I Am Public Media
This year, as Current marks the 50th anniversary of the Public Broadcasting Act, we are illuminating the experiences that inspired people to choose to work in public media. Every week, we’re sharing their stories using the hashtag #IAmPublicMedia. Current is also collecting longer contributions, like these stories. If you’d like us to feature your story, submit it here.
Alan Montecillo: ‘I want people to know that we give a damn about them’
The idea of publicly funded newsrooms rooted in local communities had never occurred to Montecillo until he volunteered at a public media ...Kevin McElvaney: ‘Public media is public service’
A career change taught this social media manager that "art can help us make sense of the world and even lead better ...Rob Sachs: We are connectors
Over his 18 years in public radio, Rob Sachs has aimed to keep listeners both informed and engaged.Who’s public media?
We snapped photos at public media events throughout 2017 to answer that question.Josiah Luis Alderete: Telling our stories, in our voices, is a form of resistance
"I hope to diversify the voices that we hear on the air. I don’t just mean somebody telling my cultura stories, but ...Larry Bennett: My job is to support ‘rebalancing of the social process’
"One of the functions of culture is to help us assign meaning and thereby establish values. If we wish to rebalance our ...Elena Rivera: ‘I’m hoping to be a bridge between communities’
Public media means "bringing the community closer together through all of the amazing stories that we have on a daily basis."Michael Marcotte: ‘Subversive authenticity! That’s my public media’
As the son of a commercial broadcaster, Michael Marcotte gained insight into the trappings and excesses of the ad-driven industry. Public broadcasting’s ...Sean Powers: Public radio gets me out of my comfort zone
"I love the fact that as a journalist, I can get outside of my comfort zone and meet people who don’t look ...Garland McLaurin: Like America, public broadcasting is a work in progress
"When I think about public media, I think about what Frantz Fanon said: 'What matters is not to know the world but ...
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