Artificial Intelligence and Technological Change in Public Service Media: Insights from a Qualitative Study

Abstract

Ali Salehi, Hamed Motaghi, Moe Sadegh Hashemi and Youssofzai Fahim

Public Service Media (PSM) organizations are facing increasing pressures from digitalization, market competition, and changing audience behaviors, raising concerns about their long-term sustainability and public relevance. This study aims to examine how PSM institutions manage these challenges through leadership practices, innovation strategies, audience engagement, cultural responsibilities, and financial management. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with senior executives and managers, the research applies thematic analysis to explore organizational responses to technological, economic, and societal change. The findings indicate that PSM sustainability depends on the strategic alignment of interconnected organizational dimensions rather than on isolated managerial actions. Leadership, digital innovation, audience-centered practices, cultural missions, and financial stewardship function as mutually reinforcing elements that support institutional resilience, legitimacy, and adaptability. The study further demonstrates that public service values can be maintained alongside market-oriented and technological pressures, challenging assumptions that digital transformation undermines public media missions. By proposing an integrated framework of sustainable PSM, this research extends theories of media governance, organizational resilience, and public value. It also offers practical insights for policymakers and media managers seeking to strengthen public media performance in complex and rapidly evolving media environments.

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