2018 Annual Report

2018 SCPR Annual Report 2 2018 SCPR Annual Report Connecting Listeners. Reflecting Lives. 3 2018 SCPR Annual Report At SCPR, we reflect your stories – from the everyday to the extraordinary, connecting Southern Californians to each other and empowering you with insight and information that enriches your lives. We build networks of people committed to a common goal: advancing our democracy and improving the place we call home. 2018 SCPR Annual Report 1 2 2018 SCPR Annual Report “One of greater Los Angeles’ crowning cultural achievements has been the democratization of beauty – making a version of ‘paradise’ globally accessible.” 2018 SCPR Annual Report 3 Letter from Leadership One of our highest aspirations at potential that make greater Los Angeles on a wider variety of media platforms Southern California Public Radio is for an important center of global commerce than ever before. our programming and journalism to hold and culture. For example, Jane and Ron We have been able to accomplish up an accurate mirror to the imperfect Olson were present at the creation of all of this because so many Angelenos paradise that is Southern California. SCPR – Ron was SCPR’s founding Board refuse to take our imperfect paradise for Throughout this year’s annual report, Chair – and now they are leading the granted. They understand that if greater you’ll find examples of how we realize charge for SCPR to create a permanent Los Angeles is to become a better place this aspiration. center for investigative journalism. You’ll for our children and grandchildren, The etymology of the word also meet Nancy Stark and Guy Primus, then we must invest in our ability to “paradise” goes from English to French two newer members of the SCPR Board understand what is happening in our to Latin to Greek and even to ancient who are extending the tradition of communities – and to understand one Persian, and it stems from the notion leadership through governance that Ron another. Tens of thousands of SCPR that paradise was a walled garden helped establish. members, sustainers, Leadership Circle whose beauty was restricted to royalty. Additionally, you’ll learn how SCPR members, philanthropic foundations One of greater Los Angeles’ crowning continues to be a regional and national and public-spirited corporations come cultural achievements has been the leader in public service journalism together each year to support SCPR’s democratization of beauty – making with its acquisition of the digital news unique and compelling public service a version of “paradise” globally site LAist. mission. For this, we offer you both our accessible. All of SCPR’s accomplishments in thanks and our commitment to more fully But, as every Angeleno knows, 2018 – and for the past two decades – realize this mission in the years to come. Southern California’s great natural come against a backdrop of unrelenting beauty and Hollywood myths are bad news for local journalism in Los Sincerely, counterbalanced by aspects of life here Angeles. Throughout this century, local that make it a far cry from paradise. In newspapers either eliminated hundreds the pages that follow, you’ll read about of jobs or folded altogether while Priska Neely’s profoundly personal broadcasters scaled back newsgathering, reporting on the region’s shamefully increased partisan political rants or both. Ana Valdez high rate of black infant mortality and At the same time, SCPR has filled the SCPR Board Chair Jacob Margolis’s in-depth coverage of void: expanding its newsroom; increasing the looming post-earthquake crisis in its capacity for high-quality, in-depth The Big One. reporting; creating more opportunities You’ll also read about Angelenos for civic engagement across political, who are committed to moving our region economic, cultural, ethnic and other Bill Davis closer to realizing the promise and divides; and connecting with Angelenos SCPR President and CEO 4 2018 SCPR Annual Report “KPCC highlights important challenges facing our region. Through these stories, we can bring awareness and change.” 2018 SCPR Annual Report 5 (Left to right) Raena Granberry, program manager for Black Women for Wellness, and KPCC reporter Priska Neely. Reporting That Resonates During nearly a decade in journalism, health education and empowerment. given birth to a premature baby. She’s Priska Neely has come across her fair Granberry, whose work was featured in 21 now, but she was born eight weeks share of eye-popping statistics. But Neely’s piece, had her own connection early and weighed three pounds, and when she heard that black babies to the story: She had also lost a baby – she could easily have been one of the were two times more likely to die at just 20 weeks. statistics in this story.” before their first birthday than their “I was bleeding and cramping, and Vick is grateful to KPCC for its white counterparts, she found herself I kept telling my doctors something coverage of the issue. “KPCC highlights catching her breath. Drilling down into didn’t feel right, but they insisted it was important challenges facing our region,” the numbers, she became even more all normal. In retrospect, I recognized she says. “Through these stories, we alarmed: In LA County, the mortality rate I wasn’t treated properly; women who can bring awareness and change.” for black babies is three times higher. looked like me didn’t receive the same For her part, Neely feels lucky “It hit me hard because, as a black attention as white women at the Beverly to have had the backing of a news woman, I suddenly realized I was part Hills medical clinic where I sought care,” organization dedicated to fostering of the story: My own sisters had lost Granberry says. dialogue and advancing the public infants, and my nephew was born two Neely’s reporting gave critical interest. The series showcases SCPR’s months early and weighed just two and exposure to countless stories like willingness “to dig into areas that aren’t a half pounds,” Neely recalls. “I never Granberry’s across all platforms – social often covered in an in-depth way.” She knew what happened to them was part media, in person and online. “Typically, says it takes that kind of sustained of a larger public health crisis affecting reporters wait until a story is done commitment to make a difference in thousands of people.” before they share it. But Priska posted people’s lives. “KPCC shines a light For Neely, Southern California Public what she was learning on social media on how we can strengthen the fabric Radio’s early childhood education and as she was learning it. This enabled of our community.” development reporter, it was a wake-up people to engage on the topic from the call to investigate. The result: a hard- get-go and helped build an audience hitting series on the structural and early on,” notes SCPR’s Chief Content This story received support from the Center institutional racism at the root of black Officer Kristen Muller. for Health Journalism’s California Fellowship infant mortality. One of the people engaging online and its Fund for Journalism on Child Well- “We started getting calls was Nicole Vick, a local public health being. SCPR’s early childhood coverage is funded by The Atlas Family Foundation, The immediately after the story aired from professional. “I was doing some Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation, the LA women wanting more resources and research for work and came across an Partnership for Early Childhood Investment/ organizations looking to partner with article Priska had written before the Baby Futures Fund of the California us,” says Raena Granberry, program series was broadcast on the radio,” Community Foundation, the Tikun Olam Foundation, and all our members and donors. manager at Black Women for Wellness, Vick remembers. “It resonated with me Thank you. an LA-based nonprofit focused on because I’m a black woman who has 6 2018 SCPR Annual Report “It’s new territory for us: advancing our public service mission by highlighting something that hasn’t happened yet but that will clearly have a significant impact on every aspect of our lives.” 2018 SCPR Annual Report 7 (Left to right) Arwen Champion-Nicks, Jacob Margolis and Misha Euceph from The Big One team. Mapping What Matters Earthquakes are a frequent plot (think transportation, water, power) to information necessary for such a device for Hollywood depictions of life commerce, recreation and more. The weighty topic. To this end, each of the in Southern California. But, despite picture it paints is a projection based podcast’s nine episodes includes a their hold on the popular imagination, on meticulous research and expert tips section, offering listeners concrete earthquakes are little understood by the input. “In 2008, the U.S. Geological advice on how to survive a catastrophic vast majority of people who live here. Survey released a 312-page report seismic event. “We also have a digital Enter The Big One: Southern about earthquake preparedness in tool that lets you type in an address to California Public Radio’s future-focused Southern California that had more than see whether your location is at risk of podcast examining what happens 300 contributors,” says Jacob Margolis, liquefaction,” says The Big One’s lead when – not if – a major tremblor hits host of the podcast and KPCC’s science producer, Misha Euceph. the region. “We know intellectually the reporter. “We went back and interviewed Providing this type of actionable Big One is coming but, for so many many of those people to find out just information is a hallmark of reporting people, the idea of preparation is how ready we actually are.” on KPCC. “People know they can rely really just theoretical,” notes Kristen The answer: not very.

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