Outside of the broadcasting industry, there is a job title called “Community Manager.” What does this person do at their organizations? And how might public radio and television stations benefit by having a Community Manager on their staff?

At our final Beyond the Broadcast virtual event of 2024, I spoke to Max Pete, a Community Engagement Program Manager at Square, the payment processing and merchant services company. Max helps manage an incredibly large community of customers, but he has also managed much smaller communities. He shed some light on what he’s responsible for in his organization:

 

In addition to work at Square, Max is also very active in the community building space: He writes a Substack newsletter, has guest lectured for community building course, and is a board member at The Community Club. I love bringing folks like Max in for our discussions, because I think it’s so important that broadcasters are able to hear outside perspectives.

Community building is all about creating a space where people can connect with one another, and that’s exactly what we do at these virtual events. In addition to hearing from speakers like Max, we also carve out time for our attendees to talk to one another. It’s a rare opportunity to hear from your colleagues in public media — all from the convenience of your own desk.

Check out the recording of my conversation with Max, and if community building is something that your public media station is interested in learning more about, join us for our next Beyond the Broadcast event in January:

This January, our Community Building Consultant, Seth Resler, will lead an online course designed to help public media broadcasters create communities that deepen audience engagement. Spots will be limited—sign up now to ensure you’re the first to receive updates as soon as details are announced!

Learn more about Seth.