America Comes Together On PBS
PBS Brings America Together

A few weeks after the year this report covers came to an end, America lost its innocence and the world changed forever. In a way we never could have imagined, the tragic events of September 11 swept our nation into a period of profound uncertainty and unfamiliar challenges. As with many in America, the crisis has given us at PBS a keener sense of our true strength and our vital purpose: to use the power of media - TV and online - to bring people together, to provide deeper understanding, and to recognize and reflect the diverse voices that make up our nation. Building the strength of community - the value of belonging to a shared neighborhood - is a big part of the renewed sense of purpose we have seen across the country. And now, more than ever, it is a major focus of the meaningful work that PBS can do. The more we can tap into that growing sense of national unity, the more we are able to channel our energies into positive actions in our communities, the stronger our society will be and the more prepared we will be to create a better and brighter world for the future. In this report of our successes from the year that was, we look at five compelling stories that illuminate the many and varied ways PBS works together with the extraordinary public television stations that are our members to build communities and forge bonds among people. The five programs we focus on are models for how we accomplish our overall mission, whether we are serving the young or the old, satisfying the needs of the spirit or the demands of democracy. Each shows how we serve millions upon millions of viewers through a dynamic interplay between national programs and local connections. Together they reveal the unique place of PBS in the fabric of America.