WYPR in Baltimore announced two staff changes.
Jonathan Blakley became CCO. Blakley joined WYPR in January as interim CCO after working as interim content director for WAMU in Washington, D.C. He has also been executive director of radio programming for KQED in San Francisco, PD for Minnesota Public Radio News and a senior producer for NPR.
Tyler Laporte was promoted to assistant PD for WTMD, a music station owned by WYPR. Laporte first joined WTMD in 2007 and has worked as an intern, host, programming assistant and music director. He left in 2013 to work for co-sign, an artist development agency, and returned in 2022.
Christine Louis joined New Hampshire Public Radio as VP of development.
Louis most recently worked as director of development for the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of New Hampshire. She also led development for the Tilton School, the Currier Museum of Art, the Greater Worcester Community Foundation and the Holderness School.
“In Christine, we’ve found an inspiring leader who knows New Hampshire and cares deeply about our state and NHPR’s public service mission,” said NHPR CEO Jim Schachter in a news release. ”Her skills and background in building and growing successful giving programs will be vital to fulfilling that mission.”
WHYY in Philadelphia announced several newsroom hires.
Bobbi Booker joined as a managing editor for PlanPhilly, a project that focuses on city planning and development. Booker previously worked as a music host and producer for WRTI in Philadelphia. She was also a reporter and columnist for the Philadelphia Tribune and an entertainment reporter for Philadelphia Weekly.
In addition, Jamila Bey joined the station as editorial director. She most recently worked as special projects editor for BET. She was also an editor and producer for NPR and a reporter for WESA in Pittsburgh.
Mark Eichmann was promoted to senior managing editor. Eichmann joined WHYY in 2008 after working as a reporter, correspondent, managing editor and news director for commercial station WILM in Wilmington, Del.
Eric Marsh Sr. stepped up to manager of the community and engagement team. His promotion follows two years leading WHYY’s N.I.C.E. (News & Information Community Exchange) program, which supports local content creators.
John Gonzalez was hired as senior operations manager in the news department. He formerly worked for the City of Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on Aging and as executive officer and director of operations at the Boys and Girls Club in Philadelphia.
Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza will rejoin WHYY later this month as a business reporter. She first worked for the station between 2010–13 as a freelance contributor. She most recently worked as a digital news editor at WYPR in Baltimore. She formerly covered the business beat for the San Antonio Business Journal and the McAllen Monitor in Texas and was an editor in Arizona and reporter in Louisiana.
The Chicago Sun-Times, the newspaper owned by Chicago Public Media, appointed three editorial leaders.
Dave Newbart was promoted to managing editor of news. Newbart, who most recently worked as interim managing editor, rejoined the Sun-Times in 2018 as a copy editor and was also a deputy editor. He had a separate run as a Sun-Times staff member from 1999–2012 when he worked as a reporter and assistant metro editor.
Paul Saltzman stepped up to deputy managing editor for enterprise and investigations. Saltzman most recently worked as editor for the Sunday paper. He joined the Sun-Times in 1999 as a deputy metro editor and later worked as metro editor.
Kaitlyn Jakola was hired as editorial director of strategy and operations. Jakola previously worked as managing editor of The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom that covers gun violence. She was also managing editor for Gizmodo, assistant managing editor for Insider and copy chief for Mic.
Content
Melissa Block, a special correspondent for NPR, announced on Twitter that she accepted a voluntary buyout from the network. She said she’ll stay on as a correspondent until the end of June, adding that she’ll start working as a guest host for All Things Considered later this month. She joined NPR in 1985 and co-hosted ATC from 2003–15.
Dave Mann was hired as a senior editor for The Marshall Project, the nonprofit newsroom that covers the criminal justice system. Mann most recently worked as a senior digital editor for APM Reports, the investigative reporting unit that was disbanded by American Public Media Group last year. Mann joined APM Reports in 2017 and also served as an editor for the In the Dark podcast before it was canceled and acquired by Condé Nast.
Austin Cross will take over Friday hosting duties for the morning program AirTalk, produced by LAist in Pasadena, Calif. Cross joined LAist in 2014 as a fill-in producer for AirTalk and has also worked as a producer for the station’s daily program Take Two. Larry Mantle, creator and current host of the program, will continue to host AirTalk Mondays through Thursdays. He will also continue to host “Film Week,” a Friday movie review and interview AirTalk segment. “I asked LAist management several months ago if I could cut my schedule by an hour a week,” said Mantle in a news release, adding that Cross is a “trusted and respected voice on our air.”
Lyndon German announced on Twitter that he was hired as a Hanover and Henrico counties reporter for VPM in Richmond, Va. German most recently worked as a breaking news reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch and was also a breaking news reporter for the Virginian-Pilot. He was a VPM intern in 2021.
Cassie Ordonio joined Hawaii Public Radio as a culture and arts reporter, according to an announcement on Twitter. Ordonio previously worked as a reporter for the Honolulu Civil Beat and was also a reporting intern for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Herb Trix, news director and host of All Things Considered and public-affairs show Midwest Week for WVIK in Rock Island, Ill., is retiring from the station June 1. Trix joined WVIK in 1987 after working for commercial stations in the region.
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