Public media stations have long been an outlet for underrepresented stories. Voices that you wouldn’t always hear on traditional media tend to find their microphone at public media stations. That’s the mission – to educate as many people as people about as many people as possible. To achieve that mission, public media uses the most traditional, but impactful tool known to civil society: storytelling. In this blog, we’ll explore how public media serves as a vital storyteller for local communities, preserving history, amplifying underrepresented voices, and fostering a shared cultural identity.
The Power of Storytelling in Public Media
Now, when we say “storytelling,” we mean something more than “reporting”. Storytelling helps reshape narratives and connects you to deeper truths. When you hear a story from Buffalo Toronto Public Media, you’re hearing the story from the storyteller—we are just the platform. In this way, the narrative is being told by the original narrator.
For Patrick Kelly, Director of Content Creation at BTPM, public media is a crucial service for storytelling.
"Stories that we tell are stories that often aren’t told because we don’t have to cater to mass appeal or commercial tastes,” said Kelly. “We are afforded the luxury of being able to tell the stories that aren’t told otherwise.”
He pointed me to a clear example of this with the “Overdose Epidemic” documentary that he produced with BTPM. What ended up making it into the documentary was a boots-on-the-ground operation and a small nonprofit made up of two guys who deliver life-saving supplies to people on the streets battling addiction.
“They had just been doing it out of the trunk of their car,” he said. “They had put in a grant and found out in advance that they likely weren’t going to get it.”
Both of these individuals had been to prison. When they met in prison and got out, they wanted to work together to help people.
“But a lot of people in rehabilitation and addiction services don’t view them as legitimate because they don’t have the credentials,” said Kelly. “So, it’s hard to get a foot in the door.”
When one of the cofounders of this small nonprofit showed the documentary to the funders of the grant, it swayed their decision, and they were fully funded.
“What was helpful for them is that public media adds legitimacy to people who aren’t afforded legitimacy,” said Kelly. “Our documentary that we did has helped keep them in operation and has helped them grow.”
Elevating Local Voices: The Role of Public Media
Grassroots movements happen frequently, some communities often don’t get a spotlight in the media, and there are cultural traditions that aren’t always highlighted. That’s where public media steps into the picture. Coverage of these stories matters because of the people involved in the stories themselves. They matter and they make up our community.
This representation and variety of voices needing to be heard are essential. Storytelling isn’t as impactful when it comes from one kind of voice and one perspective. Our community is made more interesting and robust when multiple voices are heard, and multiple stories are shared.
It is also essential because some stories and communities have been silenced by systemic and societal barriers. Like an ember struggling to stay lit in the wind, if left untended, its warmth and glow will vanish, leaving behind only the memory of a fire that once burned. When stories are lost, history is lost. And when history is lost, people are lost. Public media serves as a preserver of those stories so that histories are not forgotten and unknown.
Emyle Watkins is a reporter for the Disabilities Beat at BTPM NPR. They filed a story regarding the dangerous carcinogens polluting the air in Niagara Falls, NY.
“I was connected with executive editor Jim Morris of Public Health Watch, and he told me that they were looking for someone on the ground to help them with this investigation into Goodyear’s polluting of a neighborhood in Niagara Falls,” said Watkins.
The impact of this story wasn’t just about the facts, it was about the people in the neighborhood.
“What I found being on the ground in Niagara Falls, going door to door and talking to people was that they had known for decades that something was wrong,” said Watkins. “I remember following a volunteer who is connected to people in the neighborhood. When we knocked on one woman’s door, she said ‘Well, it’s a little too late. I already have cancer.’”
When it comes to the impact of this kind of storytelling through public media, Watkins says there’s no other place that could’ve told this story quite this way.
“It’s not just about us, these public media stations, but there are other non-profit news outlets that share our mission and our drive,” they said. “We can partner with them because for neither of us, it’s not about making money. It’s about telling the stories that matter. In non-profit news, the goal isn’t to get eyes on us. It’s to get eyes on you and what matters to you as the public.”
You can read Emyle Watkin’s story and the follow-up stories here.
The Future of Storytelling Techniques in Public Media
For a long time, public media members have gotten used to traditional methods of public dissemination of information: radio, television, and even print. As technology advances to levels that we’ve never seen before, public media has had to adapt to more modern digital storytelling methods such as podcasts, interactive websites, and multimedia journalism.
By providing a more digital experience, stories and local narratives have been enhanced. You can now react to a story told through video, photography, and immersive digital platforms. Instead of simply hearing a voice or reading words on a page, you can see the person telling the story. Why is this important? It now puts a face to the narrative. It shows you the person that you may have been walking past every day and never knew them or their background.
There has also been a shift in trends which creates challenges. Artificial intelligence is inescapable today. It’s been around for a while, but its evolution has been elevated. It has put a lot of pressure on us in the media to make sure we have our stories, sources, and information correct. Now, add social media to the mix. This tool is powerful because it gives stories and information a boost of nitrous which gets it out to as many as possible faster than ever. The challenge for public media is to maintain credibility while adapting to these changes.
So, what we must do is continue to build trust with the public. It is the job of public media to adapt to the technologies of today but to continue to tell the stories that matter. These shifts will continue to shape the future of public media, but the pillars of this industry will be held in place because of the supporters of public media. We must continue to support and engage with public media storytelling efforts.
Storytelling doesn’t just inform. It matters because it also inspires and drives change.
How has public media shaped your understanding of your community? Let us know in the comments or on social media!