2023 One Small Step Radio Station Hubs Announced: Five Public Media Stations Nationwide to Foster Connection Across Political Divides

Brooklyn, NY, May 1, 2023—StoryCorps, the national nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs, today announces a new roster of One Small Step Radio Station Hubs. One Small Step is an effort to bring strangers with different political beliefs together for a 50-minute conversation—not to debate politics, but to learn who we are as people. As part of the initiative, this year’s annual cohort of public radio stations will receive training and production assistance and include: KHOL in Jackson, WY; KRCB in Rohnert Park, CA; KUOW in Seattle, WA; WERU in Blue Hill, ME; and WVPE in South Bend, IN. Information about recording dates and locations in these communities can be found here. StoryCorps’ One Small Step and the Radio Station Hubs are made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

"Like the larger One Small Step initiative, which is focused intensively in Anchor Communities, the Radio Station Hubs Program allows us to help bring cities and towns together, one conversation at a time," said Dave Isay, Founder and President of StoryCorps. "We're grateful to the 2023 One Small Step Radio Station Hubs for doing this vital work and to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for making it possible. Together, we can help Americans see one another as human beings again.”

“At a time when our nation is so divided politically, CPB is proud to help StoryCorps expand its One Small Step initiative, which fosters understanding and respect, even among people who deeply disagree," said Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). “In bringing people together, One Small Step helps strengthen our civil society. Public radio stations are a crucial part of the social fabric in their communities and will be instrumental in continuing the success of One Small Step.”

With support from CPB, the five 2023 One Small Step Station Hubs join 24 other public media stations that have partnered with One Small Step since 2018.

Through the One Small Step Radio Station Hubs project, two members of each participating station are trained by StoryCorps staff to facilitate and record conversations between community residents with different political beliefs. The stations also receive program support and a customized set of professional recording equipment for in-person recording, as well as access to StoryCorps’ remote recording platform, which can be used to host conversations virtually. Stations will team up with a variety of community organizations to spread the word about the initiative, and will collaborate with StoryCorps to match participants and record conversations through the end of the year. The project includes a series of public listening events, streamed online, and select interviews will be shared across each station’s media platforms.

One Small Step is made possible by the generous support of The Hearthland Foundation, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, The Marcus Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Fetzer Institute, Stand Together Trust, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Robins Foundation, New Pluralists, and Schwab Charitable Fund made possible by the generosity of Present Progressive Fund. StoryCorps thanks these donors for their commitment to this project and to bridging divides in America.

About One Small Step
Piloted in 2017 and launched in 2021, One Small Step is an effort to remind the country of the humanity in all of us, even those with whom we disagree. The initiative brings strangers with different political views together to record a 50-minute conversation—not to debate politics, but to learn who we are as people. Audio recordings of each interview are archived at the Library of Congress and by StoryCorps. To date, over 3,400 people across 40 states have participated in a One Small Step conversation. Listen to One Small Step interviews here and learn more at takeonesmallstep.org.

About StoryCorps
Founded in 2003, StoryCorps has given over 630,000 people, in all 50 states, the chance to record interviews about their lives. The award-winning organization preserves the recordings in its archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered, and shares select stories with the public through StoryCorps’ podcast, NPR broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books. These powerful human stories reflect the vast range of American experiences, engender empathy and connection, and remind us how much more we have in common than what divides us. StoryCorps is especially committed to capturing and amplifying voices least heard in the media. The StoryCorps MobileBooth, an Airstream trailer that has been transformed into a traveling recording booth, crisscrosses the country year-round gathering the stories of people nationwide. 2023 marks StoryCorps’ 20th anniversary. Learn more at storycorps.org.

About the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit www.cpb.org and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and subscribe for email updates.