Every story has multiple sides, and journalists take all of them into account to provide the most comprehensive coverage of any event, enabling an informed, educated population who understand all viewpoints.
Public radio seeks to deliver objective reporting to listeners, informing them of the details behind the headlines in an objective manner. As part of its news reporting and other featured programming, public radio actively promotes diverse perspectives and voices.
Public Radio Supports All Viewpoints
Public media's founding principle is that it is for all people. Its commitment to unbiased journalism requires multiple viewpoints to tell a complete story.
This objective reporting reflects and benefits the variety of people who listen to and rely on public radio to understand current events. Diversity in public radio includes minority communities, different age groups, and individuals and demographics impacted by events differently than those around them.
Media Coverage Reaches Underserved Communities
One of the main objectives of public media is to inform and educate local communities — including "underserved communities" that may not get the attention or news coverage other areas enjoy. While local journalism has seen budget cuts in recent years, public radio has remained steadfast in its mission, with many stations investing in newsroom resources to fulfill their commitment.
Highlighting stories impacting underserved communities remains a crucial component for local stations, as they rely on public radio to fill the local coverage gap. Local residents deeply appreciate public radio's efforts to "give them a voice,” that sponsor inclusive public radio programs benefit from the "Halo Effect."
The Public Radio Audience is Increasingly Diverse
The public radio audience is becoming more diverse by the day. Since public radio inherently promotes DEIB, it is no surprise that individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures enjoy this form of media.
Exactly who listens to public radio? The following statistics from a recent Nielsen study may prove enlightening:
• According to NPR (National Public Radio), twice as many people of color are part of their podcast audience compared to traditional radio (21% for radio, 42% for podcasts).
• Across both broadcast radio and podcasting, NPR has its most extensive reach among minority population segments with Hispanics (10% of radio audience, 17.8% of podcast audience), followed by blacks (7% radio, 15.5% podcast) and Asians (5% radio, 6.2% podcast).
These statistics indicate that public radio has made great strides to connect with a diverse audience, and though more work remains, it is a priority.
Diversity is a core value at NPR. They seek to create a culture of inclusiveness for all parties, whether it means race, gender, social standing, or age. Accurate reporting helps them present all viewpoints, lending voices to those who may be overshadowed otherwise.
NPR's President and CEO, John Lansing, explains it as follows:
"We must do all this not as a 'project', not as an extracurricular activity, we must do this because, by definition, it is our work," Lansing said. "It is inseparable from all of our collective efforts to serve the American audience with trustworthy content on all platforms."
Public Radio Will Continue to Support Diversity in the Years to Come
Public radio's goal is to inform, educate, entertain, and always benefit the public — including listeners from various backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities. Objective, unbiased news reporting allows public radio to provide multiple perspectives on the same event, thus resulting in a more accurate, inclusive, complete story. Focusing on serving otherwise ignored or neglected communities promotes strong connections between public radio programs and local listeners. Public radio's audience is becoming increasingly diverse with each passing year. Leadership at NPR and other public media outlets actively plans to tap into such diversity moving forward.
The bottom line is that public radio will continue to receive support from a diverse listenership. Businesses that invest in public radio marketing will continue to reap the advantages of their association with inclusion-driven programming. Finally, listeners from various backgrounds will continue to benefit as public radio tells "their side of the story."
