AUSTIN, Texas – Dec 2, 2019 – Journalist and digital content strategist Teresa Frontado will join KUT 90.5, Austin’s NPR Station, as executive editor in January.
Frontado will focus on strengthening the newsroom’s audience focus with an emphasis on engagement, digital innovation, diversity, accountability reporting and the storytelling that is distinctive to public radio. The executive editor position – a new role at KUT – reflects the evolution of KUT News as one of Austin’s leading local news sources.
She will bring together the KUT News local team led by Managing Editor Ben Philpott; the daily newsmagazine Texas Standard, led by Executive Producer Rhonda Fanning; Projects Editor Matt Largey; the multimedia visuals team led by Senior Multimedia Producer Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon; and the digital news desk led by Digital News Editor Stephanie Federico – all under the same leadership and cohesive coverage strategy.
“Teresa is going to be a dynamic leader for the newsroom as we increase our coverage at KUT,” said Debbie Hiott, KUT Public Media executive director and general manager. “She is a proven innovator in digital strategy, a tough journalist and someone who is well attuned to what it takes to cover a community and state undergoing major growth and demographic change.”
Frontado joins KUT from WLRN, South Florida Public Media in Miami. As digital director there, she designed and implemented a digital strategy to increase audience engagement on all digital platforms – from web, to app, to social media channels, to podcasts. She previously worked in roles at Univision, as director of social media for news, and at the Miami Herald, including as senior editor for online and production of El Nuevo Herald, the Miami Herald Publishing Company’s Spanish-language publication.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the KUT newsroom to find new ways to inform and engage with communities in Central Texas,” said Frontado. “Through distinctive coverage of the city of Austin or serving the whole state with Texas Standard, the journalists in this newsroom are committed to inspire dialogue and understanding indispensable for a strong, civil society.”
Frontado is a board member of the Florida Society of News Editors, has served as vice president of the South Florida Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and is a member of numerous journalism industry groups, including the Online News Association and Investigative Reporters and Editors. She is fluent in Spanish, English and French.
About KUT 90.5, Austin’s NPR station
KUT 90.5, Austin’s NPR station, delivers in-depth stories by and about people in Austin – for Austin – with the highest journalistic standards from a variety of thoughtful perspectives. A founding member of NPR, KUT News has won more than 250 state, national and international awards for journalistic excellence. KUT’s work is directly supported by a community of sustaining members and local businesses whose investments power the news and conversations that matter to Austin.
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Media Contact:
Erin Geisler
(512) 475-8071
