FALL 2018 THE MEMBER NEWSLETTER OF KCUR 89.3 COUNTDOWN TO THE MIDTERMS MEET THE TEAM DEDICATED TO KEEPING YOUR TRUST THIS ELECTION SEASON ON THE How we’re working COVER Meet the team to earn the trust delivering election coverage you can you’ve placed in us trust as we enter the midterms (left to right): Madeline Fox, t KCUR we are committed Amy Jeff ries, Lisa to fact-based journalism and Agreat storytelling. To better Rodriguez, Brian serve members like you, we’ve Ellison, Samuel King, been working hard to expand Sam Zeff and Maria our audience on regional issues Carter. Photo by and connect with listeners on Brandon Parigo. both sides of the aisle and both sides of the state line. We are See story ............ 6-7 always looking for partners that allow us to incorporate a broad perspective and delve deeper into the most signifi cant issues of WHAT’S our time. This summer, we added Samuel INSIDE King, a reporter dedicated solely We’re incredibly proud of our growth and partnerships, but StoryCorps makes to Missouri politics, to our team. most of all, we’re proud of the another trip to He’ll be working closely with partner stations in St. Louis relationship we have with you. Kansas City to hear and Columbia as we cover the As trust in media continues to tales of life, love and mid-term elections together. In erode across the country, we being a baby ...... 2-3 addition, we are continuing to are constantly hearing how grow the Kansas News Service’s much you value our fact-based Achieving justice ability to cover the state with journalism. MY FELLOW KANSANS through story ........ 4 partners in Lawrence, Wichita and Garden City. No matter what we accomplish, New podcast examines state’s it doesn’t mean anything if Rethinking guns Our reach is not only regional; you don’t trust our reporting. political past, present and future in America ............. 5 we are also one of 10 NPR Our success is built on our stations collaborating in a relationship with you — as a My Fellow Kansans, a new podcast from the RadioActive nationwide reporting project on listener and a supporter. Thank you for listening, for reading, for Kansas News Service, is a far cry from your 2018 celebrates “Guns & America.” the power of giving us feedback, for sharing everyday election coverage. Host Jim McLean storytelling ........... 8 And in August, we hosted and supporting our work. examines the history of Kansas politics, the StoryCorps for the fourth time Summer of Mercy and its impact on Kansas, in Kansas City and recorded the We look forward to being your and the likelihood of another course-changing stories of 150 Kansas Citians. continued source for trusted reporting and insight. election for governor of Kansas. These partnership, our sustaining members and the success of My Fellow Kansans is available wherever you fundraising initiatives such as get your podcasts, including NPR One, Apple RadioActive — which drew more Podcasts, Google Play, Overcast and Stitcher. than 900 guests this year — allow us to continue to grow our For more information, visit kcur.org/my-fellow- award-winning coverage. kansans. Nico Leone KCUR General Manager (Left to right) Amy Jeffries, Jim McLean, Grace Lotz, Matthew Long-Middleton. Photo by Brandon Parigo 1 In summer 2018, StoryCorps visited Kansas City “It’s incredibly humbling,” says Long-Middleton. to collect and share stories of everyday people. “People share some very vulnerable parts of themselves, and it’s my responsibility to honor This is the fourth time StoryCorps has collected that gift and the spirt of what they say, all while interviews in Kansas City. Thanks to members crafting a very focused story. I feel like I’ve been like you, KCUR is able to partner with given a very rare and intimate glimpse into StoryCorps to bring some of those stories to the Kansas City.” air. StoryCorps’ booth provides participants the A TRAILER FILLED WITH You may have seen the iconic StoryCorps structure and space to ask questions that get at modifi ed Airstream trailer parked in front of The the heart of our experience: What are you most Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in August and proud of? What do you regret? How did this early September. People from across Kansas event effect you? And sometimes the questions City and the entire region made the trip into the are beautifully curious, like a 10-year-old trailer to share conversations about our shared asking, “What was I like as a baby?” human experiences. In late August, more than 300 people came Each Monday during Morning Edition, KCUR together to listen to some of the powerful stories broadcasts some of the most compelling of collected in Kansas City, refl ect on their impact these interviews, including the story of a boy and get a behind-the-scenes look at how it all — now a man — who ended up in a juvenile came together. It was a celebration of the power correctional facility after a childhood prank, of story. and a woman yearning to learn more about her STORIESStoryCorps makes another trip to Kansas City to hear mother two years after her death. We’ll be airing more stories through the fall, tales of life, love and being a baby so keep tuning in to Morning Edition every KCUR’s Sylvia Maria Gross and Matthew Monday from 5–10 a.m. Long-Middleton sifted through more than 120 40-minute interviews and compressed a select few down to three and a half minutes. To revisit some of the stories told in the StoryCorps trailer, visit kcur.org/storycorps. 2 3 Achieving justice through story Your support helped fund an investigative piece that told the truth and restored the reputation of Ryan Stokes hat’s in a name? For the “Some of my heartache was family of Ryan Stokes, it’s lifted by KCUR 89.3/Peggy Whis once tarnished legacy. Lowe,” Narene wrote on Facebook the day the “KCUR When the 24-year-old was shot Investigates” piece was aired. and killed by police in July 2013, KCUR’s Steve Kraske hosts a panel discussion at the event “Up in Arms: Kids & Guns” at Unity Temple. some painted him as an armed A seven-minute piece aired on thief refusing to surrender to July 25, just days before the fi fth police. anniversary of Ryan’s death, accompanied by a 5,000-word But using police documents, multimedia story on KCUR’s court records and interviews, website. KCUR Investigative Reporter Reporting (and rethinking) Peggy Lowe revealed that Stokes Thanks to your support, this story was not armed. In fact, he was is just one of the deep dives guns in America obeying an offi cer’s order when KCUR is committed to as part of another cop shot him twice in a larger investigative reporting the back. collaboration with APM Reports. To read Lowe’s full story, visit Narene Stokes is comforted by a friend after Among the outpouring of kcur.org/stokes. ere’s a simple yes or no cultural signifi cance of hunting “I spent four years holding guns a Board of Police Commissioners meeting in comments the piece received question for you: Do you and sport shooting, the role guns for this country, and now I’d like July. Stokes’ son, Ryan, 24, was killed fi ve own a gun? play in suicide, homicide, mass to spend two more examining was one from Stokes’ mom, years ago by a Kansas City Police offi cer. H Narene. shootings and beyond. why we can’t seem to put them Now, the complex follow-up: down,” Haxel says. What’s your gut reaction to KCUR started its exploration someone who answers that with American Public Square Haxel comes to us from the Car donations keep us moving! question differently from you? at a remarkable event Sept. 6 Lansing State Journal, where at Unity Temple on the Plaza. he covered breaking news and Did you know KCUR accepts vehicle donations? Gun ownership, gun rights, gun “Up in Arms: Kids & Guns” the courts. He’s been a stringer Thanks to you, we’ve raised more than $160,000 use. For many Americans, these brought together panelists from for The Washington Post and for the station in the last fi scal year. are critical points of unity and both sides of the gun debate to a reporter for The Manhattan division. explore the causes of gun-related Mercury in Manhattan, Kansas. Here’s what listener Lestlie Berryhill had to say deaths among children and While in the Army, he spent about donating her 2000 Ford Focus in July: They’re also the starting point teens. The program, moderated four years in Special Operations for KCUR’s involvement in an by Steve Kraske, was broadcast where he learned to speak We decided to get rid of my 18-year-old Ford, important national reporting on Up To Date and is available Russian and was deployed to and wanted to donate it to a cause that we collaborative. Because of your on kcur.org Mali and Nigeria. support. We’re a family of public radio listeners, support, we’re proud to be one so this was the perfect opportunity. The donation of 10 public media newsrooms We also hired a new reporter, We’re confi dent Haxel and the process through Car Talk Vehicle Donation investigating the role of guns in Chris Haxel, to work with the team behind him will bring you Services was really simple! It took maybe two American life.