A Seat at the Table

A couple of weeks ago, Current ran an article about an effort being waged by Public Media Company, and the Poynter Institute to reimagine the future of public media. This coalition is just one of several groups working on this important agenda. I applaud these intentions, but I do wonder: have any of these groups reached out to the National Multicultural Alliance to offer them a seat at the table?

Black Public Media is one of the five members of the NMCA. Our peers include: the Center for Asian American Media, Latino Public Broadcasting, Pacific Islanders in Communication, and Vision Maker Media. Each of these organizations has spent decades helping public media find, fund and distribute content that speaks to the lived experience of Americans of color. We also fund a significant share of the makers who produce content for broadcast on public media.

Reimagining the future of public media is a timely and necessary endeavor. But without representatives from the NMCA at the table, I have little confidence that whatever emerges from these conversations will deliver Americans a public media ecosystem that sufficiently aligns with their needs. 

Let’s face it, demographically, today’s United States of America is not what it was in 1967, when the Public Broadcasting Act was passed. And the demographics of today are not what demographers tell us we can expect in another 50 years. Tomorrow’s public media needs to anticipate what that will mean, both in terms of how stories are created and how they are distributed. 

Let’s Not Let Past Become Prologue

I’m not condemning anyone’s efforts to reaffirm America’s commitment to public media. Frankly, I can’t imagine our democracy functioning properly without it. What I’m asking, however, is a serious question. I’ve no doubt that the people working on these various efforts include folks from the communities represented by the NMCA. But I question whether they have the insights, history and social networks that NMCA members have. Our past experiences and ideas about the future of public media are vitally important to any new system’s future. 

So, I invite those who may be leading these initiatives to invite us to the table. The NMCA is deeply committed to the cause of public media. We fully understand its place in a functioning democracy and believe that our organizations can make a valuable contribution to shaping whatever comes next. 

The existing public media system was up and running for nearly a decade before the first NMCA member organization was founded (VisionMaker Media in 1976). Another 15 years passed before all five of our organizations were established. I can’t help but wonder where we’d be now had the NMCA organizations been included from the beginning. I would hate to see our nation repeat its past misstep.

Last Open Call Info Session is Next Monday

On another note, I remind our readers that the deadline for our 2026 Open Call is fast approaching. Submissions are due by Thurs.,Oct. 1, 11:59 p.m. PT. If you would like to discuss your project and the submission process with one of our staff, please note that our final Info Session is scheduled for Mon., Sept. 28, 5 p.m. ET). Click below to register.