KUOW Partners with StoryCorps to Foster Connection Across America’s Political Divides Through the One Small Step Radio Station Hubs Project
KUOW Staff Will Receive Training and Production Assistance from StoryCorps to Record Conversations Between Community Members of Different Political Beliefs
May 1, 2023
Seattle, WA — KUOW has partnered with StoryCorps, the national nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs, as part of StoryCorps’ One Small Step Radio Station Hubs project. [Insert station] is one of five public radio stations across the country selected to receive training and production assistance to collaborate on StoryCorps’ One Small Step initiative, an effort to bring strangers with different political beliefs together for a conversation—not to debate politics, but to get to know each other as people. StoryCorps’ One Small Step and the Radio Station Hubs are made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
More information about recording dates and locations in Washington state can be found here.
“This program gives us an opportunity to act on feedback from our listeners. Our listeners have told us they want content that challenges them, deepens their understanding of others, and offers them a view that could be different than their own," said Zaki Hamid, KUOW director of community engagement. "We will approach this program with a sense of wonder, curiosity, and humility. We hope our community members will join us.”
"Like the larger One Small Step initiative, which is focused intensively in Anchor Communities, the Radio Station Hubs Program allows us to help bring cities and towns together, one conversation at a time," said Dave Isay, Founder and President of StoryCorps. "We're grateful to [insert station name] for doing this vital work and to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for making it possible. Together, we can help Americans see one another as human beings again.”
StoryCorps Press Contact:
Blake Zidell & Associates
Blake Zidell (blake@blakezidell.com) and Nora Lyons (nora@blakezidell.com)
917.572.2493
KUOW Press Contact:
Zaki Hamid (zhamid@kuow.org)
About One Small Step
Piloted in 2017 and launched in 2021, One Small Step is a nationwide initiative to remind the country of the humanity in all of us, even those with whom we disagree. The initiative brings strangers with different political views together to record a 50-minute conversation—not to debate politics, but to learn who we are as people. Audio recordings of each interview are archived at the Library of Congress and by StoryCorps. To date, over 3,400 people across 40 states have participated in a One Small Step conversation. Listen to One Small Step interviews here and learn more at takeonesmallstep.org.
Through the One Small Step Radio Station Hubs project, two members of KUOW will be trained by StoryCorps staff to facilitate and record conversations between community residents with different political beliefs. The station will also receive program support and a customized set of professional recording equipment for in-person recording, as well as access to StoryCorps’ remote recording platform, which can be used to host conversations virtually. KUOW will team up with a variety of community organizations to spread the word about the initiative, and will collaborate with StoryCorps to match participants and record conversations through the end of the year. The project includes a series of public listening events, streamed online, and select interviews will be shared across KUOW’s media platforms.
“At a time when our nation is so divided politically, CPB is proud to help StoryCorps expand its One Small Step initiative, which fosters understanding and respect, even among people who deeply disagree," said Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). “In bringing people together, One Small Step helps strengthen our civil society. Public radio stations are a crucial part of the social fabric in their communities and will be instrumental in continuing the success of One Small Step.”
With support from CPB, the five 2023 One Small Step Station Hubs join 24 other public media stations that have partnered with One Small Step since 2018.
The other 2023 One Small Step Radio Station Hubs are KHOL (Jackson, WY); KRCB (Rohnert Park, CA); WERU (Blue Hill, ME); and WVPE (South Bend, IN). One Small Step is made possible by the generous support of The Hearthland Foundation, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, The Marcus Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Fetzer Institute, Stand Together Trust, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Robins Foundation, New Pluralists, and Schwab Charitable Fund made possible by the generosity of Present Progressive Fund. StoryCorps thanks these donors for their commitment to this project and to bridging divides in America.
About KUOW
KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio is Seattle’s NPR news station. We are an independent, nonprofit news organization that produces award-winning journalism, innovative podcasts, engaging community events, and more. Our work is about truth. We were founded with the idea that everyone should have free access to honest, fact-checked information – as well as stories that broaden conversations and deepen understanding of the world around us. We work every day in service of our mission to create and serve a more informed public, because we believe an informed public is essential to a thriving community, a vibrant democracy, and a better future. We are one of the nation's founding NPR member stations, broadcasting from the Puget Sound region continually since 1952.
About StoryCorps
Founded in 2003, StoryCorps has given over 620,000 people, in all 50 states, the chance to record interviews about their lives. The award-winning organization preserves the recordings in its archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered, and shares select stories with the public through StoryCorps’ podcast, NPR broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books. These powerful human stories reflect the vast range of American experiences, engender empathy and connection, and remind us how much more we have in common than what divides us. StoryCorps is especially committed to capturing and amplifying voices least heard in the media. The StoryCorps MobileBooth, an Airstream trailer that has been transformed into a traveling recording booth, crisscrosses the country year-round gathering the stories of people nationwide. 2023 marks StoryCorps’ 20th anniversary. Learn more at storycorps.org.
About the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television and related online services. For more information, visit cpb.org, follow us on twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and subscribe for email updates.