Social Media

“This show was made possible by viewers like you.” You hear these words at the end of every PBS show, and it’s true – your contributions to your local PBS station are essential to our ability to create the programs, web content and educational services for which PBS is known.

But you’re more than viewers. You’re a critical part of the PBS community. more

Last week PBS put itself in the hot seat here on Engage: I asked you for your questions, and sent five of them all around the building and beyond to get the answers; take a look below, and let us know what you think.

What are some ways the public can create content for Public Broadcasting? What Social Media avenues (are) PBS exploring to further engage their audience? Marissa

Marissa, I’m glad you asked. At PBS Engage, our mission is to facilitate more two-way conversation between PBS and the audience using social media tools. On the Engage Web site, you can join one of our live chats or participate on our blog.more

Chumby may be a funny name for a company, but as a product, we think it has the potential to bring a lot of great content to new people (and places). If you haven’t heard of Chumby yet, well, that’s not surprising -- it hasn’t been around for very long, and has largely been in the experimental stages until recently.

So what exactly is a Chumby? It’s both a platform - a way to build portable web site features called “widgets” - and a product : a cute little alarm-clock-shaped device that has an iPhone-esque touch screen. PBS Engage is proud to have recently released the first Chumby widget for PBS a couple of weeks ago (many thanks to PBS developer Shawn Rider for helping us get started), featuring headlines from the Inside PBS blog.

more

Think back to the last time you were so gripped or inspired by something you saw on television that you felt compelled to get involved - but sitting alone in your living room, you weren’t sure what action was possible.

Enter Community Cinema.more

This post is part of a series we kicked off earlier this spring, in which we introduce the incredible members of the Engage Advisory Board. Read our interviews with blogger Mark Glaser, online community guru Howard Rheingold, multimedia producer Evelyn Messinger and video game scholar Alice Robison.

John Bell is a digital influencer.  As part of our Advisory Board, John has encouraged us to explore new ways of reaching our audience, just as he has done for the likes of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and TJMaxx as Managing Director of Ogilvy's 360° Digital Influence team.  When he's not changing the way companies interact with their consumers, John teaches graduate level courses at the Johns Hopkins University.  Read his insightful answers and learn about his passion for digital innovation.more

You may have noticed something different about PBS.org today.  No, we didn't get a haircut - it's the new PBS Video portal, offering a simple and modern way to watch PBS programs online.

Streaming video on PBS.org is nothing new, but the innovative video portal brings it all together for the first time, and invites you to truly explore all we have to offer. In addition to inviting you to browse by program title and topic, we've curated special collections for your viewing enjoyment; for example, check out today's round-up of Earth Day video, or indulge your wanderlust with the Going Places collection.

Eric Freeland, PBS's Senior Manager of Digital Video, gave me a tour of the site and showed me some of the highlights.more

One day a year, it's important to think about the Earth.  At least, that was the premise back in 1970, when Earth Day was created. Today, we do a lot more thinking and talking about protecting Mother Nature - as we should. This month alone, PBS is introducing Green Builders and Planet Forward, two new series about the environment. We're also hosting a live chat with oceanographer Fabien Cousteau about ocean conservation and the future of Earth's waters. And for our younger fans, PBS KIDS is and PBS KIDS GO! are both airing shows that emphasize the importance of being Earth-friendly.

You can also watch a special Earth Day collection of your favorite PBS shows on the brand new PBS Video player!more

In today's media environment - with so many newspapers cutting back on editorial staff and online media becoming more ever-present by the day - what is the best way to get communities the information they need?more

This post is part of a series we kicked off a few weeks ago, in which we introduce the incredible members of the Engage Advisory Board. Read our interviews with blogger Mark Glaser, online community guru Howard Rheingold and social media scholar Alice Robison.

Evelyn Messinger knows how to tell a compelling story, no matter the medium.  more