Innovating Public Media Politics

We often think of innovation only in terms of technology and business models. But one of the areas in which public media most desperately needs to innovate is in its approach to politics. For years, public media makers have been kicked around in Washington, and their funding seems constantly under threat. At a moment when public media are needed more than ever, they are in the greatest jeopardy. But it shouldn't be this way. Public media are vastly popular, with a committed group of viewers, listeners and supporters that number in the tens of millions. Public media is a winning issue, but we've been taking a losing approach. It's time to innovate, change our approach to Washington and politics, and tap into the broad public support for public media. This presentation would make the case for innovating public media politics and present some lessons from the recent fights in Washington around PBS and NPR, as well as what public media could learn from other causes and movements.