Notes from the Network
Community Media is Public Infrastructure
Why These Moments Matter The meetings and stories we share each week matter because they shape real lives and real decisions. Neighbors speak about housing. Local leaders plan for public safety. Artists share work that reflects their community. These moments…
Why Open Media Matters in a Platform-Driven World
Social media has changed how people organize, communicate, and share information. It has helped neighbors find one another in moments of crisis, allowed movements to grow quickly, and lowered barriers for people to speak publicly. For many, these platforms are…
Why Government Meeting Coverage Matters
Many of the decisions that shape our daily lives happen in rooms most of us can’t attend. Township boards, city commissions, and county committees meet during work hours or on weeknights. Even with meetings being open to the public, showing…
An Open Space for Community Voices—Then and Now
For more than 40 years, Public Media Network has helped keep local life visible—documenting public decisions, preserving a shared community record, and creating open space for participation. As the media landscape shifts, open, community-powered media remains essential to shared understanding…
Beyond the Broadcast: Why Public Interest Media Still Matters
When cable television first came to our communities, companies received permission to use public rights-of-way - to run poles, conduits, and cables on land that belong to all of us. In exchange, they made a promise: to serve the public…
Beyond the Broadcast: The Overlooked Power of Community Media Centers
At Public Media Network, we believe strong communities are built when people have the tools and freedom to share their own stories. Across the country, community media centers like ours are doing this work every day — helping neighbors learn…
Is One Form of Free Speech More Important Than Another?
Is one form of free speech more important than another? From art and religion to journalism and civic life, every expression rests on the same bedrock freedom.