Josh Clinard
Program manager, national productions
PBS North Carolina
Age: 35
In three words: Enthusiastic, persistent, fun
What colleagues say: Josh Clinard came to North Carolina PBS five years ago after marketing jobs at companies like Google and Adobe, eager to offer his energy and skills to a nonprofit making a difference in people’s lives. Josh is now a true convert — and incredible contributor — to the mission and values of public media.
Josh is such an important part of our small but mighty national productions unit. He was integral to our efforts to land the prestigious Regional Digital Content Innovation grant with PBS Digital Studios. More recently, Josh has been our coordinating producer on our most ambitious project to date: a two-hour history documentary that PBS NC’s national productions team co-produced with American Experience. “American Coup: Wilmington 1898” chronicled a political insurrection and racial massacre that unfolded in Wilmington, N.C., in 1898.
This all plays to Josh’s superpower, which is collaboration — across the station, but also with the myriad partners and producers with whom we work. He is not only smart, creative and reliable but also a true pleasure to work with and everyone’s favorite teammate!
What Josh says
Decision to work in public media: After graduating from the University of North Carolina School of Media and Journalism, I worked in marketing roles at the intersection of media and technology in jobs across the country. I returned to North Carolina and knew I wanted to stay in storytelling and shift toward more mission-driven work. During a conversation at a friend’s engagement party, a producer from PBS North Carolina mentioned a job opening that aligned with my interests and skillset. That conversation led me here. Five years later, I’m still at the station.
Key accomplishments: I’m especially proud of PBS North Carolina’s multiplatform release of “American Coup: Wilmington 1898,” a co-production with American Experience and 371 Productions. The Peabody Award–nominated documentary tells the little-known story of the only successful coup d’état in U.S. history. Even though I was born and raised in North Carolina, this defining event was never part of my education.
To better reflect all communities in our state, I’m also deeply proud of my work to elevate LGBTQ+ stories. Since joining PBS NC, I’ve consistently advocated for increased representation and have seen meaningful growth in this storytelling across our platforms.
Inspired by: Film festivals — whether big, local or niche — are where I go to reconnect with the heart of this work. There’s nothing like watching a documentary with a packed house, sharing in that collective response and meeting the people who poured years of their lives into what you’ve just experienced on screen.
PBS NC sent me to prestigious festivals like Sundance and SXSW. Those opportunities helped me feel valued and brought real returns to the station — from new ideas and partnerships to funders and collaborators. Our partnership with Picture Motion, our national impact producer for “American Coup,” was a relationship I built at SXSW.
Advice for young public media professionals: Build genuine relationships that support your career, your projects and your station’s work. When you’re figuring out where you want to go with your career, networking is the best way to guide your journey.
Advice for public media leaders: Public media has traditionally been full of “lifers.” While their expertise is invaluable, it can also create a bottleneck for growth — especially for those who have already proven themselves but don’t see a clear path forward.
As public media looks to engage younger audiences on digital platforms — which are typically more flexible and forgiving — now is the perfect time to give emerging producers with strong track records the opportunity to direct, EP or fully own projects.
