It’s a rare pairing — two Ayishas talking about public radio, the challenges ahead, and the power of community support. NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday” and “Up First” host Ayesha Rascoe shares her perspective on where public radio is headed and why it matters.
Ayisha Jaffer: Ayesha, I'm so glad to be with another Ayisha today, talking to you about the importance of public media. Federal funding for public media through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been rescinded for the coming years, and the CPB is set to dissolve by year’s end. What do you think that means for the future of NPR and the wider public radio system?
Ayesha Rascoe: I won't sugarcoat it. I think it is a difficult time that we're in. It’s hard. What I am heartened by is the way that member stations and the public and so many have pitched in and have given and have supported NPR and member stations during this time of uncertainty.
This is new. This hasn't happened before. It is a new path forward. And I think that there will absolutely be some bumps along the way. I'm glad to be a part of an organization that people have turned out to support because they really love and value it.
AJ: That's so beautiful too, to see them turn out. When you think about the mission of public radio, has this moment of uncertainty changed how you define it, or how you think about its role?
AR: I don't think that it's changed it, but I think that it has really solidified the idea that we exist, or NPR exists for the public. It exists to better inform the public, and that we are of the public, for the public, by the public. So I think it has really kind of reinforced that even with the government stepping away, you see communities, you see individuals stepping up in the moment to fill that gap.
I think the mission remains the same. It’s more needed now than ever before to have a trusted source of media — a trusted source of information — informing and guiding people, and helping them develop their own wisdom and their own knowledge of the world around them. I think it's just as important now as it has ever been, and probably more important.
AJ: And like you said, for the public, by the public. Public radio is often described as “people powered,” with stations reflecting the communities they serve, and depending on listener support to shape their capacity and staying power in this funding climate. How true is that? And what does it mean for listeners right now?
AR: It is extremely true. That is how we are able to get the job done. And it takes a lot of people. It takes a lot of resources. You hear the host and maybe you see our pictures, but there's a whole team behind me that gets “Weekend Edition” out every Saturday and Sunday. I can't do it without this team of 20. The editors and the producers, and then you have engineers and all of these people that are helping us to put a show together.
On the member station side, you have people who are living in your communities. Their kids go to your schools. They worship in the same places that you do. They go to the grocery store where you go to the grocery store. They are in your community, so they have a vested interest in reporting on what’s happening. They talk to the people they know — the people in town.
I think that at this moment NPR and the member stations need support from the people. They need resources and time and whatever can be given. We are in a new place without that federal backstop. And so I think that it's even more important now, because you have these local member stations at a time when local news is struggling all over. To be able to give back to them and to support them is to really make a difference, and to really see that difference in action.
AJ: How is NPR preparing for this new media landscape?
AR: NPR is doing a lot. What has always impressed me is that they’re always looking at what will be the next big thing. We’re radio, but we’re adjusting. We have our website, but now we’re also doing more video, because everybody with a podcast is putting it on YouTube or social media. You have to have the video for those platforms, and NPR is doing more of that.
We have our different podcasts, and now we’re bringing some of them to the radio. We’re also trying to grow and develop new products — whether it’s apps, smart radios, or an NPR app in your car so you can press it quickly and listen in your Lexus or wherever. The key thing is knowing that, because our mission is to engage the public, we have to be where they are.
Times are changing. People don’t listen to the radio the same way, and they don’t consume media the same way. So we’re adjusting. I’m on TikTok. I’m trying to talk to people wherever they are. NPR is trying to keep up. But like every other media company, it’s trial and error. I don’t think anyone has really cracked that code, but we’re trying.
AJ: So, Ayesha, what was it that initially drew you personally to the public radio world?
AR: I didn’t know much about public radio growing up, but as a journalist I worked for Reuters for many years. I was a writer doing print journalism. I had heard of NPR, and I knew it was respected. People spoke highly of it.
When I was covering the first Trump administration for Reuters, I started getting asked to appear on “Here and Now” and on some member stations to talk about my White House coverage. Through that, I got familiar with some of the shows and stations. I thought the questions were so thoughtful, and it all seemed so well run.
They have beautiful studios here in D.C., and when I was recruited to cover the White House for NPR, I jumped at it. I was so excited. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Once I got to NPR, I thought: This programming is amazing. I’ve been missing out. I should have been listening before. It’s thoughtful. It’s not just people screaming at each other or saying outrageous things.
You also get to hear from real people, and you can devote time to a story in a way you don’t see on other news stations. You’re not going to get 10 minutes for one story on TV news, not that I’ve seen. I was really impressed, and I’ve loved being here.
AJ: So during your time at NPR, has there been a story or a moment that's really stayed with you or shaped how you think about this work?
AR: There are so many things I’ve been able to do. Covering the White House was one of them.
I also did a series for “Weekend Edition” on the civil rights generation. I traveled to Selma, Alabama, to talk to one of the youngest people who was on the bridge during Bloody Sunday.
Getting to talk to her, to see that history, and to share those stories — we devoted a whole segment to that. Being able to tell a story in that way and really transport people meant so much to me. History is often under attack, and to bear witness to it — and to this living history — meant a lot to me.
