The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has announced a new grant for 2025 to establish four public radio hubs, supporting StoryCorps’ One Small Step initiative. Launched in 2018, this initiative seeks to bridge political divides by facilitating respectful conversations between Americans with differing viewpoints.
The selected public radio stations—KGNU in Boulder, Colorado; Tri States Public Radio in Macomb, Illinois; WKU in Bowling Green, Kentucky; and WYSO in Yellow Springs, Ohio—will receive comprehensive training, production support, and professional recording equipment from StoryCorps. This will enable them to host and share One Small Step conversations in their communities, fostering understanding and connection.
CPB’s president and CEO, Patricia Harrison, emphasised bringing together individuals with differing political beliefs. “One Small Step is designed to encourage people to engage in meaningful conversations,” she stated, highlighting StoryCorps’ reputation for inclusivity and transparency.
Recent research from the Pew Research Centre reveals a troubling trend: trust in news sources has sharply diverged along party lines, and overall trust among Americans has declined over the past few decades. In this context, public media plays a crucial role, ensuring that the content it funds is impartial and fact-based, thereby serving all Americans.
The One Small Step initiative seeks to mitigate polarisation at the local level by prioritising shared humanity over partisan differences. Studies have shown that participants in this program often experience increased empathy and understanding for those with opposing political views.
Founded in 2003 with initial backing from CPB, StoryCorps aims to illuminate our shared humanity, one story at a time. The new hubs will bring the total number of public media stations participating in One Small Step to 33, demonstrating a nationwide commitment to community dialogue.
Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps, expressed gratitude for the partnership with CPB and the selected stations, stating that these conversations reveal common ground among Americans across the political spectrum, underscoring the initiative’s potential to unite communities.
