What we can learn from America’s long era with no public broadcasting
A version of this commentary was first published in the author’s newsletter, and this edited version is published with permission.
Now that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has announced that it will shut down next year, the horrible truth of what Congress and the administration have done is unavoidable. Radio historian Josh Shepperd was blunt when interviewed by the Chicago Tribune: “I would call it the most dire situation I’ve ever seen for any public media system in the West, including Europe.”
The one perspective I haven’t seen much in the discourse is the long historical view. So let’s get into it.
Related Knowledge Center: State of the business model
The traditional journalism business model has long since collapsed, and news organizations have shrunk or disappeared entirely. While a number of promising experiments are under way, the public has not shown a willingness to buy what news organizations are selling.