Lori Walsh returns to South Dakota Public Broadcasting as a podcaster following the loss of federal funding for public media.

Lori Walsh has returned to South Dakota Public Broadcasting as a podcaster after the station was forced to cancel her weekly public affairs show, "In the Moment," due to a loss of federal funding. The station, which previously relied on government support, laid off seven of its 11 journalists, including Walsh, to manage the budget shift. However, a surge of listener support and "rage-giving" from the community helped the station secure $8 million in donations, allowing it to hire Walsh back. The shift follows a move by the administration to strip public media of nearly all federal funding, ending decades of bipartisan support. While the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has officially gone out of business, many stations are adapting through innovation and philanthropy. Some stations, such as KSUT in Colorado, successfully raised enough money to purchase solar panels and establish an endowment. Meanwhile, others are exploring mergers and digital transformations to ensure high-quality journalism remains accessible to audiences in a new era of public media.

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