89.3 WFPL’s Kyeland Jacksonhas been selected for the prestigious 2019 Third Coast Radio Residency cohort. From May 13-19, Jackson will be one of 10 radio producers to convene at the Ragdale Foundation to focus solely on an audio project with the cohort and Radio Residency mentors Nishat Kurwa (Youth Radio, Vox Media) and Sarah Geis (independent, Third Coast alum).
During his residency, Jackson will work on a soon-to-be released podcast from Louisville Public Media.
"This is an amazing opportunity for Kyeland, and for WFPL," said Erica Peterson, WFPL's Director of News and Programming. "Third Coast has a reputation of producing and highlighting amazing audio stories, and this will give Kyeland a chance to focus his creative energy for a week on this project."
Unique in the world of audio, the Radio Residency serves producers at a variety of experience levels who come from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in public media and podcasting such as race, ethnicity, economic background, sexual orientation, disability and geographic location. Through a mix of independent work time, optional group activities and access to a Third Coast-selected mentor who can provide one-on-one guidance and editorial sessions, the Residency offers producers an unparalleled opportunity to build their community of peers.
"I'm beyond excited for this residency,” Jackson said. “This opportunity is one many people of color cannot take advantage of, and I plan to use it to better my reporting and affect positive change on the Louisville community."
The Third Coast Radio Residency, founded in 2016, is supported by the Third Coast Fund, an initiative to increase access to Third Coast programming for individuals who demonstrate a strong interest in audio storytelling. The Residency is also made possible with the support from the Ragdale Foundation.
