George Takei 
🏳️🌈🖖🏽We must fight to save PBS and NPR.
Whitney McNamara@georgetakei Mr. Rogers said it all, almost 50 years ago: https://youtu.be/fKy7ljRr0AA?si=wwELYTS0Cwl4-DZm
May 1, 1969: Fred Rogers testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications
Joshua Tretakoff@georgetakei: Must we, though? I agree, they have done amazing work in the past, but we're in a new media landscape that may be able to privately support what they do these days.
James M.@jtretakoff @georgetakei private funding is a tiny fraction of what government funding can supply. I mean, philanthropy considered by itself is good, but it's not the replacement for taxing the billionaires that the billionaire philanthropists paint it to be. In addition, purely privately-funded media is subject to the whims of its owners, which we can see is horribly problematic. We most definitely need publicly-funded media, and news in particular.
MasterMischief@jtretakoff @georgetakei This can not be a serious question.
@MasterMischief @georgetakei It actually is. I listened to NPR for over 20 years. I supported my own local NPR station, diligently. NPR and PBS brought us quality, unique programming for decades that commercial media didn't. In the last decade, that's no longer the case. While reporting quality is unmatched, the other programming does not materially differ from commercial fare. So is it necessary to have government support, or can we pay for it with subscriptions like any other resource?
@jtretakoff @georgetakei It actually is not. One need only look at healthcare in this country to see what a disaster privatization is for necessary services.
@MasterMischief @georgetakei Agreed, Healthcare privatization is still a (very bad) work in progress, but I'd argue that these days CNN & MSNBC cover a lot of the ground PBS & NPR used to own exclusively. It disingenuous to just say "all privatization is bad" because of some examples. I'm no fan of Elon, but SpaceX has revolutionized satellite options through privatization. Times change, options evolve.
@jtretakoff @georgetakei All privatization of necessary services is bad. Full stop. I am confident in that statement. Once the primary purpose is to get as much money out of the customer as possible and the 'customer' NEEDS that service it is never a good situation. Healthcare is NOT the only example.
@MasterMischief @georgetakei I absolutely respect and appreciate your opinion. You have a much more passionate hope in our institutions than I do, and that hope drives change. Institutions that don't change calcify and crumble, so I applaud your energy.
@jtretakoff @georgetakei No organization is perfect. Government is supposed to be for the people while corporations are for their investors. No matter what the dressing may be, that is the foundation.
@MasterMischief @georgetakei Totally agree, should be. The challenge is that many of those same people don't agree with the content that is shared on public broadcasting and are hoodwinked into thinking that cutting off the meager support the government gives will satisfy their frustrations. It won't.
Joshua A.C. Newman@jtretakoff @georgetakei
It’s already some 98% percent privately funded and that has damaged it over the decades.
There’s been a relentless attack on public media since Reagan (and before — see Mr. Rogers in the thread above), and the good news is that they’ve survived up to now while going through the strangling you’re just now noticing.
@JoshuaACNewman @georgetakei What makes you think I'm just now noticing?
soc
Epistomai@georgetakei as Hitler when took power: destroy not only democracy but the whole state, media, opposition, and targeted ethnicity to bring hell in over a continent.
William B Peckham@georgetakei The question is, did Congress mandate in the budget operation that these should be funded? Because if Congress mandated that, it's a matter of law and the president can't change that. If they did not, then he can change it, but Congress should absolutely act to ensure proper funding for NPR and PBS. That funding was originally created by the demand from the people of the United States and they still support those. Overwhelmingly! It is the first place many of us watched Doctor Who and Muppets. Mr. Rogers and Nova and Cosmos. It is the first place I encountered Jonathan Colton's work on the radio. ( For those who don't know, one of the most prolific and powerful, independent songwriters in the world.) I brought it into my classrooms for my students and it helped educate my children. Independent of politics, I am outraged that anyone would want to defund PBS and NPR. I want him to keep his greedy, tiny, little hands off!
Travis Scott@georgetakei when nerds have to match the World is in trouble.
Tim Chambers@georgetakei Best place to take action is here: https://protectmypublicmedia.org/rsc-emails/
Ned Yeung 🍉I really hope you can, but we just went through the same threat here in Canada, from essentially the same source. Our Conservative Party of Canada has modeled itself after your Republican Party, and has also been launching attacks against our national public broadcaster (CBC) for the same reason that Trump hates PBS and NPR.
There was only one clear way to save the CBC though, and that was to vote against the Conservative Party to keep them from forming government Federally, which is what we did on our Federal election day on April 28th. The Conservative Party of Canada also promised to end the CBC if they took power.
That's why I worry deeply for PBS, NPR, for all Americans, and for all the parts of the world who were relying on these "free world" broadcasters to counter dictatorship misinformation. Because your ship has sailed, since last November.
I do hope and expect that there is more you can do, but the only clear-cut answer has already passed. :(
Marc Scheffel@georgetakei it is a good thing that he does not have authority. It should just be ignored.
@georgetakei yes! Please FIGHT! Save them! I need my PBS! Thank you! 🙏
Roseline
Tim BondyThat's just yikes ... in the most horrible way.