Innovation in Public Media Services

a continuous, cross-cutting process rooted in its missions

Abstract

Dr. Felisbela Lopes is a leading reference in the study of Public Service Media in Portugal, combining a solid academic trajectory with active engagement in the public and media spheres. She holds a PhD in Communication Sciences from the University of Minho, where she is a Full Professor, and her research focuses on television news, political journalism, and health communication, with particular emphasis on the role of public service in shaping the democratic public sphere. In this interview, conducted by researchers Elton Bruno Pinheiro and Luís António Santos, she reflects on the relevance of Public Service Media as a critical infrastructure in democratic societies, highlighting its foundational principles and missions oriented toward the public interest. She also underscores the structuring role of innovation, understood as a transversal process that enables PSM to adapt to technological transformations and new consumption habits, while addressing persistent challenges in the Portuguese context, particularly regarding funding and sustainability. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes the centrality of information quality, media literacy, and the relationship with citizens, advocating a vision of Public Service Media as a space for inclusion, participation, and social cohesion, in continuous articulation with academia and other social actors.