Astronaut Virgil "Gus" Grissom, who grew up in tiny Mitchell, Indiana, went on to become one of NASA's first astronauts, and was slated to become one of the first astronauts to land on the moon.
Learn more about the Indiana legend in this short, 6-minute feature on WTIU's Journey Indiana:
A digital poster with an illustration of 20th century speed cyclist Major Taylor wearing a light blue racer's unitard. An American flag-patterned bandana is wrapped around his waist. Text on the right side of the poster says: Major Taylor Champion of the Race nominated for Outstanding Regional Documentary by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the 47th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
We're so honored to share that WTIU's MAJOR TAYLOR: CHAMPION OF THE RACE been nominated for Outstanding Regional Documentary at the 47th annual News & Documentary Emmy® Awards! 🚴♂️🏆
Thank you so much for sharing! 🚴♂️🏆
Pull back the curtain and witness the making of the musical soundtrack to WTIU's upcoming documentary, GENE STRATTON-PORTER: MUSIC OF THE WILD. 🍃⤵️
A PBS News graphic asking, "Have you retired and then returned to the workforce?" prompts viewers to fill out a form as part of reporting.
Have you retired and then returned to the workforce?
We want to hear from you. Please fill out our form: https://bit.ly/3UeMObS
Indiana Public Media director Mike Arnold recently shared his thoughts about what the future of public media can be. Take a look! ➡️ current.org/2026/02/its-...
A stylized photo of Thurgood Marshall leaving the Federal Court in Birmingham, Alabama, on February 29, 1956. He is one of hundreds marching. A piece of masking tape on the photo carries the title of a new documentary, "Becoming Thurgood: America's Social Architect"
A stylized photo of Alexander Manly, editor and co-owner of the first ever black-owned daily newspaper, the Daily Record. A torn piece of paper reads, "American Coup: Wilmington 1898"
A black-and-white portrait of singer Roberta Flack, lips parted as though she is singing in the photo. A torn piece of paper reads, "American Masters: Roberta Flack"
Black history = America's history 📢
Celebrate the 100th official #BlackHistoryMonth by taking a closer look at the lives of various Black Americans who have made indelible marks on our country!
Full Blog: www.pbs.org/articles/wha...
More than 30 years after his death, the work of Bob Ross continues to engage viewers. https://to.pbs.org/49Hzu96
A headshot from the shoulders up of an older Caucasian man. His hair is short and gray; his eyes are blue; he wears glasses and a blue collared shirt.
After an extensive search, WFIU & @wtiu.bsky.social are proud to welcome a new executive director this fall!
This past week, our community raised nearly $32,000 to support local news and educational programming.
As we face new challenges and uncertain funding, your support truly is priceless. We couldn't do it without viewers like you. THANK YOU for standing with WTIU!
The award recognizes Sara Wittmeyer, Wes Akers, John Timm and Saddam Al-Zubaidi of Indiana University. 👏 Congratulations! And a big thank you to BEA for showcasing their excellent work.
A photo of 90-year-old John Miley. He looks through a filing cabinet filled with VHS and cassette tapes. In the bottom left, the Broadcasting Education Association's Festival of Media Arts logo is overlayed with the words "Winner!"
"Archiving Airwaves: The Miley Collection" takes home the prize! ✨ The documentary by @wfiuwtiunews.bsky.social won Best of Competition in the Short-Form Documentary Category for Adjunct Faculty and Staff at this year's Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Festival of Media Arts. 🎉
While we might be better known for corn fields and race tracks, did you know that just beneath the surface, Indiana hosts over 4000 incredible, pre-historic caves? We are home to underground waterfalls, bones from the ice age, and one of the longest cave systems in the U.S.!
Underground the Big Wyandotte cave in southern Indiana. Tour groups are gathered, wearing hard hats with head lamps. The cave room is just tall enough to stand in—around 6-8 feet high.
Inside of a cave in Corydon, IN. Pre-historic bones are uncovered in a shallow, square dig site, roughly 1 by 2 feet in size. Dig tools are neatly arranged in a row above the square cut out. The bones are very small, mostly animal teeth.
A 7-person caving group congregates outside the entrance to a river cave during Cave Capers, an annual gathering in Southern Indiana hosted by the Central Indiana Grotto. Their gear includes waist and chest-high waders, some bright red, some purple; hard hats; boots and head lamps. A short waterfall flows out of the cave entrance, surrounded by lush green plant life.
A Spring Mill tour guide stands tall in a rectangular boat, pointing to rock inside of Twin Caves. A small group of 4-5 people watch and listen intently. All are wearing bright orange life vests. The entrance to the cave is covered in moss and fern plants.
Behind the scenes of Journey Indiana: Underground, WTIU's most recent documentary. This one-hour program takes viewers inside some of Indiana's most fascinating yet little-known places!
There is so much to Taylor's story not included in the original thread! @majortaylor99.bsky.social is another great resource for anyone interested in learning about his life and legacy.
Before Jackie Robinson... before Jesse Owens... There was Major Taylor.
His courage and persistence helped pave the way for these fellow Black American athletes and many others.
And now, it's up to us to share his story and preserve his legacy. 🚲🏆
For more: visit wtiu.org/majortaylor
A formal portrait of the Taylor family. On his left, Taylor's wife Daisy Victoria Morris poses with a hand at her hip and dons a large feathered top hat. At his right, Taylor's daughter Syndey is dressed in a frilly gown and sits atop a table. A hoop is draped over her knees. Taylor stands proudly in the center, dressed in a black suit.
His autobiography details an unforgettable scene upon his arrival for the 1902 cycling tour in Australia:
"I could not restrain my tears," he wrote, recalling ship upon ship donned with American flags at the Australian port. The adoration was so impactful that his daughter bears the name: Sydney.
A racist caricature that appeared in "Bearings, The Cycling Magazine" in 1898, the year in which Taylor broke records and squabbled with the governing bodies of racing. (Photo courtesy of Major Taylor Association, Inc. Description by The Washington Post, 2019.)
Taylor's battles were unending. Despite his successes on the track, White nationalist ideals plagued his personal and professional life.
The biggest irony? Taylor remarked suffering more contempt on American soil than by any other country he toured when racing.
Major Taylor and French champion Edmond Jacquelin prepare to race the 1908 Grand Prix de Paris. Both athletes face toward the camera, sitting atop their bikes; Taylor on the left, Jacquelin on the right.
Born in Indianapolis, Ind., Taylor collected nicknames like, "the Cyclone," "the Whirlwind," and "the Comet."
By his early 20s, Taylor had captured the world cycling championship, the American cycling crown, and had set dozens of world speed cycling records—all while enduring Jim Crow era racism.
La Vie au Grand Air (The Life in the Open Air) French magazine cover from 11 May, 1907 featuring Marshall "Major" Taylor. The black and white photo shows Taylor staring confidently just past the camera. His face is slightly furrowed from the direct sunlight. Underneath his portrait, a line of text reads: "Major Taylor, qui vient de faire jeudi sa rentrée en piste." English translation: "Major Taylor, who just made his return to the track on Thursday."
Black Hoosier history you should know: Marshall "Major" Taylor (1878 - 1932)
RESISTANCE shows viewers the largely unknown and courageous stories where Jews fought back during the Holocaust through the testimonies of survivors, their children, and expert witnesses—nearly 80 years later.
Stream on the PBS App beginning tonight at 10pm.
Black and white photo. Jewish people wearing Star of David badges from the Łódź Ghetto, Poland.
"...the teachers that stayed with their students, the doctors that stayed with their patients, the mothers that stayed with their children and didn't abandon them. Did they go 'like sheep to the slaughter?'"
- Prof. Michael Berenbaum, American Jewish Univ.
Quote from RESISTANCE: THEY FOUGHT BACK
A large, jagged tone with a bouquet of 1 dozen red roses and 1 dozen white roses. The stone is engraved in Polish. It reads: "Janusz Korczak. Henryk Goldszmit. I Dzieci." English translation: "Janusz Korczak. Henryk Goldszmit. And children."
"Janusz Korczak—the leader of an orphanage who went with his orphans to Treblinka—he was offered the opportunity to survive.
Korczak was the equivalent of Mr. Rogers.
Non-Jews flocked to hear his radio broadcast.
Are we going to say that he went 'like sheep to the slaughter?'"
Hey folks! Do you live in south-central Indiana? (Bloomington, Martinsville, Columbus, Jasper, Greencastle...)
Follow our newsroom for local coverage! ⤵️
As the city council considers changes to Bloomington’s outdoor dining program, one downtown restaurant owner believes the program has room to improve.
City council will discuss plans tomorrow night.
indianapublicmedia.org/news/kirkwoo...
Seymour immigrants, Kinsey Institute, Braun’s executive orders: New Indiana Newsdesk out now!
indianapublicmedia.org/news/topics/...
Canadian authorities have detained a former Bloomington resident and IU alumnus convicted for his role in the capitol insurrection. He could soon be sent back to the U.S. to serve his sentence.
indianapublicmedia.org/news/bloomin...
A photo of WTIU staff posing next to the INDIANA NEWSDESK set inside of TV Studio 6. Lighting hangs from metal beams in the ceiling. In the background, blue walls with the faint outline of the Indiana map create a backdrop for the set. Two tables - one round and one large desk - sit in front. Around 20 staff members surround the tables and smile at the camera.
A bittersweet day as WTIU staff pose for the last time on the original INDIANA NEWSDESK set. 🎥
Don't worry—the show isn't going anywhere! While Studio 6 receives a much-deserved renovation, we are grateful to our crew (present and past) for maintaining this exact set for the last decade. 🛠
