Krishnadev Calamur was promoted to chief Washington editor for NPR.
Calamur most recently worked as acting chief Washington editor. He succeeds Shirley Henry, who was promoted to deputy managing editor for recruitment and development last year.
Calamur first joined NPR in 2008 as a reporter and editor. He left in 2015 to be a senior editor for The Atlantic, then returned to NPR in 2019 as deputy Washington editor. Calamur has also been international security editor for United Press International.
Arnie Seipel, who has been acting deputy Washington editor, will continue in that role as Krishnadev builds a management team, according to a staff memo from VP and Executive Editor Edith Chapin and Managing Editor Terence Samuel.
Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting announced several hires.
- Kate Howard was hired as an investigative editor. Howard most recently worked as managing editor for the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, an initiative led by Louisville Public Media.
- Maryam Saleh joins as an investigative editor. Saleh most recently worked as features editor for The Intercept.
- Ese Olumhense will be an investigative reporter. Olumhense previously worked as senior editor/reporter for City Limits, a nonprofit publication in New York City.
- Cassandra Jaramillo joins as an investigative reporter. Jaramillo was a police reporter for The Dallas Morning News.
- Kassie Navarro became director of audience development. Navarro was the founding social editor for The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom.
- Jess Alvarenga was hired as an associate producer. Alvarenga was an associate producer for the Futuro Media Group.
Emma Eun-joo Choi is the host of Everyone & Their Mom, a podcast produced by NPR.
The weekly podcast will feature “anyone including comedians, Marvin Gaye impersonators, or your parents” stopping by to talk about the news, according to NPR. The new program is under the umbrella of long-running quiz show Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!
Choi, a comic and writer, joined the quiz show as an intern last year and most recently worked as a news assistant helping run Wait Wait’s Instagram account. She will graduate from Harvard University next year “with a major in English and a minor in tomfoolery,” according to her NPR bio.
In an interview with The Boston Globe, Choi was noted as NPR’s youngest host at 22. “I’m really excited at the prospect of NPR being a new comedy space — like how Tiny Desk is a space for music,” Choi told the newspaper. “Our base demographic is definitely my parents’ demographic, which is not a bad thing at all, but a lot of people like me grew up listening to ‘Wait Wait,’ and now we can choose our own content.”
WBGO in Newark, N.J., announced music program changes.
Pat Prescott was hired as host of Favorite Things, a new weekday afternoon program. Prescott most recently worked as a host for 94.7 The Wave, a commercial station in Los Angeles.
Rhythm Revue host Felix Hernandez will have increased programming, going from four hours to six, starting at its usual 10 a.m. time slot Saturdays. The program will also have a new second shift on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
Lezlie Harrison will host increased hours of Come Sunday, going from two hours to four, starting at 8 a.m. Sundays.
Content
Sharon McNary is retiring as a correspondent covering mental and physical health for Southern California Public Radio. “It’s been a great run!” McNary said on Twitter. “I’m becoming a full-time recreational athlete, cook, gardener and textile artist. I’ll soon close this news-related account and continue as my real self at @IronCharo. See you there.” McNary joined the station in 2009 as a politics reporter and was also an infrastructure correspondent.
Nick Blumberg was promoted to on-air and digital reporter for Chicago Tonight, produced by WTTW. Blumberg joined WTTW in 2014 as a producer and has appeared on the air since 2016. He has also been a reporter and producer for KJZZ in Phoenix and a production coordinator for Futuro Media Group.
Tyler Thompson was hired as a reporter and on-air host for WOSU Public Media in Columbus, Ohio. Thompson previously worked as a reporter and Morning Edition host for KDLG in Dillingham, Alaska. He has also been a reporter for the Bristol Bay Times in Dillingham.
Jay Gabler left his position as digital producer for The Current in St. Paul, Minn., to become an arts and entertainment reporter for the Duluth News Tribune in Minnesota. Gabler joined The Current in 2013.
Fellowships
The Association of Independents in Radio and the Editors Collective selected the second class of 10 fellows for Edit Mode, a training program designed to increase diversity in audio editing. Each fellow will receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in six weeks of training, followed by four weeks of mentorship before completing a project for publication. The fellows are:
- Erisa Apantaku, a producer for the Invisible Institute, a podcast company based in Chicago.
- Tracy Egbas, an associate producer for Wondery. She previously worked as a producer’s assistant for Religion of Sports.
- Bethel Habte, a producer and associate editor for Gimlet Media. Habte previously worked as an associate producer for Radiolab.
- Chris Hambrick, a producer for Spooked, a podcast for Snap Judgment. She was a reporter and producer for KALW in San Francisco.
- Carolina Hidalgo, a producer for the Radio Rookies program for WNYC in New York City. Hidalgo has also been a photojournalist and reporter for St. Louis Public Radio and is a mentor for NPR’s Next Generation Radio program.
- Nicole Kelly, a producer who has edited narrative audio for Vice, The Believer and Transmitter Media.
- Jed Kim, co-creator of Million Bazillion, a podcast for kids produced by American Public Media. He has also been a host, reporter and producer for APM and environment reporter for KPCC in Pasadena, Calif.
- Rahima Nasa, an associate producer for Three Uncanny Four, a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment. Nasa has also been a producer for WNYC and a Tow Journalism Fellow for Frontline and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.
- Elena Rivera, a health reporter for KERA in Dallas. Rivera is the captain for AIR’s New Voices program.
- Laura Ubaté, a producer at Adonde Media. She was a host and producer for RTVC Sistema de Medios Públicos, a state-owned public media entity in Colombia.