Hello I am Jake Shapiro, CEO of PRX the Public Radio Exchange, based nearby in Harvard Square Cambridge.We are incredibly excited to be part of the News Challenge, and really honored to be in the company of these other remarkable people and projects.
PRX is a digital network connecting hundreds of local radio stations and thousands of producers, expanding the range, reach, and impact of public service media for millions of people.
We are the developers of a growing number of iPhone and Android apps, including the Public Radio Player, This American Life, and the forthcoming local app for WBUR, the NPR station here in Boston.
PRX is also launching REMIX – a 24/7 stream on XM and online, a mashup of new stories, podcasts and voices that’s a totally new sound.Essentially PRX is hacking the public broadcasting mainframe wide open, and inviting all of you in!
Our News Challenge project is called StoryMarket, and it taps into the network effects of public radio to help find and fund important local stories where they are sorely needed.
Public radio stations are among the last locally owned broadcast media in the country, and they are increasingly addressing local and regional issues through original journalism – both because it’s important, and because it’s a competitive strategy as national radio programs become availableon a lot of different platforms.
StoryMarket is a kind of matchmaking service between stations and the growing pool of talented independent producers with stories to tell.And Listeners Like You – formerly known as The Audience – are looking for much more than the Mug or Tote Bag when we invite you to participate. Through StoryMarket you can help surface story ideas, vote on the best ones, and have the option to help fund them directly.It is another step in empowering listeners to shape media that is relevant to them, while still anchoring it with purposeful local institutions.
To jumpstart this idea we are partnering with Spot Us - a pioneer in crowdfunding and another News Challenger. We will be integrating the PRX and Spot Us platforms to create StoryMarket. This is true code-level collaboration, bringing together some of the best open source technologists on both of our teams.
Instead of launching with the usual suspects, StoryMarket will start with a test run later this year in Kentucky, where Louisville Public Media is looking to tackle big stories like mountain top mining and race in the public schools. These might become documentaries, short features, or news reports that deserve a deeper dive.From Louisville we will expand to other regions, collaborate with other local partners and integrate with promising platforms.
PRX has always focused on innovation at the intersection of talent and technology, StoryMarket is a new idea that drives public media towards a transformative role in journalism and society. Thank you for tuning in.
