A public broadcaster is a media organisation funded, in whole or in part, through public money rather than solely through advertising or subscription revenue alone. It typically carries a mandate that includes impartial news, local content, and coverage of areas commercial outlets might otherwise skip entirely for cost reasons, particularly in smaller or more remote communities.
Its funding model is meant to reduce dependence on advertisers or shareholders who might otherwise shape coverage decisions, though public broadcasters face their own distinct pressures too, including scrutiny over budgets and independence from the very government responsible for providing their funding each year through a formal appropriation.
Because it occupies a distinct space between commercial media and state control, a public broadcaster's credibility rests heavily on demonstrated editorial independence, transparent governance, and a track record of impartial reporting across the full political spectrum rather than favouring any single part of it consistently over time.