KALW Audio Academy: An audio journalism program for adults
The KALW Audio Academy is a unique nine-month radio journalism training program for adults at KALW Public Radio, an NPR and BBC affiliate in San Francisco.
This program is designed to give participants a professional audio production and journalism education, tuition-free. And, for the first time this year, we're offering participants a stipend of up to $9,000 for the duration of the program.
We are looking for:
- Creative thinkers, great writers, audiophiles who dream in sound & story
- Anyone who is hungry to break into the world of audio journalism
- People with a passion for covering a diversity of communities
- Ideally, people who are knowledgeable about the Bay Area
- Team players ready to work hard in a supportive newsroom
- Fans of workday dance parties (appreciated but not required!)
About the program
You will be an integral part of the production of our award-winning daily news show,Crosscurrents. Our show is known for telling nuanced, sound-rich stories. You will be trained on daily newsroom tasks like fact-checking and research, while also getting to pitch and produce radio features in our supportive, collaborative newsroom.
In addition, you will receive in-depth training in audio journalism and production through weekly evening seminars taught by KALW reporters, engineers, and special guests. Seminar topics include: interviewing; field recording; writing for radio; voicing; and editing in Protools. Every Audio Academy fellow also receives mentorship from Crosscurrents staff as well as shadowing opportunities.
Commitment and timeline
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Between September and June, participants are asked to commit 16-20 hours of work per week. This includes one regularly scheduled eight-hour shift in our newsroom and another eight hours working in the field, producing your own stories.
Participants will also be asked to attend weekly evening seminars (6:00 to 8:30 p.m.) on Wednesdays from September to December and then every other week (6:00 to 8:30 p.m.) on Wednesdays from January to June.
The academy includes a two-week break in late December and two flexible vacation weeks for each participant.
Enrollment in a college or university is not necessary to participate. We discourage applicants who are currently full-time students due to the time demands.
This is a free in-person training opportunity. Participants must be willing to travel to our popup studio in downtown San Francisco at 220 Montgomery and our studios located at Phillip & Sala Burton High School at 500 Mansell in San Francisco.
Compensation
We are now offering participants a stipend of up to $9,000 for the duration of the program, from September through mid-June. The stipend is dependent on meeting the requirements of the program.
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Here are some common questions we get from potential applicants.
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Meet our 11th Audio Academy class: the class of 2024.