The KALW Audio Academy Provides Students the Most Broadcast Experience – Just Listen to Crosscurrents

By Guest Blogger Ben Trefny, News Director, KALW Public Radio

It’s fair to say, at this point, that the bulk of reporting coming through KALW‘s Crosscurrents, right now, is being generated by the Audio Academy with guidance from their mentors, editors and engineers. Check out the work they’ve turned around in the last couple of weeks!

Member Liza Veale updated the “green jobs” training movement, which was once expected to be the driver to bring up Oakland’s blue collar economy.

Member Marlo McKenzie edited and mixed a beautiful piece from StoryCorps about two artists falling in love.

Member Chris Hambrick produced a really fun Audiograph about the vastly diverse offerings of San Francisco’s Cow Palace.

Alum Liz Pfeffer reported an insightful story about innovative solutions to homelessness that anchored a show about initiatives across the whole west coast.

Member Hannah Kingsley-Ma went in depth to follow up on the outcomes for low-income residents of a fire-ravaged apartment building in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Member Olivia Cueva produced my interview with the Center for Investigative Reporting‘s Amy Julia Harris about the outcomes for low-income residents of a decrepit and dangers housing project in the city of Richmond.

Fellow Kristina Loring reported about the ways in which Oaklanders are being watched through a variety of surveillance technologies.

And member Raja Shah reported and engineered a sound-rich Audiograph about the historical reenactments at San Francisco’s Battery Chamberlin.

Very impressive! And there’s plenty more to come!

Meanwhile, we’re just wrapping up the application period for the next Audio Academy, and interest is high. It’s very fun to see the applicants roll in up to the final hours – these are aspiring journalists, of course … very deadline oriented!

Looking forward to meeting many of them!