Our content is unique among independent news providers in spanning geographic, political and technical divides. By educating and informing the public and thought-leaders seeking information and solutions to local/national/global issues in a non-partisan manner, we have demonstrated success impacting public policy. Ensuring coverage for the critical issues and voices of our day, we're solving three problems: providing content for hard-pressed media outlets; lifting up public interest voices that inspire and raise our level of civic dialogue; and preserving an educated and informed population critical to a vibrant democracy.

Now offering "seamless delivery" via legacy, new and digital media, Public News Service content is used at the local and national level by print, radio, TV and online outlets, from local newspapers, community broadcasters and blogs to national networks. We distribute to 10s of thousands of media outlets and over 8,000 are regularly using our content, reaching individuals and thought-leaders seeking information and solutions.

PNS content is used at the local and national level, including:

  • Clear Channel News Talk Network
  • CBS
  • NBC
  • ABC
  • Sirius Satellite Radio
  • Pacifica
  • Native Network News
  • Huffington Post
  • In These Times
  • Free Speech TV
  • Associated Press
  • NewsTaco
  • Univision
  • DCBureau.org

Major aggregators like the Huffington Post direct users to the PNS site, while many small niche news sites repurpose our content for their own use. The PNS Facebook and Twitter pages regularly post our reporting as well as interesting content from a wide variety of sources. Through the consistent posting of informative content, we have developed a strong reputation as being a reliable source of high-quality information. Beyond traditional social media, we use third-party listening services for mobile devices to host our content and provide people one more way to easily listen to our content on the go. Sharing PNS podcasts on iTunes and Stitcher Radio and PRX - PNS provides news to an even wider audience.

Why Solution-Focused Journalism Matters (More Than Ever)

Gaining access to the dominant media is increasingly dependent on being able to relate to journalists in time-saving ways.

Often this expertise comes with a hefty price tag, and those with fewer resources have a harder time being heard and taken seriously in the public arena. In fact, Huffington Post charges $40,000 (in 2014) per story for “native advertising” and many corporate entities are paying very large sums for the content they want to see promoted and shared.

The public officially owns the airwaves, but the companies that run them sell that airspace, and in general media outlets see any space under their control as "real estate" with financial value. Larger corporations and charitable institutions have the resources to underwrite content in return for branding and advertising. Public broadcasting allows small donors to vote for the specific programs they like. Our model allows anyone to fund, or help fund, independent reporting on any issue.

This is a new model that allows anyone or any organization to be a philanthropist. Our content has to be extremely useful for other outlets to give up their "real estate" for it.

With news, we're providing a highly valuable product that other journalists and media outlets need. And, as new platforms are created, our content adapts easily and supports the rapidly changing news and information environment.

The Issues We Cover

The graph below illustrates the coverage of funded issues from last year in the U.S. A well-rounded news service helps ensure the greatest media outlet pickup. Counter to what one might think, the more stories we send out, the more they are all picked up and redistributed.

Issue: Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention IssueCategory: Health and Wellness NumberOfStories: 1 MediaPickup: 34 Issue: Animal Welfare IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 93 MediaPickup: 5,074 Issue: Arts & Culture IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 0 MediaPickup: 0 Issue: Budget Policy & Priorities IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 283 MediaPickup: 11,026 Issue: Campaign Finance Reform/Money in Pol IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 53 MediaPickup: 2,103 Issue: Census IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 0 MediaPickup: 0 Issue: Children's Issues IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 343 MediaPickup: 22,432 Issue: Civic Engagement IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 27 MediaPickup: 1,563 Issue: Civil Rights IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 26 MediaPickup: 1,302 Issue: Climate Change/Air Quality IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 122 MediaPickup: 4,061 Issue: Community Issues and Volunteering IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 17 MediaPickup: 804 Issue: Consumer Issues IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 196 MediaPickup: 12,843 Issue: Criminal Justice IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 86 MediaPickup: 4,248 Issue: Cultural Resources IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 0 MediaPickup: 0 Issue: Disabilities IssueCategory: Health and Wellness NumberOfStories: 22 MediaPickup: 1,384 Issue: Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault IssueCategory: Health and Wellness NumberOfStories: 19 MediaPickup: 1,044 Issue: Early Childhood Education IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 6 MediaPickup: 507 Issue: Education IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 202 MediaPickup: 10,654 Issue: Endangered Species & Wildlife IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 107 MediaPickup: 5,687 Issue: Energy Policy IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 226 MediaPickup: 10,672 Issue: Environment IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 417 MediaPickup: 21,137 Issue: Environmental Justice IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 1 MediaPickup: 13 Issue: Family/Father Issues IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 3 MediaPickup: 114 Issue: Gun Violence Prevention IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 7 MediaPickup: 386 Issue: Health Issues IssueCategory: Health and Wellness NumberOfStories: 764 MediaPickup: 40,683 Issue: HIV/AIDS Prevention IssueCategory: Health and Wellness NumberOfStories: 0 MediaPickup: 0 Issue: Housing/Homelessness IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 22 MediaPickup: 971 Issue: Human Rights/Racial Justice IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 38 MediaPickup: 1,159 Issue: Hunger/Food/Nutrition IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 152 MediaPickup: 8,118 Issue: Immigrant Issues IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 78 MediaPickup: 2,945 Issue: International Relief IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 0 MediaPickup: 0 Issue: Juvenile Justice IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 43 MediaPickup: 2,179 Issue: LGBTQIA Issues IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 32 MediaPickup: 1,288 Issue: Livable Wages/Working Families IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 244 MediaPickup: 11,965 Issue: Media Reform IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 2 MediaPickup: 14 Issue: Mental Health IssueCategory: Health and Wellness NumberOfStories: 7 MediaPickup: 345 Issue: Native American Issues IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 0 MediaPickup: 0 Issue: Nuclear Waste IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 3 MediaPickup: 273 Issue: Oceans IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 0 MediaPickup: 0 Issue: Peace IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 16 MediaPickup: 491 Issue: Philanthropy IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 6 MediaPickup: 224 Issue: Poverty Issues IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 6 MediaPickup: 229 Issue: Public Lands/Wilderness IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 139 MediaPickup: 7,063 Issue: Rural/Farming IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 39 MediaPickup: 3,320 Issue: Salmon Recovery IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 0 MediaPickup: 0 Issue: Senior Issues IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 205 MediaPickup: 12,364 Issue: Smoking Prevention IssueCategory: Health and Wellness NumberOfStories: 14 MediaPickup: 787 Issue: Social Justice IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 97 MediaPickup: 4,325 Issue: Sustainable Agriculture IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 36 MediaPickup: 2,014 Issue: Teen Pregnancy Prevention IssueCategory: Health and Wellness NumberOfStories: 1 MediaPickup: 32 Issue: Toxics IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 4 MediaPickup: 194 Issue: Urban Planning/Transportation IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 12 MediaPickup: 430 Issue: Waste Reduction/Recycling IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 8 MediaPickup: 479 Issue: Water IssueCategory: Environment NumberOfStories: 51 MediaPickup: 2,392 Issue: Welfare Reform IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 5 MediaPickup: 196 Issue: Women's Issues IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 15 MediaPickup: 591 Issue: Youth Issues IssueCategory: Social Issues NumberOfStories: 21 MediaPickup: 1,114
Issues Number of Stories Media Pickup

If you don't see stories on topics you care deeply about...
would you consider "adopting" coverage on what is most important to you? Join PNS now to make sure issues you care about are covered!