Bad Press PBS Partnerships

The Bad Press team is gearing up for the world broadcast premiere of our Sundance award-winning documentary on PBS stations around the country. These primetime broadcasts will shine a crucial light on the challenges to free press in Indian Country, the need for independent media in small communities, and the importance of youth voter mobilization for millions of viewers.

In addition to our premiere, many stations will air Bad Press multiple times throughout the life of the film's three-year broadcast agreement with PBS Plus.

In order to reach this unprecedented audience, we need the help of partners like you.

The New York Times

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

Company-wide screening and Q&A for the staff of The New York Times.

Virtual, global event for CNN staff with a Q&A for newsrooms in Atlanta, New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles.

Screening and Q&A for students and faculty followed by a day of workshops for film and journalism classes.

Virtual screening for the staff of the Democracy Fund.

Screening and Q&A at the prestigious Atlantic Festival in Washington D.C.

Screening and Q&A at the Harvard Art Museum preceded by a workshop for Nieman journalism fellows.

Day-long workshop for film students on the art of documentary editing followed by a screening and Q&A on campus.

Screening events around the world in partnership with the United States' flagship international film and TV public diplomacy program.

Centerpiece screening at the Oppenheimer Ethics Symposium followed by day-long workshops with film and Indigenous studies students.

Production and post-production funds provided by Ford Foundation in partnership with JustFilms.

Post-production funds provided by the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund.

Newsroom training on covering Indigenous communities and discussion on free press in Indian Country.

Keynote film followed by a Q&A at the Mayborn Nonfiction Literary Conference.

Production funding provided by NBC Universal as part of the Original Voices Fellowship.

CNN

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

Columbia Journalism School

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

Democracy Fund

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

Harvard University

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

The Atlantic

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

Cornell University

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

U.S. Embassy American Film Showcase

Ongoing

University of Idaho

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

Ford Foundation

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

The Sundance Institute

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

The Daily Beast

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

The University of North Texas

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

NBC Universal

January 12, 2025 (TEMP)

What Our Partners Have to Say:

  • "Screening Bad Press and bringing the team to Columbia Journalism School was exactly what our students needed. It’s an entertaining story about the importance of a free press in a Native American democracy that most of our students were not familiar with. Yet, these are themes that are more consequential than ever. On top of that, the film team led insightful and transparent workshops for our students."

    Duy Linh Tu, Dean of Academic Affairs, Columbia Journalism School 

  • CEO -"The best movie I’ve seen in recent months is Bad Press, the story of intrepid journalists in the Muscogee Nation fighting for their right to report. It’s a remarkable real-time documentary that feels like a political thriller. You don’t know how it’s going to end—because the filmmaker and the journalists at the center didn’t know how it would end themselves. "

    Nicholas Thompson, The Atlantic CEO

  • "Students at the University of Idaho loved learning about documentary filmmaking and helping to tell Indigenous stories from the Bad Press team. The film is such an important work about press freedom and tribal nations, and their workshops with students offer a detailed and engaging look at the creative and technical work that made the film a success. Highly recommended the experience for other programs!"

    Russell Meeuf, Director of Film & Television, University of Idaho

Annual PBS broadcast and streaming viewership outnumbers the Super Bowl, Oscars, Grammys and Emmys.

Audience Reach

PBS offers a vast audience with over 130 Million annual broadcast viewers and 273 million annual streams. Monthly, PBS reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, over 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 53 million viewers on YouTube and nearly 60 million impressions on social media. By underwriting Bad Press, your brand can access this large and diverse audience.

Sustained Visibility for Low Cost

PBS is uniquely important to the millions of American households. Unlike traditional ads, perceptions of public media messages are generally favorable because viewers realize brands help sustain the content they loves. 72% of PBS viewers say sponsor messages are different and better than ads on other networks, and 72% have a more positive opinion of a company that supports public media. The limited number of available sponsor messages fosters trust and positive perception among viewers, which your brand can be a part of. 

Access to Affluent Audience

By underwriting our broadcast, you will have access to an affluent audience ready to support your brand.

  • 25% of PBS audiences have investments worth $250K+.

  • 28% have HH income of $100K+.

  • 68% of public media audiences prefer to purchase products and services from public media sponsors. 

In 2025, the average price of a 30-second Super Bowl commercial was nearly $8,000,000. For a fraction of that cost, your PBS underwriting spot will be seen by millions of people for our entire 3-year licensing period, including many relevant tie-ins for re-airings each year such as Native American Heritage Month in November, World Press Freedom Day in May, International Democracy Day in September, and many other occasions.

Trust in Your Brand

Partnership Opportunities

Publisher

  • In-person and screening Bad Press at your organization / venue of your choice.

  • In-person Q&A with filmmakers and Mvskoke journalist Angel Ellis.

  • 2-week virtual screening window of Bad Press for your organization.

  • If applicable, an additional workshop or newsroom training of your choice.

  • Dedicated 15-second slide with large logo at the opening AND closing credits of all televised PBS broadcasts, creating millions of high-value impressions.

  • Dedicated 15-second slide with large logo at the opening AND closing credits of all streams on PBS Plus app, accessing millions of additional viewers.

  • Large logo included in the “Supported Provided By” section of Bad Press PBS.org landing page.

  • Prominent brand and/or company recognition featured in all Bad Press website materials.

Editor in Chief 

  • 2-week virtual screening window of Bad Press for your organization.

  • Virtual Q&A with filmmakers and Mvskoke journalist Angel Ellis.

  • Dedicated 10-second slide with large logo at the opening credits AND closing credits of all televised PBS broadcasts, creating millions of high-value impressions.

  • Prominent brand and/or company recognition featured in all Bad Press web materials.

Investigative Reporter

  • 2-week virtual screening window of Bad Press for your organization.

  • Medium logo included in 10-second group slide at the opening credits of all televised PBS broadcasts, creating millions of high-value impressions.

  • Prominent brand and/or company recognition featured in all Bad Press web materials.

Cub Reporter 

  • 2-week virtual screening window of Bad Press for your organization.

  • Medium logo included in 10-second group slide at the opening credits of all of all streams on PBS Plus app.

  • Prominent brand and/or company recognition featured in all Bad Press web materials.

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An impassioned discussion about press freedoms in Warsaw, Poland.

An impassioned discussion about press freedoms in Warsaw, Poland.

Newsroom discussion at The Daily Beast.

Newsroom discussion at The Daily Beast.

Screening at The Dallas Morning News.

Screening at The Dallas Morning News.

Classroom workshop at Columbia University

Classroom workshop at Columbia University

Discussion at The New York Times newsroom

Discussion at The New York Times newsroom

Co-Director Rebecca Landsberry Baker in discussion with Kimberley Ferdinando of NBC News Studios.

Co-Director Rebecca Landsberry Baker in discussion with Kimberley Ferdinando of NBC News Studios.

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The University of North Texas Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference.

The University of North Texas Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference.

  • Inspire & Support

    Inspire and support tribes in implementing and maintaining press protections for tribal media outlets.

  • Raise Awareness

    Raise awareness and gain support around freedom of press in tribal nations with non-tribal organizations and communities.

  • Create a Network

    Identify and create a network of individuals and organizations, tribal and non-tribal, with an interest in tribal freedom of press rights.

  • For over 130 Million Americans, public television is their connection to the world.

  • PBS and its 330 member stations provide trusted programming that is uniquely different from commercial broadcasting, treating audiences as citizens, not simply consumers.

  • At a time when public trust in national institutions is eroding, confidence in PBS remains strong.

  • Viewers who watch Native-led programs are more likely to agree with policies that support and center Indigenous voices.