Is America’s public media actually for all Americans?

Edition: US - Today's top story: Why America's public media can't do its job [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 3 May 2017 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note With the negotiation of a bipartisan budget deal this week, it seems as though the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is safe from the deep cuts sought by the Trump administration. But that doesn’t address the inherent problems of the country’s public media funding model, which relies on the government for only a fraction of its funds. University of Oregon’s Christopher Chavez explores [the difficulties PBS and NPR face in fulfilling their mission]( when they’re forced to rely on wealthy donors to survive. Inequality in the U.S. has been growing steadily since the 1970s. So why do more than 90 percent of Americans say that our country is a meritocracy? According to new research, living in a neighborhood without socioeconomic or racial diversity can prevent us from appreciating [the size of the divide](. Nick Lehr Editor, Arts and Culture Top Story PBS headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. melanie.phung/flickr [Why America's public media can't do its job]( Christopher Chávez, University of Oregon When the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was founded 50 years ago, it was supposed to reflect the nation's disparate voices. Politics + Society - [Inequality is getting worse, but fewer people than ever are aware of it]( Jonathan J.B. Mijs, Harvard University People in some of the most unequal countries in the world think theirs is the paradigm of meritocracy. Can the data help explain this phenomenon? Economy + Business - [Why Dodd-Frank – or its repeal – won't save us from the next crippling Wall Street crash]( Jena Martin, West Virginia University; Karen Kunz, West Virginia University Instead, we need to burn the entire system of financial regulation to the ground and replace it with something that supports investing the way it's done today. Education - [What was the protest group Students for a Democratic Society? Five questions answered]( Todd Gitlin, Columbia University Student protest has been in the political spotlight since Trump's election. Todd Gitlin, former president of Students for a Democratic Society, shares his perspective on protest in the 60s and now. Ethics + Religion - [A 147-year-old dispute between church and state spills onto a school playground]( Frank S. Ravitch, Michigan State University A number of state constitutions have clauses restricting state funding for religious schools. Some of these go back to an amendment proposed in 1875, known as the Blaine Amendment. What is it? Trending On Site - [Can Bill Nye – or any other science show – really save the world?]( Heather Akin, University of Pennsylvania; Bruce W. Hardy, Temple University; Dietram A. Scheufele, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin-Madison Popular programming that focuses on science tends to not actually be all that popular. Bringing in new audiences who aren't already up to speed on science topics is a challenge. - [Too pretty to play? Stephen Curry and the light-skinned black athlete]( Ronald Hall, Michigan State University To white Americans, the idea that skin color and toughness go hand-in-hand might seem odd. But in the black community, it's a big deal. - [In a digital archive of fugitive slave ads, a new portrait of slavery emerges]( Joshua Rothman, University of Alabama With Freedom on the Move, historians hope to reveal patterns of escape and capture, while giving anyone the chance to learn about the individual heroism of runaway slaves. [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 625 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 USA