Even after more than 50 years of attempted defunding, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) remains a rare sanctuary for education, culture and community impact in a media landscape dominated by for-profit and partisanship. However, politicians are trying to eliminate federal funding once again.
Amarillo College’s local PBS affiliate, Panhandle PBS, provides students, their families and the public with access to locally-produced stories and films that promote thought, creativity and compassion. In short, films that are good for the soul. For years, students in the Matney Mass Media Program have gained hands-on experience using the on-campus studios to develop skills relevant to today’s media industry.
Children across the High Plains rely on Panhandle PBS to watch educational shows like “Sesame Street” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” which teach them values and simple educational lessons.
When evaluating what Panhandle PBS offers, it is hard to see the “woke” agenda. Media outlets all across the United States have long been accused of bias and politicians have started taking aim at what they label “woke.” Organizations like Ad Fontes Media, have analyzed bias and reliability in news reporting, in order to identify which media outlets span the political spectrum evenly, from left to right. According to their 2024 Media Bias Chart, the spectrum of political leanings for news channels is evenly divided between left and right ideologies.
Some government officials have been on a crusade since winning almost all primary elections within the last year in an attempt to “Make America Great Again,” without holding any room for differing opinions.
We, The Ranger Staff, feel as though these attempts to silence or negatively impact media outlets almost come across as revenge or an attempt to force everyone to think a certain way.
The United States has long stood as a global symbol for freedom of speech and a free press, cornerstones of a healthy democracy. Today’s political efforts to defund public media actively undermine those values. There is a silver lining. While federal funding plays a crucial role in sustaining public broadcasting, local affiliates like Panhandle PBS are also supported by community donations and partnerships. That public support helps keep educational programming, cultural storytelling and local journalism alive, even when political leaders try to pull the plug.
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