Interview, Fireside Chat, Roundtable
Paula Kerger, President & CEO of PBS
- Organizations achieving common purpose and shifting from command-and-control leadership to relationship-driven models are expected to demonstrate superior effectiveness.
- PBS stations are positioned to remain the final locally owned and governed media outlets in many U.S. communities, serving as a counterbalance to growing media consolidation and coastal dominance.
- The industry faces continued challenges in transitioning from controlling transmission to navigating a fragmented digital ecosystem where future consumption offers a "million choices" yet concentrates under fewer controlling players.
- Strategic priorities include maintaining an editorial focus on facts, context, and slow-paced journalism to differentiate from polarized, algorithm-driven feeds and commercial outlets favoring dramatic or tension-driven content.
- The organization plans to deliver diverse content shapes and forms across digital platforms to classrooms and children, specifically targeting accessibility via mobile devices even when broadband access is unavailable.
- Content investment will prioritize subjects and formats neglected by commercial streamers, such as documentaries and "how-to" segments, while fostering intergenerational viewing opportunities.
- Future programming aims to expand science and natural history coverage to explain environmental solutions and increase the robust presence of the arts for struggling local organizations.
- Frontline will continue to be treated as a critical asset for investigative journalism, while local stations are upheld as fundamental community assets requiring support within a consolidated landscape.
- Commercial entities are predicted to continue replicating successful public broadcasting formats, creating a competitive environment where public media fills specific gaps.
- Broadband access is identified as a major equity issue the organization aims to address to prevent populations from being left behind in the digital age.
- With sufficient or unlimited resources, the organization plans to significantly invest in local journalism to address the void left by newspaper closures and to create a more robust national stage for local arts.
- Leadership strategies will continue to involve recruiting mentors from outside the industry to navigate complex shifts and tough circumstances.