In April 2023, PBS moved away from X after being labelled as “government run media.” When Threads launched in July 2023, we saw an opportunity to rebuild — intentionally. Rather than simply replicating our previous social strategy for a platform we were no longer using, we designed our Threads presence to center audience engagement, brand trust, and mission clarity from day one – all the while having a little fun and exploring what humor could look like in the PBS brand voice.
The idea driving the work was simple: show up consistently, transparently, and conversationally in a space built for dialogue. Our goal was not just follower growth, but to re-establish PBS as a trusted, responsive public service in a shifting social landscape.
Since launching, our Threads presence has grown to nearly 1 million followers and continues to expand daily. More importantly, we have built an active, highly engaged community that sees PBS not just as a content provider, but as a trusted voice.
When PBS faced the loss of federal funding, we saw confusion spreading quickly online — including the narrative that PBS was “going away.” At that moment, our Threads presence became more than a social channel. It became a real-time space to protect trust, activate community, and reinforce brand affinity.
Our plan centered on three priorities: clarity, connection, and community engagement. Threads’ conversational design made it the ideal platform to meet audiences in dialogue rather than speak at them. We made a deliberate decision to treat the platform as a public square — showing up consistently, transparently, and responsively.
Execution focused on meeting the moment with both facts and humanity. We published clear, accessible information breaking down what funding changes actually meant and directly addressed misinformation as it surfaced. We prioritized myth-busting in real time, using plain language and verified information to reduce panic without escalating tension.
One challenge was leveraging an emerging platform in a high-stakes moment. Rather than defaulting to traditional social tactics, we leaned into experimentation — testing cadence, format, and conversational style — and quickly adapting based on engagement signals. Threads became a place where PBS wasn’t just posting content but was creating the conversation in real time.
For us, “overall presence” is not measured by volume alone — it is measured by depth of connection. On Threads, PBS became a steady, trusted voice in a volatile moment, reinforcing the essential role public media plays in communities nationwide.
PBS’ threads account has grown to nearly 1 million followers, establishing one of the largest and most engaged brand communities on the platform. More importantly, this growth has been driven by conversation, not passive reach or overtly promotional posts. Our posts consistently generate high engagement, meaningful comment threads, and direct dialogue with audiences.
We successfully reestablished PBS as a trusted, culturally relevant voice. The brand has been organically amplified beyond the platform — including a national mention on Jimmy Kimmel Live! — signaling that our presence resonated at scale. We’ve also engaged directly with countless celebrities, creators, and cultural voices, expanding PBS’s visibility and reinforcing its place within broader entertainment and media conversations.
We consider this effort a success because we did more than rebuild what was lost. We cultivated one of the most beloved and recognizable brand voices on Threads — proving that public media can lead cultural conversation while remaining mission-driven, transparent, and community-centered.