Support your local public radio station

Recently I canceled my cable television service and began donating to my local public radio station. It occurred to me that I spend more time listening to the radio than I watch TV, so it made perfect sense. The radio is on most of the time I'm home, and practically all the time I'm in the car.

If you listen to local public broadcasting, I highly recommend supporting the station with a monthly donation.

Why should I donate to public radio?

Being a well-rounded human being includes being versed in current events. There is no better place to learn about current events than public radio. The past few decades has seen a trend in media towards sensationalism and focusing on controversy. I turned to public radio when I got sick of only hearing 10-second sound bite yelling matches and hosts and guests talking over each other. It wasn't educational, it was just frustrating. Today's hosts aren't interested in informing the public on the real issues, but on getting to the controversy. Hosts will often interrupt a guest who is explaining their viewpoint to ask them about the petty argument, or to frame the issue in that particular network's narrative. I've also noticed the media focuses on the politics behind issues (who said what, what that means politically, etc) instead on what the issue actually is, and how it affects people.

Public radio, on the other hand, perhaps because of its format, or maybe because they have higher journalistic standards, takes the issues seriously, and will provide 10-minutes for a guest to explain themselves, with the host not interrupting the guest, but still asking tough questions. When I first heard this, it was a breath of fresh air.

And more than just politics, every issue is provided quality air time, from science, history, and anthropology, to law, music and culture. Everything is so well discussed, it's exhilarating.

A few anecdotes:

• When an author or actor is being interviewed for their latest project, the interview is in depth, and the story is discussed as it relates to culture and humanity, and often compared to earlier works.
• Every week, the Supreme Court decisions are detailed with background on where the case began, and its implications on future court decisions. The discussion amongst the judges is broken down, with each side of the issue being given.
• A local food show has weekly updates on new products in the local farmer's market, and reviews of local restaurants, detailing the best dishes on the menu, and fascinating interviews with farmers or food policy experts.

Because time is important, I can't afford to waste my time with the trivial bickering found in most modern media formats.

Another benefit I get from my local public station is music. Not every public station has music, but mine has a great selection of music from very knowledgeable deejays, and even a very eclectic program hosted by Henry Rollins.

Public radio relies on donation

Public radio stations receive a lot of money from organizations and businesses, but the vast majority of their budget comes from listener support. As non-commercial broadcasters, they are not making a profit, and there are no commercial advertisements. This is becoming even more critical as the current Congress is threatening to cut funding for public radio, even as over half of the population of the United States uses public media each month. An organization called 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting has a lot of information on why public media is important, and what you can do to help.