Connecting our communities

Public Media Network is a local nonprofit media organization that connects and supports today's creators, video producers, visual journalists, community organizers, and organizations to amplify their stories to catalyze change and connection in our communities.

Of, by, and for our community, our programs help democratize the local media ecosystem by fostering compassionate storytelling, access to information, and cultural experiences to inform, inspire, and reflect our communities.

We are a network of individuals and community organizations who value the power of nonfiction storytelling, authentic voices, and local information in media. We are a civic media hub for local conversation, storytelling, and communications.

We provide a supportive space for you to create and distribute community-focused media.  Our volunteer-driven culture encourages and supports you to use media to tell stories that inspire, inform, and make a difference in the community.

Our media access center provides you with access to media production resources for you to create, connect, and collaborate with others.

We have been an anchor institution in the Greater Kalamazoo area for more than 40 years. Explore the history of our organization.

Our Mission: We empower people through media to amplify creative expression, community dialogue, and cultural understanding.

Unlike traditional media organizations, we build and share the power of media with individuals to foster a more inclusive media ecosystem that represents the people in our community and includes those who have historically been excluded from media.

Our Vision: We envision a vital civic media hub that builds an engaged community.

We value the power of a more equitable and just media ecosystem that reflects the people and lived experiences of our community. Through impactful storytelling and access to information, people can be inspired to create change and build community.

The Problem We Are Solving

Almost all the media and stories we consume today is controlled by only a handful of companies. At the same time local journalism is a shadow of what it once was in our communities.

The stories we consume influence how we form ideas, how and why policy is created, how we see the people around us, and how we view our local communities. People equipped with media tools and access can play a vital role in our community, now more than ever. People working at the intersection of technology, media, video journalism, documentary storytelling, and civic media can create culture and transform lives through media.

As new modes for producing and distributing visual media emerge, and newsrooms continue to pivot to the next trend, there is an urgent need for a cohesive network to support and connect people in our diverse communities to find ways to push uses of civic media into the future.

Public Media Network seeks to fill the gaps of local journalism by serving as a people-driven form of storytelling and virtual media bridge that connects people to their communities. Rather than rather than relying on media gatekeepers , your neighbors using media to inspire and inform others.

Production Crew covering a local event

Partner Communities

Our partner communities include: City of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Township, Oshtemo Township, Comstock Township, City of Parchment, and City of Galesburg.