Keep an ear out for a project we are piloting later this month called Open Book Austin, which features first-person stories and perspectives not always reflected in the media.
Stephanie Federico, our digital news editor, came up with the concept after attending a journalism engagement workshop last year.
“The idea is to collect stories from neighborhoods that are underrepresented in the media and people who might not be familiar with KUT or NPR,” explains Federico. “We will air the stories on KUT during ‘Morning Edition’ with the goal of hosting a live storytelling event at the Cactus Cafe at some point.”
We collaborated with the Austin Public Library to identify library branches with diverse patrons and help us promote participation in the project. Federico and news staff came up with the theme – Tell us a story about something that changed your life – and made postcards inviting people to come to the libraries and record their stories with members of our news staff.
The Open Book Austin project is in the earliest stages and will likely evolve over time as we collect more stories and hear from listeners. In the meantime, stay tuned for some of the stories, which will air during the 9 a.m. hour later this month – as well as online – and tell us what you think.
