.jpg)
This is probably speaking to the choir because if you’re reading this, you already believe that maintaining a healthy media – with fact-checking editors instead of conspiracy-spreading folks in pajama pants – is really important.
It’s even more important now because there’s so much misinformation out there, and so much wrong information, mostly spread on social media.
Congress – including every member of the Nebraska delegation – voted to claw back $1.1 billion in allocations over two years already made to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, sending National Public Radio and PBS affiliates scrambling to figure out how to operate without money they were counting on.
The supposed goal was to cut spending and help reduce the federal debt. This comes after Congress voted to continue a massive tax cut that will increase the feder al debt by a projected $3.4 trillion (with a “T”) dollars over 10 years.
Got that? Plus, a cut of $500 million a year in a $4 trillion a year federal budget will be far less than even a drop in the bucket of the total budget.
Today, there’s dozens of TV channels and streaming options, but I often find myself clicking back to PBS. These are the people who bring you the excellent Ken Burns documentaries, the kid shows like Sesame Street, cultural and educational programs and nightly news broadcasts. I love “Doc Martin.”
Public funding of public broadcasting covers about 2% of the expenses of NPR and between 10-15% of the cost of local PBS and public radio stations. The rationale has always been that educational and cultural programs don’t generate the advertising support of network comedies and dramas, so some government support is warranted.
On PBS, you’ll see high-quality programming that commercial stations won’t broadcast like “Nature,” “Masterpiece” or “Backyard Farmer.” What you won’t see are “Love Island” type shows or the latest “Real Housewives of Wherever.”
Nebraska Public Media provides gavel- to-gavel coverage of the Legislature, and there’s a nightly wrap-up on public radio. Losing that would mean one less responsible and trusted source of news.
Social media isn’t news. Neither are the panels of talking heads we get from FOX and CNN – that’s opinion, and often the most sensational and outlandish to attract the highest ratings.
Recently, I went on “X” to post my disgust about the horrible cuts in funding for public broadcasting. It went something like this: “When someone accuses NPR of being a “radical, liberal” media outlet, just remember that the next time there’ s a tornado warning in your area, or a high school championship game or a college volleyball match you’d like to watch.”
Of course that prompted a chorus of insults from those social media trolls who are so brave with their opinions that they don’t use their real names.
I usually don’t pay much attention to such digital drivel. It will drive you crazy. But this time I did, and lo and behold, it demonstrated how uninformed and misinformed people can be.
Commenters didn’t know, for instance, that NPR had news programs, or that they regularly provide tornado and flood warnings – including in large areas of Nebraska where you can’t get other stations on the radio.
One commentator, who did use their real name, said other media will pick up the slack if public broadcasts go away. What media is that?
Nationally, there’s been an estimated 75% decline in the number of local journalists in the last couple of decades. Community newspapers are scrambling to retain staff and advertisers. More and more momand- pop groceries and hardware stores -- that bought ads -- are disappearing to be replaced by chain “Dollar” stores that don’t. It’s a tough world, and local newspapers, as well as NPR, deserve our support.
There is some good news to report, though. Journalists, and those who care about providing local news, are fighting back.
Recently, civic-minded folks in Valentine and Ainsworth saved their local newspapers from closing. A couple in Pawnee City came out of retirement to keep the paper there alive. And reporters are establishing non-profit news sites.
The newspaper in my home county – the Burt County Plaindealer – recently closed after more than 90 years. But just down the road, the Oakland Independent/Lyons Mirror-Sun announced it would establish a new county-wide paper, the Burt County Independent, to pick up the slack.
Kevin Bumgarner, executive editor/general manager of Enterprise Media Group, owner of the new venture, said people deserve an unbiased source of news. Bigger, daily papers, he said, won’t likely cover events in the county unless it’s a natural disaster or crisis of some kind.
So thanks to them for stepping up, and thanks to you for buying this local paper. Spread the word – we need every responsible, truth-seeking news outlet that we can get.
— Paul Hammel has covered the Nebraska state government and the state for decades. Prior to his retirement, he was senior contributor with the Nebraska Examiner. He was previously with the Omaha World-Herald, Lincoln Journal Star and Omaha Sun.
