The push for a "PBS of the internet"

A new policy paper from the German Marshall Fund proposes a full revamp of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to fund not just broadcast stations, but a wide range of digital platforms and potential content producers, including independent journalists, local governments, nonprofits and educational institutions. The concept of a new media ecosystem that's non-profit, publicly funded and tech-infused is drawing interest in policy circles as a way to shift the power dynamics in today's information wars. Revamping the structure and role of public media could be part of the solution to shoring up local media, decentralizing the distribution of quality news, and constraining Big Tech platforms' amplification of harmful or false information. The idea is to increase the diversity of local civic information, leaning on anchor institutions like libraries and colleges that communities trust, and include open protocol standards as well as strong data ethics requirements. While allowing people to "tune" their own content preference dials could exacerbate filter bubbles, the authors of the German Marshall Fund report argue that the the involvement of local trusted institutions in the creation and amplification of civic information — from public health updates to local election news — could improve people's overall media diet and exposure.