Opening Up the Tributaries at Cascade Public Media

Hi there — Victor Hernandez here, executive editor at Crosscut and KCTS 9.

Our 32-person nonprofit newsroom is dedicated to in-depth reporting and analysis on the region’s most pressing issues, particularly those affecting marginalized communities. Similar to what many newsrooms experienced, this summer brought critical conversation and introspection within our editorial and broader operations as to why we haven’t done enough to address diversity and representation gaps.

We recently celebrated the 5-year anniversary of Cascade Public Media, created through the merger of Seattle’s 60-year-old PBS station and the much newer digital news outlet Crosscut.

Today, Crosscut is a cutting edge, evolving enterprise led by modern digital journalists supported by the legacy and traditions of a long-established public media institution. However, we have so much work to do to transform our institution to better reflect and serve the communities we are part of.

As a part of the Public Media Mergers Project, I was asked to share a bit about our journey since this past summer. Below, I am sharing the concerns we heard across our staff, what we did in response, and our advice to other newsrooms going through this transformative moment. I hope this helps others take concrete steps toward creating more…