What has Will be up to?

One of my entries from June here earned the attention of leaders at American Public Media's Center for Innovation in Journalism. I wrote about my concern over Minnesota Public Radio's interest in their next generation of reporters and storytellers. Because of the critique that I leved with entry, I feared that I was in for it when one of them called me. It was cool, though I was told that they agreed with me wholy.

Also I have applied for Third Coast Audio Festival's (TCF) "minority" student scholarship, so that I may attend the October event with fewer expenses. We'll see what the gods decide about that. To prepare for TCF I filed a brief piece for their radio ephemera competition. Who wants to show up for the biggest radio storytelling event without something to share and "show?" Please listen to it here.

There's other news about my concern for people, voices and sensibilities of color in public media, especially public radio: my basic, but candid question to the DirectCurrent forum at Current.org was important enough for them to acknowledge and link to it. I had to ask why so few people, of color and not of color, knew how well public media are doing in recruiting and hiring people of color. One crisis that remains is the terrible lack of programs that attract and reflect us.

Also, that experiment with the story what would commemorate Malcolm X's 83rd birth is still in flux. You can keep calling it an experiment! I could have been kinder and gentler on myself, and not opted for a seven-minute cut, but X's legacy receives too little due from people; I will not be one of them.