SPRING 2018 THE MEMBER NEWSLETTER OF KCUR 89.3 THE POWER OF STORIES How your support is helping us tell some of Kansas City’s most important stories ON THE A LOOK BACK AND A LOOK AHEAD COVER KCUR reporters You are part Kyle Palmer and MEET THE STORYTELLER Lisa Rodriguez have each found of our story NAME: Sam Zeff a unique way of umming up an entire year Metro reporter blending news and TITLE: into just a sentence is a tall STORYTELLING MANTRA: “Reporting used to storytelling at KCUR. See how Sorder, but here’s my best be concerned with just facts and data. While your support is attempt: 2017 was a year of still crucial, it’s just as important to put news in helping us tell great celebration and collaboration. context, whether that’s historical or political. stories in 2018. That’s my job as a storyteller.” We celebrated 60 years on the air, and look forward to another See story ............ 4-5 60 with you, our dedicated listeners, by our sides. WHAT’S Your support also allowed us to join two new public INSIDE radio partnerships: a reporting initiative on race, culture and StoryCorps ethnicity, and another on celebrates the investigative journalism. year in our news gathering, beauty in everyday reporting and programming. conversations ....... 2 You’ll hear more from us in You’ll hear stories that sound both of those areas in the year more like conversations and Volunteers of to come, but we also want to seasoned reporters who sound the Year ................. 3 introduce our theme for 2018: more like friends. Storytelling. A very KCUR Whether you are a new or wedding ............. 10 One might think storytelling longtime donor to KCUR, thank too simplistic for a news you for your support. You are KCUR organization. But recall the a vital part of the KCUR story, financials ............ 12 compelling stories you’ve and together, we are creating heard — in both childhood and excellent public radio here in adulthood. We tell and enjoy the Kansas City area and across stories because they connect us the country. to something beyond ourselves. We believe this is good way to We look forward to sharing relate the news to our listeners. a year of compelling stories with you. That’s why we’re so excited to bring David Isay, founder and CEO of StoryCorps, to town for this year’s RadioActive benefit. Isay has a knack for telling everyday stories in a way that keeps you glued to your radio. Nico Leone KCUR General Manager Beyond RadioActive, you’ll notice storytelling reflected this Photo by Brandon Parigo 1 Thank you to the When stories are more volunteers who make than just words StoryCorps founder and CEO Dave Isay KCUR stronger to speak at RadioActive 2018 veryone around you has Some recent stories from Join us on Friday, June 8, at the a story the world needs to StoryCorps: Two military Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at E hear. veterans describe falling in Crown Center for an evening love at ages 72 and 100, a of dining, dancing and That’s the idea that inspired woman who fled violence in storytelling. You’ll laugh, you’ll Dave Isay to create StoryCorps, the Vietnam War opens up to cry (maybe at the same time!), an organization that records her teenage daughter, and a but most importantly, you’ll incredible stories from man speaks to his son’s killer be at one of the best parties in everyday people. They tackle, for the very first time. town! in their words, “stories of the human heart” — think love, This summer, Isay brings his Sponsorships and table host loss, family and friendship. powerful storytelling to Kansas opportunities are available City as the keynote speaker at now. Individual tickets go Laurie Van Auken has served KCUR for more than two decades Sarah and Jon Baum have helped raise more than $295,000 for It’s a brilliant, but simple, idea: RadioActive, KCUR’s annual on sale April 23. For more during membership drives and at dozens of events. KCUR as co-chairs of RadioActive, our annual benefit. Conversations, even everyday benefit. information, visit kcur.org/ ones, can be captivating. radioactive. e are fortunate to receive assistance important. (Wow. Give that woman another throughout the year from several hundred KCUR tote bag.) W enthusiastic volunteers who answer phones during membership drives, serve on We bent the rules a bit and presented our KCUR’s Community Advisory Board or other second award to the volunteer couple of committees, represent KCUR at fairs and the year, Sarah and Jon Baum, who were festivals, and stuff a lot instrumental in launching of KCUR MemberCard RadioActive. In 2016 and envelopes! Our Volunteers of 2017, the Baums were event co-chairs; this year Choosing just two the Year have a they are serving on the “Volunteers of the Year” combined 30 years event committee. To start can be a daunting task. a new event that drew Nevertheless, we forced of service to KCUR! more than 1,300 guests ourselves to narrow the in the first two years, the field. Baums recruited committee members, ran meetings, hosted parties and asked people to Laurie Van Auken has been a dedicated give financially. In addition to all that, Sarah volunteer since the 1990s — helping in the continues to serve on the KCUR Community phone room during membership drives, Advisory Board. performing clerical work and assisting at KCUR events, including at RadioActive, our Congratulations to Laurie, Sarah and Jon, and annual benefit. A favorite story about Laurie: thank you to all our dedicated volunteers! She was hired as a KCUR receptionist years ago, but when she found out she could no If you are interested in volunteering for KCUR, You may have heard (and seen) Dave Isay in his TED Talk, which has been viewed more than 2 million times since he gave it in 2015. longer volunteer as an employee … she quit! please send us an email at [email protected]. His message is simple: “Everyone around you has a story the world needs to hear.” To Laurie, volunteering for KCUR was more 2 3 THE POWER OF STORIES How your support is helping us tell some of Kansas City’s most important stories KCUR contributes to collaborative reporting on race, culture and identity By Sylvia Maria Gross, storytelling editor or many Kansas Citians, columnist and former collaborative out of St. Louis talking about race and employment attorney and Public Radio, bringing more Fculture is difficult. In fact, it’s diversity trainer, is covering than 25 years of journalistic difficult for most Americans. this beat for us. She’ll bring her experience to the effort. experience analyzing our city’s But when we dig into “We can’t leave meaningful how race and culture coverage and discussion affect our lives — from of these issues to chance,” our families to our “Race, identity and Edgell says. politics to our arts and culture are embedded health — it’s hard not This collaboration to recognize them into the very fabric dedicates time and as central forces that of our lives.” resources to topics that, deserve special news as Edgell puts it, “often coverage. get short shrift, or only get MEET THE STORYTELLER fracture lines and connecting attention when there is conflict That’s why we’re partnering points to each story — shining or controversy.” NAME: Michelle Tyrene Johnson with three other stations a light on where we stand and TITLE: Race, identity and culture reporter across the country (in St. where we’re headed. Johnson’s reporting airs during STORYTELLING MANTRA: “I see the strand Louis; Portland, Oregon; and KCUR’s “Morning Edition” and Hartford, Connecticut) to “Race, identity and culture “All Things Considered,” as that connects a story to what other people care create a reporting collaborative are embedded into the very well as informing talk shows about. There is always a way to highlight the called Sharing America, fabric of our lives,” Johnson “Central Standard” and “Up story in a way that everyone can connect to.” focused on the impact of race, says. “Being able to tell To Date.” The collaborative is ethnicity and identity on stories that showcase different funded in part by a grant from our cities. lives, stories, challenges and the Corporation for Public worldviews is exciting.” Broadcasting. Michelle Tyrene Johnson, a playwright, journalist, Editor Holly Edgell leads this Photos by Brandon Parigo 4 5 The Early Bird gets the news By Kyle Palmer, reporter and morning newscaster wake up each weekday at The Early Bird gives our sub- I wouldn’t get up at 3 a.m. 3 a.m. (okay, sometimes it’s scribers a pithy, punchy take unless I thought The Early Bird I 3:15) to start writing The on the events of the day. In just was a necessary and enjoyable Early Bird, KCUR’s daily email a few short minutes, they can part of our readers’ day. Now, newsletter. To get the Bird’s read that day’s Bird and know getting The Early Bird ready smart, snappy tone just right, what people are talking about is one of the most enjoyable I have to read what KCUR’s in Kansas City. The Early Bird parts of my day. reporters are covering and gets our readers informed, but check in on the rest of the also allows them to enjoy the The Early Bird goes out at news. Then I give it back to experience of staying informed 6 a.m., Monday thru Friday. our audience in a format that’s (and makes them the smartest To subscribe, visit kcur.org/ MEET THE STORYTELLER easy for them to read when people in their carpool or earlybird.