Next Generation Radio
KUOW – July 2018
We are finding, coaching and training public media’s next generation. This #nextgenradio project for six competitively selected, early-career journalists is created in partnership with KUOW Public Radio in Seattle.
Illustrations by Sylvia Li
Pawnee comic Howie Echo-Hawk wants to see you squirm
Howie Echo-Hawk’s “punishment comedy” draws on family stories, Pawnee oral tradition, and his experiences as an Indigenous man living in Seattle. Native folks love it. White liberal audiences don’t know what to do with it.
By Savannah Maher
One former drug user is on a mission to help the most vulnerable on Seattle’s streets
While maintaining her own sobriety, one woman works to change the lives of people experiencing homelessness and drug addiction.
By Jasmine Aguilera
The Duwamish isn’t just a river to this lifelong steward – it’s part of his family
The Duwamish River is almost invisible to most of the city of Seattle, but not for James Rassmussen.
By Min Xian
Erika Davis delivers hope for Puget Sound’s marginalized mothers
Erika Davis wants more black moms to receive postpartum care. As a doula, she supports the parents and family members who are going through the pregnancy and birth. For her, it’s deeply personal.
By Esmy Jimenez
That Brown girl cooks – and makes her name in the food business
Kristi Brown is the owner of That Brown Girl Cooks! For the past six years, her black-eyed pea hummus has been sold in Seattle grocery stores. What’s the secret ingredient? Love.
By Samantha Guzman
First she got the flu, then she needed an organ transplant
“Oh wow,” the doctor said, “she just won the lottery – in a bad way.” That started Jana Morelli’s nine year journey to a new heart.
By Monica Rivera
Our Reflections
For every project, we ask our students and fellows to share their thoughts on what they learned and how they grew. These are their reflections.
‘It allows us to just get to work’
Journalism is inherently painful. We write about the crime in our neighborhoods, wildfires burning across the state, the family who lost a child. And while not all stories are like this, some of the most powerful ones are about loss. But this week, I learned that just...
On finding an editor that will let me capitalize “Indigenous”
On Monday morning, my mentor Tristan Ahtone and I established a rule for my writing and reporting: anything that our Wampanoag and Kiowa families would roast us for should be scrapped. Or at least given a second look. Most of my writing about Indian Country has been...
Extending journalism skills beyond storytelling with Next Generation Radio
A lot of research was done during my application for Next Generation Radio. I read through the work produced by the fellows of the Early Career Project last year (including Stephanie Kuo’s, who turned out to be my mentor). I looked up what has been shared with the...
Sometimes the big idea just needs a little finessing
I like to say that I'm a dreamer. I come up with grand ideas for projects and stories. But I've learned that expectations aren't always reality. This week, I had a vision for how my story would turn out. And let's just say what I ended up with was not what I...
Returning to my journalism roots through Next Gen Radio
Meeting sources like Mikel Kowalcyk, Johnny Bousquet, and Armando Tellez is the reason I became a journalist in the first place. By speaking with them, I’m reminded that their stories are what should matter most to me—not views, clicks, retweets or office politics....
It’s all fun and games until Wednesday
My first listen felt like a scene straight out of "Rocky." After three hours of listening to my “sh*tty first draft” with my mentor and then my editor, I could have sworn I heard Tony from "Rocky 3" shout from the corner, “Throw in the towel. Throw in the damn towel.”...