Media Relations Contacts
If you are a listener with questions, contact our Audience Services team at 800-228-7123, weekdays 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. C.T.
APM | MPR Media Relations
mediarelations@mpr.org (Journalist inquiries, only.)
Media Releases
APM Reports and The Washington Post Partner on New Podcast, Historically Black
Podcast will curate stories about African- American history with special guest hosts Keegan Michael-Key, Roxane Gay, Issa Rae, Heben Nigatu and Tracy Clayton
September 16, 2016--- The Washington Post and APM Reports today release an audio teaser of Historically Black, a new podcast series launching on Monday, September 19. Based on The Post’s Historically Black Tumblr project, a user-generated “people’s museum” of objects representing black history, the podcast will showcase some of the project’s most compelling and powerful objects vividly discussed through interviews, archival radio and music curated by APM Reports and The Post in eight short episodes hosted by four celebrities.
Celebrity guest hosts will include actor and comedian Keegan Michael-Key; feminist writer and professor Roxane Gay; creator of “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” web series Issa Rae; and Another Round podcast hosts Heben Nigatu and Tracy Clayton who will host two episodes each. The Post will feature the podcast as part of its multi-platform coverage of the opening of the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture. APM Reports will oversee the podcast production and distribution.“Oral storytelling is an important part of our African-American culture and partnering with The Washington Post to give audio to their social project made perfect sense” says Jonathan Blakley, interim director of APM On Demand. “Through combining forces, we will be able to add more depth and share more widely these important stories and histories that have contributed to our collective knowledge.”Entries submitted to the Historically Black Tumblr page were considered for inclusion for the podcast. People are still encouraged to continue submitting to the Tumblr page, however they will not be considered for podcast episodes. Previously submitted objects include a photo Duchess Harris discovered of her grandmother working for NASA (then NACA) as a “computer” in the 1940s; the photo of the Million Man March that hung in Kamille Washington’s den during her childhood; a copy of Michelle Lee’s great -great grandfather’s poll tax exemption document, and more.“As part of The Post’s coverage of the Smithsonian’s new African American museum, we wanted to find an interesting and totally unique way to engage our readers locally and across the country,” said Jessica Stahl, editor for search, social and communities at The Washington Post. “Launching the Historically Black Tumblr was a great success—people were submitting their most personal objects and stories—so in partnership with APM Reports listeners will now be able to hear the voices behind these intimate stories. We are excited to share the future episodes.”About the HostsAs an actor, writer, and creator, Keegan-Michael Key has become one of the most creative and in-demand faces in Hollywood. With his extraordinarily diverse skill set and wide-ranging talent in both comedy and drama, Key redefines what it means to be a chameleon and multi-hyphenate in the worlds of film, television, and theater.Key is the co-creator and co-star of Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele” with Jordan Peele. The show has become a TV and viral sensation, with 12 total Emmy® nominations and over 700 million online hits. In 2016, the show was recognized with seven nominations and Key was once again nominated in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. The show won a 2014 Peabody Award and an American Comedy Award for “Best Alternative Comedy Series.” Even though, the show concluded its five season run in September 2015, Key and Peele still collaborate together. They are currently developing “Substitute Teacher” and collaborating on Police Academy in which they will star and producer.Key can currently be seen in Mike Birbiglia's critically acclaimed “Don't Think Twice”. He returns to the voice-over animated world this September, with “Storks”. This December, Key stars in “Why Him?”, in which he stars alongside James Franco, Bryan Cranston, Zoey Deutch, and Megan Mullally.Roxane Gay’s writing appears in Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, A Public Space, McSweeney’s, Tin House, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, Virginia Quarterly Review, and many others. She is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. She is the author of the books Ayiti, An Untamed State, the New York Times bestselling Bad Feminist, and Difficult Women and Hunger forthcoming in 2017. She is also the author of World of Wakanda for Marvel.With her own unique flare and infectious sense of humor, Issa Rae's content has garnered over 23 million views and 200,000 YouTube subscribers (and counting). In addition to making Glamour Magazine's "35 Under 35", Forbes' "30 Under 30" and Entertainment Weekly's "Breaking Big" lists, Issa's hit series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl was the recipient of the coveted Shorty Award for Best Web Show. Issa's first book, a collection of short stories, is a New York Times Best Seller and her latest project, Insecure, a half-hour comedy show for HBO, premieres Fall 2016. Issa has received national attention with major media outlets including The New York Times, CNN, ELLE, Seventeen, Rolling Stone,BuzzFeed, Fast Company, MSNBC, Essence, Fader, Variety and more.Tracy Clayton is a writer, humorist, and co-host of the nationally recognized podcast Another Round which has had guests such as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hillary Clinton. She is also the 2016-2017 Ida B. Wells Media Expert-in-Residence for the Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest University.Heben Nigatu is a writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and co-host of the nationally recognized podcast Another Round. Heben is a member of Forbes' 30 under 30 2016 class.About APM Reports APM Reports, formed in November 2015, is a collection of investigative journalists and documentary producers, editors, researchers and digital producers dedicated to producing high quality reporting on issues that are often hidden from public view.About The Washington PostThe Washington Post is an award-winning news leader whose mission is to connect, inform, and enlighten local, national and global readers with trustworthy reporting, in-depth analysis and engaging opinions. It combines world-class journalism with the latest technology and tools so readers can interact with The Post anytime, anywhere.
###
Fellowship Highlight: Lila Cherneff
submitted by Sarah EldredWith the release of the first few episodes of the podcast In The Dark last week, we want to be sure you meet the interns and fellows behind the scenes at APM Reports.Lila Cherneff is an APM Reports fellow. She joined APMG as a tape logger for American RadioWorks, which was new to her. “As a tape logger, I was instantly drawn into the fascinating raw tape coming through my headphones: from 23-year-old veterans describing their PTSD to aging physics professors' stories of trying to save school records from Hurricane Katrina. I was so impressed with the tone and breadth of the interviews; I knew I wanted to learn from the folks behind them."One of the components to radio production that Lila learned was research. “In my imagined notion of documentary radio, I thought you transition from interviews to writing to production in one seamless sort of magical creative sweep. It has been such a valuable learning experience for me to get to work with the APM Reports producers on all the tiny details and edits and revisions and re-revisions that go into producing an hour of damn good radio.”A few highlights from Cherneff's fellowship include tagging along on reporting trips to St. Paul Public Schools, the investigative workshop with Paul Myers from the BBC, and sitting in on tracking and mixing sessions. But where she feels she’s learned the most is, “getting to witness up close the day-in, day-out minutiae of a documentary radio program: how theory and data and deeply personal stories come together to create into a finished product.”Lila’s supervisor Ryan Katz, shared this about her,
Lila does not walk. She shuffles. She pads. She glides. And the way she glides is a function of her personality and the work she does. Lila seemingly effortlessly handles everything I throw at her…from the mundane to the more compelling parts of her job. One hour she’s filling out spreadsheets. The next she’s reporting at a local high school, conducting research or finding archival material vital to a documentary. Lila even made it into one of our documentaries this year talking as an expert on the lack of data on college education in prisons.
And she’s creative – Lila did a sketch for our documentary on remedial education which became the lead image for the website. (She also has an unhealthy obsession with Drake.)
Intern Highlight: Daniel Shin
Hi, I’m Daniel Shin, the Marketplace Morning Report Intern for the last six months (though I recently transitioned to a Production Assistant role about 3 weeks ago). This was my first public radio internship. Prior to this, I had just recently graduated from a graduate program at CSU Northridge with a Masters in Mass Communication (May 2016). Before, I was a news reporter in South Korea for about 3 years.There’s no easy way to summarize my time working on the Marketplace Morning Report team but if I had to, I’d strongly use the term “gauntlet.” Building and producing a live broadcast multiple times in one morning is a process that requires precision, quick-thinking and real critical thinking. If you don’t have those skills developed when you start this internship, you develop them. And I’m happy to say that I’m coming away from this experience with real, translatable skills.Of course, none of that is possible without the team here at MMR. The supportive and professional team of David Brancaccio and producers Nicole Childers, Justin Ho, Katie Long, Beidi Zhang, Chris Olin, and Janet Nguyen really helped me thrive and grow as a producer.I’m also continuously surprised (and pleased) by the workplace flexibility of Marketplace I’ve experienced. Recently, Marketplace Tech did their own week-long series in celebration for the 50th anniversary of ‘Star Trek,’ one of my favorite franchises. I wanted to contribute something and even though the pitch was a bit last minute, our digital team was very open to the idea. And frankly, I’m very proud of my piece on how the number 47 played an important role in Star Trek (we are a numbers show after all!) Check it out here:http://www.marketplace.org/2016/09/07/world/star-trek-and-47-conspiracymore from the Inside APMG Blog
Cube Crawl 2016 @Marketplace Los Angeles
Submitted by Jeni HatfieldMap by Kristina LopezCity Planners included: Jeni Hatfield, Raghu Manavalan, Kristina Lopez, Arjuna Soriano, Katie Long and Donna Tam If there is one thing us Angelinos agree on, it’s that we don’t agree on which local neighborhood is best. In all fairness, there are a lot. Los Angeles is known for its sprawling, quilt-like patches of neighborhoods—each with its own vibe. And where you eat, play and live is taken very seriously.
One afternoon here at the LA office, a casual conversation began among coworkers as we jokingly compared the cubicle sprawl of the office to the sprawl of the city’s neighborhoods. And much like actual LA, it can be tough and daunting (thanks, traffic!) to leave your own neighborhood. If you have not paid a visit to the Downtown LA office shared by Marketplace and Dinner Party Download, picture a complicated maze of corridors and cube areas. With some recent seating changes, it can be confusing to staff as well as guests.A few jokes and one Slack channel later, and a full-fledged conversation imagining our office space as city neighborhoods took on a life of its own. A healthy debate ensued. Deep analysis and inspired arguments filled the Slack channel for naming areas of the office after real life neighborhoods based on our own internal geography and vibes. This is public radio, after all. The result? A carefully planned office map – complete with “metro stops” at each major seating section. Plus the ability to say: “Oh, that reporter sits over in Highland Park! Just walk through Koreatown and hang a right in Silverlake.”
To inaugurate our new office neighborhoods, we took another page from the city and decided to host a public Cube Crawl. Each area brought some treats representing their neighborhood, and we gathered at 9:45 AM one Monday morning at the Studio City/North Hollywood stop to begin. Everyone received their official Marketplace tote bag and started sampling the goodies as we followed the map. And the neighborhoods did not disappoint. From candy sushi to represent Studio City’s sushi row and tamales in Culver City to trendy La Croix at LA’s original hipster neighborhood of Silverlake. Along the way we placed an official city sign in each area and had fun visiting each other’s neighborhoods.Talks of a Fall Cube Crawl are already in the works. And if any local residents want to change the name of their neighborhood, they can always take it up with the “Zoning Commission” on Slack.
Intern Highlight: Will Craft
submitted by Sarah Eldred
What's it like to have worked on In The Dark, APM Reports' new podcast that hit the #1 spot on iTunes before the first full episode was even launched? Will Craft knows.As a data reporting intern, Will is on his second internship with APMG. He was working in California at KPCC as a data intern when,
“On the last day of my internship in September 2015, an email was sent out looking for a data reporting intern to start work with APM Reports (though we didn’t have the name at the time). I wanted to be an investigative reporter, and especially love using tech and computers, so I applied and moved out to Minnesota when I was offered the job.”
What's it take to be an investigative reporter? Will explains: “...it means learning how to ask the right questions, how to do research, and how to strategize and think through an investigation.” Also moving deeper into the context of the data behind the stories, “I’ve loved learning how sound can give a human voice to the data, and the data can give a breadth of context and support to the stories we’ve been working on.”
APM Reports is one of the younger members of the American Family Media Group family. Born in 2015, Editor-In-Chief Chris Worthington describes the purpose of its formation:
"The leaders at American Public Media decided to invest in investigative journalism and combine it with our documentary reporting for a number of reasons. Most important, immersive, fact-driven journalism is a critical public service. When Americans are more fully informed and insist on meaningful change, our democracy can work more reliably…But no matter the focus, at the heart of every important story we pursue will be a critical larger question – about systems or accountability within institutions – that Americans deserve to have answered with depth and commitment."
Dave Peters, Senior Editor of APM Reports and Craft’s supervisor, says “he’s gone toe-to-toe with the FBI and Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension over rural crime rates and delved into the surprisingly little known set of data about child kidnappings.” Peters adds, “Will has become our reporters’ go-to guy anytime we need to make sense of piles of information.”Along with contributing to In the Dark, Craft worked hard on the investigation of Mesabi Academy. His findings were released to the public and can be viewed here.
Peters explains:“For the reporting on Mesabi Academy in northern Minnesota, he built an interactive look-up table for maltreatment allegations at Minnesota’s juvenile justice institutions, making that data easily accessible to the public for the first time.”Will has certainly found his calling here at APMG. He is a valuable addition to the APM Reports team.“There have been so many great experiences in the past year, but the best experience is getting to sit back and absorb the knowledge of everyone I work with. Every so often, when I am in a meeting or listening to people work around me, I just think, ‘Wow, this is my job. I get paid to do this,’ which is pretty amazing.” We would say he is well on his way to becoming a phenomenal investigative reporter!more from the Inside APMG Blog
APM REPORTS LAUNCHES “IN THE DARK” – A PODCAST ABOUT A CHILD ABDUCTION INVESTIGATION THAT CHANGED THE NATION
First two episodes of eight-part series available on Sept. 7
September 7, 2016 – St. Paul, Minn. – The 27-year investigation into the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling ended yesterday, but in the wake of the confession from a man who lived within 40 miles from where Jacob was taken, many are left asking, “why did this take so long?” In the most comprehensive reporting on this case, American Public Media’s investigative and documentary unit, APM Reports, reveals how law enforcement mishandled one of the most notorious child abductions and why it matters.The reporti
ng, led by award-winning journalist Madeleine Baran and done over a period of nine months, will be shared in an eight-episode weekly podcast series, “In the Dark,” beginning Sept. 7. Originally slated to be released Sept. 13, due to the news of the past week, episodes 1 and 2 now will be released on Sept. 7, and episode 3 will be available Sept. 12. The remaining episodes will drop weekly.“In the Dark” takes a close look at the quality of the investigation that reveals a story that until now has not been told. The Jacob Wetterling case wasn’t just any child abduction. Not only did it fuel national anxiety about stranger danger, it also led to a federal law that requires all states to maintain registries of sex offenders.“While this case has been covered locally and nationally, no one has really gone in depth about the investigation itself,” said Chris Worthington, APM Reports’ editor-in-chief. “There is much to learn from this case – one that left Minnesota reeling and the nation watching.”The podcast will be released weekly starting on Sept. 7 and is available on iTunes.APM Reports, formed in November 2015, is a collection of investigative journalists and documentary producers, editors, researchers and digital producers dedicated to producing high quality reporting on issues that are often hidden from public view.
###
APM REPORTS LAUNCHES “IN THE DARK” – A PODCAST ABOUT A CHILD ABDUCTION INVESTIGATION THAT CHANGED THE NATION
In podcast, American Public Media’s investigative journalists ask:“Why Hasn’t Jacob Wetterling Been Found?”
August 29, 2016 – St. Paul, Minn. – In the 27 years since Jacob Wetterling was abducted in rural Minnesota, the investigation has yielded no answers about what happened to Jacob. Neither the abductor nor Jacob has been found. In the most comprehensive reporting on this case, American Public Media’s investigative and documentary unit, APM Reports, reveals how law enforcement has mishandled one of the most notorious child abductions and why it matters.The Jacob Wetterling case wasn’t just any child abduction. Not only did it fuel national anxiety about stranger danger, it also led to a federal law that requires all states to maintain registries of sex offenders.The reporting, led by award-winning journalist Madeleine Baran, will be shared in an eight-episode weekly podcast series, “In the Dark,” beginning Sept. 13. APM Reports takes a close look at the quality of the investigation that reveals a story that until now has not been told.“While this case has been covered locally and nationally, no one has really gone in depth about the investigation itself,” said Chris Worthington, APM Reports’ editor-in-chief. “We wanted to examine what went wrong and why this case has not been solved. And most importantly, why Jacob Wetterling hasn’t been found.”The podcast will be released weekly starting on Sept. 13 and is available on iTunes.APM Reports, formed in November 2015, is a collection of investigative journalists and documentary producers, editors, researchers and digital producers dedicated to producing high quality reporting on issues that are often hidden from public view.
###
Community Voices: St. Paul's Rondo Neighborhood, Moving Forward
"It’s a powerful experience to give voice to people who aren’t heard on their terms, sitting in their neighborhood and from their point of view on ways they are moving forward following this story." - Kate Moos, Director, News Content Development
Philando Castile, a 32-year-old black man, was killed during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, MN on July 6th, 2016. Minnesotans, especially the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul where Castile grew up and worked, were deeply impacted by his death.
MPR's Counter Stories team paired with Tom Weber to take their regular conversation "by people of color, for people of color" to the neighborhood most deeply affected by Mr. Castille's death. On August 10 they broadcast a live show from the Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe, in the center of the Rondo neighborhood.Members of St. Paul’s African-American community and their allies joined Tom Weber and Counter Stories co-hosts Anthony Galloway, Luz Maria Frias, Don Eubanks and Hlee Lee for a conversation about whether and how events like the Philando Castile shooting move Minnesota toward racial awareness and change.Community elders like Macalester College professor Mahmoud el-Kati and leaders like St. Paul Central High School principal Mary Mackbee joined with Rondo community members in a the discussion.
Nancy Cassutt began her role as Executive Director of MPR News earlier this year. She stepped in to lead a successful, well-established newsroom at a time when disruptive technology is a daily challenge for journalists. But while the media landscape constantly shifting, Cassutt knows one thing for sure: our communities must see and hear themselves reflected in our programming or we're not carrying out the mission of public radio."These relationships and connections are critical as we build more content around community-centered needs and voices," says Cassutt. "[MPR] dropped an ISDN line at the Golden Thyme for future use. We will definitely be back!" 
Intern Highlight Two-For-One: Jackie Lawyer and Afua Paintsil
submitted by Sarah EldredMinnesota Public Radio's 50th anniversary is right around the corner. Just a few months ago, Ali Lozoff was chosen to organize this benchmark year with celebrations, events and programs. Interns Jackie Lawyer and Afua Paintsil were hired to jump-start this enormous project.Jackie Lawyer is beginning her sophomore year at the University of Pennsylvania in just a few days. She applied for the internship because she “thought that the skills learned and practiced here would be applicable to an undertaking I have waiting for me when I head back to school.”“I'm learning a lot about the specifics of the archival process, which, before this internship, really only extended as far as the fact that fingerprints and pictures are not friends.” On a more serious note, “I've managed to absorb that way of holding one's self for when I actually exit my college student bubble and enter the real world. The project itself has allowed me to view the company's history in photos, and I can assure you the saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ is definitely an average--some of them get your brain going and produce far more than a thousand words, and others just leave you with no words whatsoever.”
Just recently, Jackie and Afua showcased the culmination of their summer’s work. They oversaw a multi-day review of all the photos spanning 50 years which was open to the company to enjoy and comment. “Hearing all the stories behind all the pictures I've become so familiar with over the past month or so has been so much fun and I'm so glad to have helped create a space for people to relive the moments captured in these pictures,” said Lawyer.Paintsil had this to say about the photo review, “This past week has been very memorable just because I didn’t imagine our work would bring so much joy to employees. There was such a great energy in the room, everyone was just so happy to look through old photos or connect with people they don’t always see because they’re in different areas, it was like a class reunion.”Aside from the new skills she gained during the past few months, Afua treasured the time she had with Ali, “[she is] a great boss to have because she wants this to be more than an internship, but also a mentorship, so in the last few weeks she’s set up informational meetings for us and that’s been a great learning opportunity for me.”Both Lawyer and Paintsil had wonderful things to say about working with Margaret Bresnahan, Digital Media Coordinator in Broadcast Operations. Margaret agrees, “Jackie and Afua are whip smart and working with them has been a real treat. I look forward to the day they return to APMG to run the place as our COAs (Chief Officers of Awesome).”
At the suggestion of CEO Jon McTaggart, Lozoff was thrilled to have two interns rather than one, as originally planned. “[Jackie and Afua] were able to tackle the immense job of sorting through 50 years of documents and photographs to ready them for selection for the [commemorative] book. If they weren’t working together on the project, the task and being cooped up in the archives may have caused one of them to go a little stir crazy.”Interns are integral to APMG and so are great managers. Ali not only provided guidance in the archival process, but also designed additional learning opportunities. She explained: “Throughout the summer Jackie and Afua were able to work with and meet with a wide assortment of MPR staffers, affording them a glimpse into the working life of MPR. Since they are up close and personal with documents and images from the very founding days of the organization, it’s been great for them to see how this place functions day to day and has grown into what it is. Thanks to everyone who has taken time with them and explained how their individual roles contribute to MPR, and how they chose the career path they did.”And to reiterate the importance of being open to new experiences, Lozoff had this to say about her two interns, “As far as Jackie and Afua go – I couldn’t imagine selecting better candidates for this position. They are smart, self-sufficient, problem-solvers with positive attitudes and a curiosity about all things MPR. They’ve taken advantage of Slack channels, ticket offers, Church lunch, and social meet-ups to integrate themselves into #MPRLife in the short time they’ve been here. It’s been a delight. I only hope they are taking lessons from beyond the archives back to school with them.”more from the Inside APMG Blog
Intern Highlight: Emily Haavik
Intern Highlights are (you guessed it!) a series of posts about the experiences of APMG's interns.submitted by Sarah Eldred
(Summer 2016) Emily Haavik graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2012 with a degree in journalism. And like so many of us decided to check out a completely different field, advertising. After that flirtation was over, she worked at a television station in Duluth as a news producer and reporter for a couple years. Haavik wanted to switch to public radio so she applied for the American Radio Works internship to learn more about investigative work and long-form journalism. Her UMD journalism prof (and APM Reports Editor) Catherine Winter endorsed her as a 'gem'.Haavik has observed this of reporters and producers here at APMG, “They demonstrate how to treat sources with respect, tell their stories in honest and compelling ways, and become educated on new topics quickly and thoroughly.Emily says she's “getting much better at finding buried information” and “practicing not taking no for an answer.”She has worked closely with Sasha Aslanian on this story.
Regarding Sasha, Emily says: Sasha has consistently given me opportunities to take ownership and push myself with new challenges. One that stands out is being sent to Illinois to conduct a prison interview. The fact that she and our bosses trusted me with an interview we’d only have one shot at -- not to mention lugging their expensive gear around Chicago -- meant a lot to me.
Emily’s reporting on trafficking will also be featured on an upcoming episode of Reveal.
more from the Inside APMG Blog
Intern Highlight: Greta Hallberg
Summer's winding down... and so is the work of some our talented summer interns. But before they're off on their next adventures, we'd like to share a few of their experiences.
In her own words, here's Marketplace intern Greta Hallberg:
“I just graduated from Miami University (Ohio) with a degree in Journalism and Economics. Marketplace is kind of the perfect mashup of my majors, and I love politics so I knew I wanted to be in DC. I’ve always been a huge public radio fan—I grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, where the public radio culture is top notch. I’ve always been attracted to telling stories in sound and interning here has been a great opportunity to do so.”
“So here’s kind of a cool picture from when I was out in the field gathering some audio for the Marketplace poll stories. We went into a suburban barber shop to interview some people about how they feel about the economy. The owner had a kid and his buddy helping out in the shop and they ended up playing with some of the audio equipment. Hands down one of my favorite days on the job!”
And from her colleague Kimberly Adams:
“Greta fits right in with us political nerds in the DC Bureau. She keeps us on top of the campaign schedules in this crazy political season, and brings lots of fresh angles to our coverage. We never worry about sending her out into the field to gather tape for a story, and she regularly helps us find great sources on tight deadlines. I’m excited to see what Greta does next!”
MPR is my friend...
There's something special about working for an organization that inspires this...
Unity, Healing and Gratitude: The Work of Classical MPR's Bridge of Song
There's a culture of gratitude at APMG.It often shows up in the form of an all-staff email from one of our leaders, calling out a team or an individual's great work. While many of us have a love/hate relationship with email, our employees are spread all over the U.S. (and beyond). We work 24/7. We can't always connect in-person, so we use the available tools.Below are two great examples, highlighting Classical MPR's Bridge of Song, an evening of song and reflection after recent violence in the Twin Cities, Dallas, Baton Rouge and other communities. Our work touches many lives... and of course, our own. We are emotionally involved and we hope this translates to the audience.
All-Staff Email From Dave Kansas, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer on July 15, 2016: Earlier this week, Brian Newhouse, head of our Classical Music group, saw that Dallas planned to do a community sing July 14 to bring people together as that city tries to come together following the recent shooting of police officers. He immediately imagined that our own community, grappling with the police shooting of Philando Castile, could potentially join up with Dallas and create an event that connected two places and their people at a crucial time. Brian wrote: “Music and beauty are powerful agents of unity. And if enough of us make that so, if enough of us declare that we seek to make the world a better place with the tools at hand... that's what we need now. So...”
Following that “So…” Brian and many others across the organization came together to pull off a great event in short order. Similar to how we responded to the untimely passing of Prince, we moved nimbly to provide an important space and moment for our community.All that effort culminated when Classical MPR packed Westminster Presbyterian last night with nearly 1800 people who wanted to join our “Bridge of Song” event. The event provided time in these tumultuous days for our community to rest, grieve, seek hope, and connect through singing. We fed it to Facebook Live as well, and thousands from all over the country and beyond joined in via that feed.All this to get at the essence of the MPR mission:
“…to enrich the mind and nourish the spirit, thereby enhancing the lives and expanding the perspectives of our audiences, and assisting them in strengthening their communities.”
The magic moment in the evening was a literal ‘bridge of song’ in which the Westminster crowd – linked via audio/video – sang the same song of hope with the crowd gathered at the companion event in Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. If you missed it, it’s all here: http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2016/07/15/bridgeofsong-helps-create-community-bonds
Along with thanking Brian, I want to thank and recognize for extraordinary, high-speed work:
- Classical: Vaughn Ormseth, Tesfa Wondemagegnehu
- The entire Operations team, especially Zack Rose, Erik Stromstrad, and Corey Schreppel
- Digital: Brett Baldwin, Luke Taylor, Dan Nass, Nate Ryan
- Marketing and PR: Jen Keavy, Angie Andresen, Jill Weflen; and Creative Services for design work
- Legal and Business Affairs: Christie Healy, Char Arends
- Live Events: Jeff and Ellie, Rose Martin
- Community Engagement: Ka Vang
All-Staff Email from Randi Yoder, Chief Development Officer on July 15: It was a remarkable evening, full of beautiful music, harmony and surprise appearances – all made possible because we have deep relationships in the community that give us the opportunity to call on short notice and make wonderful things happen.
Imagine the joy of singing in concert with an equally engaged group in Dallas. I was so proud to see Brian, Tesfa, Dessa and others attached to us, at the front of the room. And the applause for these folks who are highly recognized in our community went on and on. Thank you, team, for making this very special event possible for so many to enjoy and be a part of it. On the way out I heard someone say: “ these days, we need one of these every day!”
The Power of Listening: Audience, Employees, and Community Partners Tackle Women's Financial Security
Written by Linda Miller Director, Network Journalism and InclusionMPR News recently partnered with the Twin Cities chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) to host Women Empowering Women: A Conversation About Financial Security at MPR's UBS Forum in downtown St. Paul.The idea for the June 29 event came from a Public Insight Network questionnaire that asked women how they are doing financially and what would help them do better. We heard from women working to overcome student loan debt, pay for childcare, save for retirement, live within their means, confront bias in the workplace, and have difficult conversations with loved ones about finances. We also heard from women with a lot of knowledge to share - about setting financial goals, creating budgets, negotiating a raise and eliminating credit card debt.Their insights sparked interesting on-air conversations with MPR listeners – something that is common for PIN sources to do. But when we asked the 170+ women what they wanted, the response, overwhelmingly, was to be in conversation with other women.Convening conversations is something that is second nature to MPR. Our show hosts do this every day, as do our digital and social media producers. And we have a strong track record of hosting community engagement events like Policy and a Pint, Talking Volumes, the Top Coast Festival and Conversations on the Creative Economy.Most often we invite authors, academics, journalists, politicos, pundits, thought leaders or other authoritative experts to answer questions, provide commentary and, in some cases, dole out advice. Here, however, women were asking for something different: an opportunity to learn from each other.To understand how a conversation like this might play out, we used the questions from the PIN survey to spark discussions among professionals at MPR through our Women's Employee Resource Group. Our conversations were deep, illuminating and cathartic, and many of us learned more about each other in two hours of conversation than we had in years of working together.Inspired, we reached out to our friends at NABA and asked if they would co-sponsor an event and help recruit their members to attend. About 25 women of diverse professional and personal backgrounds signed up and showed up, including a few MPR employees.
Arts reporter Marianne Combs, co-chair of the MPR Women’s ERG, and PIN engagement and inclusion manager Annie Anderson facilitated the two-hour-long workshop, which started with networking and a Jamaican dinner catered by Pimento in Minneapolis. We did not record the event for broadcast, live-blog, stream or tweet it. But we did establish some values to guide our discussions:1) Everyone is an expert in her own lived experience.2) Everyone has insight to share.3) When you are curious, you cannot be judgmental.4) To be inclusive means to listen.We spent an hour circulating among tables labeled with topics the women most wanted to discuss, starting each conversation by sharing stories about steps we had taken to better understand or improve our financial futures.We spoke about our relationship to money and the role money plays in our relationships. We talked about debt, divorce, and online tools for creating and maintaining a household budget. We talked health care, retirement planning and philanthropy, about obstacles we are facing and hardships we have overcome. And we talked about how to talk about all of these things with children, parents and spouses.At the end of the night, we reflected on what we had learned and pledged to take one more action, write it down in a “memo to self,” and seal it in a self-addressed envelope to be mailed back to us in 30 days. Several women lingered to continue their conversations and swap contact information, and many have since offered written feedback on the event itself.“It was really incredible to speak with other women and hear about their struggles,” wrote 31-year-old Kristin Campbell of Minneapolis. “Money is one of those things that no one talks about so it's easy to assume you're the only person who's made poor choices or been through rough times or that those times are permanent. Here was a group of women in various stages of their lives, all who have struggled and worked and made their financial situations better.”“It was reaffirming that most women seem to want the same thing--to have financial independence and to give back,” wrote Elizabeth Dickinson, a 56-year-old life coach and writer.Andrea Jauli, 28, said she learned a lot from the older women about planning for kids and retirement, and she has since connected with women she met at the event. Next time, she suggested, build in more time for women to network.Speaking of next time, all of the women who have provided feedback so far would like MPR to host more events like this on topics ranging from gender equality at work to parenting for safety to empowering female heads of households to cultivating a practical spirituality.One of my big takeaways is that, by creating safe spaces for people to share their insights, especially on taboo topics like finances, Minnesota Public Radio can create learning opportunities with the potential to change the way we relate to one another. The experience also reaffirmed the founding principle of PIN®: It’s amazing what people will tell you if you bother to ask, and remarkable what we all can learn if we take the time to listen.
Linda Miller became a journalist in the small towns of Wyoming, where newspapers were pieced together with hot wax and held together by trust, transparency and a partnership with readers. As the Director of Network Journalism and Inclusion, she is still helping journalists deepen relationships with the communities they serve, albeit with better technology.
Public Radio Inclusion: First, We Must “Do The Numbers”
Submitted by Linda MillerDirector, Network Journalism and InclusionAt American Public Media, we understand our viability depends on our ability to rapidly expand efforts to become as relevant to emerging audiences as we are to our loyal listeners and members today, and to ensure that the faces, voices and programming of Minnesota Public Radio are inclusive of the communities and individuals who call our state and country home.As part of that effort, we recently hired Eric Garcia McKinley to the newly created position of Senior Research Analyst for Engagement and Inclusion, a position funded through the American Council of Learned Societies Public Fellows program.Starting Aug. 1, McKinley will help us develop and implement a system to measure and track the race, gender, age, religion and political persuasion of news sources throughout both broadcast and digital MPRNews content, and to grow, diversify, and use the Public Insight Network (PIN) to drive more inclusive content and programming.McKinley has a PhD in history from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During his interviews, he demonstrated a deep commitment to data-driven analysis, diversity and inclusion in his research, teaching and writing, as well as a passion for storytelling, context and the broad mission of public media.Our goal is not to build a bigger network of sources. It’s to know whose voices are being included and excluded and to use this research as a catalyst for a broader conversation about what topics we choose to cover, who we choose to hire, the importance of cultural competence, and how we can and must do better.As NPR’s chief diversity officer, Keith Woods, so aptly put it: [Public media’s] diversity deficit may be a complex problem, but the path to solving it is pretty clear: Find out how we’re doing, figure out why it’s turning out that way and do something bold to change it.”In the article below, Keith describes the myriad of factors that play into public radio's diversity deficit in clear terms. Clear, but not easy. Read on for a system-wide perspective on what's needed for public radio to truly serve the public. http://current.org/2016/07/focus-on-sources-race-wont-be-enough-to-close-public-radios-diversity-deficit/
Marketplace Presents “Politics Inside Out” Podcast
Pop-up Podcast will cover the conventions throughthe lens of Insiders & Outsiders
(Jul
y 15, 2016)-- LOS ANGELES-- Marketplace will produce a two-week “pop-up” podcast as part of its coverage of the Republican and Democratic national conventions, starting on Monday, July 18, in Cleveland. As both parties have seen internal tensions play out between “insiders and outsiders” this cycle , the stale divisions of “left versus right” and “big government versus small” are gone. This daily podcast will take the modern lens of “outsiders versus insiders” to examine questions from who is being left out of the economy or government, to who are the winners and losers in this global economy, and how people’s lives are affected by their level of access to political power. Rather than just focus on play-by-play convention coverage, Marketplace believes that focusing on the human aspect of politics and socio-economic issues will deepen listeners’ understanding of why this “outsider versus insider” dynamic has so forcefully come to fruition.According to Washington, DC Bureau Chief Andrea Seabrook, “Our latest Marketplace-Edison Research poll shows that most Americans think the economy is rigged. Put that perception together with increasing income inequality and you get an insider versus outsider view of political and economic systems.” Seabrook says, “We want to push ourselves and our stories out of the convention bubble, and bring Americans’ questions in. Marketplace aims to both describe this generational shift in politics and economics, and work to bridge it.“Politics Inside Out” is an eight to ten minute podcast produced by Marketplace and hosted by Seabrook. It will include interviews at the conventions, conversations with Marketplace hosts including Kai Ryssdal and David Brancaccio, and real-time observations from DC reporters Nancy Marshall-Genzer and Kimberly Adams.
###
APM Wins Academy of Podcasters Awards
In Memoriam: Toni Randolph
This week we're mourning the sudden loss of our dear colleague, veteran journalist Toni Randolph.Toni's work impacted so many people... the outpouring of memorials offer us some insight into the depth of Toni's impact and the strength of her relationships.We're sharing just a few of them below.
Excerpts from Toni's full obituary at mprnews.org:
"She was crucial in her work connecting us to new audiences around the state and training the next generation of young reporters," MPR News executive editor Nancy Cassutt wrote to staff on Sunday.
She had a special devotion to young journalists — and steered the stories and reporting of countless high school and college students through MPR News' Young Reporters Series and the University of St. Thomas' ThreeSixty Journalism high school program, whose board she joined in February. At the time of her death, she was in the midst of preparing for the fall season of Generation Next's [sic] young journalist classes. Her Young Reporters Series was honored with a 2015 Gracie Award by the Alliance for Women in Media.
"Just as Toni inspired countless young people, she has been one of the strongest voices for diversifying newsrooms — including our own," Cassutt said Sunday. "May we all follow Toni's example and build on her amazing legacy."
Excerpt from Insight News:
“Toni embodied the true mission of NABJ by working to diversify public radio and by serving as a mentor to countless numbers of young NABJers,” said National Association of Black Journalists President Sarah Glover. “On behalf of the entire NABJ family, our heartfelt sympathies go out to those who loved her. Her memory will continue on through the lives that she has impacted.”
Excerpt from We Know How This Ends: Living While Dying, written by MPR colleague Cathy Wurzer:
This morning, as I stood in front of Toni Randolph's desk, I noticed a small turtle, carved from a piece of pipestone, just above her computer keyboard.
The pipestone is sacred to Native Americans and the turtle spirit symbolic of health and longevity. It's hard shell signifying protection and perseverance. Ultimately Toni wasn't blessed with longevity nor protected from the ravages of cancer, but she leaves behind a bright legacy, certainly in the body of work she created, but most importantly in the people she helped nurture and mentor.
Finally, words from Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, via mprnews.org:
Lt. Governor Smith and I extend our deepest condolences to the family, many friends, and colleagues of Toni Randolph as they grieve their tragic loss. During her 13 years with Minnesota Public Radio, Ms. Randolph told the stories of our citizens and communities, which contributed greatly to the recognition of our shared values and aspirations. The many young journalists, whom she inspired and mentored, will continue her legacy through their own careers for many years to come.
Photo and words by Cathy Wurzer: This is Toni Randolph's desk in the Minnesota Public Radio newsroom. It is filled with notes, files and the other detritus accumulated by a news editor. It looks as if Toni will come back at any time, settling in behind the keyboard to edit newscasts and reporter's stories, especially the stories of the fledgling reporters she loved to work with. Toni was a valued mentor and a champion of including more ethnically diverse voices in our stories and in the newsroom.
Making Space for Real Lives at Work
"We want employees to feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work."
This is the latest in a long line of inclusion phrases trending in the Diversity & Inclusion field. In plain language, it means something like "We don't discriminate. In fact, we actually accept people's differences. No, really!"
A lot of folks take issue with this sentiment. First of all, it assumes that bringing your whole self to work is a good idea. (I mean, there are parts of my self even I don't like! Why bring them to work?) Setting that debate aside, I suspect most people don't really want to bring their whole selves anywhere. We have different Selves for different situations, and that's okay, thank-you-very-much. It's why we're not all wearing pajamas right now.
Secondly, most of us don't get to choose who we work with. We're surrounded by people we don't know, or don't know well, or know but wish we didn't. And then there's the power dynamic. Naturally, work isn't always going to feel like a safe place to show one's Self - particularly one's vulnerabilities.
I can count the number of times I've cried at work on one hand. Only once have I not felt completely mortified.That moment was Tuesday afternoon, June 14, 2016, when our staff gathered to talk about the tragic shootings in Orlando and how they were personally affected. For me, this gathering brought the effects of Orlando's violence into sharper relief. It was painful, humbling and hopeful. I am grateful for the brave colleagues who shared their personal stories.
That day I was reminded that we can't *not* bring our whole selves to work. We can hide certain parts, but that's living a lie. If that's not compelling, just think of how much energy is wasted pretending! That's why it's important to work somewhere that gets it - or is at least trying. By the way, even though (and maybe because) I work in human resources, I'm the first to acknowledge that this organization doesn't always get it. But I think if your workplace says it values inclusion and wants you to "bring your whole self to work," that's a call to action for everyone. It's up to all of us to create that culture, one vulnerable moment at a time.
Thanks to MPR employee Annie Anderson for sharing her personal take on our employee gathering below. She also wrote about the Orlando shootings for MPR News.
I returned to work on the Monday after the Pulse nightclub shootings in Orlando with a heavy heart. I wasn't sure how I was going to get through my workday. My manager, per usual, was outstanding and told me to do what I needed throughout the day to get through it - whether that meant leaving early or diving deep into my work.I knew I had colleagues feeling similarly and I was really hoping we could come together in some way. To do or say what, I didn't know, but to be together to honor the victims and hold space for ourselves.Late that afternoon I had an idea of how this could maybe happen, so I walked down to find the executive sponsor of our LGBTQ Employee Resource Group to pitch my idea. She was away from her desk and I was leaving in an hour. I popped into her colleague's office to see if we could get momentum going. My idea was to provide some sweet treat to employees as they walked into work the next day with a message of acknowledgement that some may have heavy hearts and that APM/MPR recognizes that. Simple really, but I felt it could be incredibly meaningful. But I also knew that if it didn't happen on Tuesday that it shouldn't happen at all.APM can move really fast on a good idea. Tuesday afternoon we had a gathering in our forum space for all employees to acknowledge the hate in Orlando by breaking bread with one another. The bread came from a wide variety of bakeries from around town, many of them representing breads from their home countries. Our COO had sent an email earlier in the day inviting everyone and simply holding space for people to feel what they were feeling. At the gathering, people were able to speak, eat, hug or listen. It was moving. It was cathartic. And it mattered that the organization I work for took this kind of care.
Marketplace Welcomes Andrea Seabrook as New Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief
Andrea Seabrook Joins Marketplace as its D.C. Bureau Chief
LOS ANGELES—June 21, 2016 — Today Marketplace is excited to welcome renowned journalist Andrea Seabrook as its new Washington, D.C. bureau chief. Seabrook is well-known to public radio listeners from her roles as NPR’s long-time Congressional Correspondent and as a host of its top shows, including All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, The Diane Rehm Show and Talk of the Nation.Seabrook also created the ground-breaking DecodeDC podcast in keen anticipation of the industry boom. The show covers politics beyond the familiar red and blue state construct, which happens to coincide with how Marketplace thinks through its coverage of financial and economic issues as they intersect with Washington and politics."I am thrilled to find a home among journalists who share her life-long goal: producing journalism that is accessible and conversational, while providing extraordinary depth and context," said Seabrook.
###