Viewers Like Us

"What if we were not building new scaffolding, but building new structures? What should those structures be? What do we actually need to be sustainable and thriving?" —Yael Bridge

“You’ve gotta respect the incredible amount of hustle that independents bring, that our communities bring, that is defined inside of the history in public broadcasting. There's been a lot of hustle. That hustle's not going away.” - Joaquin Alvarado

“The worst thing that can happen is that [young makers] stop. That's what they're trying to do. They're trying to scare folks into not creating, not sharing their voices, not telling our stories. And that’s not acceptable. We're not going back.” - Leslie Fields-Cruz

“Being able to give people things to discuss, to have an honest and intelligent discussion, is important. Dialogue leads to action, and we can't lose that.” - Erika Dilday

“Making some noise can make a difference, and I hope that would be encouraging to people who are afraid, especially in this political climate.” - Jane M. Wagner

“The idea of preemptively censoring, before any executive order or decision — not only do you feel violated, but I felt I could not go to any institution for potential protection or support for my independent voice.” - Michèle Stephenson

“I don't know if there's anything in history that we've ever seen in civic life [like] what we're seeing. But I do know, like Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, we have to speak up…we have to be willing to put ourselves on the line. At the very least, I get to use my voice and put some things on the line.” - Chris Hastings, president and chief executive officer of WXXI Public Media in Roches...

“I'm talking about it because I think it's important for people to know the little ‘death by a thousand cuts’ that are happening. I don't think that appeasement is the way to maintain our free speech rights and our democracy.” - Alicia Sams

In the United States, there’s a “public” element to all broadcasting over the federally regulated airwaves. Audiences have the right to speak up about the changes we expect on the air.

Season 1 of Viewers Like Us concludes, but the push for a public media that includes and serves the entire American public is far from over.

In the decades-long struggle toward an equitable public media system, what will it take to move from mere talk to actionable change?