, 2021; Stollfuß, 2021; Autenrieth et al, 2021). In the current issue, we continue to elaborate on these debates by means of two articles that draw on a range of methodologies to analyse multi-platform television, streaming media and youth content.…”

“…The transnational discussion and analysis of the Norwegian youth drama SKAM ( Shame , 2015–2017) was a main case study in issue 16.2, with research by Sundet (2021) on how insights from the Norwegian hit show informed NRK’s production of blank (2018–2019), while Stollfuß (2021) examined how platformisation changed the practices of content production and distribution in the German adaptation, entitled DRUCK ( Pressure , 2018-). In the current issue, the adaptation of strategies developed elsewhere to a local context is also at the centre of Florian Krauß and Moritz Stock’s article on the German web series DRUCK ( Pressure , 2018-).…”