PBS12 General Manager Kristen Blessman recently embarked on a listening tour to actively engage with the local community. The critical takeaway from that outreach was the pressing need to expand the PBS12 audience “beyond just broadcast.”
PBS12 in Denver, Colo., also heard loud and clear from viewers that they feel increasingly alienated by sharply divisive news. One way to simultaneously confront this hurdle and realize PBS12’s public service mission would be to reconnect with communities in personal ways “that present an issue through the lens of individuals affected and demonstrate solutions and ways for our local community to get engaged,” said Blessman.
In deliberating potential paths forward, Blessman keyed in on her admiration for Axios’ “quick storytelling model.” Axios is an online news platform that aims to provide timely and impactful news stories on a local level in ways that will help foster community involvement.
Blessman reached out to Axios, and a new editorial partnership was launched in the spring of 2022.
First via LinkedIn and then over coffee, PBS12 and Axios personnel brainstormed optimal ways to launch a strategic partnership. The partners decided to package Axios’ “one big thing” stories of the week into a quick video format. The outcome was “Axios and PBS12: This Week’s 1 Big Thing,” which is now broadcast with PBS12’s public affairs programming and streamed across digital platforms.
Blessman notes that the Axios and PBS12 collaboration is well-placed to satisfy the contemporary appetite for “short, video storytelling.” The program airs in under three minutes and features a broad array of topics, such as COVID booster rollout challenges, migrants being sent to Colorado, and the police chief stepping down.
Axios, according to Blessman, was a good fit because the news organization “simply reports the facts” in a non-polarizing format that aligns closely with PBS Editorial Standards and Practices.
The PBS Editorial Standards recognize the importance of entering into “editorial partnerships with other media organizations, educational or cultural institutions, freelance journalists, or other parties. While these collaborations are generally encouraged, producers and PBS staff should be mindful of the potential impact on PBS’s credibility, and they must ensure that all editorial partners adhere to these standards.”
PBS12 has found Axios to be an ideal collaborative partner in reaching the broader audience envisioned for its evolving content. In turn, Axios is able to showcase its varied capabilities “in a broadcast and online video outlet.”
The program’s three journalist hosts rotate on a weekly basis as part of an effort to establish each of them as knowledgeable members of the local community and to foster deeper community connections through reporting. Each week, the designated Axios host sends a summary and corresponding visuals of the week’s top stories to their PBS12 counterparts. As part of the collaboration, PBS12 then executes the filming and practical aspects of the production at its studios in Denver.
As the new partnership continues to develop, Axios Denver is brainstorming the best ways to highlight This Week’s 1 Big Thing content across digital platforms. The fruits of this collaboration are also reaching further into the local community through the Axios Denver newsletter.
The PBS12 editorial collaboration with Axios is a compelling example of how production partnerships between local PBS member stations and other media organizations can deliver more high-quality, standards-aligned content to the public. Typical of any good collaborative partnership, PBS12 anticipates evolving and expanding upon this new offering over time as the initiative continues to develop.
Contact Standards & Practices at standards@pbs.org.