It’s a tough time to be a public media company or nonprofit with sweeping changes and cuts from the U.S. government.
Executives from Planned Parenthood, PBS, and Minneapolis Public News revealed at ADWEEK’s Social Media Week how they’re raising awareness and money despite big cuts in funding.
Here are three ways the organizations are navigating the challenges.
Getting hyperlocal with issues
Michael Olson, deputy managing editor at Minneapolis Public News, said his newsroom was prepared to cover the state’s ongoing ICE raids that began in late 2025 due to the social video team’s relationship with audiences, particularly on Instagram. The roots for these relationships go back to the 2020 murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protests. When the raids became a national story, Minneapolis Public News’ content resonated particularly well with residents.
“Whenever there was a raid going on, whenever there’s activity going on, we knew instantly because we’re living in these communities,” Olson said.
The raids spiked Minneapolis Public News’ web traffic to a high, but the news organization was more focused on getting people accurate information as quickly as possible.
“There’s national narratives that are completely false that are being shared about our town,” Olson said. Instead, Minneapolis Public News focused on “listening to the audience and what they need.”
Amplifying the facts
Planned Parenthood has faced a number of challenges over the past few years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. In 2025, Planned Parenthood was defunded by the Trump administration.
In response, Planned Parenthood has leaned into values-driven content. Sticking to the organization’s mission has helped patients understand the changing reproductive rights landscape, said Allison Rhone, national director of social strategy, partnerships, and insights at Planned Parenthood.
“We are not a news publisher. We are truth tellers, we are purveyors, we are navigating patients to places and spaces,” Rhone said.
The goal, Rhone said, is to help patients and the public understand the facts.
“Are they understanding defunding? Are they understanding that they can still get an abortion in A or B state? Do they understand that gender-affirming care means these 10 things—it’s a broad topic.”
Building fandom
The Trump administration’s 2025 decision to pull funding for public media significantly impacted PBS’ funding—though a federal judge recently ruled that decision to be unconstitutional. To gain support, PBS focused on a social campaign aimed at building fandoms and nostalgia around the brand’s educational services, said Matt Schoch, senior director of digital content strategy and social media at PBS.
