For 60 years, WUWM 89.7 FM - Milwaukee's NPR has been a trusted source of community connection, fact-based journalism and in-depth storytelling. We have reported on the issues shaping our region, provided vital emergency information and created spaces for meaningful conversation. Through it all, our work has remained the same — to serve the people of our listening region.
Today, independent journalism is more important than ever. At the same time, public media stations like ours — and across the state and nation — are facing growing scrutiny and challenges that could impact our ability to provide our essential public service.
In just the past week, several developments have raised concerns about the future of public broadcasting, including:
- A blocked freeze of federal grant programs, which would have impacted FEMA’s Next Generation Warning System, which helps stations – especially those in rural and underserved communities – invest in critical emergency alerting infrastructure.
- An announced FCC investigation into the role of sponsorship in public media, a key funding source that helps sustain local stations like ours.
- A planned congressional hearing by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Delivering Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee, inviting national public media leaders to discuss “federally funded radio and television, including its systematically biased content.”
- Ongoing efforts to reduce or eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), an independent nonprofit chartered by Congress in 1967 to support the development and growth public broadcasting.
These developments are a part of historical conversations about the role of public media, its funding, and its value to the communities we serve.
While we welcome dialogue about how to best fulfill our mission, we also want to reaffirm what sets WUWM — and public media — apart in today’s media landscape and share how you can stay informed and support our work.
Our unwavering commitment to journalistic integrity
At WUWM, we hold ourselves to the highest journalistic standards. Our award-winning content team — including our newsroom, Lake Effect and digital team — operates with editorial independence, guided by a rigorous code of ethics that prioritizes accuracy, fairness and transparency. We are committed to reporting free from commercial or political influence — ensuring that you get the facts, not an agenda. If we make a mistake, we correct it and let you know.
An effective public-private partnership
Public media has a unique funding model, combining federal support from the CPB, other grants, individual contributions, and sponsorship from businesses and organizations that believe in independent journalism. This diversified approach ensures that public media is not dependent on one source of revenue and allows us remain accountable to the people we serve, rather than profit-driven interests.
Moreover, public media’s federal funding amounts to just $1.60 per American annually — or 0.0073% of the national budget — yet delivers unmatched value through a nationwide network of radio and television stations that provides accessible news, cultural programming and emergency alerts to every American, in every corner of the country.
Local impact, national and international reach
Public media remains deeply invested in local communities. WUWM’s content team covers the issues and stories that matter most to you — stories that might not otherwise be told. At the same time, we bring you national and global reporting through our partnerships with NPR, APM, BBC and other public media organizations.
What you can do
At a time when misinformation spreads rapidly, trust in institutions is being tested, and communities are navigating complex challenges, access to fact-based, independent journalism has never been more critical. Stations like WUWM exist to provide reporting that is not driven by profit, political influence or sensationalism, but by a commitment to truth, context and public service.
As these discussions unfold, we remain steadfast to our mission to connect, engage and inspire our listeners to a deeper understanding of each other, the region and the world through fact-based reporting and powerful storytelling. Because you value independent journalism and the role of public media, you can support us in several ways:
- Stay informed and take action. We’ve joined the Protect My Public Media coalition, and we encourage you to join as well for updates on public media policy, funding and actions. You can also call your members of Congress to express your support for public media. Find your members’ contact information here.
- Engage with us. Listen on-air, online or on our app. Share your thoughts by emailing us at wuwm@uwm.edu. Attend our events. Help shape the future of WUWM by sending us a voice memo through the app to provide feedback about our work and programming. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get any news you might have missed and follow us on social media at @wuwmradio for updates throughout the week.
- Support public media. Community support from listeners and local businesses make up over 80% of our funding, ensuring that we can continue to serve the community, however, only 10% of our listeners donate. If you haven’t already, now is the time to become a donor.
As we continue this work, we are grateful for your engagement, support and belief in the power of independent journalism.
