Current Summer 2024 Issue (Rising Stars)

SUMMER 2024

NEWS FOR PEOPLE IN PUBLIC MEDIA

Students bringing new perspectives to 2024 election coverage PAGE 2

Shining bright Meet 35 young trailblazers whose ideas and skills are redefining public media — Page 8 —

INSIDE THIS ISSUE MAJOR GIFTS SEEN AS KEY TO STATIONS’ LONG-TERM GROWTH 7 PEOPLE 4 BUSINESS DIRECTORY 21

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AUDIENCE LOSSES MOUNT. WHAT DO PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS DO NOW?

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CURRENT THINKING

Students share how they bring new perspectives to 2024 election coverage

BY MAGGIE LEBEAU, KHADEEJAH KHAN,

.ORG

NICO FISCHER, AIDAN BOOKER AND POOJASAI KONA

Visit Current.org for more coverage:

S

tudents from 15 states and Puerto Rico are reporting stories and collaborating to produce a special seven-episode season of On Our Minds, Student Reporting Labs’ teen life and well-being podcast. On Our Minds: Election 2024 will launch Aug. 21 and explore the perspectives of young people about election issues that impact them.

Last fall, high school students from PBS News Student Reporting Labs’ Student Advisory Team pitched the idea of an election-focused podcast reported and produced by young people for young people.

As a journalism training organization, staff of Student Reporting Labs know that students are uniquely positioned to report on the election issues through this lens, especially as millions of Gen Z adults become eligible to vote in this November’s election.

Five of the 24 students contributing to On Our Minds: Election 2024 described their experiences, and why they feel stories reported by youth are essential for news coverage of what this election means for the future.

Here’s what they had to say.

Maggie LeBeau Special correspondent University of Missouri

On representing young people in election coverage Including youth perspectives in political reporting can help young people tune in to

NEWS ARTICLES Forensic report of CapRadio finds ‘unsupported payments’ Senate Appropriations Committee recommends level funding for CPB This PBS fan watched every episode of ‘American Experience’ How NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe is changing the sound of public radio

Student reporters Aydin Tariq, left, and Poojasai Kona at the 2023 SRL Summer Academy in Boston, a weeklong journalism training camp for high school students. (Photo: Student Reporting Labs Staff)

Q&A

the ways that we are impacted by political decisions. When I see my peers report on politics, ask important questions and be taken seriously, I’m more motivated to read, listen to or watch those stories.

In my story for the podcast, I asked two young conservatives from rural Illinois if they felt motivated to vote in such a strongly blue state. They explained that even if they don’t feel as represented in a state where Chicago’s Democratic voters are so dominant, they still pay attention to what is going on around them and understand the importance of civic participation, especially locally.

There are young people across the country eager to make their voices heard no matter what the popular consensus around them is, which is why I think it’s important for the media to amplify their perspectives.

COMMENTARIES

I encourage media outlets to increase their youth representation by commissioning young freelancers, producing stories with young people in the forefront, creating a youth advisory board, sharing stories from Student Reporting Labs or interviewing student reporters about their experiences.

Khadeejah Khan Special correspondent University of California, Davis

On how campus censorship influenced student advocacy Elections signify an opportunity for change. Many voters, especially students, Continued on page 22

Why public media needs to let younger decision-makers call the shots

How PBS Utah is using AI to customize audience experiences Time is running out to solve the digital revenue puzzle

OBITUARIES NPR correspondent Ina Jaffe Pat Callahan, development exec with ‘peerless fundraising acumen’ Russell Morash, ‘This Old House’ creator and ‘father of how-to’ programs

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Letter from the executive director

W

e are excited to reveal the 2024 cohort of Current’s Rising Stars! This is the second year of our initiative to recognize young talents in public media.

It was such a pleasure to read the nominations about outstanding individuals who are making their marks on public media. But let me tell you: Choosing who to spotlight among the 169 nominees was no easy task.

This year we invited a group of judges to help us evaluate and select nominees.

That group included Aishah RashiedHyman of Public Media Women in Leadership, Eric Marsh of WHYY, Deema Zein of PBS NewsHour, news strategist Vinnee Tong and journalist April Simpson, formerly with Center for Public Integrity. We also decided to expand the number of honorees so that more of our younger talent would be recognized.

There’s so much attention to public media leaders and high-level decision-makers, many of whom have had long careers in public media. It’s a circle

of people who bring deep experience, hard-earned wisdom and unshakeable dedication to their organizations and the field. They, and the pioneers before them, have helped make public media what it is today. And I truly mean that in a positive way and with great respect.

But it is a circle that’s not very diverse.

What about the younger talent? As you will see, the pool of people in this circle is very diverse. Are we listening to them? How can we give voice to their experiences, their dedication to their work and this field? How can we lift them up, tell their stories and share their ideas? How might we encourage them to continue building careers in public media? We think that Rising Stars is part of the answer. From the enthusiastic participation in this project, it seems that many of you agree.

The 35 Rising Stars of 2024 work in public radio and TV, at stations and national organizations. Most produce

content, but some are successful in the development, marketing and engagement spaces. They work in journalism, video, podcasts, children’s games; they produce newsletters, events and social media.

There’s even an engineer!

This year there’s been a fair amount of troubling news in public media. We could all use a break from that. Rising Stars is a beacon of light. It’s not hard news — it’s people news, something readers look to Current for.

And when you read through the profiles of these exceptional young people, you’ll feel even more hopeful about public media’s service, our mission and the future. You might feel inspired by their words and deeds. I am!

I encourage you to take the time to read about the young professionals you’ve probably never heard of. Get to know these Rising Stars. Think about the advice they offer from their perches in public media. Listen up!

Managing Editor Karen Everhart 202-885-6414 karen@current.org Digital Editor Mike Janssen 202-885-6419 mike@current.org Reporters Tyler Falk 202-885-6465 tyler@current.org Austin Fuller austin@current.org Julian Wyllie 202-885-6492 julian@current.org Editorial Intern Owen Auston-Babcock Design & Production Chris Campbell brightoncreative@mac.com Business/Circulation Manager Laura Rogers 202-885-6412 rogers@current.org Business Development Manager Laura Taylor 813-758-3195 laurat@current.org Advertising Sales Kathy Bybee Hartzell 727-433-2527 kathy@current.org Account Manager, Classified Ads Amanda Iannuzzi publicmediajobs@current.org Executive Director Julie Drizin 202-885-6453 julie@current.org Contributing Editor Theodore Fischer Published 4 times a year as an editorially independent service of American University School of Communication, and funded in part by a grant from the Wyncote Foundation.

Postmaster: Send address changes to address above.

ISSN: 0739-991X. Copyright 2013 American University.

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WE HEARD YOU! We are excited to introduce our new Projects & Customer Experience Manager, Chris Widell. With a long history of operational experience at CentralCast, Chris is dedicated to enhancing our communication and ensuring we stay true to our mission of serving public broadcasters. Chris will be leading a dedicated team to ensure your needs are met and your voices are heard. We look forward to a new era of improved interaction and service.

Chris Widell, CentralCast Alliance

"CCA has improved their level of communication."

"The 2024 CCA Policies & Procedures is a big step forward."

"CentralCast Alliance has improved their level of communication."

SHADI SABRA 315.476.7600 Shadi.Sabra@centralcast.org

"Communication has gotten better with Chris W.."

BUILT AND OPERATED FOR PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS

BY PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS

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4 | Summer 2024 | Current

PEOPLE IN PUBLIC MEDIA Lonna Thompson, EVP and COO for America’s Public Television Stations, will retire Sept. 1.

Thompson plans to work as a consultant for APTS, helping stations convert to the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard and exploring “spectrum-based service and revenue opportunities.” She also will manage a grant program with the California Office of Emergency Services and 11 public television stations serving the state, according to a news release.

Thompson joined APTS in 1994 after working as a communications lawyer. Her previous roles at APTS have included general counsel for APTS and interim CEO. “Lonna has helped our stations navigate the transition from analog to digital broadcasting, the Thompson first-ever auction of broadcast spectrum, the conversion to an exciting new broadcast standard and countless proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission and other regulatory agencies,” said APTS President Pat Butler. “Everyone in public television owes Lonna a debt of gratitude we will never be able to fully repay.”

“It has been a true privilege to work in public media and to stand with public television stations as they educate, enlighten and help save lives in their communities throughout our country,” Thompson said.

On the Media producer Micah Loewinger has joined Brooke Gladstone as co-host.

Loewinger, who has worked for the WNYC-produced series for eight years, began with the show as its first-ever reporter. His coverage focused on internet culture, politics and the far right.

Loewinger did a trial run as guest host before being promoted into his new role.

“As someone who grew up with the internet — watching more YouTube than cable news — I’m excited to help the show to rethink how we define media,” Loewinger said. “I hope to incorporate the voices of more independent and social media– b a s e d j ou r n a l ists on our show to better reflect how and where Loewinger A m e r i c an s g e t news and information. The media industry is struggling, and there’s plenty of disagreement about how to transform and save it, but it’s truly an honor to be a part of a team committed to helping our listeners contend with what’s happening in real time.”

“How people consume news and information is changing at an ever-faster clip, and

Micah’s appointment heralds an exciting moment for the show, as he brings his digital native perspective and investigative chops to an era of rampant mis- and disinformation,” said Kenya Young, SVP of Programming and WNYC Studios for New York Public Radio.

“Micah joined the show just as social media was deep into transforming our political communication and politics in general, and he was largely responsible for ensuring we never fell behind,” said Gladstone, who has hosted the show for 20 years, in the release. “OTM’s executive producer Katya Rogers and I are both thrilled to have Micah in this new role, especially now, as we parse the news for what is real — and what isn’t — during this crucial election season.”

Frontline hired Brian Eule as managing director.

Eule, who directed journalism and communications for the Heising-Simons Foundat ion, succe e ds Janice Hui, who departed last summer to lead the Independent Television Service as COO. At the Heising-Simons Foundation, Eule created the American Mosaic Journalism Prize, which awards freelance journalists $100,000 annually. He previously led communications for the James Irvine Foundation and was a program Eule of f i c e r for t h e David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

“Brian’s extensive background in philanthropy and communications — married with his appreciation for the essential role journalism plays in our democracy — makes him the perfect person to lead Frontline’s business team and strategic efforts,” said EP Raney Aronson-Rath. He starts in the job in September.

Sarah Gilbert will join WAMC/ Northeast Public Radio as CEO.

She is an experienced public media executive who most recently led the Chicago Council on Global Affairs as president and CCO. Gilbert has held leadership roles in programming and production at NPR, the BBC and American Public Media. At NPR , her roles included VP for ne ws prog ramming and Morning E d i t i o n E P. In that role, oversaw launch of the Up First podcast. Her career included Gilbert working as managing editor of Marketplace at APM and numerous roles for the BBC, including as EP of Americana.

“Coming to WAMC, with its strong staff, powerful programming, and dedi-

Public Media Women in Leadership appointed Aishah Rashied-Hyman as its inaugural executive director

“I

could not be happier about Aishah’s selection as PMWL’s first executive director,” said Deanna Mackey, founder and board chair. “Aishah will ensure PMWL’s growth and expansion for the future of women’s leadership in public media.” Rashied-Hyman’s appointment is part of a succession plan for Mackey, GM of KPBS in San Diego, to end her board service in 2025.

Rashied-Hyman’s first day as executive director is Aug. 19. She will join the PMWL team Aug. 15 Brave Talk conference at the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference in San Diego.

Rashied-Hyman, now SVP of development at KERA in Dallas, previously worked in fundraising at WABE in Atlanta and Georgia Public Broadcasting. She also serves on the PBS Development Advisory Committee and was a founding member of Public Media for All, a coalition promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in public media.

“Aishah brings an unparalleled level of leadership to PMWL through her considerable history of mentorship, Rashied-Hyman deep experience with the organization’s programs and most certainly fundraising,” said PMWL board member Jennifer Strachan and Greater Public CEO Joyce MacDonald in a joint statement. “Her passion and enthusiasm for both PMWL and her vision for the future is incredibly inspiring and we are certain that she is the right person to take us to the next level.”

“It will be a deep privilege to shape the future of public media and empower diverse voices in our vital industry,” said Rashied-Hyman.

“Following in the great footsteps of PMWL’s visionary founder, Deanna Mackey, is a tremendous honor.”

cated listeners and members, is an incredible opportunity to use all my skills and experiences to continue to build, grow and strengthen this amazing organization,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert succeeds founding CEO Alan Chartock, who retired in May 2023. COO Stacey Rosenberry has been serving as interim CEO.

Joe Harrell stepped up to managing editor of integrated initiatives and digital studios, a new position, at the WNET Group.

In addition to leading cross-company projects, Harrell will direct a production team that’s focused on digital programs.

Creation of the managing editor role follows a restructuring and consolidation earlier this year of WNET’s Interactive Engagement Group into WNET Digital Studios. The new unit includes the IT department and the editorial/content team.

Harrell joined the New York City station in 2011 as director of online product management. His jobs Harrell have included senior director of digital strategy, senior director of All Arts, EP of All Arts and EP of First Person, a shorts program.

“Joe has been instrumental in the success of All Arts as an executive producer, co-producing and acquiring content for all platforms,” said WNET CEO Neal Shapiro.

“In this new position, we will work togeth-

er to create and manage ‘tent pole projects’ that showcase the diverse breadth of programming and community initiatives that The WNET Group produces.”

Fred Child, host of Performance Today, will leave the program next year.

He has hosted the classical music show for 25 years.

Carried on hundreds of public radio stations, Performance Today airs live concert recordings, in-studio performances, interviews and highlights from new albums. It won the Gabriel Award for artistic achievement in 2014.

“I will dearly miss our daily me et ing in t he virtual space we all create together Child in our hearts and imaginations, via radio and streaming,” he said. “But after 25 years, I feel I have accomplished far more than I could have imagined, connecting music-makers with music-lovers in service of this wondrous art form we call classical music.”

Pam Johnston was appointed president and CEO of Rhode Island’s public media organization.

She takes over Aug. 19 for former Rhode Island PBS President David Piccerelli and Torey Malatia, former CEO of The Public’s Radio, who have been serving as co-CEOs since their two organizations announced their merger in November.

Piccerelli and Malatia “will be available

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Current Summer 2024

to Johnston during the transition,” according to a news release.

“The possibilities before us for public media in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts are incredibly exciting, and Pam Johnston has the passion, expertise and creativity to build a world class organ i z at i o n ,” s a i d Elizabeth DeludeDix, co-chair of the organization’s board and former board chair for Johnston The Public’s Radio.

“Pam is a visionary leader who has a deep understanding of audience engagement, practical expertise in digital transformation and innovative ideas for the future.”

Johnston stepped down as GM for the news division at GBH in Boston in May. She had served in that role since 2020, but had previously worked in GBH’s Frontline unit, first as senior director of audience development and later as senior director of strategy and audience.

Development

Jennifer Schell Podoll joined New York Public Radio as named CDO. She most recently worked for Autism Speaks as SVP of constituent engagement.

Previously, she was chief marketing and development officer for Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

“I’m a life-long super fan of public Podoll radio and a careerlong fan of mobilizing communities to do great things,” she said on LinkedIn. “Add in the greatest city on earth, and we have career kismet.”

Classical KING in Seattle appointed Rob Wiseman chief advancement officer.

He most recently worked as senior director of development for the Seattle Symphony.

“Music has always been at the core of my life, and classical radio is part of my earliest memories,” Wiseman said on LinkedIn. “Being a part of Classical KING’s work to develop new audiences for classical music and make this artform accessible for everyone is so exciting.” His career has included fundraising roles for the National Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Opera and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Maryland Public Television promoted Terri Carpenter to managing director of corporate support. She joined the MPT Foundation in 2018 as sales assistant for corporate support and has also worked as an account specialist and account executive.

Lauren Little joined KUT in Austin, Texas, as managing director of membership and development.

Little most recently worked for the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, rising to senior associate director of development and annual giving. She Little previously worked at WBUR in Boston as campaign and donor relations manager.

Erica Thomas was hired as director of development and donor engagement for Basin PBS in Midland, Texas. Thomas most recently worked as a teacher for the Midland Independent School and served as department chair and advisor for its student council and the National Junior Honor Society.

Content

Cathy Wurzer, host of Minnesota Now for Minnesota Public Radio, is leaving the show to focus on hosting the network’s broadcasts of Morning Edition. Wurzer, who joined MPR in 2001, co-created Minnesota Now in 2021. “This move will allow me the time to help grow one of MPR’s flagship programs: Morning Edition,” she said. “More than ever, we want to help Minnesotans connect, clear out the information clutter

and start their day with trusted journalists and news they need, answer their questions and offer a little inspiration along the way.”

Wurzer also co-hosts Almanac, produced

by TPT in St. Paul.

Wisconsin Public Radio hired Jason Heilman as a classical music host and producer for the daily program Drivetime Classics. Heilman hosted and produced classical music programs for Public Radio Tulsa in Oklahoma.

Classical Music Indy hired John Clare to host Anytime Classical, a nationally syndicated program block that also airs on WICR in Indianapolis and WBAA in West L a f ay e t t e , In d .

He will also host Classical Beat, a new weekly radio show that launches in September Clare on WICR. Clare most recently worked as artistic director of Gretna Music, a live music venue in Mount Gretna, Pa. Clare succeeds Michael Toulouse, who is retiring as host and PD. Fundraising consultant Christina Shockley has joined Paragon Media Strategies. She previously hosted All Things Considered for Michigan Radio in Ann Arbor but left the station in 2022 to become an independent fundraising consultant and vocal coach through her company Shockley Consulting. “Several Paragon clients raved about Christina’s work for them and once we started talking, I realized why,” said CEO Mike Henry in a news release.

Carol Yancho joined Arizona PBS as senior director of content. She most recently worked as senior producer and director for WKAR in East Lansing, Mich., a station she joined in 2016. Previously, she worked as a producer for HGTV, Animal Planet, Lifetime, A&E and TLC. “As I move on to a more senior position at Arizona PBS, I carry with me invaluable experiences, cherished memories and profound gratitude for the opportunity to grow and innovate at WKAR,” Yancho said.

Jody Denberg retired from hosting at KUTX in Austin, Texas. Denberg had been a part-time host for sister station KUT before joining KUTX in 2012. His first job in media was working as a music critic for the student newspaper at the University of Texas at Austin. He was also a host, music director and PD for commercial stations.

“My wife retired in March. I want to be with her,” Denberg said in a news release. “I’ve been on the air five to six times a week for 40 years. I just feel like it’s a good time to bow out at the top.”

Luis Antonio Perez announced on LinkedIn that he’s leaving his role as podcast editor and producer for Colorado Public Radio. Perez joined the station in 2020 as a podcast producer and has also worked as a community audio producer and host of the podcast My Story So Far. Perez was laid off by the station but quickly brought back on for his most recent Perez role. “Despite an awkward layoff/renege into my current role as Editor-Producer a few months ago, I am also grateful that CPR saw enough potential in me to keep me around and grant me a job promotion,” he said on LinkedIn.

Governance

The Independent Television Service appointed two new board members: Peter Bratt, a screenwriter and independent filmmaker whose credits include Follow Me Home, La Mission and the documentary Dolores, which premiered on ITVS’ Independent Lens in 2018; and Linda Wei, CCO for Alaska Public Media, who serves as vice chair for the PBS Programming Advisory Council. Wei also led digital strategies for Nashville Public Television and worked in production for Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

Send news of “comings and goings” to people@current.org

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6 | Summer 2024 | Current

Audience losses are growing. Now what?

Public radio PDs pessimistic that weekly cumes can rebound to their pre-pandemic highs

BY TYLER FALK

A

udience analyst Dave Sullivan has been trying to “sound the alarm” about public radio’s declining cume ratings, a key metric for station fundraising and sustainability.

The average weekly cume for news stations had been relatively stable, hovering around 12 million from 2016 until 2020, when it slipped to 10.8 million. The decline accelerated during and after the pandemic, signaling a historic shift and sending up red flags.

Cume ratings, once a sign of stability in public radio’s listenership, are now a “leading indicator” of audience decline, said Sullivan, manager of Portable People Meter client services at the Radio Research Consortium. “We expected it to bounce back quickly after the pandemic, and it just hasn’t.”

According to Sullivan’s analysis of 46 public radio news stations, the weekly cume dropped 13% from 2022-23 and has dropped more than 24% since 2019.

Compared to other formats, news stations have taken the brunt of the weekly cume losses. Triple A stations are down more than 6% from 2019. Classical stations are down nearly 25% from 2019 but only 2% from 2020, according to Sullivan’s research.

If listeners are “too distracted” to listen to their local station for at least five minutes per week — the minimum listening threshold to be included in a cume rating — it’s a significant sign of problems, he said.

Public radio stations also rely on the time-spent listening metric to measure loyalty and track how well they are converting listeners into members. Their cumes already tend to be lower than commercial stations, so when they drop it’s “a double whammy,” Sullivan said.

The loss in cume is “a big deal,” said Abby Goldstein, president of the Public Media Content Collective. As a measure of the number of people who are cycling through the audience and receptive to membership messaging, cumes are a key metric for building listener-sensitive revenues.

The vast majority of a station’s revenue comes from listener-sensitive sources, she said, including membership and underwriting. “Our business model is reliant on strong broadcast performance.”

Goldstein described recent layoffs at public radio stations as “a direct result of a downturn in revenue and corporate sup-

port. And that is directly associated with podcast and with broadcast audiences.”

Many public radio leaders who spoke with Current pointed to the pandemic as the trigger for declining cumes.

COVID-19 lockdowns disrupted commuting patterns and accelerated adoption of on-demand media consumption.

To slow the decline, station leaders and audience analysts offered tried-and-true solutions such as marketing, improving the listening experience and leaning into local connections.

Consultant Israel Smith, a veteran programmer and marketing specialist, is among those who foresees the continuation of a “long, slow decline for live linear listening,” which includes both broadcast and live digital streams.

He is skeptical that, five years from now, “we’re going to … wake up and be, ‘Hey, it’s the big resurgence of live linear listening because X, Y and Z happened.’ I don’t think that’s going to happen at all.”

But Smith sees opportunity in the slope of the decline. “It’s kind of like our own individual personal health,” he said. “We’re all going to get old and die. Are we going to live healthy, active and rewarding lives as we get older and our bodies change? Or are we going to sit on the couch and lament that it’s hard to get up off the couch?”

’It’s not just about buying billboards’

To RRC’s Sullivan, rebuilding the cume is “100%” about marketing.

“It’s about being there, being present and reminding people constantly that you exist, and introducing yourself to new people,” he said.

Smith, now president of the consulting firm Listen Again Tomorrow, cautioned about traditional remedies, such as nation-

“Be more engaging, be more present and … get out in the community. Leave the building … and be seen. Let your logo be seen.”

— Abby Goldstein, PMCC

Weekly cume 46 public radio news stations 12.9

12.5

11.8 10.8 10.9

10.2 9.0

2017

2019

2021

2023

Source: Radio Research Consortium

al marketing campaigns from NPR or local billboard ads, as solutions.

For marketing to have a “lasting impact,” he said, it must be sustained over a long period of time.

“Public media has never done that,” Smith said. “The desire is absolutely there — but the resources aren’t.” It takes a significant chunk of money to launch a threemonth local or national marketing campaign, and the return on that investment is negligible, he said. “I don’t think it matters much, except it gives us the ability to say, ‘Hey, we market ourselves.’”

But external marketing doesn’t have to be costly, according to Goldstein. She advises stations to “lean into the … communication channels you currently have and engage better with those people.”

“Up your game on the e-news front, up your game on the social media front. Be more engaging, be more present and … get out in the community. Leave the building … and be seen. Let your logo be seen.”

“It’s not just about buying billboards and making TV ads,” she added. Earned media is another way to gain exposure. “If you want the local press to pay attention to what you’re doing, do something unique and interesting.” That something needs to be outside the box of what your station already does, she said.

WITF in Harrisburg, Pa., is among the stations that have ramped up their marketing since 2020 by adding staff and focusing primarily on digital marketing strategies, said Fred Vigeant, chief audience officer.

The team prioritizes marketing for digital content over terrestrial radio in part to attract a younger audience.

The station has been trying to figure out the potential benefits of marketing the radio station “to 25- to 54-year olds if they’re not spending as much time with radio,” Vigeant said. “Is it better for us just to focus our attention for that age cohort … on podcast listening and so forth? Because that’s really the space they occupy.”

Because Harrisburg is a diary market, WITF has limited access to ratings data.

But Vigeant has watched the radio cume “trickle down with each book” as the median age of listeners, now at 61, “continues to march up.”

Younger listeners in their 40s and 50s who “in theory would maybe gravitate to our content” are not replacing the audience that’s aging up and passing on, he said.

Since 2019, WITF’s weekly cume has dipped from 140,000 to 112,000 and bounced back to 122,000 — what Vigeant called the “new normal.”

“If we can’t keep ourselves top of mind to our potential audience, or even our existing audience, then we’re going to continue to hit some very significant headwinds there,” he said. “We still have opportunity, but we certainly can’t be complacent about it.”

’Be good company’

Anot her reme dy for e ar ning b ack audiences centers on improving the listening experience.

Smith, an evangelist for this approach, advises news stations to address two core roles of radio: Tell listeners what’s going on and “be good company.”

To bring the audience back, “we have to make sure … we are reliably and consistently performing those two jobs,” he said.

Arvid Hokanson, chief audience officer at KUOW in Seattle, said the station has been trying to focus on doing “the fundamentals well.”

Continued on page 23

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Major gifts seen as key to stations’ long-term growth

BY JULIAN WYLLIE

A

t a time when public media faces strong financial headwinds, experts are advising stations to focus on major giving as a potential bulwark against volatile trends in underwriting and membership income.

That advice comes as recent gains in major-gift revenue appear to be slowing.

The “2024 State of Fundraising for Public Media” report, published by Contributor Development Partnership in June, found high-dollar gifts to stations in CDP’s National Reference File have grown yearover-year since December 2019. But that growth flattened in December 2022 and showed only a 2.1% increase in December 2023. Meanwhile, observers say stations aren’t putting enough time and resources into their major-gift programs.

“I think anyone who cuts back on major giving in the current environment is making a big mistake,” said Joyce MacDonald, CEO of Greater Public. “We’re in an environment where linear broadcast consumption is declining, and that’s true of both TV and radio, and we cannot continue to rely on growth in membership.”

If stations aren’t i nve st i ng more time and resources into seeking major gifts, especially for projects that go beyond build- MacDonald ing new facilities, they’re missing out on a pool of money they’ll need to be sustainable, she added.

“The number of new donors is declining pretty rapidly,” MacDonald said. “Also, the size of your broadcast audience has a lot to do with the corporate support return on investment, because sponsors are interested in reach. And so cutting back on the one area of revenue that has the potential and the track record of major giving is a big mistake.”

(Illustration: Mike Janssen, using DALL-E 3) Building digital audiences will take time, MacDonald said. Stations should be leaning more on major donors who love public media and “want to make sure it doesn’t just survive but thrives in the future.”

Small stations struggle

One problem for stations that want to raise major gifts is uneven access to potential donors. As former National Federation of Community Broadcasters CEO Sally Kane noted in an August 2023 newsletter, “major gifts are more readily available among affluent populations and that leaves broad swaths of the country and a large segment of public radio stations flapping in the breeze.”

When Rachel Hubbard was appointed executive director of KOSU in Stillwater, Okla., she knew going into the role that the station’s weak membership revenue needed a boost.

“I knew that fundraising would have to be a huge focus,” she said. “Frankly, the

need for major gifts was almost a reason I did not take this job. It was scary, and it was something that was a mystery, and I just didn’t feel like I needed that rejection in my life.”

In her previous roles in public media, Hubbard observed how fraught chasing major gifts can be, especially when a station lacks a full-time major gifts specialist.

Landing major gifts often entails driving long distances to meet prospective donors in their homes. The hope is that a consistent relationship with prospects can lead to a significant financial reward, but there are no guarantees.

This approach differs greatly from how most stations seek smaller donations from audiences — you get out what you put in.

Small sustaining gifts are less expensive to pursue and are an important part of reaching audiences of all financial backgrounds, Hubbard said, but sustainers just aren’t enough for some stations.

“We didn’t know how to cultivate relationships for major gifts,” she said, noting that she wants KOSU to have a designated major gifts officer. “We didn’t know how to shift a mindset, because we’d been telling people, ‘Your $10 a month keeps the station afloat,’ but I’d been looking at our books … and I thought that there’s no way that $10 a month can get us to sustainability.”

Christina McPhillips, VP of business development for Carl Bloom Associates, a direct marketing and fundraising agency, said more stations would benefit from having an officer on staff dedicated to major gifts.

“In all my years of working with nonprofits, which is going on 20 years, I’ve never seen, as a whole, McPhillips nonprofits prioritize the position of a major gifts officer as much as they should,” she said.

Because a major-gift fundraising role is highly specialized and can require larger salaries, stations with fewer resources tend to give major gifts duties to VPs and directors of development rather than dedicate an employee to it. “The immediate return on investment for a major gifts officer could be months, if not years and years, into the future,” McPhillips said.

While foregoing a major gifts specialist may cut costs in the present, she said, it can cause damage in the long run, especially when other staffers take on the responsibilities. “It doesn’t give it the resources and dedication that a role like that really requires,” McPhillips said.

For large stations, a mixed bag

WETA in Washington, D.C., is among the larger stations that have had continued success raising major gifts. The station has several major giving groups that support Continued on page 24

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ising Stars, Current’s initiative recognizing public media’s up-and-coming talents, grew this year. We received 171 nominations of early- to mid-career professionals. With the help of a panel of judges, we selected 35 for the spotlight.

The 2024 Rising Stars work in different areas of public media and contribute creatively in many ways. Each is making a big difference in their workplace and community.

Their profiles draw from the nominations and each honoree’s responses to a survey about their accomplishments, sources of inspiration and advice to other young professionals in public media.

This is Current’s 2024 class of public media Rising Stars — congratulations for your work and achievements. Keep shining bright! — Karen Everhart

ANA ACOSTA RUIZ INTERACTIVE PRODUCTION COORDINATOR FRED ROGERS PRODUCTIONS, PITTSBURGH

AGE: 25 IN THREE WORDS: “Organized, proactive, helpful” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Ana helps coordinate production with our interactive producers across four of our public media series: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Alma’s Way, Donkey Hodie and Odd Squad. Her insights have been instrumental in the development and release of interactive games across the series. She does an amazing job coordinating communication and facilitating asset management between developers, the show teams and PBS Kids. She also provides valuable feedback by running playtests with the local community and using insights she has gained as she completes Drexel University’s master’s program in digital media. She’s also been a constant advocate for increasing our Spanish interactive content and is directly involved in evaluating our interactive content offerings in Spanish. She is very passionate about children’s media and how interactive experiences can help children’s lives.

What Ana says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: As a COVID graduate, I entered the workforce at a tumultuous time, uncertain about what would come next. A former professor shared that Fred Rogers Productions was hiring. I recall reading the job description and thinking, “Yes, I can absolutely do this!” The best part was that the mission and vision were so aligned with what I wanted to contribute to the world and who I am culturally. As a proud Puerto Rican, I’m acutely aware of the ebbs and flows of our representation.

Being able to personally contribute to that representation through the Alma’s Way video games is indescribably fulfilling and motivating.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: When I was hired, we had released two games in Spanish. Now, we have nine, with many more on the way! I can’t take credit for this in its entirety, but I can speak to the team effort I coordinated with advisors, translators, developers and fellow production team members. Thanks to this language accessibility effort, our games have been played roughly over 4 million times in Spanish.

INSPIRED BY: The very community that we serve: children! Each child brings a unique perspective to each of our games, making every opportunity to playtest with them a goldmine for new ideas.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Surround yourself with mentors — people who do the type of work that you want to do in five to 10 years, people who will push you to do better.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Digital games, apps and websites require maintenance, just like physical resources. Technology evolves at an exceptional pace, making software from just a few years ago potentially incompatible with current devices. Old digital resources can lead to poor user experiences, negative reviews and a missed opportunity to engage with people in your communities. I urge you to take action now.

The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes.

KYLIE AMBU HOST/PRODUCER, MUTUALLY INCLUSIVE WGVU PUBLIC MEDIA, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.

AGE: 28 IN THREE WORDS: “Passionate, community-centered, visionary” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: During production of Mutually Inclusive, Kylie was able to grow our audience and our connections. She makes sure we take the time to be in the spaces of underrepresented communities and meet people where they are — not just telling stories from afar. She also has the forethought to try and educate staff about these issues, so that when we are communicating outside the station, we can help raise the impact and awareness.

What Kylie says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: After working in the commercial news industry as a multimedia journalist, I was approached with the opportunity to tell com-

R I S I N G S TA R S 2 0 2 4 munity-driven and often underrepresented stories for Mutually Inclusive. It was a dream job that I knew I couldn’t pass up. I stay working in public media because I believe it upholds journalistic standards that benefit the people, rather than just news stations themselves.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The debut of Mutually Inclusive, which partners with our west Michigan community to elevate often underrepresented voices. This year, we had a powerful lineup of interviewees, diving into topics from Black men’s mental health to resources for refugees. Our finale episode, which featured local Japanese-American WWII hero Virgil Nishimura-Westdale and his fellow Nisei (second generation) soldiers, won a regional Emmy award this June.

INSPIRED BY: In addition to consuming every documentary possible, I’ve always tried to learn from others around me. In my first reporting job, seasoned journalists took the time to help me learn and grow. Today I try to take my inspiration from the community that I serve.

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ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Trust the instincts of your younger staff, and give them opportunities to lead where appropriate.

CAROLINE BALLARD ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR KUER, SALT LAKE CITY

AGE: 33 IN THREE WORDS: “Ethical, dedicated, compassionate” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: In the nearly five years I have worked with Caroline, she has been ambitious and dedicated — not for the sake of self-aggrandizement but to elevate her peers and, more importantly, to serve the public.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: You’ve got this! When we’re new to the industry, we’re often afraid of messing up. That fear can really get in the way of creating some amazing stories. Mistakes are bound to happen, and the faster you’re able to pick yourself up and problem-solve, the easier it will get.

Caroline joined our team as local host for All Things Considered, quickly demonstrating her desire to provide content that would inform, educate and delight Utah audiences.

She has always brought journalistic integrity, a deep sense of newsworthiness, and genuine curiosity and vibrancy to her work.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Public media has done a good job of implementing more equitable solutions as it relates to representation and inclusion in responsible storytelling. I’d love to reach even further by building more engagement events around some of the local programming we broadcast.

What Caroline says

CATHRYN ASIP ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, CONTENT, PBS KIDS PBS, ARLINGTON, VA.

AGE: 30 IN THREE WORDS: “Thoughtful, strategic, passionate” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Catie has dedicated much of her time at PBS to ensuring that our programming best reflects our producers’ creative visions while also speaking to the varied lived experiences of the kids watching our content. This is a difficult skill that requires aplomb and grace — two qualities Catie has in spades. Catie has also led requests for proposals to find the best possible outcomes for grant-funded projects.

What Cathryn says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: Growing up in a low-income household, public media often served as my window into the larger world. I devoured everything from Arthur to Rick Steves’ Europe, Fawlty Towers and even Victor Borge’s Timeless Comedy! — all through my PBS station. When I was graduating college and looking for jobs in media, I wanted to work with kind people at a mission-driven organization. A career in public broadcasting seemed like a no-brainer!

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I am so proud to have served as the development lead and production executive on a number of PBS Kids series, including Clifford the Big Red Dog, Rosie’s Rules, Pinkalicious & (Camila Jones) Peterrific and Lyla in the Loop. I work with show creators and production partners to support their visions and guide creative direction from pitch to pilot and beyond.

INSPIRED BY: The kids in my life — nieces, nephews, cousins and my friends’ children — have all been my tour guides through the world of childhood. They remind me every day what I loved at that age, what I dreamed about and what I needed to hear most.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Always go the extra mile — even if an assignment doesn’t feel particularly interesting or exciting. Whether it’s reading a script or building a spreadsheet, you never know what you might learn or the impact you might make for the rest of your team. I really try to embody PBS Kids’ guiding principle — the world is full of possibilities, and so are you! — and be kind to everyone you meet!

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: When I first got into journalism, I imagined I would be a long-form writer for magazines like the New Yorker and the Atlantic.

But at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, I found magazine writing to be solitary and isolating. On the other hand, my audio classes were full of energy. I loved the teamwork of creating a show. As a musician, the idea of putting sound together (rhythm, pacing, breath, silence) just made sense to me. Ten years ago, Wyoming Public Radio News Director Bob Beck gave me my first break as a Morning Edition host. Since then, I have wanted to try everything — from reporting to podcasting, producing and editing.

K E Y AC C O M P L I S H M E N TS : I helped revive the politics In addition to two solar eclipses, Ballard covered the podcast State Street as a flag- NASA asteroid sample return capsule from OSIRIS-REx. ship show at KUER, something that was a group effort to build and maintain. The show explores topics like transgender care bans, child abuse protections and the influence of religion in Utah politics.

Last year, NPR One featured one of our episodes and our listenership shot up. We’ve been able to hold onto some of those gains. This June, I moderated Utah’s gubernatorial primary debate. It was stressful, but I was proud to try TV, and the discussion ended up being policy-based and Utah-focused. I was also selected as a 2023-2024 fellow for Poynter’s Editorial Integrity and Leadership Initiative. The cohort was filled with some of the smartest, most compassionate people I know.

INSPIRED BY: I am obsessed with good storytelling and get a lot of ideas for radio in how fiction writers and screenwriters experiment. In particular, the three-act structure informs a lot of my more narrative long-form work. As for creating content, being genuinely curious about the world is the first step. If I can ask a question, then another question and then find a few people to answer those questions, I’ve got the bones of a story. Paying attention to my community is the second step. Getting into what people are talking about in real life is key, whether that’s on Reddit or NextDoor or at the farmer’s market. When it comes to leadership and ethics, the training I’ve gotten from Poynter was transformative.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Be a “yes” person! Saying “yes” to assignments, going outside your comfort zone or doing the new thing others are hesitant about. I’m not saying you should say “yes” to everything. Work-life boundaries are good — you should have those! Showing passion, drive and an all-around "yes" attitude at work will take you far.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Public media needs to be flexible and adapt to stay relevant. We can’t be afraid to try something new. We should be embracing and soliciting ideas from every part of our organizations. Also, emotional intelligence is an undervalued skill. Foster it in yourself and others; it will go a long way in earning trust.

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Rising Stars 2024 Continued from page 9

EMILY CLARK MANAGER OF MULTIPLATFORM MARKETING PBS, ARLINGTON, VA.

AGE: 28 IN THREE WORDS: “Inventive, thoughtful, trustworthy” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Emily exhibits thought leadership and the ability to move things forward at PBS that helps us adapt to the changing media landscape. On top of managing campaign strategy for Nature and climate-focused programming priorities, and implementing tools that enhance our marketing capabilities, Emily leads a federated Search Engine Marketing program for PBS stations.

Emily pitched this idea in 2023 and has since scaled the program to support 25 local stations in using Google search ads to promote local content and other organizational priorities. She has partnered with digital teams at every level, from PBS stations across the country, to grow this program. Emily single-handedly spearheads this program and provides participating stations with new researched campaigns to run each month, building on the national PBS SEM approach and sharing insights from local SEM successes to optimize campaigns. Today, there is a growing waitlist of stations ready to onboard.

What Emily says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I grew up a PBS Kid. I even went to a PBS camp where we made short films. The staff was so knowledgeable and keen to help us learn.

When I had the opportunity to work at PBS, I was excited to work in television and to return to a place that had such great people. I love that my colleagues believe in the mission and the value of PBS content. It’s motivating to be in a place where we all want the best for the organization.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Launching the Spy in the Ocean VidCon Baltimore activation was a huge highlight. Cross-generational viewers had an opportunity to interact with the robotic stars of the show and ask questions about the animatronic sea creatures.

I’m proud to be a part of expanding our app store optimization and search engine marketing. We’ve grown our organic and paid listings across the Android and iOS marketplace, which has increased awareness for the PBS app and PBS streaming. Collaborating with stations to activate their Google ad grant funds, which provide free paid search ads to nonprofits, has been a privilege.

INSPIRED BY: Different forms of storytelling. We live in a cluttered universe with diverse platforms constantly vying for our attention. Within that clutter, however, emerging artists share their work through innovative multimedia. When scrolling on platforms like YouTube, TikTok or Webtoon, I’m always impressed with the constantly evolving formats people use to share their stories and passions — film edits, fan art or animated illustrations.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Lead with research and pitch your ideas. It never hurts to discuss an idea with your team and ask them what they think.

While one idea may not gain traction, it could spark a dialogue about a current problem or become a building block to a future solution.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Lean into our audience and meet them where they are. PBS has a strong and supportive viewership that trusts in the brand. While we may not be able to change viewer behavior, we can modify our own and learn what content resonates the most. Part of our mission is to talk with our audience rather than at them.

Investing in data analytics and market research as early as possible can help us better understand what people want to watch and how.

KENNY COOPER MULTIPLATFORM REPORTER WHYY, PHILADELPHIA

AGE: 26 IN THREE WORDS: “Thorough, engaging, professional” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Over the past four years that I’ve worked with Kenny, he has shown a steady growth in his reporting skills. His work, which focuses on local and suburban politics and public policy, has brought to light several instances of infractions by elected officials.

What Kenny says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I graduated from Temple University in May 2020 — during the height of the pandemic. I had aspirations to work in TV journalism,

but there was just one problem: Most of the news I consumed was public media. That summer I took part in the Politico Journalism Institute and then went on to work as a Hearken SOS fellow at the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

I decided to apply for WHYY’s suburban reporter position. WHYY, PBS and NPR had always been staples in my household since I was a child. Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, the position was an ideal job. I consider journalism an act of service — a public good to a certain extent, if done right. Working at my community’s public media station has afforded me the honor to carry out that mission.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: S o m e o f my biggest accomplishments are the lives I’ve been able to positively impact through accountability reporting, along with the acknowle d g e m e n t I ’ v e WHYY reporter Kenny Cooper interviews PowerCorpPHL project received from the manager Dominic Speach about an urban agriculture education community. Since initiative. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY) joining WHYY, I have won awards that I am pretty proud of. This spring, I won several regional Edward R. Murrow awards, for coverage reported as an individual and as part of a team; and the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association awarded me first-place awards for reporter/ anchor, investigative reporting, enterprise reporting and podcast.

INSPIRED BY: I find inspiration everywhere. From conversations with community members to the chatter within a Facebook group, I’m always searching for the next story to explore.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: No story is too small. Local journalism holds a vital role in the functionality of a given community. While school board meetings and town halls might seem insignificant, those stories often make the largest impact.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Truly invest in young journalists. If you want to attract newer and younger audiences, you must be willing to step outside the box and listen to your Gen-Z and Millennial staff members.

KATHLEEN DAVIS PRODUCER SCIENCE FRIDAY, NEW YORK CITY

AGE: 29 IN THREE WORDS: “Enterprising, inclusive, leader” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Kathleen goes above and beyond her job as producer by serving as a guest host and leading Science Friday’s State of Science reporting collaborative. One goal of SOS is to present stories to cover the geographic and demographic diversity of America.

Kathleen has fostered connections with over 27 partner stations in the SOS collaborative. The personal relationships she has cultivated have elevated Science Friday’s prominence in communities across the country. She’s also helped make science reporting more feasible for small stations with less capacity for this type of in-depth technical coverage.

What Kathleen says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I had wanted to be a journalist since high school but didn’t know which medium. I was very involved in my high school and college newspapers, but my university didn’t have a journalism major. During my senior year of college, I interned at Michigan Radio. I fell in love with audio as a medium and the mission of public media.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: One of my main roles is facilitating relationships between NPR member station reporters and our program, breaking down barriers that can be intimidating, particularly for younger reporters. We regularly feature local science reporting, giving reporters a chance to tout their rigorous reporting accomplishments on a large platform. My role is to be a point person and friendly presence that makes reporters comfortable working with Science Friday. On a personal level, I’ve been a regular co-host of Science Friday for the past year, which is a major accomplishment for me at this point in my career.

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R I S I N G S TA R S 2 0 2 4 INSPIRED BY: I’m inspired by science reporters and public radio hosts who have formed robust careers despite the challenges that come with being women or nonbinary and often not white, in a space that’s still very white and male.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Don’t be afraid to be an advocate for yourself!

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Respect the hard work that young people in this industry do — and pay them a living wage!

SHANTEL DESTRA

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and from lawmakers about their legislative priorities — and tracking the progress of those initiatives throughout the legislative session.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: In political journalism there is a lot of pressure to know the historical context of a wide array of issues. The reality is when you’re just starting out in your career, and working alongside professionals who have been covering a beat for several decades, it’s natural to feel intimidated. Lean into that feeling! Admit to yourself that you may not have all the answers; it’s an opportunity to push yourself to do the necessary research and align yourself with a professional mentor.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Listen to the opinions of younger professionals in public media. They can offer fresh and unique perspectives that can be helpful in navigating an industry that’s rooted in advancement and change.

MANAGING EDITOR & HOST NEW YORK NOW WMHT, ALBANY, N.Y.

AGE: 28

RAWAN ELBABA

IN THREE WORDS: “Perceptive, dedicated, mission-driven”

DIGITAL PRODUCER PBS NEWSHOUR STUDENT REPORTING LABS, ARLINGTON, VA.

WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Shantel joined WMHT in August 2023 as a multimedia journalist for our weekly state reporting program New York Now. As we interviewed for a new managing editor, I realized Shantel showed the most promise and potential for the leadership role. She was selected to lead the small but mighty New York Now team only eight months after joining WMHT. Shantel has already improved communications and helped us leverage the weekly show and its newsletter. Under her leadership, we are poised for growth.

What Shantel says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I’ve always loved journalism and connecting with communities. I knew I wanted to equip New Yorkers with the political news and public policy issues they need to know in order to be informed public citizens.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Leading state political coverage for New York Now at a time when local politics in New York is more important than ever. I’ve been able to deliver deep political analysis on the biggest news coming out of the state Capitol and impacting New Yorkers.

INSPIRED BY: Talking directly to New Yorkers about the issues impacting their daily lives.

I enjoy hearing from advocates about the causes they’re fighting for at the state Capitol

AGE: 30 IN THREE WORDS: “Creative, honest, conscientious” WHAT HER COLLEAGUES SAY: Rawan is creative and disciplined in her work, bringing innovative content experiments to the NewsHour journalism training program, such as the beginning-of-the-year school takeovers of the TikTok and Instagram accounts. She is a team player and makes connections across different departments. For example, she translated footage from Arabic to English for the NewsHour’s international team. She was chosen for Poynter’s 2024 Leadership Academy for Women in Media and passed through multiple rounds of review led by program alumni.

What Rawan says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: After the 2016 election, I realized that I needed to do more to combat misinformation and tell stories specifically about my community. I Continued on page 12

Congratulations!

Meagan McGinnes Assistant Managing Editor of Newsletters

WBUR is proud to join Current in honoring Meagan McGinnes and all of the 2024 Rising Stars in Public Media.

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Rising Stars 2024 Continued from page 11

had decided to go back to school to get a master’s degree in journalism at Georgetown University when I stumbled across the opportunity to work for PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Leading and developing digital content strategies, managing and growing our social media platforms, producing and editing video and audio stories for SRL’s award-winning series like Moments of Truth and On Our Minds. I’m also incredibly proud of working with the NewsHour’s foreign team by leading translation work for the reports coming in from Gaza. Our coverage was recently recognized with a Peabody Award.

INSPIRED BY: My upbringing as a first-generation American Muslim, the community around me, the people I meet and the new places I get to see.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Speak up, even if it’s intimidating. It’s important to talk about your own experiences to share the most accurate and diverse news coverage.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Listen to people who have out-of-the box ideas. Be open to modernity and change. TikTok is not a bad place.

MADELINE FOX ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR KCUR, KANSAS CITY, MO.

AGE: 29 IN THREE WORDS: “Driven, thoughtful, perceptive”

around, reach out to people who work at the station, prepare questions for your interview that will help you see how your potential bosses manage people. Even if the beat or the position sounds perfect, it’s hard to do good work when the workplace around you isn’t a welcoming, supportive place.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: We all do our best work when we have time to rest, recharge and nourish our lives outside of work. Make sure your staff — and you — have time to do that.

JORDAN GASS-POORÉ CREATOR/HOST, HAZARD NJ PODCAST NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS/NJ PBS

AGE: 33 IN THREE WORDS: “Tenacious, thoughtful, polished” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Jordan is a dynamic one-woman team with incredible insight and tenacity as an investigative journalist. Her latest work, Hazard NJ, has increased public knowledge of Superfund sites, the ways they will be affected by climate change and the urgency of cleaning up these sites to prevent the spread of toxic pollutants.

What Jordan says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I started as an undergraduate when I interned with KUT in Austin. I continue to work in public media to help start conversations and engage with the communities I serve.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Creating the Hazard NJ podcast, which looks at the impacts of climate change on hazardous Superfund sites in New Jersey. The podcast is a public service and works to be a platform where community members can help influence meaningful, positive change.

WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: In January, Madeline took over as KCUR’s interim news director. Soon after, KCUR faced multiple breaking-news situations, including the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl Parade shooting. Madeline made sure we covered the shooting in a balanced way from every corner of the newsroom — including investigative work, features, breaking news stories, radio spots an d t a l k s h ow s e g m e nt s .

When news was coming faster than reporters could handle, Madeline distributed the load and ensured our coverage stayed thoughtful and caring.

INSPIRED BY: Collaborating with the local communities I work with on Hazard NJ.

What Madeline says

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I went to journalism school intending to work in newspapers. Then I interned at WLRN in Miami and fell in love with audio storytelling. I had excellent editors who taught me how to produce sound-rich spot and feature reports.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Most of the accomplishments I’m most proud of have come in the last two years, as an editor and news- Madeline Fox gets chomped by a bird while interviewroom leader at KCUR. I took ing in Loxahatchee, Fla., in 2019. (Robert Saporito) over as interim news director in February and led coverage of the run-up to the Super Bowl, the big game and then, unfortunately, the mass shooting at the parade celebrating the Chiefs’ win. I helped set up a partnership with KFF Health News to continue covering people who were injured at the parade. It has been an honor to guide my education reporter through a seclusion and restraint story that won a regional Murrow Award for investigative reporting, and my city hall reporter through an impressive scoop about the forced departure of the head of civil rights compliance at City Hall.

INSPIRED BY: My reporters! They’re curious, tenacious and empathetic. I’m constantly in awe of how they use those skills to do remarkable reporting. I love seeing them light up when they talk about a new idea, or come in bursting with excitement about the great tape they got or the juicy public records request they just got back.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Find something you’re not good at outside work, where the stakes are low if you mess up. It’s nice to balance that against our work, where errors in judgment can have significant consequences. Have friends outside work. Have friends at work, too! Finally, when you’re looking for jobs, ask

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Listen and collaborate with local communities on projects. Remember that you’re part of the community and doing journalism with the community.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Be proactive, not reactive. Collaborate with local communities on projects.

ADRIANA GONZALEZ

AGE: 30 IN THREE WORDS: “Ambitious, hardworking, conscientious” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Adriana is a true collaborative partner. She believes in the mission, cares deeply for HPM’s donors and has truly embraced being part of Contributor Development Partnership’s member services bureau co-op. She provides good input when it comes to membership fundraising strategy.

What Adriana says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: Houston Public Media was my first job out of college.

I started in underwriting then moved into membership.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Working my way to a director-level position and hiring team members who understand our organization’s mission.

INSPIRED BY: Members who support our station and let us know how important we are in our community. Also by my team: It’s incredible to work with people who value the mission of the station and work hard every day.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Bring your own personality to the workplace and always be authentically you. There are so many ways to get the job done and to be a leader. It’s so much easier when you’re truly yourself.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: You choose which type of leader you want to be depending on your personality and what your team needs. You don’t have to act in a different way to fit what you think a leader should be.

The most important thing for me is to ensure my team has what they need to be successful, and that they feel safe to take risks if it’ll make our team and organization better.

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ALEXANDER GONZALEZ SENIOR EDITOR KQED, SAN FRANCISCO

AGE: 31 IN THREE WORDS: “Thoughtful, experimental, persistent” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Our decision to promote Alex to a leadership position at KQED has improved our newsroom overall. Alex is the lead editor on our features segment during Morning Edition, a daily seven-minute program that delves deep into the major stories affecting local residents, mainly made up of reporter pieces and interviews. He is aggressive about responding to breaking news, regularly coordinates with national programs from NPR and Marketplace, and consistently prioritizes the voices of the diverse communities of the Bay Area.

What Alex says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: While attending college in Miami, my hometown, I commuted to campus every day by car. I wanted to connect with what was going on in my community, so I began tuning in to WLRN. The approach to reporting the news — rooted in “sense of place” — drew me in. I interned at WLRN after graduating from the University of Miami and launched into my public media journey from there. The station helped me hone my journalistic and audio storytelling skills and, beyond that, encouraged me to pursue stories that reflected where we live.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Empathy drives my work, especially for the biggest stories, like when I produced a conversation among student journalists attending Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which continues to recover from the 2018 mass shooting.

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To make content more accessible to diverse audiences, she also created original Spanishlanguage content with English subtitles as well as in English with subtitles in the native language of the person featured. Under her leadership, within three years NPT’s content team has launched five new local series, from public affairs to nostalgia and health literacy.

What Megan says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I started volunteering for WCTE Central Tennessee PBS’s Great TV Auction in college. After that, they pretty much couldn’t get rid of me.

I took on more responsibilities as a volunteer and began working for WCTE part-time after graduation. After business school, I came back to the idea of using what I’d learned to support public media.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I worked closely with Shane Burkeen, NPT’s senior director of brand, digital and marketing, to spearhead a digital-first/broadcast-too strategy that optimizes local content for digital platforms while creating standard broadcast-length versions for television. This strategy included creating the first short vertical videos cut from segments of Nashville PBS’s most-watched local series, Tennessee Crossroads.

Taking this a step further, we have been working with local influencers to launch a new digital-first sub-brand, Jaunts: Tennessee Crossroads. It is the station’s first weekly series optimized for Instagram/Facebook reels and YouTube shorts.

ADVICE FOR OTHER YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Don’t wait around for solutions you know are needed; propose them. Then ask for what you need to implement.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: As my former supervisor at Nine PBS, the late Jack Galmiche, used to say when reflecting on viewership trends, “Pay attention to kids: They’re the canary in the coal mine.” The most useful advice I have for content creators is just to ask themselves, “Would you click on that?”

Now living in the Bay Area and working at KQED, I have been thinking about empathy during segments on the latest conflict in the Middle East. In one case, I produced an interview that brought together two friends, a Palestinian pediatrician and a rabbi, to discuss their own friendship and what they’ve learned from each other.

EBONI JOHNSON-KABA

INSPIRED BY: Music, film, television and video games help me think about the choices artists make. Each form has its own structure and vibe, but there’s usually an element that strikes me — like when a song repeats a verse or when a film switches up the chronology. Thinking through these devices helps me as an editor and producer.

AGE: 30

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Make yourself heard. You have as much to offer to an organization as the other way around. Along the way, befriend someone you vibe with. They can support you, and you might end up being friends.

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ENGAGEMENT MANAGER BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA, NEW YORK CITY

IN THREE WORDS: “Collaborative, persistent, thorough” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Eboni consistently demonstrates a deep commitment to Black Public Media’s mission and values. Her passion for amplifying diverse voices and narratives within the African American and global Black community is palpable in everything she does.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: We have to listen to our audiences, taking their questions and asking for feedback. Our journalism works when we meet people where they are. That could mean coming up with new platforms or new approaches to our stories or creating an internal structure in which everyone — from interns to upper management — gets a seat at the table.

Eboni possesses a remarkable blend of creativity and strategic thinking. She’s not afraid to think outside the box, bringing fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the table.

At the same time, she’s adept at navigating the complexities of the engagement landscape, making informed decisions that further our organization’s goals. Her ability to build strong relationships externally is instrumental in advancing Black Public Media’s mission and expanding our reach.

MEGAN GRISOLANO

What Eboni says

EP AND SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CONTENT NASHVILLE PUBLIC TELEVISION

AGE: 35 IN THREE WORDS: “Data-driven, optimistic, compassionate” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Megan worked with the team that developed NPT’s three-year strategic plan, which champions a digital-first/broadcast-too content strategy.

Since then, she has leaned into the concept, working with team members to reimagine and optimize thumbnails for digital platforms, create vertical videos for NPT’s most popular local content, budget to boost select videos on social platforms and work with local influencers to launch Jaunts: Tennessee Crossroads, Megan Grisolano with Pablo Trujillo, a Nashvillian from Argena new digital-first sub- tina, drinking mate on a shoot for Nashville PBS’s The Little brand for new audiences. Things series.

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I first connected with Black Public Media as a filmmaker and built relationships with some of the staff during my time with the Denton Black Film Festival. With my skills in event organization and professional development education, I was excited by the opportunity at Black Public Media to serve creators across the country. Initially, I did not realize Black Public Media’s integral connection to the public media system, but it has been an affirming path to support a sector of media that continues to democratize access and content for all.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: As part of PitchBlack, over the past few years we have hosted retrospectives in conjunction with our Trailblazer Award. We honor the recipient with a limited showcase of their creative work. In my first year, we honored Orlando Bagwell; last year, Yoruba Richen; and this year, Sam Pollard.

This project has been my personal responsibility each year for PitchBlack, and I am thrilled to witness its growth annually. For 2024, we transitioned to a hybrid presentation, showcasing Mr. Pollard’s work in person with screening partners in New York City, Baltimore and Los Angeles as well as online for PitchBlack registrants.

INSPIRED BY: Opportunities to create community. During my time in this position, I’ve come across many organizations that are doing fantastic work to support filmmakers and creative projects, or even community organizations working to incorporate art and media as a means of social engagement. When I see overlaps of our mission and service, I’m excited to build partnerships and develop inroads towards a higher impact.

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Rising Stars 2024 Continued from page 13

in general, where we are re-evaluating traditions and systems that no longer serve our communities. Our generation includes the first tech-native populations who seek to see their experiences represented in the content they consume. We have a tangible relationship with the innovations happening around us, and we can help navigate the landscape of our democratized future.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Stay open to intergenerational perspectives. As public media faces new challenges and growing pains, it’s crucial to involve young professionals in shaping the evolution of our industry.

ANGELA JORGE PRODUCER GBH, BOSTON

AGE: 28 IN THREE WORDS: “Dedicated, creative, problem-solver” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: As a first generation PeruvianAmerican, Angela is dedicated to making sure children of all cultural backgrounds are represented in a positive manner. She’s had a major impact on the development and production of Work It Out Wombats! As producer, Angela contributed to every aspect of the first and second seasons of the production, including helping develop and cast new characters, including our first hard-of-hearing character. She continues to broaden her responsibilities on the series, including by writing scripts and preparing curriculum launches.

What Angela says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: When I was younger, my family and I watched PBS Kids to learn English together. My parents had immigrated from Peru about a year before I was born and did not know much English, but they knew how important it was to expose me to it. I have so many fond memories of shows like Arthur, Zoom and Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, and these shows had a big impact on my childhood. One of my biggest motivations to work in public media is to create programming that is not only accessible to all types of families, but also engaging and able to create childhood memories like it did for me.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I started at GBH with the children’s digital team, but during COVID I became interested in children’s broadcast. I asked executive producers in my department to consider me if a position became available on a show. A few months later, I was so excited to start working on Work It Out Wombats!

INSPIRED BY: How kids are reacting to Work It Out Wombats! I love scrolling through our social media to see the fan art, birthday cakes and bedtime singalongs that families post of their children enjoying our show.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Try to meet and learn from as many different people as you can. When I started out at GBH as a production assistant, I scheduled coffee chats with different people at various levels in my department to learn about their work. I wanted to get a sense of what I could do as a production coordinator in the next year and as an executive producer in several years. I also joined a mentorship group with the Children’s Media Association to learn from professionals outside of GBH. ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: You’ll never be in a position so high that you can’t learn something new, even from a junior employee. Each new member of our profession can introduce us to new production technologies and bring a different perspective on what audiences are interested in.

STEPHANIE KUO VP OF CONTENT PRX, BOSTON

AGE: 33 IN THREE WORDS: “Impactful, ambitious, motivating” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Stephanie Kuo is a natural leader with keen expertise and a generous collaborator, with vision. To date, Stephanie has helped lead public media content accelerators focused on local journalism and children’s content with stations across the U.S. and a global podcast creation program for producers.

What Stephanie says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: After reading This American Life’s Radio: An Illustrated Guide, I switched my major from magazine to radio in my grad program at Columbia Journalism School. I was so moved by the intimate storytelling experience

and energized by the act of making audio. After grad school, I spent nearly five years as a reporter and producer at KERA. My commitment deepened at KERA, as I saw firsthand the impact public media could have on communities and the critical importance of diversity in journalism. Public media, in my mind, remains the only place with enough soul and empathy for the human experience. It exists at the intersection of impact, mission and humanity.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The greatest and most meaningful accomplishment has been connecting with creators and leaders across the public media system. Learning from them and working together toward a future they are proud of for themselves and their stations has been invaluable.

INSPIRED BY: The version of myself eight years ago, who was timid, uncertain and unconfident. I was severely underpaid, overworked and couldn’t see myself as a professional who could make a difference, let alone pay the bills. Maybe this is a self-centered answer, but I appreciate younger Stephanie for her diligence, humility and quiet hope.

She aspired to do endless good for her peers, her community and her industry. I hold onto that idealism in everything I do.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: 1. Feedback is a gift. Ask for honest and constructive reflections of your work, and build the muscle to take that fe e db ack in go o d Stephanie Kuo hosts a one-on-one conversation with Glory f a it h . Wor k w it h Edim on creating niche media ecosystems in podcasting at the people to set ground PRX Podcast Creator Summit in Washington, D.C., May 2024. rules, emphasizing (Eric Dhan) that you are all working toward a shared vision of healthy and happy working dynamics.

2. Invest time and intention early to avoid cleaning up mistakes, failures and miscommunications later. Your first idea isn’t going to be the best one, so sit with it, get feedback and iterate.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Let go. Don’t be so precious with your authority.

Feedback goes both ways. Learning doesn’t stop just because you have a big title.

MARY LANE ASSOCIATE MANAGER, CONTENT AND RIGHTS MANAGEMENT PBS DISTRIBUTION, ARLINGTON, VA.

AGE: 30 IN THREE WORDS: “Untiring, steadfast, considerate” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: In addition to overseeing PBSd’s renewals across worldwide territories and genres, Mary is exceptional at building relationships and handling complicated negotiations. She works to bring more public media content to audiences via commercial platforms and PBS Passport. Mary collaborates with PBS to add and renew rights for content to stream on Passport well after a show has been broadcast.

She also builds and facilitates relationships internally as a member of PBSd’s Equity & Inclusion Council, working with colleagues to engage and address equity and inclusion in the workplace.

What Mary says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I joined PBSd from the nonprofit world in Washington, D.C. It was my first exposure to both a media company and the world of public media. As a lifelong public television viewer and supporter, this was a very exciting career pivot.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: As the lead for commercial rights renewals at PBSd, I’ve expanded public media’s footprint in the digital space, making it more accessible to viewers in today’s rapidly changing streaming landscape. There have been several titles for which I’ve added digital rights and brought in new digital video assets in collaboration with producers. These efforts also have been pivotal in supporting independent producers through commercial distribution of their work.

INSPIRED BY: My teammates across PBSd. While we all have different roles, I come to work every day knowing that my colleagues are equally as dedicated to our mission.

R I S I N G S TA R S 2 0 2 4 ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Ask your colleagues out to coffee! It is never too early to build a network, especially in public media. Be curious, ask questions and seek out networking opportunities.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Continue to invest in archival content and new filmmakers alike! Embrace initiatives that preserve and digitize archives to make them accessible to broader audiences. Investing in new filmmakers within the public media system is important to enrich the diversity of perspectives and create impactful stories.

JOJO LORENZO DIGITAL PRODUCER TWIN CITIES PBS, MINNEAPOLIS

AGE: 29 IN THREE WORDS: “Creative, responsive, engaged” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: All of Jojo’s work makes a difference to our station simply by setting an example of how to be wildly creative, nimble and responsive to your audience. Jojo has influenced our approach to YouTube thumbnails and titles, transferring knowledge gained from their work with PBS Digital Studios about design and SEO practices for YouTube.

What Jojo says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: Seven years ago, I was just a couple of years out of film school, still figuring out how to turn my passion for filmmaking and documentaries into a career. I sort of stumbled into working in public media. During my job interview at Twin Cities PBS, they asked what my favorite PBS programs were. I had to sheepishly admit that I didn’t really watch anything on PBS. They were looking for someone with a fresh perspective at the time, so I don’t know if that answer hurt or helped my job interview!

I’ve always been a documentary nerd, loving everything about watching and making them. When I got the opportunity at PBS, I thought, “Why not?”

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: My proudest accomplishment is hosting the PBS Digital Studios series Subcultured. Normally, I’m the one behind the camera, so stepping in front of it for this one was a whole new adventure. I met some phenomenal people who completely changed my perspective on life.

One unforgettable moment was during an episode about gamers with disabilities. I played Mortal Kombat against Carlos Vasquez, a blind gamer. He mastered the game using sound cues, showing me that with enough determination, you can overcome any obstacle.

Then there was the deep dive into underground virtual reality nightclubs.

Experiencing these firsthand was mind-blowing. I saw how technology has created a safe, inclusive space for LGBTQ clubbers, allowing people to express themselves freely through their avatars.

INSPIRED BY: A lot of my inspiration comes from being chronically online. Social media is a big part of it, but I also love digging into old-school message boards and chat rooms; they feel really nostalgic to me. I kind of miss the days when message boards and chat rooms felt like magical portals to different parts of the world. You could stumble upon random and amazing conversations without everything being curated by algorithms. Nowadays, with the constant flood of information, it’s harder to find those unexpected gems.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Think of yourselves as the creative force that can help public media not just catch up, but actually set new trends. Your fresh ideas and unique perspectives are exactly what public media needs to stay relevant and innovative.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Be bold and be willing to take big risks. Don’t be afraid to shake up people’s perceptions of what public media can be. We have a unique opportunity to be trailblazers in the media landscape.

KEYRIS MANZANARES MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST VPM, RICHMOND, VA.

AGE: 27 IN THREE WORDS: “Enterprising, committed, passionate” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: What sets Keyris apart from other journalists is her profound commitment to representing and amplifying voices that are often marginalized in local news coverage. Her work takes her to Latino com-

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munities across the state, where her careful reporting illuminates the most pressing issues facing citizens and the humanity of her subjects. In addition to her exceptional journalism, Keyris demonstrates versatility and creativity as a digital content creator.

She has developed and contributed original short-form arts and culture content, including engaging cooking tutorials celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and a captivating tour of Hispanic-owned businesses in central Virginia.

What Keyris says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I came to public media with the desire and drive to connect with the community on a deeper level through reporting. When I joined VPM News in 2021, VPM News Focal Point, a weekly half-hour news magazine, was launching. Coming from a commercial background focused on digital-first media, I found a unique opportunity to dive into more in-depth, people-focused reporting.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The bilingual stories I’m able to tell about Latinos in Virginia.

I’ve traversed the state, forming connections with Latinos and telling stories that would have gone unreported given language barriers. I’ve produced in-depth reports on migrant farmworkers, the Latino community on the Eastern Shore and a series on the state of mobile home parks. My stories have been nominated for regional Emmys and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists 2024 Ñ Awards. Another key accomplishment was a VPM News Focal Point special that featured a compilation of my bilingual reporting. I wrote and anchored the show.

INSPIRED BY: My culture and community. I was born and raised in Virginia, and I’ve been lucky to have a career in journalism here. I understand the community and the challenges Virginians face. My duty is to listen and report with authenticity and care.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Stay true to yourself and never stop learning! Explore the multiplatform outlets at your public media station — TV, radio, digital, podcasting and web.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Continue investing in high-quality local journalism video content — it is vital for maintaining trust and credibility, informing the public and leveraging the storytelling power of video. It can also be used to highlight underreported stories and has the potential to reach broader, more diverse audiences.

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Rising Stars 2024 Continued from page 15

MEAGAN MCGINNES-BESSEY ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR, NEWSLETTERS WBUR, BOSTON

AGE: 32 IN THREE WORDS: “Enthusiastic, energized, dedicated” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Meagan has helped develop a clear and vibrant “voice” for our newsletters. Her project planning and analysis has set a gold standard for project development here at WBUR. She’s thoughtful about developing new audiences and deeply engaging them. She’s a dedicated, mission-driven editor and works collaboratively and cross-departmentally.

What Meagan says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I’ve always had a love for local journalism and digital media. I started my career at Boston.com and took a quick detour from news after the 2016 election to write about the business side of the snack industry (it was as tasty as it sounds). But I wanted to get back into doing work that felt essential to people’s daily lives.

Public media does a great job of telling stories that connect with people on every level of their being, and that’s the kind of journalism I want to be a part of.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The evolution of WBUR’s newsletter portfolio is one of my team’s greatest accomplishments so far. We went from about five Meagan McGinnis-Bessey, right, and a colleague next to the newsletters, no audi- Field Guide to Boston trolley, a creative positioning promotion ence growth strategy that “bopped” around Boston neighborhoods. (Liz Linder) or unified design and only one person — me! — dedicated to email. Now we have 11 growing and highly engaging newsletters, three full-time newsletter staff members and a deep investment in how we turn subscribers into WBUR super-fans who support our journalism.

The Field Guide to Boston, a collection of useful guides and stories that capture what it means to live in Boston, is the single body of work I’m most proud of. It included the serious (politics, Boston’s racist reputation), the useful (how to get around on the MBTA) and the fun (how to make new pals). And I think that perfectly exemplifies the type of reporting that excites me most: projects that help us feel more connected to our neighbors and speak to the many facets of our lives.

INSPIRED BY: I’m a true believer that being an active participant in the world and your local community makes for a more curious and inspired person. I’m quite the extrovert and love talking to people! Hearing about their careers, hopes, frustrations and joys helps me better understand various audience personas and what information people want more of from local newsrooms.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Don’t let people tell you audience work isn’t real journalism. Newsletter and homepage curation, headline writing, story formatting, social media — they tell people about the news and what’s important before they even read a story. They also shape peoples’ perceptions of your organization.

My advice is to sit with your digital team and hear more about why they make the calls they do about which wires to publish, which headlines, SEO, photo selection or timing for a social post. No matter your beat or medium, it will make you a better journalist and collaborator in your newsroom.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Invest in audience work. Building trust, especially with underserved audiences that have been previously ignored or hurt by media, is a long game. It won’t result in donor dollars tomorrow.

To survive the shift in the media landscape, we have to grow our audience outside of the NPR bubble. Whether it’s hosting events where our reporters answer questions, WhatsApp groups, translating stories or establishing partnerships with other media organizations: All these things are so important to broadening the public media circle.

SARAH MOSES PRODUCER, DIGITAL STUDIOS WHYY, PHILADELPHIA

AGE: 29 IN THREE WORDS: “Curious, meticulous, energetic” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Whether she’s handed an assignment or pitching something of her own, Sarah is always pushing the quality of our video work further. She is the queen of the pivot, producing a documentary on the state of the restaurant industry when COVID shut down production of our regular restaurant review show. She learned to animate to help produce the station’s first digital series, Delishtory, then helped transition that series to PBS Digital Studios, another first for WHYY. Her documentary on a female-owned tattoo studio was nominated for a 2024 Webby (Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle Video) alongside national productions from CNN, ABC and Vox. She oversaw production of an animated civics series for teens and helped secure a grant to produce episodes of a historical web series. Sarah’s intelligence comes through in everything she touches but it’s her heart, which is so steeped in the core values of public media, that truly makes her work shine.

What Sarah says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: My parents fostered in me a sense of curiosity about the world, and public media has always been a central part of my media diet. As I began realizing my affinity for storytelling, I knew I wanted to work somewhere that was mission-driven and produced trustworthy content that uplifted voices from diverse communities. Public media was a natural fit.

My first internship after college was at WHYY, my hometown PBS and NPR station.

I worked closely with TV producers who would go on to become my colleagues, and I learned so much about how to tell local stories that represent and engage your community. After the internship ended, I pretty much refused to leave! In my six years at WHYY, I’ve gone from being an intern, to associate producer, TV producer and now producer in our Digital Studios.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, my colleague Caitlin Corkery and I began brainstorming new initiatives and produced WHYY’s first ever digital-first video series, Delishtory. This show, which is all about the history of food, was picked up for distribution by PBS Digital Studios and is now in its second season. I also produced the digital-first animated explainer series Your Democracy, which focuses on civics education and is used in classrooms across the United States.

Since joining WHYY’s Digital Studios team, I’ve helped produce short-form documentaries and vertical videos for social media. Now I am the supervising producer for In the Margins, an anthology history series for PBS Digital Studios. I have also been fortunate to have my work recognized by the Webby Awards, the Mid-Atlantic Emmys and the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Awards.

INSPIRED BY: I find that the best way to be inspired is to keep yourself open to new experiences and ideas as much as possible. Sometimes I am inspired by my colleagues and their work. Other times, I am inspired by a book, a podcast or a really good bite of food.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Community is everything. Build a strong community of people both within and outside of the industry who energize, challenge and support you. Make things that you want your community to be proud of.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Just because something hasn’t been done before, doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. Don’t forget to have fun!

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Encourage experimentation! Emerging technologies and platforms mean the media landscape is constantly evolving. Trust employees to be responsibly creative and try new approaches to storytelling and audience engagement.

RODDY NIKPOUR PRODUCER, KEXP, SEATTLE ASSISTANT TEACHING PROFESSOR, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, TEMPE FILL-IN HOST, KUER, SALT LAKE CITY

AGE: 31 IN THREE WORDS: “Motivated, friendly, talented” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Roddy has such immense motivation and drive. When he started producing for KEXP, I was blown away at how fast he was and how beautifully he weaved production, sound effects and music into the pieces he produced. Without Roddy’s work, KEXP would not have been able to produce its award-winning podcasts, 50 Years of Hip Hop and The Cobain 50. Roddy led monthly training sessions with the editorial staff that contributed to those podcasts. Each of them came from a writing background and were new to audio and radio production. Roddy taught them how to produce their own stories

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from scratch. The craziest thing is, he only works nine hours a week at KEXP. He already has a full-time job teaching podcasting at Arizona State University.

Grissel Velasco, an El Paso mother who believed her doctor had tied her tubes until she unexpectedly became pregnant the next year, after which she sued him and his clinic.

What Roddy says

INSPIRED BY: Reading inspires me to approach my writing in new ways. I’m continually inspired by the work of my friends at KERA and across the Texas Newsroom. I’m also inspired by the non-journalists doing the thankless, fearless work in the communities we write about. And hearing feedback from readers and listeners — or even just people who don’t listen to public radio but see value in what we do — that helps me feel like I’m not just shouting into the void, microphone in hand.

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I discovered the power of radio back at my college station, where I hosted an ambient music show and served in various director roles. After a brief production assistantship with my local NPR affiliate, I fell in love with the earnest culture of public media, and I realized that radio is something people can do for a living.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I’m proud to have earned a Broadcast Educators Association Best of Festival Award for an episode of 50 Years of Hip-Hop that I hosted and produced.

In addition, I’ve had the privilege to compose and score music for many public media programs. I’d be remiss to omit some of my Roddy Nikpour has worked in various roles in public media focused on production, operations and programming. “behind-the-scenes” achievements in radio (Katherine Ellis) operations, including training hosts in remote hosting protocols during the coronavirus pandemic.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Be annoyingly persistent in your reporting and in advocating for your work and your boundaries.

Get involved in “extracurriculars” — any fellowship, organization or activity within or outside of the news world that isn’t your day-to-day job. And pursue opportunities that cater to early-career journalists.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Amplify the best qualities in people, especially the things they don’t see in themselves. Learn how to recognize the signs of burnout. Be as transparent as possible. Commit to having a diverse newsroom in every way. Don’t get stuck doing things the way they’ve always been done.

HALLE PARKER COASTAL DESK REPORTER WWNO, NEW ORLEANS, AND WRKF, BATON ROUGE, LA.

INSPIRED BY: I strongly believe in storytelling that meets a demonstrable need in the local community, rather than content that’s cranked out to fill space or capitalize on people’s attention.

AGE: 27

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Ask for forgiveness, not permission.

Too many people are afraid to execute a creative idea because they think they’ll get in trouble for trying. Instead of waiting, just make the ideas you have happen. It may involve some hours off the clock, but imagine what your prototype could lead to. Worstcase scenario, nothing will happen; best-case scenario, your entire job shifts toward this really awesome idea.

WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Halle Parker is already a star. At WWNO and WRKF, Halle is in her first radio job after coming over from print reporting for the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate. She co-hosts the nationally recognized podcast Sea Change and serves on the board of the Society of Environmental Journalists.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Let young people do new things. Instead of reprimanding them to stay in their lane, provide opportunities to learn the legacy and then encourage them to blaze their own trails. Also, be transparent with pay. If we’re claiming to be accountable to the public with transparency in our storytelling processes, there are very few reasons to be guarded about the realities of how we do business.

TOLUWANI OSIBAMOWO GENERAL ASSIGNMENTS REPORTER KERA NEWS, DALLAS

AGE: 23 IN THREE WORDS: “Smart, passionate, motivated” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Toluwani came to us in 2022 straight out of college and immediately made an impact with her talent, thoughtfulness and overall positive attitude. Her primary responsibility is daily news, but she’s also skilled at features and longer projects.

Her in-depth series on police chases in Texas, “Deadly Pursuits,” reported through a collaboration with the Fort Worth Report, is just one example. What started as a breaking news story — an innocent civilian killed during an unrelated high-speed chase between Fort Worth police and a suspected car thief — turned into a dive into police chase policies and their sometimes fatal consequences. When the city of Dallas issued a secret legal opinion that made police oversight in the city toothless, she got a tip to look into it. The result was a series of reports on a group of officers who were caught on tape mocking a disabled veteran.

What Toluwani says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I interned at Texas Tech Public Media in my last semester of college. I was unsure if a career in journalism was a wise choice in the current media landscape. My early mentors at Tech cultivated such a welcoming, passionate and educational news environment, I learned the power of audio storytelling and the importance of accessible news in a smaller/midsize market. I knew if I was going to be a reporter, it was public radio or bust. I got a job at my home station, KERA, that same year.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Being named for a Texas Broadcast News Award in 2023 alongside my colleagues at KERA News and the Fort Worth Report for our coverage of the trial of Aaron Dean, a white Fort Worth police officer convicted of the 2019 murder of Atatiana Jefferson, a Black woman. An individual achievement I’m proudest of is my story on

IN THREE WORDS: “Influential, passionate, authentic”

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We’re proud to join Current in saluting our colleague

Eboni Johnson-Kaba

and all the 2024 Rising Stars in Public Media

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Rising Stars 2024 Continued from page 17

Recently Halle helped report on a special series called “All Gassed Up,” a three-part special edition of the Sea Change that exposes the enormous scale of the global expansion of liquified natural gas linking Louisiana’s Gulf Coast to Europe and Asia. This reporting impacted the communities we serve in southern Louisiana and brought this issue to the attention of a large audience of decision-makers and leaders.

What Halle says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I entered journalism because I believed in public service and the need for commu- New Orleans Public Radio environment reporter Halle Parker nity-driven storytell- interviews Chef Isaac Toups at his restaurant, Toups Meatery, in ing. As much as I love New Orleans about how he looks to raise awareness about Louiworking in newspa- siana’s land loss crisis through his cooking. (Kezia Setyawan) pers, it wasn’t until I worked for public radio that I felt the business model matched the mission.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I’m very proud of being able to tell stories in a wide range of mediums, from writing and photography to radio and podcasting.

Even more than that, I’m most proud of the relationships I have with various communities in Louisiana. Those relationships keep me going, and make me feel like our work can make a difference and have the impact that funders so often seek.

INSPIRED BY: The people I meet, whether that’s my kind colleagues or those whom I speak with in my community. Sometimes I’m overwhelmed by the weight of what’s happening in the world — from the ever-worsening changing climate to the war in Gaza.

For me, it’s critical to draw strength from the people around me.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Advocate for yourself and set healthy work boundaries. Feeling empowered to negotiate a better salary or vacation package is so critical. Don’t undersell yourself, especially as a journalist of color.

For a long time, I thought if I shared the problems I was having in a newsroom, it would be viewed as complaining. Find a mentor or someone you trust to help you navigate those difficult conversations. As long as you keep it professional, a lot of people will respect you more for it.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Newsrooms of all kinds attract incredibly talented, driven and thoughtful people. Narrow that to public media and I’ve found empathy and kindness on top of all the doggedness. When you have a supply of skilled, compassionate staff, you should trust, empower and support them.

What Rebecca says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I come from a background in opera performance and music education. After several years, the grind of seeking gig work as a performer wasn’t as fulfilling, but I knew my passion remained for music education and building community around this beloved art form.

Enter a job posting by All Classical for a music researcher and digital producer. It was such a fortuitous opportunity — a chance to work within the realm of music in a more sustainable (for me, at least) capacity. Two years later, I’ve never felt more aligned in my professional career.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Managing All Classical’s Artist Anthology. This massive project spotlighting 40 trailblazing contemporary creatives of the Pacific Northwest has been years in the making and is unlike anything we’ve ever produced at the station.

It stretched me beyond anything I’ve ever done, from managing the logistical puzzle of coordinating over 80 artist interviews and photoshoots to learning the ins and outs of publishing a book.

Another highlight has been contributing the liner notes for albums produced for the Recording Inclusivity Initiative, which created high-quality recordings of classical music works by composers from historically marginalized communities.

INSPIRED BY: My colleagues at All Classical. Their boundless creativity, cleverness and innovation are beautifully grounded in a vision for changing the world for the better.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Lead with curiosity — always. Being open and receptive to new paths, skills and opportunities has been, in my experience, the most successful method of carving out a truly fulfilling career path.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Ample mentorship opportunities are the best investment a leader can make in their team. We are so hungry for opportunities to work with experts in our fields and learn from them.

Leading by example is not an aspiration — it’s a requirement. If you’re not willing to be a true team player, you will have a hard time earning the respect of your team and cultivating meaningful collaboration.

J.R RUDOLPH ENGAGEMENT MARKETING SPECIALIST WFYI PUBLIC MEDIA, INDIANAPOLIS

AGE: 30 IN THREE WORDS: “Passionate, inclusive, insatiable” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: J.R represents the future of public media. His passion for our mission and commitment to helping us reach younger, more diverse audiences sits at the heart of his work. He is a thought leader whose welcoming style, natural curiosity and thirst for growth sets him apart.

My other advice is to make space. Allow for “production” to slow down to teach and broaden the scope of who can work in public media. Creating a truly diverse and inclusive media landscape requires patience and a willingness to meet people where they’re at, especially if they’re coming directly from the community your newsroom serves.

REBECCA RICHARDSON MUSIC RESEARCHER AND DIGITAL PRODUCER ALL CLASSICAL RADIO, PORTLAND, ORE.

AGE: 34 IN THREE WORDS: “Kind, scholarly, inclusive” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: In her two years in public media, Rebecca Richardson successfully launched an internal research database with articles about classical music that span the medieval to modernism eras and every composer in between.

Last fall, Rebecca led the launch of All Classical’s Artist Anthology: 40 Creatives of the Pacific Northwest, our newest initiative to uplift artists and diversify our offerings.

Rebecca flawlessly manages collaborations between artists, authors, photographers and staff at the station while creating the most visually stunning final product possible for our readers. Her greatest impact has been the inclusion of new voices on our airwaves, previously overlooked in the classical music industry, and the deeper breadth of knowledge every host shares on the air.

J.R Rudolf gestures during a presentation at the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference in July 2023.

J.R had been an active leader and presenter in Greater Public’s Our Hour, a town hall for public media staff of color, when he volunteered to lead an employee resource group as a safe and nurturing space for WFYI’s staff. J.R’s efforts are helping us not only value, retain and recruit a talented diverse staff but ultimately expand beyond our traditional fan and audience base.

What J.R says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I began working in public media three months before I graduated from college. I wanted to be a part of a mission that serves my community while looking and sounding like I do. Representation matters.

R I S I N G S TA R S 2 0 2 4 KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I recently wrote a blog post for Greater Public about creating an employee resource group at a station. The goal was to enhance awareness of ERGs and how they create safe space for employees and build a sense of community and belonging. I also am proud to have received a 2023 Public Media for All Development Award.

INSPIRED BY: My community and music. Sharing resources or content with them is exciting. It is a wonderful experience to see their engagement journey.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: This work has a mission like no other.

Take care of yourself and plan your life experiences or career achievements. We all have to take care of ourselves so we can show up for one another.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Find more ways to include, rather than to exclude.

The change you are scared of is happening and will leave you behind if you don’t get onboard. You get more results from trying and failing than not even doing anything at all.

HAYLEY SANCHEZ HOST/EDITOR COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO, CENTENNIAL

AGE: 29 IN THREE WORDS: “Tenacious, collaborative, precise” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Hayley is adept at all kinds of tasks — reporting, editing and hosting. I can’t remember a time when she did not enthusiastically offer to help fill gaps in the newsroom — whether that was reporting a story, taking an editing shift or hosting our newsmagazines in a pinch. I’m proud of Hayley’s progression into a leadership role in our newsroom. She identifies problems and suggests solutions, shows excellent journalistic ethics and expects professional and excellent journalism from herself and the others around her.

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ALEC SCHAFFER DIRECTOR OF MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY WYOMING PUBLIC MEDIA, LARAMIE

AGE: 30 IN THREE WORDS: “Persistent, strategic, supportive” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Alec started out as a part-time data manager and recording technician in membership. This work expanded to recording and producing short audio modules for Wyoming nonprofits and cultural organizations.

Then he began producing, scripting and editing Wyoming Public Media’s national podcasts and StoryCorps segments.

Somewhere along the line, Alec started hanging out with Wyoming Public Media’s engineers and discovered that he liked the world of towers, transmitters, generators, snow vehicles and construction sites. Before we knew it, he was an indispensable part of the engineering team, traveling hundreds of miles through Wyoming and living the nomadic life of our engineers. When a full-time position opened up in engineering, Alec kept moving up the learning ladder and acquiring his professional certifications.

What Alec says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I always enjoyed listening to public radio. When I was in college, I started volunteering at Wyoming Public Media. I had many opportunities to become more involved, and eventually they led to a part-time job editing audio.

After many years of applying myself to almost every opportunity, I was hired to a fulltime engineering position.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Last summer I completed the build-out of the first two new signals that I designed and implemented. While there were mistakes made and lessons learned along the way, I was proud to see the two new signals launch, increasing our coverage and bringing WPM’s radio services into more homes.

INSPIRED BY: My coworkers and mentors. I have been very lucky to have such knowledgeable, patient and passionate colleagues. When I entered this field, I had no RF Continued on page 20

Congratulations J.R Rudolph

Hayley Sanchez interviewing Aaron Van Wingerden in May 2024, about his greenhouse Dutch Heritage Gardens in Larkspur, Colo., ahead of their annual spring open house.

(Luke Victor)

What Hayley says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: When I worked at the Arizona Republic, I produced a politics podcast. My favorite days were the ones when we recorded and produced an episode. It felt creative and gratifying, but I had no idea what I was doing!

When I learned about CPR’s journalism fellowship, I applied and never left.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I’ve spent a lot of time building connections in my community to foster genuine relationships. I’m proud that my body of work accurately reflects the stories about and for these communities. I’m also happy that I’ve spent time building a strong and well-rounded skill set — I report, write, host and edit. Each role informs one another.

INSPIRED BY: My friends and family. My parents always tell me I can do anything I put my mind to, so I’m not afraid to take chances.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Be patient with yourself and willing to learn and accept feedback. Sometimes it’s easy to feel a certain level of imposter syndrome. Be brave, ask questions and never turn an opportunity down — within reason, of course!

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Listen to your staff. It’s not hard to be a good manager or leader if you listen and are human. Take accountability when warranted, and advocate for your employees.

A Rising Star in Public Media!

WFYI is proud to recognize Engagement Marketing Specialist, J.R Rudolph, along with all the other 2024 Rising Stars who are up and coming in Public Media.

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Rising Stars 2024 Continued from page 19

[radio frequency] knowledge or experience, but I was able to learn and become a contributing member of the team.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Try new things and take every chance you get to learn something new. You never know what untapped talents you may have.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Listen to the people you work with. They’re a smart crowd and you’ll learn from them.

AMANDA SCHMIDT DIGITAL PRODUCER, PBS NATURE THE WNET GROUP, NEW YORK CITY

AGE: 29 IN THREE WORDS: “Hardworking, dedicated, experiment-minded” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Since 2019, Amanda has helped grow PBS Nature, a legacy broadcast program of over 40 years, on all digital and social platforms. She is the genius behind daily uploads to PBS Nature TikTok, which was one of PBS’ first TikTok accounts. She is responsible for optimizing broadcast content into shareable digital material as well as helping to develop and promote original digital programming.

What Amanda says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I grew up watching PBS with my family. Nature was one of my favorite programs because it introduced me to diverse animals and parts of the world that I was unfamiliar with.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Launching and managing the PBS Nature TikTok account, with the support of my team, is a significant accomplishment of mine. Since its inception in spring 2020, the account has gained close to a million followers and received multiple Webby Award nominations.

INSPIRED BY: My colleagues at PBS Nature and WNET! Working alongside a team of passionate individuals who encourage creativity and innovation has been a blessing.

Witnessing the engagement and profound impact our content has on our viewers is incredibly motivating.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Given the ever-evolving media landscape, remain open to trying new things and thinking outside the box. Keep your eyes and ears open — you never know when or where you’ll stumble across something inspiring or thought-provoking!

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Securing a state grant for our Curiosity Classroom program. I had only been in my position for a few months and had never worked on a state grant proposal — nor had I experienced a proposal rejection. When the first application was denied, I was extremely upset. With reassurance and support from my team, we reassessed and revised. The second proposal was approved, and we are now heading into year two of funding.

INSPIRED BY: My mom and grandma are my greatest inspirations. Their perseverance has had a profound impact on me. They taught me self-worth, and how love and kindness can manifest in different forms.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Be confidently curious. There are so many people to learn from in public media who are excited to teach you new things.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Have trust in your team. Have the wisdom to guide but the open-mindedness to listen, collaborate and take a chance.

IAN VOSBURG DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING NEBRASKA PUBLIC MEDIA, LINCOLN

AGE: 33 IN THREE WORDS: “Driven collaborative, innovative” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Ian’s capacity to energize and lead during membership drives is exceptional. His enthusiasm is infectious, boosting team morale with timely praise and constructive feedback. He regularly appears on-air during drives, significantly enhancing our campaigns. Ian’s skills as a collaborator shine. He actively engages with industry groups like Pledgechat, TRAC Media Services and PBS, and brings valuable insights back to our station. His knack for blending proven strategies with fresh ideas significantly enriches our projects, fostering a culture of innovation.

What Ian says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: It was almost by accident. I had a job with about a 45-minute commute and started listening to Nebraska Public Media. That’s when I became a public radio nerd. About a year later, there was a job posting for an entry-level development position and I went for it.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I’m proud of our focus on the use of data in evaluating and driving our decisions. So much of what we do in fundraising is about building on the work of those who came before us and creating incremental change that leads to long-term success.

INSPIRED BY: How multifaceted public media is and how it can serve everyone, no matter their stage in life.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Be open-minded to new strategies and platforms. As audience engagement evolves across the various platforms, stay informed on viewing habits and emerging trends. Invest in your team’s growth by offering opportunities for training, mentorship and skill development, especially in response to advancing technologies.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: There are a lot of impressive and interesting people at every station, so getting to know others, what they do and why they do it makes the job more fun. Also, public media is amazing at sharing resources across stations. Learn about successes of other stations, and get to know peers and mentors elsewhere.

SHANNON STRICKLAND

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Keep looking toward the future and what we need to do to be part of that future. There are so many dedicated and talented professionals across the system who can help us get to where we need to be. Listen to our younger staff to learn how we can appeal to younger audiences while maintaining the legacy of public media.

GRANTS OFFICER PBS RENO

AGE: 26 IN THREE WORDS: “Passionate, creative, driven” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: In her first year with PBS Reno, Shannon has taken our grants program to new heights. She has secured over $350,000 in new funding while maintaining the grants the station currently receives. She also has worked tirelessly to support our growing education program, Curiosity Classroom, securing financial support from new foundations and funders. She is a very talented writer, and quickly learned and improved upon the station’s “voice” in grant proposals.

What Shannon says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: When my grandma, mom and aunts moved to the United States, PBS was how they learned English. Growing up in rural Nevada, PBS was pretty much the only entertainment we had. It was my little window to art and culture around the world.

Joining public media was an opportunity I jumped on immediately. I knew that teaching wasn’t my path, but I wanted to be a part of bringing accessible educational programs and services to my community.

MIA WARREN MANAGING DIRECTOR FEET IN 2 WORLDS, NEW YORK CITY

AGE: 34 IN THREE WORDS: “Visionary, creative, compassionate” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Mia Warren’s work as a reporter/ producer is exemplary. She has a great instinct for finding compelling, original stories and telling them in ways that truly engage audiences. As an editor, she has a unique collaborative style that involves truly listening to the reporters and producers she works with, while adhering to the highest standards of journalism ethics and editorial excellence. That same spirit of collaboration can be seen in her new role as managing director of Feet in 2 Worlds, an organization that mentors and supports immigrant journalists and journalists of color. Mia has built teams that center diverse experiences, perspectives and communities within American society, and enabled those she works with to produce engaging award-winning journalism.

R I S I N G S TA R S 2 0 2 4

What Mia says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: I fell in love with radio as a college student listening to This American Life. After I graduated, I spent a year in Peru on a Fulbright research fellowship and participated in one of Transom’s early online workshops. That’s when I got my first field kit, started doing on-the-street interviews and produced my first radio piece for Latino USA. My first full-time public radio job was as a field producer for StoryCorps — an incredible experience that took me all over the United States. That job taught me so much about narrative structure — how to set up a recording space, how to craft an arc in tape and how to listen deeply, with an editor’s ear.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: In 2018 I co-created Feeling My Flo, a podcast about menstruation for tweens. I was able to produce it soup to nuts and stay true to my vision for a gender-inclusive podcast about menstruation.

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itics and big issues in ways that are memorable and accessible. Her political reporting is unique and connects with listeners in a deep way. Recently, Saraya stepped into the role of host and producer for the podcast What Is Owed?, an original seven-part series exploring the complex topic of reparations for Black people in Boston and beyond. Her deep sourcing and record of tackling hard issues allowed her to take the city’s discussions about reparations and bring it into a historical context.

She did it all — editorial planning, script writing, etc. — with an incredibly small team and minimal supervision.

What Saraya says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: After a stint in commercial radio, I wanted to work in a mission-driven environment with more time to craft stories that explored more depth.

In 2020, as the inaugural editing fellow for Feet in 2 Worlds, I worked with a team to produce a podcast about how COVID-19 changed and challenged immigrants’ ideas about what it means to be American, A Better Life? Our team was composed almost entirely of immigrants or children of immigrants, and we were working at the height of the pandemic.

INSPIRED BY: Art, often in mediums other than audio. I’m obsessed with the children’s book author Linda Sue Park. She’s Korean American and has written more than 20 books. I admire her ability to explore Korean heritage in such a fun and accessible way.

I also love food and am constantly inspired by it. I love food media. I’ve been a judge for the James Beard Awards the past couple of years, which has been so fun.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: If you can, make something of your own. You will learn so much from the process, even (and perhaps especially) if you encounter failure along the way.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Embark on regular listening tours with your staff.

They are on the ground doing the work, and they are the experts you should be consulting with to make sure that work is supported.

Professor Jemadari Kamara, left, and Saraya Wintersmith, look at photo during an interview. (Howard Powell) KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I’m very happy that I’ve completed my first podcast — What Is Owed? — and that the public events inspired by it forced me to cultivate a new skill of public speaking before a live audience. If there were a reporter bingo card or merit badge system, I’d be very proud and happy that I’ve interviewed the two Black U.S. attorneys general — Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch — both in the Obama administration. I’m also extremely proud that I’ve won a Gracie award for an original story at the intersection of race, identity and politics.

SARAYA WINTERSMITH REPORTER GBH NEWS, BOSTON

AGE: 36 IN THREE WORDS: “Thoughtful, delightful, intentional” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Saraya is an empathetic and thoughtful journalist who has flourished in public radio — telling stories about pol-

INSPIRED BY: The places where I live and play, and the people I talk to. And by reading/ hearing the work of amazing journalists.

Continued on page 22

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22 | Summer 2024 | Current

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Rising Stars 2024

PBS and listened to NPR. I’ve always regarded it as the benchmark of quality content for news, education and entertainment.

Continued from page 21

ADVICE FOR OTHER YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Be as dedicated to yourself and things that bring joy and relief as you are to work. Also: Advocate for yourself, always.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Groom your bench! A direct report who learns no new skills in your care is a reflection of your leadership. Make space for those on your team to pursue what lights them up! Get your direct reports more money!

MARISA WOJCIK ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR/HERE & NOW SERIES PRODUCER PBS WISCONSIN, MADISON

IN THREE WORDS: “Whip-smart, curious, inclusive” WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY: Marisa is a superstar and a standout for many reasons. From her first days with PBS Wisconsin, in January 2018, when she joined the news team as our first multimedia reporter, she established herself as a thoughtful, collaborative and inclusive journalist and colleague. She has risen through the ranks to become assistant news director and lead producer for our weekly news series, Here & Now. She brought about a change in thinking for our entire organization by creating strategies to produce digital-first and digital-only content that reaches new audiences. Perhaps even more important, Marisa prioritizes cultivating relationships with underrepresented communities and routinely incorporates new voices and perspectives into our news coverage.

What Marisa says

DECISION TO WORK IN PUBLIC MEDIA: Growing up in Wisconsin, our household watched

Thinking

Continued from page 2

All student-reported stories from On Our Minds: Election 2024, including audio episodes and social content, will be available to public media stations and nonprofit local media for broadcast and republication.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: As a multimedia producer I have reported, shot, edited and created graphics for nearly all of my stories. I created new franchises, such as a weekly live-streamed program of in-depth interviews with guests and a weekly motion-graphics explainer that breaks down complex topics into smaller digestible facts.

I find the most pride in the stories that may not have had the best video or flashiest production but gave a voice and dignity to someone who felt left behind by society.

AGE: 34

have taken it upon themselves to advocate for the change they want to see using their First Amendment rights to speech, protest and assembly. Students from over 130 colleges and universities across the nation protested the occupation in Palestine, with many calling for a ceasefire and return of the Israeli hostages.

In the podcast episode about free speech and censorship, I talked with students who have participated in campus protests and do not feel represented in media coverage or on the ballot. They faced forms of censorship from their universities, and those experiences gave them another cause to fight for: protecting their free speech.

This weighs heavily on many of our minds, as do the issues of education, mental health care, climate change and gun violence. The ways that all of these issues impact youth is often quite different from how they impact adults. Including young people in reporting about political issues and election coverage can ensure that a broader range of perspectives are included, and more complete stories are told.

I worked as a multimedia journalist in newspapers for many years and never thought I would end up working for the public media station I idolized since I was young.

When I came upon a job opening for a multimedia producer on the station’s website, I thought I wasn’t qualified. But I applied and was amazed that they saw enough potential to hire me.

Nico Fischer Co-host, Santa Clara High School, Santa Clara, Calif.

On the reporting process For those of us working on this project, On Our Minds: Election 2024 is about more than the election: It’s about what makes us and what brings us together as Americans.

We’re working with students across the country about the issues in their home regions. For example, in Illinois, Maggie LeBeau is working on a piece about how young Republicans feel like they do not have a voice in a state heavily gerrymandered in favor of Chicagoland Democrats.

In Florida, Orion Boone is reporting on how young queer Americans feel like their right to be themselves is at stake. In Puerto Rico, Adelaida Siaca and Miranda Jatib are grappling with whether Puerto Ricans consider themselves American or not.

One thing that’s special about this podcast is the way teens across the country have come together to create it. We’ve collaborated on episode topics, edits and production, and learned from each other along the way.

We’ve learned how to manage an ambitious project, assign roles and define our goals.

While it feels like everyone has something to gain — or to lose — in this election, I see student journalism as one solution to traditional media’s election reporting, which rarely focuses on youth. Student journalism makes space for students like me to feel engaged in something bigger, to report on local issues in my community and develop our own narratives about “the youth” — something that adult journalists aren’t able to do in the same way.

INSPIRED BY: When I was teaching myself video shooting and editing, a lot of my inspiration came from documentaries and seeing how other newspaper photojournalists were approaching this medium. I also found inspiration in storytelling podcasts. These inspirations helped me think about visuals and audio in new and interesting ways, and brought a different style to my work than colleagues with broadcast training. Today I find most of my inspiration from people who are doing something different.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG PUBLIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS: Follow your intuition and take every opportunity to use the tools and the skills you have to practice your craft. The skills I have today came from going beyond the assignment — taking more photos than I needed, getting more video, doing more than what was asked of me — because I wanted to make something better.

ADVICE FOR PUBLIC MEDIA LEADERS: Try to leave a place better than when you got there.

This not only applies to the work, but to the work culture. Also: Kindness goes a long way. In my experience a good leader can be direct and do what needs to get done. A better leader does that by treating people with kindness and respect.

Aidan Booker Special correspondent, Arizona State University

On story choices that reflect the impact of young people Young people are some of the most outspoken and passionate individuals on many key issues in this election, especially on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. We use our voices to speak out on the many issues affecting our nation, but our impact can be much deeper than that.

Students are able to provide a unique firsthand account of our experiences on various issues, and relate to the young people we are interviewing in a different way.

My episode of On Our Minds: Election 2024 highlights some of the youngest candidates and elected officials in America.

One of those people is America’s youngest mayor, Jaylen Smith of Earle, Ark. Only a couple of months after graduating high school, Smith embarked on a journey unordinary for most students — he became the mayor of his city at the age of 18.

My interview with Smith covered many different topics, like his proudest accomplishments as mayor, such as bringing the town a much-needed grocery store, and his future plans for Earle. The main thing that stood out to me was how relatable he was. It truly felt like I was speaking with someone with a fresh set of ideas who citizens were able to put their faith and trust in. His ideas led him to become the youngest African American mayor in history.

Poojasai Kona, Co-host, Frisco High School, Frisco, Texas

On what it means to be an American This project exists to give the youth perspective on the 2024 elections and American politics, something that is often missing from media coverage, and also to give the youth perspective on what it means to be an American. I hope it can be the start of a discussion of something we don’t really talk about as young people — that the ideal concept of America often doesn’t line up with realities we see and experience, and we learn more about this as we grow up.

We explore this idea in the first episode, where student reporter Natalie Erzal talks with students from Rouse High School in Leander, Texas. They share how their understanding of America has changed and become more complicated than the simple history they learned in elementary school.

They talk about their frustrations that schools are censoring conversations about the issues in America.

America has a different definition for everyone, just like On Our Minds: Elections 2024 will have a different meaning to every contributor and listener. For me, this podcast is a tribute to my parents, immigrants from India who’ve left their country, their family, their friends — everything they’ve ever known — to live here.

We are excited to share this podcast and hope that it encourages youth to start conversations with their friends and families, seek out and support solutions to the issues they care about and, when old enough, vote.

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KUOW was among the news stations hit by declining cumes. Weekly listenership hasn’t rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, but the cume has climbed back to a twoyear high, he said.

“Just because you’ve lost audience in the last several years, you can’t just starve radio,” he said. “You still need to do it and do it well.”

Hokanson believes the 2024 elections give news stations an opening to “strike when the iron’s hot.” Historically, listening has increased during general elections.

KUOW has seen big spikes in listening to its digital stream during live feeds of breaking news events, he said. Unlike radio, the live digital feeds provide a way for stations to see what audiences are attracted to in real time.

“People still tune in for big news and or breaking news,” Hokanson said, and that’s a chance to run promos that capture new listeners.

Engagement with ’audiences in your locality’

Jazz stations weren’t part of Sullivan’s ratings analysis, but WBGO in Newark, N.J., is bucking the trend. Its weekly cume increased nearly 42% between April 2019 and April 2024, according to CEO Steven Williams.

Williams attributed the growth to a comprehensive focus on “contemporizing the sound of the radio station.” Audience

research commissioned in 2021 showed listeners wanted a balance between traditional and contemporary jazz, “which wasn’t really happening on the air at the time,” he said.

The research also found an “awareness deficit” of the station in the New York metropolitan region, he said.

Nearly half of the su r ve y re sp ondents “had no idea that there was a jazz radio station in New York City.”

To b u i l d Williams (Photo: awareness, WBGO Gordon Tunison) chose to focus on audience engagement over paid advertising.

“Because marketing is so expensive, we really had to rely on grassroots-level engagement,” he said. “So we doubled down with email messaging, with website engagement.”

Williams believes that public radio news stations could learn from how music stations like his have built local connections with audiences. “The key to reversing the downward trend is an increased engagement with the audiences that are in your locality,” he said.

“What I hear on many of the NPR news stations in a wide variety of markets is a lack of localism,” Williams said. And while many of public radio’s nationally produced news programs are “excellently produced shows, they don’t really have much to do with the local audience,” he said.

Millions still watch linear TV. Don’t forget them.

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’A sense of place’

In Austin, Texas, KUT and KUTX have adopted a similar playbook. Both stations aim to create “a sense of place” by localizing their on-air sound, said Matt Reilly, associate GM for programming.

Program hosts at KUTX, a Triple A station, live in Austin and talk about “what’s happening in town all the time,” he said.

All-news KUT airs short sonic IDs in which Austinites provide a “snapshot of their day.”

And the KUT newsroom produces local news spots that run throughout the day.

But that focus hasn’t kept the stations from experiencing cume declines, which began before the pandemic. KUT had a weekly cume that ranged from 220,000 to 250,000 listeners in early 2020; now the average fluctuates between 180,000 and 200,000, according to Reilly. On KUTX, weekly cumes averaged around 150,000 to 160,000 at the onset of the pandemic; now they range from 120,000 to 130,000, he said.

Reilly doubts that the stations’ cumes will recover to pre-pandemic levels, but he also rejects “the idea that that audience is gone.” He sees evidence that audiences are connecting with the stations in different ways.

“We’re getting good engagement,” he said. ”People show up like crazy” for station-hosted events. “We’re seeing a lot of social media, increased engagement on both stations.”

Reilly described the shift in listener behavior in generational terms. “The idea that we’re going to get somebody under the age of 40 to listen to the radio and in

an appointment-listening fashion is just not going to happen,” he said.

That doesn’t change the fact that, despite the stations’ investments in digital platforms and content, “FM is still our biggest audience,” he said.

Stations need to keep working at growing their cumes while taking some creative risks with programming and new talent, Reilly said. The public radio system as a whole is too scared, he said.

“Nobody wants to piss anybody off.

They’re so concerned about being even remotely offensive to one person that they play it safe, all the time,” he said. He urged station programmers and content directors to look at who is creating their programming and consider whether they are talking to younger generations.

Goldstein agrees that radio needs to “do something to try to stem that tide” of cume loss, but she’s still “bullish” on the medium.

“It’s free, it’s ubiquitous, it’s easy to use,” she said. “The research is showing that it’s still the number one choice for in-car listening. There’s still opportunity here on the radio side.”

Though most radio leaders expressed doubt that the weekly cume for public radio news stations can return to pre-pandemic levels, RRC’s Sullivan is confident that it can be done.

“The reality is news organizations continue shutting down,” he said. “... There’s no reason you can’t rebuild the cume because people are suddenly realizing that they don’t have the news that they used to have.

And they need news.”

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Major gifts Continued from page 7

general and specific initiatives, said Kathy Connolly, VP of major and planned giving.

Leadership Circle members give more than $1,000 annually, and Legacy Circle donors have included WETA in their wills.

WETA also oversees major donations that directly support Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s films, which the station presents.

The station thanks major donors by giving them access to events they would appreciate. Members of the Friends of Classical Music affinity group prefer concerts affiliated with the station’s classical station. WETA also leverages its associations with Gates, Ken Burns and PBS News Hour co-anchors Geoff Bennett and Amna Nawaz, all fan favorites.

But anecdotal evidence suggests that being a large station in a major market doesn’t shield stations from financial headwinds.

At the WNET Group in New York, major giving declined from fiscal year 2022 to FY23, according to Vanessa Wise, VP of advancement and chief strategy officer. She declined to share specifics but described what was happening behind the numbers.

“There’s a lot of fluctuation, and some of that fluctuation depends on programs we’re raising money for outside our signature programs,” she said. During FY22, the station raised money for a special democracy and civics initiative, and brought in major gifts for a 2023 American Masters documentary about Dr. Anthony Fauci. “FY22 was skewed,” Wise said.

Major gifts also suffered because of what Wise calls “the blessing and the curse of angel funders.” For a few years straight, two of the organization’s board members donated seven-figure amounts annually.

That kind of support “masks sustainability issues,” she said, but when the angel funders pulled back on Wise their donations, the major-gifts portfolio lost strength.

Going forward, WNET is focusing on diversifying its portfolio of major gifts, whether they come from board members, new donors or bequests. Wise said WNET has also been seeking donations for general funds.

“We’ve had a lot of success in bringing in dollars … from donors who either don’t watch specific programs enough to want to give to them, or they don’t care about having their name on the air, but they philosophically believe in public media’s role in the news and want to enable us to have resources to be able to experiment,” Wise said.

Planned gifts and bequests are your best friend

NPR saw a slight year-over-year increase in major giving from FY22 to FY23, according to Julie Parr, VP of development. “We attribute this to some realized bequests, and that we filled some open positions within devel-

opment,” Parr said in an email, including the 2021 hiring of Leora Hanser as CDO. Parr joined NPR in 2023.

Hanser said the network’s famed gift from Joan Kroc in 2003 transformed how it views major giving’s potential. “Obviously the Kroc gift is really an outlier, but it has certainly been a point of inspiration for many of our donors,” she said. The $200 million gift should remind public media that any interaction with major donors can lead to present as well as future gifts, said Hanser. NPR is working on diversifying its 60-member foundation board to reach more donors, especially younger donors and people of color, she said.

PBS Foundation Executive Director Brian Reddington said the organization raises more than $50 million a year to support PBS. But one of its largest challenges is that many nonprofits compete for the same subset of wealthy donors. Still, he expressed confidence in PBS’ ability to fundraise.

“We believe our programming and the work of the member stations in their communities is a key differentiator for donors who fundamentally believe in our mission and want to ensure PBS remains strong for g e n e r at i o n s t o come,” he said.

Susannah Winslow, senior director of innovation and partner services for CDP, said planned gifts and bequests represent a growth opportunity for Winslow

public media’s major gifts. But securing them requires a sound marketing strategy.

“You have to have consistent messaging around that, because planned giving takes a level of educating your audience on what estate planning is and why you should do it,” Winslow said.

Louisville Public Media organizes outreach around bequests with Make-A-Will Month in August, said Ellen Oost, VP of development and marketing. It aims to continue raising money for its Legacy Society, which offers participants special events, behind-the-scenes tours and additional benefits.

The PBS Foundation in recent months received a large gift from a former high school teacher who had not informed PBS before his death of his intentions to give.

KEXP in Seattle, GBH in Boston and The Public’s Radio, which is in the process of merging with Rhode Island PBS, have also received major bequests.

In fiscal year 2021, The Public’s Radio unexpectedly received more than $500,000 from a donor whose significant wealth was unknown to development leaders, said Nancy Wood, chief progress officer. “She was a regular donor and she volunteered, but we had no idea that she had this kind of money and was going to leave it to us,” she said.

“A relationship-oriented approach is what makes major giving successful for stations,” said Greater Public’s MacDonald.

“The pipeline from membership to mid-level to major is mission-critical for public media in order to have the margin we all need to invest in our future service.”