Starting today public radio listeners across Ohio – including Cincinnati Public Radio's WVXU-FM – will hear daily reports from The Ohio Newsroom, the state's largest daily statewide radio and digital news service.
Today from The Ohio Newsroom will air Monday through Friday at 7:44 a.m. during NPR's Morning Edition and again at 4:44 p.m. during NPR's All Things Considered.
Reporters Erin Gottsacker and Kendall Crawford are traveling the state to bring untold stories from outside the major metropolitan areas to "connect Ohioans to news and neighbors across the state" while revealing "the complexity and diversity of our state and its people," according to the media release.
As I reported in March 2022, The Ohio Newsroom launched 15 months ago with a two-year $375,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to Ideastream Public Media, which serves the Cleveland-Akron area.
In addition to Ideastream Public Media and WVXU, the partners are WYSO in Yellow Springs; WCSU Wilberforce; WOSU Columbus; WGET Toledo; and WYSU Youngstown.
Stories in the works include the critical shortages in healthcare services in Tuscarawas County (New Philadelphia) and Ross County (Chilicothe) County, and land stewardship issues in Trumbull County (Warren) and Greene County (Xenia).
Leading the statewide news effort is managing editor Clare Roth, who directs The Ohio Newsroom team and facilitates the collaboration between the public radio stations across the state.
In 2019, Cincinnati Public Radio, Ideastream and WOSU Public Media announced they were exploring a statewide digital and radio news service which evolved into The Ohio Newsroom.
"With the continued downsizing or elimination of local newspapers, we believe public radio can intercede and provide news and information to our communities on a variety of accessible platforms," said Richard Eiswerth, Cincinnati Public Radio general manager, when the 2019 partnership was announced.
