DEI Update from KCUR & Classical KC
We reached out to Sarah Morris, General Manager, for an update on how the DEI work at KCUR & Classical KC has been progressing since joining Public Media for All. She offered the following.
What’s one DEI success you’ve had at your organization recently?
We have a lot more progress to make, but 4 of our last 5 hires/or promotions have been BIPOC. One helpful thing we do now is take a look at any candidates of color for any position and think creatively about other opportunities within the organization. So, if they are not ultimately selected for the job they applied, we keep them in our pipeline for future opportunities. That way we can reach out directly in recruiting when we have something that is a possibility.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned about DEI work at your organization?
Some of the well-intentioned systems that were set up through the university and the state can actually create barriers to hiring people of color. Ironically, the systems were set up to protect and ensure fair hiring practices by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race. But that prevents us from “taking race into consideration” as we evaluate candidates, even if we want to provide opportunities for a broader range of diverse candidates. One thing we can do is be more mindful when writing job descriptions and when determining the key metrics we evaluate in candidates. (For example, if we place highest priority on “public media experience” we risk missing potential BIPOC folks from adjacent industries.)
What resources and support does you need to improve DEI at your organization?
I raised this issue in the cohort meeting, but I think there should be ways we can pool some resources to hire consultants for some of the projects we all need help with. Much of that work is already being contracted across the country, and maybe there are a few firms we could engage to do multiple station studies, for instance.
Public Media for All will be working with the leaders of organizations that have joined us to model successes, share lessons learned, and get the support and resources they need to do this vital DEI work to ensure that public media serves everyone.
Louisville Public Media Joins PM4A
Stephen George, President of Louisville Public Media, offered the following about why they decided to participate.
“Louisville Public Media strives for a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion intended to embody and reflect our community, making our work richer and more resonant. We seek out and embrace people of all races, ethnicities and origins, heritages, characteristics and circumstances with intention in our work. Therefore, our staff, board of directors and community advisory board must fully reflect the community we serve.
For LPM to grow, we must embrace more of our community, more intentionally, where they are. For many years, mainstream media has promoted racist narratives and under-represented Black people and people of color in our coverage and on our staffs. LPM has long been committed to the core values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and we must work to live and promote those values every day. We commit to being an organization where similarities and difference are respected and celebrated, multiple perspectives and diversity of thought are embraced, and people are engaged in intercultural experiences. We acknowledge the challenges faced by people from historically marginalized groups and in our work, we seek to challenge systems of oppression.
We are proud to stand with our colleagues across public media in committing to an anti-racist future.”
Livingston Associates Joins PM4A
Adam Livingston offered the following about why they decided to participate.
"As the leading search firm in Public Media, the imperative lies with us, perhaps more than any other organization serving the industry, to ensure that the present and future of Public Media represents the remarkable ways that diversity makes our industry, and this nation, powerful. Our commitment to diversity has been foundational to work we do and will continue to be central to our work, moving forward. "
DEI Update from CapRadio
We reached out to Jun Reina, General Manager, for an update on how the DEI work at CapRadio has been progressing since joining Public Media for All. He offered the following.
What’s one DEI success you’ve had at your organization recently?
CapRadio has formed an affinity group to give team members of color a safe space to discuss issues related to DEI and to potentially transfer discussion into action for CapRadio’s DEI growth.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned about DEI work at your organization?
That change needs to be structural. We can’t simply hire more people of color. Our hiring practices, organizational documents, and communication all need to reflect the more equitable experience we’re aspiring to.
What resources and support does you need to improve DEI at your organization?
The work can’t be at the staff level alone. The Board needs to be fully invested in the work. Thankfully, we do have a Board that is willing to invest both their personal time and organizational resources to become a fully inclusive and equitable organization.
Additionally, CapRadio has created a tracking document to transparently share how they’re advancing towards Public Media for All’s DEI action items.
DEI Update from NHPR
We reached out to Jim Schachter, President & CEO, for an update on how the DEI work at NHPR has been progressing since joining Public Media for All. He offered the following.
What’s one DEI success you’ve had at your organization recently?
Building on an initiative to provide pandemic-related news to Spanish speakers in New Hampshire, we secured a Report for America position that will allow us to hire a bilingual reporter to engage with and cover the state’s growing Hispanic communities. We hope this will help us not just push reporting at these under-served residents but to produce journalism based on their concerns and interests. We’re working with an advisory board of Hispanic community leaders to develop our plans.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned about DEI work at your organization?
This work requires everyone’s engagement. Management has to give up control and invite not just the participation of frontline staff but their leadership. And management needs to invite the staff to hold it accountable.
What resources and support does you need to improve DEI at your organization?
We’ve been inspired by the DEI strategic plan shared by our colleagues at KUOW and the accountability report published by Louisville Public Media. As we develop similar documents, it would be helpful to know what other stations are doing to put a narrative to their DEI work.
Public Media for All will be working with the leaders of organizations that have joined us to model successes, share lessons learned, and get the support and resources they need to do this vital DEI work to ensure that public media serves everyone.