“After PBS Layoffs, the Future of Public Media is in Our Hands”

The recent layoffs at PBS — 34 staffers this week, nearly 100 positions over the last few months — represents the unraveling of a promise: that public media would always be a space for education, culture, and independent journalism free from commercial influence. With Congress voting to stop federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and CPB set to shut down at the end of September, PBS is scrambling to survive. Budgets slashed by 21%, hiring frozen, independent voices eliminated. The repercussions will be felt most in rural towns and small markets where public stations are often the only non-commercial media outlet.

But here’s the truth: public media will not be saved from Washington. Its survival will depend on communities, and independent builders. Laid-off PBS journalists, producers, and technicians now face a choice. They can either wait for legacy media or they can channel their skills into a new wave of community-owned journalism — podcasts, newsletters, video channels, and local cooperatives. I love this option! The future of independent journalism will not be televised in the same way. It will be streamed, crowdfunded, and directly supported by the public. This moment will force communities to become their own media producers. The message is clear: If we value independent media, we must fund it ourselves