Work in Progress with Sophia Bush

Episode: Paula Kerger (President and CEO of PBS)
Date: December 17, 2025

Episode Overview

In this engaging and timely episode, Sophia Bush sits down with Paula Kerger, the president and CEO of PBS, for a powerful conversation about the essential role of public service media in American democracy, the challenges of sustaining non-commercial, educational programming, and the current threats facing PBS, including funding cuts and political attacks. Kerger shares insights on the history, mission, community impact, and future of public broadcasting, underlining the centrality of trust, access, and civic engagement. The episode is rich with personal stories, advocacy, and practical ways listeners can get involved in supporting public media.

Main Themes & Purpose

• The Value of Public Media in Democracy
  Explores the founding principles and contemporary relevance of PBS, emphasizing its role in informing citizens and fostering community.
• Challenges to Funding and Independence
  Examines recent government defunding of PBS, clarifies how PBS is structured and funded, and dispels myths about public media.
• Public Service as a Lifelong Calling
  Shares Kerger’s personal journey in public service, her inspirations from childhood, and the lessons from iconic television role models.
• Community Impact and Local Relevance
  Highlights moving stories from around the country, illustrating PBS’s influence on individuals’ lives and communities.
• Action Steps for Listeners
  Provides actionable advice on supporting public broadcasting through donations, volunteering, and advocacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Role of Public Media in Democracy

Timestamp: 06:28–14:08

• Kerger contextualizes PBS in American democracy, referencing the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence:

  "This country was... really an experiment. When democracy was created—this whole idea that we would all have voice... Now, it's taken many years to evolve what all means. But part of what it means to be in a democracy is to be active and engaged." (08:58, Paula Kerger)

• The importance of civics and community:

  "People don't always realize... civics isn't necessarily taught in schools. People don't really understand what it means. And I liken it to one of my personal heroes, Fred Rogers. It's about, what does it mean to be a good neighbor?" (09:50, Paula Kerger)

• PBS as a safeguard of truth:

  Sophia: "A free press that has chosen as media has been more and more corporatized... feels to me more important than ever... Thank you for continuing to take time out of your day to have conversations like this one while you are literally fighting fascism and trying to ensure that folks like U.S. citizens continue having access to the truth." (07:05, Sophia Bush)

2. Personal Journey and PBS’s Philosophical Foundations

Timestamp: 14:08–21:05

• Influence of childhood and role models:

  "I grew up outside of Baltimore... my connection to many things was TV. My earliest memories was as a little girl sitting very close to the TV set watching old I Love Lucy reruns... my next role model was Mary Tyler Moore." (16:30, Paula Kerger)

• Fred Rogers' impact:

  "Fred is an interesting music person to talk about... he would look into the camera and he would tell kids, 'I like you just the way you are.' A lot of kids—that was really profound." (19:15, Paula Kerger)

  "It's the kindness. It's those lessons, not just the numbers and the letters, but how we deal with one another, how the music forces the message. It's beautiful." (20:40, Paula Kerger)

3. What is PBS and How is it Funded?

Timestamp: 25:38–36:44

• Sophia clarifies the misinformation:

  "A lot of kids content is designed to keep them coming back. It's junk food. It's not whole nutritious food for the mind... What you do at PBS, what Mr. Rogers began, what Sesame Street continued... is to make sure we are creating for children in a way that empowers them, teaches them empathy, models kindness, that lets them know they have value." (25:41, Sophia Bush)

• Kerger details PBS’s mission and unique structure:

  "We're very focused on the fact that half of the children in this country do not attend formal pre-K... If you don't have the opportunity to be in a formal school setting, to give those children exposure to the basic skills they need to succeed the first time they enter school..." (28:20, Paula Kerger)

  "We're a variety service. We have news and documentaries... deep interest in science... We also bring the arts... to hopefully help people just feel inspired." (31:32, Paula Kerger)

• Public-private funding model:

  "When Lyndon Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act, he envisioned this public-private partnership. He envisioned that the federal government would put some money in... It ends up it was 15% of the budget for public media. That means all of our stations and PBS together. Some small stations in rural parts of the country... the part of their budget that was federal dollars was as much as 50%." (32:47, Paula Kerger)

• Recent funding cuts:

  "That money was all eliminated. It was pulled out just weeks ago... Now we have no money coming out of the federal government." (34:53, Paula Kerger)

4. The Stakes: Democracy and Local Access

Timestamp: 36:45–43:29

• Sophia spotlights the disproportionate impact of funding loss:

  "The Department of Education budget that PBS was getting, which was just eliminated, was $23 million... It's not even a blip on the radar... what we do feels like the kind of moral loss for no fiscal gain, akin to us cutting USAID that's less than 1% of America's entire budget." (36:45, Sophia Bush)

• How listeners can help:

  "We have been built on support from our communities. It's all those $5 contributions. If you actually care about this... we need your support. Every dollar counts. So support your local station." (39:29, Paula Kerger) "To me, I've always believed... our local stations are the last remaining locally owned, operated, and governed media companies... They're run by people that live in the community, that care about those communities and that are looking at what they do..." (41:20, Paula Kerger)

5. Emergency Services & Local Journalism

Timestamp: 47:38–54:25

• PBS’s critical infrastructure role:

  "We're a broadcast network, right? We can push out one to many... We run a service that pushes [emergency alerts] out to the public, but also to first responders... we were knit in as the backup infrastructure for our emergency alert system for the country." (49:57, Paula Kerger)

  "It was the radio stations that were pushing out [tsunami] information. And... it was also getting pushed out to your phones, which you probably would have seen. And that's what the member was doing. She held up her phone and she said, I'm getting these alerts on my phone... because it was being pushed out to her because—" (51:02, Paula Kerger)
  Sophia: "By public broadcasting." (51:29, Sophia Bush)

• Unmatched value:

  "Do you know how much per person the investment in public media in this country is? It's $1.66 a year." (52:37, Paula Kerger)

6. The Ripple Effect: Personal Stories and Community Impact

Timestamp: 54:25–62:11

• Kerger shares personal anecdotes from her national tour:

  "People with children on the autism spectrum... we've had people come to us and say, we've been struggling with how to talk to my child about the fact that he has autism. He's been watching Carl [the Collector]... 'Mom, I'm just like Carl. Am I autistic?' How profound is that for that family?" (57:20, Paula Kerger)

  "This guy in Nebraska, he said, 'I'm raising my children on the ranch where I was raised... We have you. I just need you to know that we count on you, and you need to do the best possible job for us.'" (58:35, Paula Kerger)

  "A young guy in New York was a street dancer... somehow stumbles onto a rerun... had Barishnikov in it. He had never seen ballet before... This kid enrolled in high school for Performing Arts, became a principal dancer... Now he's a teacher. He's teaching kids dance." (60:18, Paula Kerger)

7. Call to Action: Advocacy, Volunteering, and Staying Engaged

Timestamp: 62:11–76:55

• On advocacy:

  "The one thing I will say up until this period is we've actually also always had bipartisan support... If people want to continue, we started this effort called Protect My Public Media... people can sign up... It's important to reach out to your legislator and just remind them how important this is." (62:11, Paula Kerger)

• On hope and optimism:

  "Because I believe in what we do. I believe that it is right and important... the unbelievable privilege of being able to talk to people across the country who said, and we believe it, too... people are craving hope and inspiration. And that is who we are and what we do." (70:13, Paula Kerger) "And you cannot—because, Sophia, what's the alternative? You're going to go into your bed and put the covers over your head? Nothing good ever happens by that." (71:09, Paula Kerger)

• On volunteering:

  "Each station is a little different. Some stations do a lot of community events and they are looking for people to be engaged... Some are active in schools... I just encourage everyone to connect to your local station." (71:59, Paula Kerger)

8. Personal Wellness and “Work in Progress”

Timestamp: 74:01–78:07

• Kerger on self-care:

  "For all of us that lead organizations... you have to be very deliberate in the personal. I have a home in the country... I have two dogs. I love being out early in the morning... I just try to sort of connect back... connect back to those things that really meant a lot to me when I was a kid." (74:01, Paula Kerger)

• The importance of perspective:

  "We’re all part of something far bigger than each of us individually... Our time on this earth is pretty finite... We have one chance for this—'one wild and precious life.' How are we gonna seize it?" (77:25 – 78:07, Paula Kerger & Sophia Bush, referencing Mary Oliver)

Notable Quotes

• "Public media is built on support from our communities. It’s all those $5 contributions. If you care about this…every dollar counts."
  – Paula Kerger (39:29)

• "PBS centers the wellness of the American people, not shareholders."
  – Sophia Bush (54:25)

• "Do you know how much per person the investment in public media in this country is? It’s $1.66 a year."
  – Paula Kerger (52:37)

• "You cannot…what’s the alternative? You’re going to go into your bed and put the covers over your head? Nothing good ever happens by that."
  – Paula Kerger (71:09)

• "We have one chance for this…one wild and precious life. How are we gonna seize it?"
  – Paula Kerger (78:03)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Context Setting — 03:27–06:28
• Civic Responsibility and Democracy — 08:58–14:08
• Childhood, Inspiration & Mr. Rogers — 16:30–21:05
• PBS Mission & Funding Explained — 25:38–36:44
• Community Impact & Local Journalism — 41:20–54:25
• Emergency Alerts & Infrastructure — 47:38–54:25
• Personal Stories from Across the Nation — 56:57–62:11
• Advocacy & How to Get Involved — 62:11–76:55
• Wellness & Personal “Work in Progress” — 74:01–78:07

How Listeners Can Help

• Donate: Support your local station or the PBS Foundation, even small donations are meaningful.
• Volunteer: Reach out to your local station to see volunteer opportunities from events to educational programs.
• Advocate: Stay informed, join movements like Protect My Public Media, and reach out to legislators to voice support for public broadcasting.
• Share: Tell stories, speak up about the importance of PBS, and connect with your community about access to trusted media.

Memorable Moments

• Kerger’s Nebraska Story (58:35): A rancher drove hours just to tell Paula in person what PBS means for his kids’ education.
• The power of Carl the Collector (57:20): A neurodivergent child feels seen by a PBS show, starting crucial family conversations.
• Sophia’s rallying cry: "I will be a defender of PBS for the rest of my life because I believe in you as an organization for good." (61:07)

This episode is a heartfelt, inspiring, and actionable rallying call to support public broadcasting as a foundation of democracy and community, especially at a time of unprecedented threat.