For Immediate Release

Contact: Jeffrey Potter, Marketing Director Public Radio PH: 608-890-3908 or EMAIL: [email protected]

Wisconsin Public Radio Continues Journalism Investments with Calvert Mason Hire from PBS NewsHour

Madison, WI – (WPR) recently introduced PBS NewsHour reporter and producer Kyla Calvert Mason as the statewide network’s Assistant News Director. Calvert Mason is based at WPR’s downtown studios and will cooperatively manage day-to-day news production and provide editorial guidance to 17 reporters in seven bureaus around Wisconsin.

WPR Director Mike Crane emphasized the network’s journalism mission in announcing the hire. “We are intent on expanding our investment in unrivaled journalism,” he said. “I’m thrilled to have Kyla on board. Her vast experience and journalistic excellence folds right into our mission,” he concluded.

Prior to her work as a reporter and producer for PBS NewsHour, Calvert Mason was an award-winning reporter at KPBS in San Diego. "I'm thrilled to join an organization with a long history of serving Wisconsin's communities and can't wait to jump right in," said Calvert Mason. She holds a Masters in Journalism with a digital media concentration from Columbia University where she was recognized for her work in the education beat.

“Kyla brings the perfect combination of skills to this positon,” said WPR News Director Noah Ovshinsky. “She is a natural leader and an accomplished reporter.” Calvert Mason joins a growing team of reporters at WPR. The recent news team expansion also includes the following hires:

Maureen McCollum, WPR’s new anchor. McCollum joined the network in 2009 as its La Crosse-based reporter and host/co-producer of the regional show Newsmakers. McCollum provides Wisconsin news and updates during breaks within Morning Edition on WPR’s NPR News & Classical Music Network and The Joy Cardin Show on WPR’s Ideas Network.

Hope Kirwan is WPR’s new reporter and Newsmakers host/producer in La Crosse. Kirwin comes to Wisconsin from the University of Missouri and KBIA, where she was the health and wellness reporter.

Bridgit Bowden has been named the first recipient of the Mike Simonson Memorial Investigative Reporting Fellowship. Bowden is a 2014 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. She has worked as a reporter and producer for Kansas Public Television, KBIA Public Radio in Columbia, Mo., and Nashville Public Radio. The fellowship is a collaboration between WPR and the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and is named in memory of award-winning WPR Reporter Mike Simonson.

Parth Shah, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is WPR’s most recent Lee Ester Fellow. The nine-month news fellowship is named in memory of journalist Lee Ester.

Laurel White joins Shawn Johnson at WPR’s State Capitol Bureau as its new capitol reporter. White comes from The Capitol Times in Madison, WI. She is also a former Lee Ester Fellow for WPR.

### About Wisconsin Public Radio

Wisconsin Public radio is a service of the University of Wisconsin-Extension, the Educational Communications Board and the Corporation for . For more than 95 years, WPR has served the people of Wisconsin with quality news, classical music, and talk programming. Listen, learn more and donate online at WPR.org