We 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 Rashied-Hyman 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!