In 2011, the Public Media Commons was conceived as a unique venue for public engagement located between two public media organizations. It was envisioned as a place for exercising democracy through debate, conversation, the arts, digital content and more. The unique, communal, non-commercial gathering place was completed in 2014 through a partnership between the Nine Network, St. Louis Public Radio, Grand Center, Inc. and community funders.
Julie Drizin has served as executive director of Current since 2015. Julie previously served as Director of the Journalism Center on Children and Families at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, where she taught undergraduates and managed the Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism. She has worked in and around public media for three decades, including stints with the Association of Independents in Radio, the National Center for Media Engagement, J-Lab, WETA and WXPN. An award-winning producer and innovator, Julie launched two successful national shows, Democracy Now! and NPR’s Justice Talking.