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Gemma Cubero on Give Up Tomorrow, a Film to 'Save a Life'

gemmacuberoHow did the filmmakers for "Give Up Tomorrow" leverage the film for political action and justice for the film's subjects? Filmmaker Gemma Cubero's research shows how a film's engagement strategies are just as important as the film itself. Read more...

The Future of Public Media: FAQ

This FAQ anchors our research and discussions, by defining a “public” as a role that people in a democratic society play. They play that role using the tools and skills of communication, informed by media projects and outlets. This FAQ was developed through conversation with our peers in the participatory tradition of the “Frequenetly Asked Questions” document, an Internet-era literary form. 

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New Research on Public Television Viewers and Public-Purpose Programming

pbs needs indiesThe Center for Social Media’s latest research report, Public Television Viewers and Public-Purpose Programming, provides new hope for public media’s future.

The study, authored by Center director Pat Aufderheide and graduate fellow Echo Xie, analyzes the responses of hundreds of public television viewers who answered an open letter  published by Kartemquin Films. Kartemquin had been alerted by a Current article on the consequences of a scheduling switch when PBS kicked two series featuring independent documentary work off the core prime-time schedule.  The article showed that Independent Lens had drastically lost viewership when its time slot was shifted to a no-man’s land on Thursday nights (when public TV stations usually program non-PBS material). Read more...

Public Television Viewers and Public-Purpose Programming

This research analyzes responses from the general public to the news that a series featuring independent filmmakers’ documentaries, Independent Lens, had been dropped from PBS’ core schedule.  Viewers offer a range of responses, which share a common implication: there is currently untapped support, both financial and political, for public television, among viewers who feel themselves underserved by public television’s lighter fare.

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Indie Radio and TV Journalists: Finding Work outside Public Media

ITVS logoHow important is public radio/TV to independent radio and TV journalists? For both public radio and TV, but particularly TV, independent producers are a critically important source of material. Read more...