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** OPINION
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** Why this is a pivotal week for public media and democracy
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(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

This is a huge week for PBS and NPR.

At some point this week, maybe even today, the Senate will vote on President Donald Trump’s request to take back more than $1 billion in funding for public broadcasting. That includes PBS and NPR.

As my colleague Angela Fu wrote last month ([link removed]) when the House passed the bill, “Known formally as a rescissions package, the request targets the $1.07 billion Congress previously approved to fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting through September 2027. CPB, a private nonprofit, in turn distributes the money it receives to NPR, PBS and more than 1,500 local radio and television stations via grants. While CPB funding makes up a relatively small portion of NPR and PBS’ budgets, some local broadcast stations — especially those in rural areas — are heavily dependent on the funds.”

So what does this all mean?

As The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin notes ([link removed]) , “NPR gets about 2 percent of its annual budget directly from federal grants, including from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; for PBS, that amount is about 15 percent. Both organizations also get federal money indirectly, through payments from member stations across the country that receive government funding, though it’s difficult to estimate how much.”

So, it wouldn’t be a death knell for PBS and NPR. But it would still do some serious damage.

As Fu mentioned, and as Mullin also writes, “The real pain will be felt by local stations in far-flung locations like Unalakleet, Alaska, and Pendleton, Ore. Those broadcasters often rely disproportionately on federal grants for their operations because of a funding formula that takes into account the fact that they have fewer donors and programming sponsors.”

And the cuts would still filter through to popular shows such as NPR’s “All Things Considered” and PBS’s “NewsHour” because local stations pay for the rights to air shows distributed by NPR and PBS. Stripping local stations of federal money could force those NPR and PBS shows to find money elsewhere. In addition, many shows such as “All Things Considered” and “PBS NewsHour” have their own staff but also rely on reports from local stations, which might have to make some tough staffing decisions if their money is cut.

Because it could have a negative impact on places such as Maine and Alaska, there is some optimism that Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska could vote against their party line by voting against passage of the bill. Also, last week’s disastrous flooding in Texas could convince lawmakers of the importance of local TV and radio during emergencies.

Meanwhile, while many on the right are arguing that public media has a liberal bias, it appears that most Americans support public broadcasting. In a Harris poll conducted last week on behalf of NPR ([link removed]) , two-thirds of Americans (66%) said they support federal funding for public radio.

That includes 58% of Republicans and 77% of Democrats.

Local NPR and PBS stations are imploring their audiences to contact their senators to vote against the bill.

We should find out within the next day or two if this last-minute campaign will work.

A MESSAGE FROM POYNTER
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** A new editor's guide to leveling up
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Join Edit to Elevate, a four-week, craft-intensive course designed to meet the moment and help new editors move beyond the basics to focus on the mission, mindset and roadmap required to make them indispensable to their newsrooms.

Read more and register now ([link removed]) .


** Who covered this?
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For this item, I turn it over to my colleague, Rick Edmonds, Poynter’s media business analyst.

Last Thursday, venerable cereal company WK Kellogg Co. was sold to Italian candymaker and food conglomerate Ferrero ([link removed]) . The $3.1 billion transaction was the subject of midsized stories in both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. In Kellogg’s hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan, however, it got the most perfunctory of coverage.

The Battle Creek Enquirer’s sister Gannett outlet, the Detroit Free Press, ran a Reuters wire story, put together in India (and free to Enquirer subscribers). It turned up three days later in the Sunday print edition of the Enquirer.

The Enquirer's own effort was five paragraphs on reaction from city officials ([link removed]) on its digital site. That was written by Liz Shepard, an editor based in Port Huron, on the other side of Detroit, 170 miles away.

I saw nothing from journalists on the ground in Battle Creek about Kellogg’s 2,000 local employees and rich corporate history. (The company was founded in the early 1900s by two brothers, one a wellness guru of the day, the other the inventor of corn flakes.)

There’s not much sleuthing required to find an explanation. The Enquirer’s local staff list numbers two: a sports columnist and a young visual journalist/reporter.

Bending over to be fair to Gannett, I would note that light staffing of its smaller dailies is nothing new ([link removed]) or secret. Instead, it has chosen to emphasize metros like The Indianapolis Star and The Arizona Republic and stories from USA Today and its national network. Battle Creek has a population of just 52,000; the surrounding Calhoun County, 133,000. It’s near Kalamazoo and further from Grand Rapids — thus fairly isolated.

Kellogg’s will not be going away, just operating under new management. But when an industry virtually synonymous with your city changes hands, that sounds to me like a serious local news story. Battle Creek doesn’t technically qualify as a news desert that no longer has any journalists, but the vegetation seems to have gotten pretty sparse.


** America’s writing coach
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Throughout the years, the Poynter Institute has been home to many notable and impactful figures. No one knows more about media ethics than our vice president, Kelly McBride. Longtime faculty member Al Tompkins is a legend in broadcast journalism. And Jim Romenesko used to write a media blog that was a must-read for journalists.

But if there’s one person who truly personifies Poynter over the years, it’s Roy Peter Clark, who has been teaching and writing about writing at Poynter for more than three decades. If you’ve ever visited Poynter or had anything to do with the institute over the years, you likely know Roy Peter Clark.

Aside from being able to bang out hundreds of 1960s rock or Motown songs on his trusty portable keyboard, Clark is who writers go to learn about writing. And, by the way, Clark will tell you that anyone who writes is a writer.

It’s impossible to quantify the impact that Clark has had on journalism and writers in general. His nickname says it all: “America’s Writing Coach.” He has been the author and/or editor of 21 books, including his classic “Writing Tools.”

And so if you have ever come across Clark through his books or teaching — or even if you haven’t — you’ll be excited to know he is my guest on the latest episode of “The Poynter Report Podcast.” ([link removed])
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Clark tells me captivating stories about how he got started in the business, the importance of writing and how he became known as “America’s Writing Coach.”

If you’re at all interested in the craft of writing, you’ll love this podcast. Not only do we talk about writing, but we also mention The Beatles, Billy Joel, Rod Laver, Harry Potter, Walter Cronkite, The New York Times, the Tampa Bay Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and about a million other things because Clark’s stories are a long and winding road. (See what I did there?)

I was going to pick out a quote or two, but Roy’s words move so fast and furious that it’s impossible. So, trust me, check out the podcast. Aside from watching on YouTube ([link removed]) , you can also find the show on Apple ([link removed]) , Spotify ([link removed]) , and most places where you find podcasts.


** Nominations galore
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Nominations for the Emmy Awards, recognizing the best in television, were announced on Tuesday and the first thing that popped into my head was … yeesh, does everyone who appears on TV get nominated?

Seriously, eight shows nominated for Best Drama? Eight more for Best Comedy? Seven nominees for Best Supporting Actor, Drama? And seven more for Best Supporting Actress, Drama? The same with the best supporting roles in a comedy. On and one it goes.

I realize it has something to do with how the votes are tabulated and all that, but I don’t care. Somebody figure this out. Come up with a new system. Having that many nominations cheapens them all. Sorry to sound like a curmudgeon, but each category should have five — no more, no less — nominees.

Anyway, here’s the full list from The Hollywood Reporter ([link removed]) . The Emmy Awards show will be hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze and air live on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

Despite all those nominations, apparently there were snubs. For more on that, check out The Los Angeles Times’ Glenn Whipp with “The biggest snubs and surprises of the 2025 Emmy nominations,” ([link removed]) as well as Variety’s William Earl with his snubs and surprises ([link removed]) .


** Chicken or fish?
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Sports talk host Pat McAfee, shown here in 2023. (AP Photo/Zach Bolinger)

A lot of folks on social media weren’t crazy about the fact that Pat McAfee was a big part of ESPN’s coverage Monday night of the Home Run Derby at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. McAfee seems to be everywhere on ESPN. The network picks up two hours of his daily show, and he’s also on “College GameDay” during college football season.

On one hand, I get it. ESPN is looking to bring in younger viewers, particularly for baseball. McAfee attracts a younger audience and the Home Run Derby is an event that generally appeals to them. Plus, it’s not like the Home Run Derby needs expert baseball analysis. The whole event is about guys trying to hit the ball as far as they can. So what if one of the main announcers has a football background? (McAfee is a former NFL punter.)

But, on the other hand, it does feel like ESPN is trying to force McAfee on audiences — just as they do with Stephen A. Smith, who is on constantly during the NBA season.

One person tweeted ([link removed]) , “Kids today don't realize it, but you used to be able to turn on ESPN and not see Stephen A. Smith or Pat McAfee. They were glorious times....”

What made that tweet interesting is that former longtime ESPN host Trey Wingo retweeted that post and wrote ([link removed]) , “Let me preface this by saying I have so many wonderful memories and so many great friends still working there that I want to succeed… but he’s right. It used to be a glorious buffet where you could pick and choose what you wanted. Now it’s like a banquet dinner: chicken or fish?”


** Interesting options
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I mentioned in Tuesday’s newsletter that Fox Sports 1 is making significant changes to its daytime lineup. It canceled three shows, including shows featuring Emmanuel Acho, Craig Carton and Joy Taylor, whose contract apparently is not being renewed

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, who broke the story ([link removed]) , reports that Carton could be heading back to his old stomping grounds, WFAN in New York. He also reported that FS1 is expected to replace the canceled shows.

That brings up some intriguing possibilities about who might be involved in such new shows. Here are some thoughts from Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy ([link removed]) .

One name that is especially interesting is Tony Reali, whose longtime ESPN show, “Around the Horn” was canceled earlier this year. Reali told McCarthy, “I’m open to talking to anybody and everybody at all times.”

Other names floated out there include former “Good Morning Football” host Kay Adams, who now has her own show (“Up and Adams”) with FanDuel, and former ESPN personality Max Kellerman.

Honestly, I like all three of those possibilities. A couple more I’d throw out there include former ESPNer Michelle Beadle, whose SiriusXM show was just recently canceled, and Katie Nolan.


** Media tidbits
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* Mediaite’s Ahmad Austin Jr. with “Joe Rogan Breaks Silence on Epstein, Hammers Trump Admin For Lies: ‘Just Bomb Iran and Everybody Forgets!’” ([link removed])
* Semafor’s Max Tani with a Washington Post memo ([link removed]) announcing some restructuring of part of the newsroom.
* Axios’ Sara Fischer with “Fox News to license ‘Ruthless’ podcast as part of digital expansion.” ([link removed])
* The Associated Press’ David Bauder with “Nextdoor social site, looking for a revival, pins hopes on partnership with local news providers.” ([link removed])
* For Politico, Aaron Mak with “How Elon Musk’s X is fueling the MAGA-Trump split.” ([link removed])
* Mississippi Today’s Anita Lee and Taylor Vance with “Coast judge upholds secrecy in politically charged case. Media appeals ruling.” ([link removed])
* My Poynter colleague, Sophie Endrud, with “Journalism and Hollywood need each other, says The IP List.” ([link removed])
* The Hollywood Reporter’s Winston Cho, Gary Baum and Alex Weprin with “Inside the $3 Billion ‘South Park’ Fight That May Blow Up Its Future.” ([link removed])
* Veteran sports journalist Ian O’Connor announced he is joining The Athletic as a columnist in “Why I Joined The Athletic: A life of covering GOATs, started by an original Goat.” ([link removed])
* Here’s a fun interactive quiz from The New York Times and media correspondent Michael M. Grynbaum: “Could You Have Landed a Job at Vogue in the ’90s?” ([link removed])


** Hot type
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* For The New York Times, Eli Tan (with visuals by Dustin Chambers) reports from Newton County, Georgia, in “Their Water Taps Ran Dry When Meta Built Next Door.” ([link removed])
* For Vanity Fair, Karen Valby with “Everyone Wants a Piece of Pedro Pascal.” ([link removed])


** More resources for journalists
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* Early-career editors: Line-edit under pressure, coach inexperienced reporters remotely and guide reporters to develop stories that elevate their beat coverage. Register now ([link removed]) .
* Journalism leaders of color: Poynter’s prestigious Diversity Leadership Academy has helped over 200 journalists of color advance their careers. Apply today ([link removed]) .

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

The Poynter Report is your daily dive into the world of media, packed with the latest news and insights. Get it delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here ([link removed]) . And don’t forget to tune into our biweekly podcast ([link removed]) for even more.
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