Part 12/14:
A staunch supporter of public broadcasting, Burns argues for its vital role in fostering understanding and preserving a nuanced history. He decries the cuts to PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, warning that shrinking these resources would lead to "news deserts," especially in rural areas. Burns maintains that public broadcasting provides a platform for complex stories free from corporate or political pressures, nurturing an educated, engaged citizenry.
He recounts how his documentaries—like the Civil War series—rely heavily on CPB funding, which, although modest, enables the production of in-depth, provocative historical work that might otherwise not find a platform in commercial media.