As you, your friends, and family all share content, please use these talking points to help:
More than half of all Americans use public media every month. 170 million Americans connect through 368 public television stations, 934 public radio stations, hundreds of online services, and in-person events and activities.
Public broadcasting is one of the most effective public/private partnerships in America. Annual federal funding amounts to only $1.35 per American and is leveraged by local stations to raise six times that amount from other sources.
Public broadcasting supports lifelong learning for all Americans. Investments in children’s educational, cultural, public affairs and news programming, digital classroom resources, teacher training, and distance learning have made public broadcasting a leader in lifelong learning.
Public broadcasting strengthens our democracy. The free flow of ideas and debate helps us participate in the political process as informed citizens.
Here are some Facebook scripts:
Take action to protect the future of our station. Sign @Protect My Public Media’s petition to urge Congress to continue funding public media: protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Federal funding is essential to our station. You can protect this funding today by signing @Protect My Public Media’s petition. The petition asks Congress to oppose the President’s budget proposal and include public media funding in its annual budget: protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Without federal funding, our station could be forced off the air. Sign @Protect My Public Media’s petition to tell Congress to continue funding public media: protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Federal funding for public media amounts to $1.35 per U.S. citizen. Cutting funding won’t solve the budget deficit but it would devastate our station. #SaveOurStations by signing @Protect My Public Media’s petition: protectmypublicmedia.org
The President’s budget recommends eliminating public media funding, which enables us to provide you with the highest quality noncommercial programming and services. If you support our station, act to protect its future at protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Public media plays an irreplaceable role in bringing together local communities. Sign @Protect My Public Media’s petition to protect our neighbors’ connections at protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Public media provides incredible value to our community. It provides local news and programming, airs educational children’s content, serves as the backbone of our country’s emergency communications network, and more. Voice your support for our station by signing @Protect My Public Media’s petition: protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Here are some Twitter scripts:
ACT NOW: Sign @MyPublicMedia’s petition to protect our station: protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
BREAKING: President’s budget defunds #pubmedia. Act now to #SaveOurStations @MyPublicMedia: protectmypublicmedia.org
Federal funding is essential to our station. Protect it today @MyPublicMedia: protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Tell Congress our station matters to you. Sign @MyPublicMedia’s petition to #SaveOurStations: protectmypublicmedia.org
Sign the petition to save our station’s federal funding @MyPublicMedia: protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Urge Congress to fund public media @MyPublicMedia: protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Oppose the President’s budget proposal to defund public media. Take action @MyPublicMedia: protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Public media brings together local communities. Protect our neighbors’ connections @MyPublicMedia: protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Voice your support for the value of public media in our community. Sign @MyPublicMedia’s petition: protectmypublicmedia.org #SaveOurStations
Below are sample responses that you can tailor to respond to negative comments:
(1) In a 500-channel universe, there is no need for public media.
a. Public media stations, including our station, are among the last locally-owned, locally-controlled media in America. We reach over 98 percent of Americans with free, noncommercial programming and services. Without federal funding, many Americans would lose access to their only source of local media.
b. Public media stations like ours offer programming and resources that cannot be found anywhere else. Explain the unique services your station provides to the community for free. (Public TV stations: mention educational kids programming, public safety, community outreach, etc.; Public radio stations: mention public safety/emergency alerts, local community stories & involvement, music programming, etc.)
c. If you are a rural station, state the areas that you serve that are unserved by other outlets.
d. If you are a music station, focus on the unique offerings you provide (for example: 95% of America’s classical radio stations are public radio stations.)
e. Public media stations like ours provide irreplaceable community services, including emergency communications that operate even when power and internet services are down.
(2) We cannot afford public media/We need to cut public media to balance the budget.
a. Public media costs $1.35 per American taxpayer. Cutting public media would have virtually no effect on the national debt but would be devastating to our station.
b. Public media funding is .01% of the federal budget. Cutting this funding would not erase the national debt but would destroy our station.
c. A recent national survey found that a majority of Americans are opposed to cutting federal public media funding.
d. A national survey confirmed that public television stations are an “excellent” use of tax dollars for the 14th consecutive year.
e. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting distributes its federal funding in the form of community service grants to stations like ours. Our grant accounts for ____ percent of our budget and allows us to raise additional funds from private sources.
(3) Public media is biased.
a. A national survey confirms that public television stations are America’s most trusted institutions for the 14th consecutive year.
b. Our station is dedicated to providing fact-based and balanced news and public affairs programming focused on in-depth discussion of complicated topics and current events.
(4) Public media can fund itself through corporate sponsors, foundations and members.
a. Two studies confirm that federal funding is irreplaceable. Without federal funding, local stations like ours could go off-the-air.
b. Two studies confirm that federal funding is irreplaceable. Without federal funding, many of the programming and services we offer today would be cut.
c. It costs public radio stations between 25 and 40¢ to raise every dollar of local funding. If federal seed funding were eliminated, our station would likely be forced to reduce the services and programming we provide to our community.
(5) Why can’t public TV stations sell more merchandise to make more money?
a. Public media’s kids programming is scientifically researched and proven to help kids learn. This is costly to create and any money made on merchandising is reinvested into strengthening these programs.
(6) PBS and NPR are strong networks and will be fine without federal funding.
a. public broadcasting is an interconnected and interdependent system serving all Americans. National programming comes from PBS and NPR but also from local stations all across America. The vitality and health of the system is dependent on the health of the smallest and largest stations. And all stations depend on federal funding to continue their services, as do PBS and NPR.
b. Public radio funding is distributed directly from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to local stations like ours. This essential funding does not pass through NPR.
c. Over ____% of our programming is produced locally. Our station curates 100% of our programming with our community in mind.
d. Over 70% of federal funding for public media goes to local stations like ours. Without that funding we would not be able to provide the local services our community relies on.
(7) Public media isn’t representative of my community.
a. Public media’s 1,400 stations – including ours – are locally owned and operated. That means that we control our content and do our best to ensure that it’s representative of our community.
b. Over one third of all public radio programming is produced locally.
(8) Sesame Street is on HBO, why can’t other public television programs move to cable?
a. Sesame Street is run by a private nonprofit organization, Sesame Workshop. Sesame Street still reaches over 98% of American households through free over-the- air broadcast.
b. Our national and local programs are commercial free and have a public service mission to educate our viewers and preserve local history and culture. These priorities don’t translate easily to commercial television.
