Radio Rookies: Gentrification, Housing and the Meaning of Home
A series I developed, reported, produced and promoted for Radio Rookies as the senior producer of WNYC’s community partnerships desk.
After developing the theme, I spearheaded the recruitment process to find young storytellers ready to dive into these issues. I knew we needed to touch on gentrification and public housing and I decided to round out the series with a story that explored more abstract themes — what does home mean as a child of immigrants who’s never stepped foot in their family’s homeland?
Over several months, I worked one-on-one with teen participants to report, structure and script these stories, which give listeners fresh new perspectives on issues that are often in the news. I managed the entire workflow, staying on top of deadlines, coordinating with editors and audio engineers and voice coaching youth during their recording sessions. I also produced original photography and wrote all web copy and social media posts for each story.
The series aired on WNYC’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered. I further expanded the reach of the work by pitching interview segments with the storytellers to The Brian Lehrer Show. I secured separate segments for each storyteller and joined them live on the air on three consecutive days. I also pitched and produced a 40-minute expanded version of our NYCHA story for NPR’s Code Switch podcast. Lastly, I pitched a shorter version of our “meaning of home” story to Here & Now from WBUR and NPR. That piece aired nationally two years in a row.
A first-generation Tibetan in Queens finds her way home
Saldon Tenzin’s grandparents fled Tibet more than 60 years ago. Her parents were born in India and she was born in New York. She knows she needs to help keep her culture alive — but how do you hold onto something you feel so far removed from?
A Bronx teen grapples with a controversial plan for NYCHA apartments
When Fanta Kaba was growing up, her family moved around a lot. Harlem, Queens, the Bronx, even North Carolina for a while. But when they moved into public housing, they finally found stability. Now, a controversial plan is changing the way public housing operates — and a lot of residents are scared about the future of their homes.
As the Bronx gentrifies, teens lose sense of stability and belonging
Christina Adja loves her South Bronx neighborhood — but lately, she’s seen chain restaurants replacing small businesses and shiny apartment buildings going up. And it’s made her wonder: How do changing neighborhoods affect teenagers’ sense of stability and belonging?
Press coverage →
The Brian Lehrer Show: Radio Rookies 2023: Learning What it Means to be Tibetan
Carolina Hidalgo, senior producer for WNYC's Radio Rookies, introduces the new class of Radio Rookies while WNYC Radio Rookie Saldon Tenzin shares her story on her experience of growing up as a first-generation Tibetan and learning to be proud of a home she's never visited.
The Brian Lehrer Show: Radio Rookies 2023: Changes Coming to Public Housing
Carolina Hidalgo, senior producer for WNYC's Radio Rookies, introduces the new class of Radio Rookies while Radio Rookie Fanta Kaba shares her story on how her family found stability in a NYCHA apartment and how residents are wary as public housing here in the city is privatized.
The Brian Lehrer Show: Radio Rookies 2023: Gentrification Comes to The Bronx
Carolina Hidalgo, senior producer for WNYC's Radio Rookies, introduces the new class of Rookies while WNYC Radio Rookie Christina Adja shares the story she reported, about gentrification coming to her neighborhood in the South Bronx.