Spotlight Talk: Building what was missing - Redefining public service media from the inside out

In this talk, Akwasi Ansah reflects on his journey from artist and activist to co-founder of one of Europe’s newest public broadcasters, explaining how Omroep ZWART challenged traditional public media by amplifying excluded voices and driving institutional change. Focusing on the rapid rise of ZWART within the Dutch NPO, Akwasi highlights the challenges of building a mission-driven organization, including community mobilization, legitimacy, and redefining what “public” means. Looking ahead, he shares his vision for empowering a new generation of storytellers to not only join the media system but actively transform it.