Public Media Learns
Public Media Learns (PML) is the latest tool essential for everyone in public media, no matter their area of discipline. PML offers a collaborative space for employees of our member stations to experience community, share ideas, and expand the skills needed to further the mission of public media: education.
Public Media Learns is the home of professional development courses from throughout the system, community spaces for our Peer Learning Communities, and the NETA webinar archives.
Do you have a course idea you'd like to share with members of public media? Use this form to propose your ideas.
Newest Courses
Looking to improve how audiences find and engage with your station’s content?
Metadata Essentials: Unlocked is a self-paced course designed for PBS and station professionals. This course demystifies how metadata functions across today’s digital ecosystem, including search, recommendations, and voice-driven experiences.
You’ll learn how emerging technologies and industry standards shape discovery, how to identify and prioritize high-value metadata, and how to apply best practices that improve consistency and efficiency across workflows. The course also explores how metadata-driven processes support automation, third-party distribution, and cross-platform delivery.
Whether you’re preparing content for distribution, managing large content libraries, or evaluating existing metadata practices, this course equips you with practical tools and frameworks to strengthen discoverability and expand audience reach—while aligning with PBS system standards and public media values.
Access this course and more through the PBS Course Catalog.
Public Media 101
This PML course is for anyone who wants to learn the basics of public media. Whether you work at a station, are a board member, volunteer, or student intern, Public Media 101 provides an overview of public media’s origins, the many organizations that make up the public media ecosystem, and the rules and regulations that guide our work. In addition, the course breaks down the various types of stations, roles and departments within stations, and professional growth opportunities.
Anytime you feel like you’re swimming in alphabet soup, our Public Media 101 glossary provides an easy way to identify and define public media’s many acronyms and terms.
If you would like to register multiple members of your station and receive an invoice, please contact James Abraham or Maria Rodillo to start the process.
This course is self-paced. $100 for NETA Members; $550 for non-members.