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EEO

WYSO PUBLIC RADIO, YELLOW SPRINGS, OHIO

PERIOD REPORTED: JUNE 1, 2023 – MAY 31, 2024

WYSO is committed to the goal of equal opportunity for all and, accordingly, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and characteristics, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, visible or invisible disability, or status as a disabled veteran. This policy applies to all WYSO staff: full-time, part-time, contractors, and interns.

WYSO complies with federal and state legislation and regulations regarding nondiscrimination.

During the period under consideration, WYSO employed 21 persons full-time, 1 part-time, 3 contractors, and another 14 as volunteer on-air hosts.

Recruiting

One of WYSO’s core values is relationships; and it’s through relationships that we do much of our recruiting for internships, staff positions, and volunteer opportunities. Here’s how we describe the primacy of relationships within our work:

Relationships are WYSO’s superpower. We achieve our mission by building authentic relationships across the community and across the country. It is through relationships that we create content, share music, and amplify voices that have historically been excluded from mainstream media; maintain our organization, as we add staff, volunteers and board members; and position WYSO as a thought leader within our industry.  

As such, we work to build and maintain strong relationships both locally and nationally:

  • WYSO has relationships with many local universities, including two HBCUs (Central State University and Wilberforce University), where we recruit for staff positions and internships. 
  • We meet many people through our array of community-based audio training programs (e.g. Saturday podcasting classes, “Dayton Youth Radio” classes in area high schools, etc.)

  • Every staff member attends one national public radio conference each year, and at these conferences we are always scouting for talent

    • During the period under consideration, here are some of the conferences our staff attended: 

National Association of Black Journalists (Basim Blunt in August ‘23), Investigative Reporters and Editors (Ngozi Cole in July ‘23), Public Media Business Association (Arthur Boulet in May ‘24), Public Radio Program Directors Association (Luke Dennis, Samantha Sommer, and Amanda Burks in August ‘23), NonComMUSIC Alliance Annual Conference (Juliet Fromholt, Evan Miller, and Peter Day in May ‘24), and Greater Public’s Public Media Development and Marketing Conference (Rochelle Savoy, Karen Bledsoe, Sara Nilsson, and Rochelle Savoy in August ‘23)

  • Our staff are active on local boards and organizations, which is a great way to connect with area professionals 

    • Further, our staff attends more than 50 local events per year. Having collateral / tables at these events allows WYSO staff to recruit based on the current job / internship openings. These events are varied: libraries, concerts, Rotary Club events, street fairs, farmer’s markets, and local business events through chambers of commerce and local professional organizations.
  • We regularly offer tours of the studio for local students and reach out specifically to schools that are in underserved/underrepresented areas of our listening area.

These types of relationship-building activities help grow our pool of applicants for available positions. We also recruit by advertising job openings across the country. Listed below are some of the organizations whose job boards we utilize.

New Hiring

New full-time staff that joined our team during this period include:

  • Development Director Amanda Burks
  • Deputy News Director and Digital Editor Kaitlin Schroeder
  • Food Insecurity and Agricultural Reporter Shayleigh Frank
  • Environment and Indigenous Affairs Reporter Adriana Martinez-Smiley

The Development Director position was posted on our website, Indeed.com, Public Media Business Association (PMBA), CPB Jobline, and social media job boards (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.). On our own platforms they were posted on WYSO.org, WYSO Facebook page, and via eblast using the WYSO membership database. The hiree was referred by our website.

We had 4 total applicants: 75% female and 25% BIPOC. We conducted 1 interview and the offer was extended and accepted by a female candidate.

The Deputy News Director and Digital Editor position was posted locally and nationally. National outlets included the National Association of Black Journalists, PRNDI, Greater Public, CPB Jobline, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Asian American Journalists’ Association, PMBA, Current, and social media job boards (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.). On our own platforms they were posted on WYSO.org, WYSO Facebook page, WYSO Twitter account and via eblast using the WYSO membership database.

There were 4 total applicants. We conducted 2 first round interviews: 1 male / 1 female. We conducted 1 second-round interview. The offer was extended and accepted by a female candidate. The hiree was referred by our website and by social media job boards.

The Food Insecurity and Agricultural Reporter position was posted locally and nationally. National outlets included the National Association of Black Journalists, PRNDI, Greater Public, CPB Jobline, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Asian American Journalists’ Association, PMBA, Current, and social media job boards (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.). On our own platforms they were posted on WYSO.org, WYSO Facebook page, WYSO Twitter account and via eblast using the WYSO membership database.

There were 9 total applicants: 3 male / 6 female and 2 were BIPOC (22%). There were 2 second round interviews; 50% of those applicants were BIPOC. The offer was extended and accepted by a female candidate. The hiree was referred via eblast using the WYSO membership database.

The Environment and Indigenous Affairs Reporter position was posted locally and nationally. National outlets included the National Association of Black Journalists, PRNDI, Greater Public, CPB Jobline, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Asian American Journalists’ Association, PMBA, Current, and social media job boards (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.). On our own platforms they were posted on WYSO.org, WYSO Facebook page, WYSO Twitter account and via eblast using the WYSO membership database.

There were 23 total applicants: 8 male / 15 female. 5 were BIPOC (22%). There were 2 second round interviews; 50% of those applicants were BIPOC. The offer was extended and accepted by a female BIPOC candidate. The hiree was referred by the CPB Jobline posting.

Closing material

During this period WYSO continued its “Community Voices” radio production training programs, designed to teach community members professional media skills they then use to create stories that highlight local voices, ideas and concerns. Many of these stories are then broadcast on WYSO, reaching our 70,000+ weekly listeners. Our training opportunities are open to people of all ages for a nominal fee. Many are admitted on full scholarship.

There was an array of Community Voices activity during this period. Highlights include:

The continuation of six signature series:

  • “Dayton Youth Radio,” which amplifies the voices and perspectives of young people from across the region
  • “The Race Project,” conversations between everyday people from the Miami Valley about their life experiences through the prism of skin color.  
  • “Loud As the Rolling Sea,” stories of the Civil Rights generation of activists, both Black and white, who were born in the 20s and 30s.
  • “Studio Visit,” conversations with local artists about what inspires their work. 
  • “Veterans’ Voices,” conversations between military veterans who live in the Miami Valley
  • “West Dayton Stories,” a community-based story-telling project centered on the people and places of Dayton’s vibrant west side. WYSO brings together community producers to tell stories reflecting its proud history, current complexities, and future hopes.

As well as the launch of a new series, “Miami Valley Celebrates,” highlighting how local people mark the big moments in life.

We also reinstituted our “full boat” training course, which consists of 6-8 full day training sessions that culminate in the creation of a unique feature story.

CONTACTING WYSO

Groups and organizations wishing to be put on the mailing list for notification of full-time vacancies should contact the station in writing as follows:

WYSO Public Radio
Attn: Luke Dennis
150 E. South College Street
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
Or via email to ldennis@wyso.org

CERTIFICATION

I hereby certify that the above information is true and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Luke Dennis
General Manager
WYSO Public Radio
May 2024