Micah Loewinger
Co-host, ‘On the Media’
WNYC / New York Public Radio
Age: 31
In three words: Passionate, enthusiastic, collaborative
What colleagues say: It’s remarkable that such a young person helms one of the most respected long-running public radio shows on the air today. Micah got there by sheer hard work and determination. He climbed the ladder — from intern to assistant producer, associate to reporter and finally host — learning along the way.
As a digital native, he upends the old ways of doing things and brings fresh perspectives to the audience. Through clear and concise reporting, often happening in real time, Micah ensures the show continues to be an essential guide for our listeners as they navigate the media maelstrom.
What Micah says
Decision to work in public media: As a high school student living in D.C., I dreamed of becoming a music critic. I emailed Bob Boilen, creator of Tiny Desk Concerts, and he agreed to let me intern with NPR a couple of days a week. When I got to college, I began DJing at our student-run station, WNYU, where I would eventually become PD. I spent most of my free time at WNYU, using it as an opportunity to interview musicians and artists I liked. I fell in love with audio production and eventually switched my major to documentary studies.
After graduating I received a grant to intern at Bush Radio in Cape Town, South Africa, Africa’s oldest community radio station. It was there that I started to see public media as a participatory medium capable of bringing about social change. When I returned to the U.S. in 2015, I got an internship with WNYC and have been working here ever since.
Key accomplishments: Becoming co-host of On the Media! I’m proud of many stories that I’ve tackled, but my biggest scoop was related to my reporting on and leading up to January 6th. I tracked far-right militia organizing on a walkie-talkie called Zello for a year and ended up recording an Oath Keepers leader discussing her group’s plans as they stormed the Capitol. The government used this work as evidence in one of the biggest January 6th criminal investigations, in which I ended up testifying as a witness.
Inspired by: I’m most inspired by journalists and cultural critics on YouTube. While I don’t believe that the creator economy is an adequate replacement for local newsrooms, I’m continually impressed by deep-dive investigations from people like Coffeezilla, MegaLag, Hbomberguy and ContraPoints. A couple decades ago, their scoops and insights might have found a home in The New Yorker. Today, they’ve managed to create a sustainable model for reporting that reaches millions.
Advice for young public media professionals: Try to build an independent following through a newsletter, TikTok account, Bluesky or the like.
Advice for public media leaders: Ask your junior colleagues what media they consume and which personalities or influencers they follow. News consumption habits are evolving rapidly, particularly among young people — for better and for worse. The social media news ecosystem needs more seasoned media workers. Adapt as best you can.
