© 2025 KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area
KALW Public Media / 91.7 FM Bay Area
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Crosscurrents

For new Youth Radio director, broad horizons and a life-changing mission

Handout
/
Youth Radio

For a decade now, Youth Radio has trained the next generation of media professionals from their headquarters in Oakland. But now they want to take it to the national level.
 
New executive director Jabari Gray believes it's more important now than ever to amplify the voices of young people who are leading the fight against racism and prejudice — especially because they’re doing it in part through the use of media that didn’t even exist until recently.
 

"When I was a young person I felt that I needed to be heard myself. I felt that I had important things to say, that I was intelligent and considerate of the world around me in a way that made me want to reflect on it publicly. So there's a personal connection to the mission and the activities."

KALW’s Ben Trefny sat down with Jabari to talk about what Youth Radio is up to these days, and his plans to transform the organization into a national media leader.

 

Crosscurrents
I joined KALW in 2004. As Executive News Editor and then News Director, I helped our news department win numerous regional and national awards for long- and short-form journalism. I've also helped create numerous training programs — for teenagers, incarcerated people, and early-career journalists — and have taught hundreds of audio producers. I served as interim Executive Director for nearly two years. My work is currently focused on creating original live events, programming, and building partnerships with like-minded organizations.