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Community

Gavel to Gavel: Upcoming Local Government Meetings and Key Agenda Items – April 27 – 28

Monday (04/27): Comstock Township Board of Trustees (6:00 PM, PMN3): The Comstock Board will provide Second Reading of Ordinance 567…

By
Max Reist, PMN Creator
An illustration showing a diverse group of people surrounded by media and communication icons — including a microphone, camera, speech bubbles, and data charts — alongside a network diagram connecting voices and information, representing community media and public access to communication.
Notes from the Network

You Don’t Need a Press Credential

Somewhere along the way, we started treating civic life as a spectator sport. Not because people stopped caring. Most people…

By
Matt Schuster, PMN Creator
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Community

Gavel to Gavel: Upcoming Local Government Meetings and Key Agenda Items – April 20 – 23

Tune in for another week of Local Government Meetings! Let's highlight some key agenda items this week. Monday (04/20) City…

By
Max Reist, PMN Creator
David F. Gakodi gives a big smile. He is a young Black man wearing a black t-shirt with a microphone in front of him. A pink banner at the bottom of the photo reads ALL STORIES MATTER with Marvinetta Woodley-Penn
Impact StoriesPMN Connector

In honor of David F. Gakodi

Last fall, video podcast host Marvinetta Woodley-Penn sat down with a young man named David F. Gakodi. She had no…

By
Cody Watson
An illustrated graphic contrasting community media and corporate media. On the left, a green panel shows a community-rooted media ecosystem — people with microphones, a local broadcast station, public infrastructure icons, and community investment. On the right, a blue panel depicts corporate media consolidation — a skyscraper controlling chained screens, money changing hands, and crumbling public spaces. Created with NotebookLM.
Notes from the Network

Media You Own vs. Media That Owns You

Someone asked me recently why Public Media Network even needs to exist. YouTube is free. Facebook reaches everyone. Why bother?…

By
Matt Schuster, PMN Creator
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Community

Gavel to Gavel: Upcoming Local Government Meetings and Key Agenda Items – April 13 – 16

Let's take a look at this week's local meetings, including the Kalamazoo Township Board of Trustees, Oshtemo Township Board, and…

By
Max Reist, PMN Creator
Alt text: A side-by-side illustration contrasting two media models. On the left, a blue funnel filters many media voices — represented by icons for video, audio, and people — down to a few controlled outputs, representing corporate media consolidation. On the right, a green speech bubble filled with the same variety of media icons surrounds the PMN logo, representing an open, community-centered media network where many voices are heard.
Notes from the Network

More Channels, Fewer Voices

Pick up your phone and you can access more media than any generation before you. News channels, streaming services, podcasts,…

By
Matt Schuster, PMN Creator
gavel to gavel over image with american flag in background
Community

Gavel to Gavel: Local Government Meetings and Key Agenda Items – April 6 – 9

Let's take a closer look at this week's upcoming local government meetings: Monday (04/06) Comstock Township Board of Trustees (6:00…

By
Max Reist, PMN Creator
Two men sit at the table in the podcast studio, looking at each other. Both are wearing headphones and speaking into microphones. The man on the left has a laptop in front of him, and the man on the right has a book sitting near him titled "A Fighter's Chance".
Impact StoriesPMN Connector

“What this place has done for me” – Impact Story

After a lifetime in public service, Joseph Patrick Fair was ready for a new challenge. Joseph enjoys a good challenge.…

By
Cody Watson
Alt text: A two-panel illustration contrasting the challenge and solution of civic information access. The top panel shows social media content flooding through an algorithm filter while civic buildings and voter turnout fade into the background. The bottom panel depicts a central media archive — with icons for video, audio, and recording — connected by roots and circuits to pillars of civic infrastructure, books, and film, representing the preservation and distribution of the public record.
Notes from the Network

What Happens When No One’s Watching

There's a moment in a lot of local government decisions where the public finally takes notice, and it's often late…

By
Matt Schuster, PMN Creator