NPR will help develop ideas for 12 new podcasts, reporting series and audio projects from independent producers and member stations, the network announced Monday.
Earlier this year, NPR asked for pitches for its first Audio Storytelling Workshop, with a goal of developing “audio journalism that breaks traditional formats and reaches new audiences.”
The selected teams will spend three days at NPR headquarters in June to flesh out their ideas with help from mentors from public media, including people from NPR and outside the organization. “There will be hands-on training sessions, inspirational presentations and many opportunities to connect with other public media people,” a release said.
The network received over 100 submissions. Here are the 12 that were chosen:
Indie producer teams
Pita Juarez, Carla Chavarria and Dominique Medina (Arizona)
A podcast by Latino millennials that speaks to the issues of their generation.
Kelly Jones, Claire Tacon and Chioke I’Anson (Charlottesville, Virginia and Ontario, Canada)
A podcast that explores people’s life choices — and what could have happened to them if they’d gone down a different path.
Member station teams
KERA (Dallas, Texas)
A podcast that explores the medicines millions of people take but know very little about.
Team: Lauren Silverman (Health, Science & Tech Reporter) and Seema Yasmin (staff writer at The Dallas Morning News and former disease detective with the CDC)
WAMU (Washington, D.C.)
A fresh take on a public radio staple: a podcast rounding up the week’s news, taking listeners beyond the beltway with diverse and unexpected voices and topics.
Team: Alexandra Botti (Senior Producer, The Diane Rehm Show), Rebecca Kaufman (Senior Producer, The Diane Rehm Show) and Gracie McKenzie (Digital Producer, The Diane Rehm Show)
KALW (San Francisco)
A podcast where race, identity, fun, funk and journalism come together to go deep into issues about black identity that aren’t always openly discussedTeam: Leila Day (Producer/Reporter), Hana Baba (Producer/Reporter) and Julie Caine (Editor)
WLRN (Miami, Florida)
A multimedia reporting project about the mental health implications of gun violence against young people in Miami.
Team: Nadege Green (Reporter/Producer), Sammy Mack (Reporter/Producer) and Alicia Zuckerman (Editorial Director)
KPCC (Southern California)
A podcast about the Asian American experience, told through Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley.
Team: Fiona Ng (Producer), Josie Huang (Senior Reporter) and Lauren Osen (Senior Producer)
Wyoming Public Media and Utah Public Radio
A radio series about the gender parity problem in state legislatures — told from states that rank close to last in percentage of female legislators.
Team: Caroline Mary Ballard (Reporter/Host, Wyoming Public Media) and Jennifer Pemberton (Reporter/Host, Utah Public Radio)
Alaska Public Media
A podcast about Alaska, produced in collaboration with the state’s network of station newsrooms.
Team: Zachariah Hughes (reporter, producer, and podcast co-host), Emily Kwong (reporter, producer, podcast co-host) and Ben Matheson (reporter, data and web producer)
KYUK Public Radio (Bethel, Alaska)
Radio stories about the conflict between the world’s largest proposed gold mine and Alaska natives.
Team: Anna Rose MacArthur (English Language News Reporter)
KUT (Austin, Texas)
Audio stories from a pop-up bureau in a rapidly changing Austin neighborhood.
Team: Matt Largey (Managing Editor), Audrey McGlinchy (Reporter) and Syeda Hasan (Reporter)
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
An audio project about the shrinking population in West Virginia and the residents who are deciding to stay or go.
Team: Roxy Todd (Reporter and Producer for Inside Appalachia), Glynis Board (Reporter) and Crystal Collins (Digital Editor/Producer)