MPB awarded grant to preserve 55 years of Mississippi media history
JANS – Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) has received a $350,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to digitize and preserve over five decades of archival content.
The grant, awarded through NEH’s Humanities Collections and Reference Resources program, will support MPB’s Preservation and Access Project – a major initiative to safeguard and modernize more than 14,000 original productions produced locally by MPB, documenting Mississippi’s cultural, artistic, political, and social history.
This funding builds on a $750,000 investment from the Mississippi Legislature in 2022, which launched MPB’s long-term archival preservation effort. That initial support allowed MPB to begin organizing its collection, building the infrastructure to digitize it, and making it accessible online to educators, students, researchers, and the general public.
“This collection documents a huge portion of Mississippi’s cultural impact on the world. Many of the titles in this body of work include interviews with authors, civil rights leaders, artists, and state lawmakers,” said MPB Chief Operating Officer Anna Neel. “This grant gives us the opportunity to rethink how we share, connect, and celebrate the life and legacy of these icons while preserving and showcasing Mississippi’s rich history for future generations.”
MPB’s phased improvements will continue to roll out over the next year, including upgrades to its website, mobile platforms, and on-demand content, benefiting students, educators, families, and lifelong learners statewide.
“The archival project is a large undertaking given the vast amount of historic material that has been compiled over the last 55 years,” continued Neel. “Once completed, the public will have access to a vast collection of media that presents our state’s history in a more engaging, user-friendly, and forward-looking way.”
