VP of content
PRX, Boston
Age: 33
In three words:: “Impactful, ambitious, motivating”
What colleagues say: Stephanie Kuo is a natural leader with keen expertise and a generous collaborator, with vision. To date, Stephanie has helped lead public media content accelerators focused on local journalism and children’s content with stations across the U.S. and a global podcast creation program for producers.
What Stephanie says
Decision to work in public media: After reading This American Life’s Radio: An Illustrated Guide, I switched my major from magazine to radio in my grad program at Columbia Journalism School. I was so moved by the intimate storytelling experience and energized by the act of making audio. After grad school, I spent nearly five years as a reporter and producer at KERA. My commitment deepened at KERA, as I saw firsthand the impact public media could have on communities and the critical importance of diversity in journalism. Public media, in my mind, remains the only place with enough soul and empathy for the human experience. It exists at the intersection of impact, mission and humanity.
Key accomplishments: The greatest and most meaningful accomplishment has been connecting with creators and leaders across the public media system. Learning from them and working together toward a future they are proud of for themselves and their stations has been invaluable.
Inspired by: The version of myself eight years ago, who was timid, uncertain and unconfident. I was severely underpaid, overworked and couldn’t see myself as a professional who could make a difference, let alone pay the bills. Maybe this is a self-centered answer, but I appreciate younger Stephanie for her diligence, humility and quiet hope. She aspired to do endless good for her peers, her community and her industry. I hold onto that idealism in everything I do.
Advice for young public media professionals: 1. Feedback is a gift. Ask for honest and constructive reflections of your work, and build the muscle to take that feedback in good faith. Work with people to set ground rules, emphasizing that you are all working toward a shared vision of healthy and happy working dynamics.
2. Invest time and intention early to avoid cleaning up mistakes, failures and miscommunications later. Your first idea isn’t going to be the best one, so sit with it, get feedback and iterate.
Advice for public media leaders: Let go. Don’t be so precious with your authority. Feedback goes both ways. Learning doesn’t stop just because you have a big title.
Funniest thing that’s happened on the job: This is a trap! Let’s just say I tried to leave work early once and the wrong thing ended up on air!
Profile photo: Christopher McIntosh