Over $300,000 awarded to coordinate public service announcements on COVID-19
Posted: April 9, 2021
Educating Native American and Black communities about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines is the priority of the latest public media fundraising campaign.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has awarded more than $300,000 to Indigenous public media and KTSU (FM), a public radio station licensed to historically black colleges and universities, to coordinate a COVID-19 public awareness campaign.
This campaign, which will reach a total of 51 public radio stations serving Indigenous and Black communities, will be split between 36 tribal stations and 15 HBCU-licensed stations. The aim is to provide factual information to populations who have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
[Read: Community Broadcaster: How Stations Fight the Virus]
The figures show that black and indigenous people have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus in a widespread way that covers the whole country, regardless of location or age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the coronavirus has been far more deadly for blacks, Native Americans and Latinos than for other groups in the United States.
Native communities depend on Native American-focused stations for health news and information and as a local forum for discussing critical issues, said Loris Taylor, president and CEO of Native Public Media. “As in any community, a strong network of partnerships is essential to meet the emergency needs of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. We are grateful to the CPB for funding these information campaigns, which fill the resilience gaps in this time of national emergency.
NPM, which provides strategic leadership, resources and services to public radio stations across Indian Country, will be responsible for organizing, coordinating and providing financial support to tribal stations to produce and broadcast public service campaigns. and other relevant content, such as social media infographics. . A series of multimedia materials were produced by NPM and KTSU, the public radio station based at Texas Southern University. KTSU will also be responsible for providing funds to other HBCU stations to help them produce additional content and engagement materials.
“Public, locally-run, highly-reliable media stations are well-placed to deliver critical information to communities hard hit by the pandemic,” said CPB President and CEO Pat Harrison. “By providing accurate and reliable information about COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the continued need to wear masks and maintain social distancing, these stations will reduce the spread of misinformation and advance the public health of the communities we live in. they serve.”
CPB is a founding partner of the COVID Collaborative, a national assembly of leaders from different sectors developing a unified platform to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The following stations will receive funding and support from public media as part of the public media campaign.
Tribal Stations:
- Alaska: KNBA, Anchorage; KBRW, Barrow; KYUK, Bethel; KCUK, Chevak; KZPA, ft. Yukon; KIYU, Galena; KOTZ, Kotzebue; KSDP, sand point; KUHB, St. Paul; KNSA, Unalaskleet; KRFF, Fairbanks
- Arizona: KNNB, Whiteriver; KUYI, Kykotsmovi; KGHR, Tuba City; KOHN, sells
- California: KIDE, Hoopa
- Colorado: KSUT, Ignacio
- Idaho: KIYE, Lapwai
- Minnesota: KKWE, Callaway; KBFT, Lake Nett; KOJB, Cass Lake
- Montana: KGVA, Harlem
- New Mexico: KCIE, Dulce; KABR, Alamo; KTDB, Pine Hill; KSHI, Zuni
- North Dakota: KEYA, Belcourt; KMHA, New Town; KABU, Saint Michael
- Oregon: KWSO, hot springs; KCUW, Pendleton
- South Dakota: KILI, Porcupine; KLND, McLaughlin; KDKO, Lake of the Andes; KOYA, rosebud
- Wisconsin: WOJB, Hayward
HBCU stations:
- Alabama: WJAB, Alabama A&M University, normal; WVAS, Alabama State University, Montgomery
- Georgia: WCLK, Clark University, Atlanta
- Mississippi: WJSU, Jackson State University, Jackson; WURC, Rust College, Holly Springs; WPRL, Alcorn State University, Lorman
- Missouri: KJLU, Lincoln University, Jefferson City
- North Carolina: WNCU, North Carolina Central University, Durham; WRVS, Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City; WSNC, Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem
- Ohio: WCSU, Wilberforce
- Texas: KTSU, Texas Southern University, Houston; KPVU, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View
- Caroline from the south: WSSB, South Carolina State University, Orangeburg
- Virginia: WNSB, Norfolk State University, Norfolk
