Earlier this summer, Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in already-approved public media funding, a move that will cost KALW over $400,000 annually and put core programs like Crosscurrents, Your Call, Uncuffed, and Audio Academy at risk.
This moment is more than a budget crisis. It’s a signal. The defunding of local public media is part of a broader national trend; a targeted attempt to weaken independent journalism, shrink civic discourse, and undercut the public’s access to trusted, non-commercial information.
KALW Executive Producer Ben Trefny leads a conversation on what this means for the Bay Area media ecosystem and the future of public media as a whole. He's joined by KALW Executive Director James Kass, Davia Nelson of the Kitchen Sisters, Glynn Washington of Snap Judgment, Julie Caine of Throughline, and KQED's Editor in Chief Ethan Toven-Lindsey.
