Impact of community-powered media

Public Media Network supports open local media for Greater Kalamazoo.

For more than 40 years, Public Media Network has helped people share local information, stories, and public conversations. We provide tools, training, and platforms so media can stay open and available to everyone in our community.

This is community-powered media — created here and shared here.

Why This Work Matters

Today, much of the media we see is owned by large companies outside our community. When media is controlled far away, local voices can be missed. Stories become similar, and fewer people see their lives reflected on screen.

Important local topics, like schools, housing, public safety, arts, and neighborhood events, do not always get covered. Public meetings may happen without many people knowing about them. This makes it harder for people to stay informed and involved.

Public Media Network helps keep local media local.

We provide shared, community-owned media so that:

- Local voices can be heard
- Community stories can be shared
- Public decisions stay visible
- Media reflects the people who live here

This work helps people stay informed, connected, and involved in Greater Kalamazoo.

Community Impact in Action

The stories below show what community-powered media makes possible.

A young woman with glasses holding a microphone smiles. Behind her is a coffee shop with pink walls. A lower-third at the bottom reads "PMN" and "Yazmine Vargas Root, Matcharia Owner"

“Everyone’s story matters” – Matchacita became Matcharia!

When a local Matcha business received a cease and desist from a Chicago coffee shop, the story mattered here because it affected a Kalamazoo business and the people behind it. Support from PMN's donors helped ensure local journalists had the time and space to explore what this moment meant beyond…

A person with long curly hair, wearing a visor, a watch, a headset, and a white t-shirt that reads ''access! Kalamazoo Area Community Television'' on the back. They are looking into the viewfinder of a big camera, their hand up to touch the camera. The quality of the picture is low, indicating it's an older photo.

A lot has changed since 1983 – but one thing remains the same

I still get chills when I show somebody around the community access center. It has changed a lot through the years, but one thing remains the same. When someone new comes in here, they light up. Seeing the Vidcast studio, the big cameras, feeling the chill of the server room…

A room full of seated people look towards a young person who stands holding a mic.

“Everybody’s feeling a little disconnected.”

Lately, it can feel like our world is more divided than ever. It’s harder to talk to people who see things differently. It’s harder to know what’s true. And it’s easier than ever to just tune out completely. But through public media, people in our community have the chance to really…

Three people seated at a table in a TV studio. A banner on the bottom of the picture reads ''Critical Issues, Alternative Views'' and ''Public Media Network Kalamazoo MI''

“It’s a shame if you don’t try” – Impact Story

Did you ever have to do a group project for school or work and struggle to get everyone together to work towards the same goal? It's one thing to even get a group of people on the same page, let alone get them altogether in one place at the same…

A photo of Kristen smiling, while sitting in the Vidcast Studio, wearing headphones and sitting in front of a microphone.

“You have a right to voice it” – Impact Story

Imagine being creative but living in a community without a place to freely share that creativity. “There’s got to be a place where you can have a voice and tell your story,” said Kristen Chesak, Executive Director of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Through the Arts Council's Creative Café podcast -…

Kaylana smiling at the camera. A blue bar with text below her reads "The process of becoming a community producer has helped me believe in myself."

Kaylana’s Story of Self-Confidence: Impact Spotlight

From being unsure how to ask for help and searching for support, to creating a podcast and learning how to believe in herself, Kaylana's journey was a challenging one. Kaylana got involved with PMN first when she was looking for a way to record her podcast, A Concept with Kaylana,…

Marvinetta, laughing and gesturing with her hands, sits in the Vidcast Studio in front of a microphone.

Did you know your story matters? – Impact Story

When people share their stories, something powerful happens – understanding grows, perspectives shift, and neighbors see how much they truly have in common. You might not think it, but you have a story, and it matters. That's the heart behind All Stories Matter, a video podcast produced at Public Media Network…

Chuck Bentley stands with his wife Donna in their home.

“Cable access made my career” – Chuck Bentley’s story

If you ever tuned into PMN Sunday night in the 80s, 90s, or even more recently, then chances are you’ve seen a Chuck Bentley film. This longtime local filmmaker was among the first independent creators to share their work through local cable access in the early days of community television…

A young woman seen from shoulders up, slightly bent over, looking thoughtfully off to the side. She has dark skin and is wearing a yellow dress and a hijab.

“An honest and uplifting story”

Kehinde Oladeji was part of Public Media Network's Frank Jamison Fellowship over the summer, and brought her poem Rooted to life on screen as part of her fellowship experience. While she had written the poem previously, it was during her time at PMN that she created the powerful video version. As a journalism-based fellow,…

The Kalamazoo Philharmonia onstage, showing musicians wearing black and playing various instruments with a conductor at the front. Text in the corner reads 'Impact Spotlight.' A blue box on the lower half of the image, beneath the photo of the Philharmonia, there is white text that reads 'This is a useful reference resource for the performers’ continued musical growth, but it’s also a wonderful way for us to share our efforts more widely.' in quotes and an attribution beneath to Andrew Koehler, music director of the Kalamazoo Philharmonia at Kalamazoo College and the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony orchestra

A single, ephemeral moment…

The impact of recording local orchestral performances goes beyond simply being able to watch from afar! “Being a performing musician generally means months, sometimes years of work for a single ephemeral moment – the concert. That is indeed a special process, but it’s also nice to have a record of…

A young woman with blond hair tied into a bun, wearing glasses and a plaid shirt, interviews and points a camera at another woman with dark hair wearing overalls. They are seated in a workshop, with lots of scattered tools and materials on a work bench and the wall behind them.

“You have something to contribute.” – Impact Story

Sarah Horton was simply looking to fulfill a requirement for her journalism classes when she discovered Public Media Network. One thing led to another and now she has an article published in Encore magazine! Sarah completed the Frank Jamison Fellowship, a competitive program here at PMN for outstanding students with…

Tyrell, a young black man wearing glasses and a suit and tie, holds the lapels of his jacket while leaning against a brick wall, his face mid-laugh.

More than “the video guy”: Impact Spotlight

What if one small, unexpected gift could change the course of your life? For Tyrell Shaff, that gift was a cheap camera from his great uncle - not anything fancy, just something to play around with. But it opened a door he never expected. Tyrell picked up photography as a…

On the lower half, we see a blue background with white text that reads ''PMN made a big difference in helping us tell our story, for which we are forever grateful.'' Paul Mayfield, Program Director for Friends with Disabilities. On the top half is a photo of Paul Mayfield from a lower angle, he is smiling and looking up to the right. In the upper left corner is a green quarter of a circle with white text that reads "Impact Spotlight"

The Power of Sharing Your Story: Friends With Disabilities

Our community grows stronger when people have the opportunity to tell their own stories. When Friends with Disabilities partnered with Public Media Network, they learned the power of telling their stories. Paul Mayfield, previous program director at Friends with Disabilities, experienced the power of community media firsthand. Through PMN's Narrative…

A photo of Lorene, a woman with shoulder length blonde hair and wearing a red floral patterned shirt with a necklace.

What if nobody was there…?

What would happen if nobody was there to record the government meetings? At first, it might not seem like such a huge deal if nobody recorded our local government meetings. After all, who has time to watch those, anyway? That's what I used to think. But then I learned that…

A photo of Fritz and Linda, both smiling at the camera. He has a white beard and glasses, and is holding Linda, who is turned slightly toward him with one of her hands on his chest. She has white hair and glasses on top of her head and is wearing a multicolored shirt.

How Linda and Fritz are taking action

Have you noticed how our communities have changed over time because of the loss of local news, information, and connections? Fritz and Linda MacDonald have - and they're taking action to make things better! "Our democracy is suffering due to the loss of local news organizations. What began with slow…

The Joy of being understood

Have you ever felt misunderstood, or like someone wanted you to act or look a certain way? In my experience, it’s incredibly frustrating when you feel like you can't be your authentic self. Well, a little bit ago, I was talking to Joy and Aerick, co-owners of a local movement…

Tina smiling at the camera. A little dog, who appears to be smiling too, is perched on her shoulder. A green half circle at the top reads "Impact Spotlight". The lower half of the picture has a blue box that contains the words "“The learning experience has been a journey… Now, I find the things I feared the most bring me joy and a sense of belonging.” Tina Westrick"

“The things I feared most bring me joy”: Tina’s story

The first time Tina walked into Public Media Network, she wasn’t there for a class or a project. She was attending Meaningful Conversations, a local group that uses PMN as a meeting space. But the moment she stepped inside, something shifted. “Once I entered the office, I knew I was more…

Inspiration comes in many forms: Bruce’s story

When Bruce attended PMN’s Narrative Lab workshop to share his thoughts on climate change, he wasn’t sure what to expect. But what he found was a welcoming space where his voice - and his message - could truly be heard. “I feel that it really does share the message I…

A young man sits on a bench on the left side of the photo, with a camera pointed towards him, while he talks to a young woman on the other side of the camera sitting in a chair and holding a notebook on her lap.

Who are you waiting for?

Never underestimate the power of the story you tell yourself. You've heard me talk about the power of stories before. Stories have the power to inspire, to educate, and more than that - to change the narrative. What do I mean when I say "narrative"? I mean the everyday truth…

A person wrapped up in a coat and hat, face looking into a big newscamera which is sitting on a tripod. There is snow on the ground, and people are seen milling around in the background, as well as fences, suggesting a farm.

From intern to reporter: Tatianna’s Story

From intern to fellow to reporter - Tatianna knows the power of public media from more angles than most! "I was back in Kalamazoo for my final semester of college and looking for a place to do an internship in either film, television, or media. By some miracle, I remembered…

A portion of the WMU band, showing students wearing black and playing various instruments on stage.

What if you missed the concert?

Hours spent poring over sheet music, practicing rhythms at home, time spent in sections honing melodies, and finally putting everything together and working a song with the full band. It takes a lot of time and skill for the musicians in the Western Michigan University Bands to put on their concerts. …

Colin, wearing a "SCAD" sweatshirt standing in a theme park that looks like a rocky desert.

Colin’s Journey: Impact Spotlight

A couple years ago, Colin thought he was going to go into animation. Then he thought maybe film was the route for him. Attending classes at Public Media Network gave him the space and freedom to explore his creative passions and discover what he really wanted to pursue! "I feel…

Matt, a man wearing a ball cap, black glasses, and a black tshirt, sporting a big white beard, smiles at the camera.

An outlet for our community

If you needed to get a message out to your community, where would you go? If you wanted to make a change, how would you convince people to make that change? If you needed to be heard, who would you go to? Matt Halloran cares deeply about bringing people together…

A screengrab from the documentary "Trigger Warning", showing Michael Wilder

People get to think about it: Impact story

Gun violence is a problem in Kalamazoo, and Ashley Lanting set out to discover the root causes of it directly from people in our community with lived experiences. Her short documentary, titled "Trigger Warning", features the stories of Big B Harris, Michael Wilder, Michael Monroe, Dominica Sims and Alejandro Rodriguez…

How Your Support Helps

Community media does not run on ads or profit. It exists because people choose to support shared public resources – like libraries and public spaces.

Your support helps provide:

- Media tools and equipment for community use
- Training for people to share stories and information
- Coverage of public meetings and local issues
- Open access to local media platforms

This support keeps local information open and available to everyone

Support local media that serves the public.

Your gift helps keep local information open, accessible, and community-powered—now and in the future.

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