"Get an Edit"

NewsWorks

A project of Public Radio News Directors Inc. to support continued development of reporters, producers, editors and news managers working in public radio stations across the country.

Overview

PRNDI NewsWorks fills a niche left open by other training programs: we'll work with the news director to help evaluate your newsroom's needs and design a set of workshops to make your station's news the best it can be.

Our Curriculum

NewsWorks offers a comprehensive set of training opportunities, tailored to your newsroom, in your newsroom, from people who've faced the challenges of small to large newsrooms of their own.

Reporting, Writing, Presentation

Selecting Great Stories
Reporting & Interviewing
Script Writing
Audio Production
Presenting the News

News Management

Planning Great Results
Coaching Staff
Managing Time & Money
Ethics

Challenges & Opportunities

News On Line
Station/Network Collaboration
Talk Shows
Community Connections

Our Trainers

Michael Marcotte

Mike is an independent public media consultant living in Santa Barbara, California. He was news director for KPBS-FM/TV in San Diego for 12 years where he managed reporters, editors, anchors, talk show hosts, producers and others for the all-news radio station. He hosted a weekly television program and helped grow the station’s website. Among his many reporting and training initiatives, Michael established and directed KPBS’ new media lab, the Jacobs Project for Reporting Excellence.

Michael was president of PRNDI from 2006-2007 and is helping PRNDI and NPR’S Local News Initiative to create the Public Radio News Director’s Guide. He’s a former news director of KPLU-FM, Seattle-Tacoma, and has taught journalism at four universities in the United States. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Journalism from the University of Georgia.

Melanie Peeples

Melanie Peeples is an independent reporter/producer whose work primarily airs on National Public Radio. In the last dozen years she has been a reporter, news director, editor, host, producer, and college English instructor. She also fills in as a production assistant for Morning Edition from time to time. Her work has taken her as far away as a tiny Pacific Island in the Federated States of Micronesia. These days, when she's not covering the South (like kudzu) or bringing NewsWorks training to public radio stations across the country, she's busy enjoying the newest addition to her family, baby Max, in Birmingham, Alabama.

Melanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from University of Alabama and a Master of Arts degree in English, from University of Alabama.

Tanya Ott

Tanya is news director in Birmingham, Alabama. Her experience includes work as an independent public radio producer and serving as a station-based reporter/anchor/news manager at stations like WUFT-FM in Gainesville, Florida, and Colorado Public Radio in Denver. She is a regular contributor to several nationally-distributed public radio programs including Marketplace Radio, where she is a national health care reporter. Her features have garnered dozens of state and national awards. Tanya is also a board member and mentor for the Association of Independents in Radio.

Tanya holds a Bachelor of Science in public relations from the University of Florida and has completed work toward a master's in mass communication theory at the University of Florida. In addition, she has participated in numerous special training projects.

Fee Structure

DAY ONE:

$200 per person + Trainer Expenses
Minimum Cost - $500
Maximum Cost (excluding expenses) - $2,000

DAY TWO:

$150 per person + Trainer Expenses
Minimum Cost - $350
Maximum Cost (excluding expenses) - $1500
PRNDI will pay the first $250 for the first 12 NewsWorks sessions. Expenses will be paid directly to trainers. Workshop fees will be paid to PRNDI. A down payment of $250 is required for registration.

NewsWorks Initial Application

Station:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Phone:
Contact Name:
Staff Size:
News Format:
Training Needs: