PRX Believed in 2022: Reflections from President and CEO, Kerri Hoffman
“PRX’s role is to lend a helping hand and to continue to create and champion some of the best work in audio”
Below is a reflection on 2022 from Kerri Hoffman, CEO of PRX:
2022 was a year like no other. In contrast to 2021, when we were shaking off the initial impact of the pandemic, 2022 has become somewhat of a reset and return to a “new normal” — one that is still mostly uncertain. This year has not been without its peaks and valleys. A stressed democracy and a wobbly economy are only a couple of reasons to retreat when the path ahead is hard to read. But we have choices in how we move forward.
Years ago, I spent three months in a kayak raising money for rainforest preservation. All day, every day, we navigated unpredictable rivers and weather. I learned then that the way you deal with choppy water is to paddle faster.
It also helps to know where you are going. For PRX, this translates into a sense of purpose. I have optimism, and confidence, that public media will learn to paddle faster. PRX’s role is to lend a helping hand and to continue to create and champion some of the best work in audio.
Whether you’ve been aware of the work here at PRX and the Radiotopia podcast network, or if you’re just discovering us, I’d like to take a moment to personally thank you for your support and continued engagement. I’m fortunate to have a front row seat to the remarkable efforts of amazing journalists and storytellers. Our mission is to help them do their best work. And if you’d to listen to a few samples, check out our “Best of 2022” nods.
More:
Pop-up PRX Podcast Garage in Nairobi closes out 3 years of Google Podcasts creator program
After three years, six cohorts, and 14,000 applications from 120+ countries, the Google Podcast creator program has come to a close. PRX started the podcast training program with Google as a way to invest in podcast “bright spots.” Since its inception, more than 40 podcast teams have trained with this PRX accelerator and an overwhelming majority of alumni are still working in audio professionally. To close out the program, the PRX training team will be playing host in Nairobi, Kenya, with two days of a pop-up PRX Podcast Garage following the Africa Media Festival.
The international reach of “Ear Hustle”
In Season 10 of “Ear Hustle”— the award-winning podcast about the daily realities of life in prison and post-incarceration, part of Radiotopia from PRX — hosts Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor traveled to Norway. In a country hailed for its low recidivism rate and open prisons, “Ear Hustle” explores a system far from the philosophies governing incarceration in California: “Seeing guards and incarcerated people all eating at the same table… It’s more of a healing prison,” said Woods. Season 10 also includes stories from the California Institution for Women, with more planned for Season 11 in the spring.
News from around “The World”
Recently, the news program “The World” from GBH and PRX took listeners to bunkers in Kharkiv, Ukraine; Chilean lithium fields and the Atacama Desert during a rare wildflower boom; and the Green Bazaar of Almaty in Kazakhstan, where Korean foods are a staple. A warm thank you to the hundreds of listeners who supported our international journalism during our fall fundraiser this year, like this message from Laurel C.: “One of the classiest news programs on radio. Not just headlines or simplistic Q&A. If I can only listen to one news program each day, it’s ‘The World.’ Thanks for all you do.”
From imaginary shows to imaginative clothes: Recent debuts from Radiotopia
From the imagination of Ian Chillag and Mike Danforth comes “In the Scenes Behind Plain Sight,” a “rewatch” podcast about a TV show … that’s never existed. In “Articles of Interest,” Avery Trufelman explores fashion and how our clothing choices are shaped by socio-political and economic forces. Thank you to all who contributed to Radiotopia from PRX in 2022 — listener support is what keeps Radiotopia from PRX the best network for independent, authentic, and creatively bold podcasts.
Micropayments with macro possibilities
Helping creators get paid for their work is a founding tenet of PRX. With grant support from the Interledger Foundation, the PRX tech team has been working on a new micropayment system for podcasting using Web Monetization — a way to reward creators with real-time micropayments for their work, while protecting privacy, and supporting an open web. We see this as part of our larger goals to protect listener privacy and an open podcasting ecosystem.
PRX is already working on adoption with podcasts like “Song Exploder.” Podcasters using Dovetail can also get started.
Thank you for believing in our work,
— Kerri Hoffman, CEO of PRX
