Let’s do the numbers: public media for public good

Hi there, my name is Alex Curley. I've spent my entire career working in public media, mostly at NPR's headquarters in Washington, DC.

Now, I’m on a mission to track public media as it deals with the loss of federal funding.

Earlier this year, I started Semipublic, a Substack newsletter about the public media industry using data-driven analysis. At first, we were focused on station finances and their reliance on federal funding. But as interest in the industry grew — as well as the threat of federal funding cuts — so did the scope of Semipublic. We started tracking and providing unique insights about industry 990s, lobbying disclosures, layoffs, and hiring trends. Soon, Semipublic was much more than a newsletter: We became a central place for donors, journalists, and public media fans to get information about what was happening in public media.

After Congress officially rescinded public media's federal funding, we put our data to use, creating a website that helped people understand which stations were most at risk and how to donate to them. Thus, Adopt A Station was born. Since July, over 45,000 people have visited the site.

We have directed thousands of donations to local public media stations thanks to reporting from outlets like The New York Times, Axios, and Vogue. Using our data, we’ve also launched the Public Media Layoffs Tracker and a jobs website just for public media.

Public media in the U.S. is rapidly changing, and a central, independent organization dedicated to tracking these changes is needed now more than ever. That's why we're proud to announce that we are launching Semipublic as a non-profit 501(c)(3). And we need your help getting started.

How You Can Help:

Up until now, Semipublic has operated on the small amount of revenue generated through our Substack. We're incredibly proud of the national impact we've had with so few resources, but we can do much more.

We're asking for your help to raise $30,000, enough to launch Semipublic as a 501(c)(3) and pay for the following over the next six months:

➔ National public media analytics dashboard:

A central, free, and accessible dashboard that visitors can use to view nationwide or state trends in public media as well as information about specific stations. Right now, there is no place to track changes in the public media industry in real time — your support will help us make the first website of its kind anywhere.

➔ Adopt A Station advocacy:

Thousands of donations have been sent through Adopt A Station, but the work to continue generating awareness never ends. You can help us fund our plans to expand the site's reach through campaigns and volunteer programs.

➔ Upkeep of Semipublic's websites and servers:

Semipublic runs a sophisticated network of SQL servers, web scrapers, analytics platforms, and websites. We need your help to keep them running and expand as we grow.

Who Is Semipublic?

Right now, Semipublic is run by founder Alex Curley and a small team of six volunteers. We are currently assembling a Board of Directors.

About Me

I’m a former Product Manager based out of Asheville, NC. Last year when Hurricane Helene devastated our region, I transitioned from working in public media to relying on public media, a story I recently got to share with Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Kentucky Representative Morgan McGarvey.

When my toddler and miniature dachshund allow it, my hobbies include hiking and cycling. I have also been known to review strategy video games for NPR from time to time.

Where Does My Donation Go?

Right now, Semipublic is structured as an LLC, a for-profit entity. To simplify the process, we've decided to route GoFundMe donations to founder Alex Curley, who will use the funds to form the new non-profit. Afterwards, the proceeds will be transferred to the new non-profit.

Thank You

At Semipublic, we believe that data drives action, and we're proud to supply data that keeps public media stations afloat following the end of federal funding. Our impact is nationwide, and your donation helps it grow even bigger. Thank you for believing in us.