Public Media Are Our Media

Public media are our media — news shows on NPR and PBS, quality kids' programming like Sesame Street, public access TV channels, community radio stations and nonprofit journalism organizations. We rely on public media to tell us the news, educate our children, entertain us, broaden our cultural horizons, show us local government in action, and help us participate in our communities.

The failures of commercial media and the current crisis in journalism have highlighted the need for strong, independent media outlets. Public broadcasters and community media outlets have historically provided vital, innovative programming on a shoestring budget. More support for public media would improve access to critical news and cultural programming that is ignored by ad-driven commercial media outlets.

At this moment, when we need public, noncommercial media more than ever before, this vital information infrastructure is facing new threats. Policy makers who are seeking to score political points are launching renewed attacks on public and community media.

We face a choice: We can accept a mediocre status quo and maintain an under-funded public media system that is vulnerable to constantly changing political winds, or we can aspire to a public media system that makes use of all technologies available to inspire, educate and inform.

We are partnering with forward-thinking leaders across the public media community, independent media makers and everyday people to develop effective policies that will support public media over the long haul.