One Nation, Indivisible?

I think we can all agree this has been a highly contentious election season. I’m saddened by what I’ve seen from many of those running for public office. The last decade has exposed some of the worst contours of the American character. This election offers a chance for us to let our politicians know that we expect better from them. I really hope voter participation is strong.

The timeworn adage, “United we stand. Divided we fall,” has never felt so real to me. I’ve long believed that this nation’s diversity is one of its superpowers. Still, that same diversity is part of what makes maintaining a functional democracy more difficult. This is where public media can help. 

Recalling our History

The current public media system was set up to provide freely available media platforms where Americans could learn — about their government, their democracy, their neighbors, and the world. It was envisioned as a tool for uniting us through widely accessible stories, information and cultural entertainment. 

Public media’s founders leaned heavily on the principles and virtues articulated in the nation’s founding documents: “Freedom of the press,” all people “are created equal,” and that leaders, especially, should conduct themselves with courage, integrity, respect, and responsibility, for instance. 

Of course, a lot has changed. Not only has our population grown, become more diverse and less civil, today’s economy is highly inequitable. In addition, our now ubiquitous, unruly  communications ecosystem has introduced opportunities and challenges that neither the Founding Fathers nor builders of the current public media system could have imagined. Left unabated, the current season of greed, inequity and acrimony will surely sabotage public media’s and our nation’s future.

Beacons of Hope

Fortunately, all is not lost. As painful as last year’s divestment from public media was, it has opened new opportunities for us all to reimagine and reinvent a stronger, more influential and more resilient public media ecosystem. As I write, several groups are working on that. Simultaneously, the public’s financial support for public media is growing. These, coupled with what is forecast to be strong voter participation in today’s election, are beacons of hope.

One, indivisible nation doesn’t require us to agree on everything. But everyone should have a voice. History shows that we’re more unified when people feel they matter and when there’s a consensus to embrace the civic principles and virtues laid out in our nation’s founding documents. I remain convinced that public media can and must continue playing a role in moving us in that direction.