Resumen: The question about the future of public service media in the `networked society¿ is directly
related to the modernisation of European democracies and the role of citizen participa
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tion. In the context of a severe economic crisis, declining trust in public institutions
and eroding citizen confidence in democratic structures, multilevel governance is an
EU initiative for modernising democratic practices. Amone the core principles are: co-
operation, prioritising network structures, decentralisation, complementarity between
public and private sectors, and facilitating civic participation. This chapter exposes the
connection between the historic mission of public service broadcasting (collected in five
areas or `blocks¿), the contemporary obligations of public service media in a `networked
society¿, and the objectives of multilevel governance.
