Building Stronger Communities
Martha Alvarado, at the Nashua Public Library where she teaches classes to help people obtain citizenship, as reported by Gaby Lozada in Visibles. (Gaby Lozada/NHPR)
Uniquely New Hampshire
NHPR is rooted in New Hampshire. That means we are focused on exploring the various needs of communities around the state. But we also care about a community’s identity, its flavor – what makes it unique. Reporter Olivia Richardson took that assignment quite literally in the story of a NH restaurateur serving Haitian inspired cuisine at the 2023 James Beard Awards. In a story that many parents could relate to, Reporter Sarah Gibson examined the growing demand for special education services in NH. In the sixth season of Visibles, Reporter Gabriela Lozada shared the story of a woman who turned her love towards her community after losing her husband. And no story had more flavor in 2023 than NH’s rogue Girl Scout, who garnered over 100,000 hits on our website and was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered.
““We are new residents of New Hampshire. When we moved here we were determined to learn more about this state, its politics and its residents. We are grateful to have this wonderful resource to learn more about this gorgeous state!” ”
Morning Edition host Rick Ganley and NPR national correspondent Sarah McCammon discuss reproductive rights during the Justice and Journalism series. (Photo by Quinn Kobrin for NHPR)
Community Conversations
NHPR is committed to fostering community conversation. This includes developing partnerships with groups around the state to facilitate vigorous and thought-provoking discussions. The Justice and Journalism series, a joint initiative of NHPR and the Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership & Public Service at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, hosted NPR national correspondent Sarah McCammon to discuss changes in the national landscape since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
In the wake of the police killing of Tyre Nichols, NHPR partnered with NHPBS and the New Hampshire Center for Justice and Equity to support “Real Talk: A Community Conversation on the Culture of Policing.” Senior news editor Casey McDermott moderated a panel discussion for the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications and the New England First Amendment Coalition. The panel, which included guests from the NH ACLU, the NH Superior Court, the City of Manchester and a First Amendment law specialist, examined the values of open and responsive government and how we all play a role.
Some of the best community conversations aren’t moderated. In the summer of 2022 the Minot-Sleeper Library in Bristol, NH partnered with StoryCorps to record and preserve the stories of local residents. In December we aired some of those stories which will be archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
““You connect me to the greater world, extend my community, and introduce me to new ideas.””
Morning Edition host Rick Ganley on-air while listeners mingle in Studio D during a station open house. (Zoey Knox/NHPR)
Sharing Good Times
Today, NHPR's largest email newsletter audience subscribes to The Weekender for weekly updates on activities in our state. Audience engagement producer Zoey Knox rounds up the Top 10 Things to Do in New Hampshire each week for our broadcast, web and newsletter audiences. While Zoey was looking for events around the state, NHPR planned some of our own, hosting two open houses for our audience. In October of 2022 we opened our doors during Morning Edition with Rick Ganley and in January of 2023 we repeated the party during All Things Considered with Julia Furukawa. Both events were free to the public and reached capacity. The fall of 2022 also saw the launch of the NH News Quiz, which quickly became a fan favorite. By June 2023, it had more than 1,400 subscribers and 51,000 pageviews.
““There’s nothing else like it. From Rick in the morning to Julia on my commute from work, NHPR is my home.””
Banner photo: Sophia Hammond, 11, grew so concerned about an ingredient in Girl Scout cookies that she decided to bake — and sell — her own. (Todd Bookman/NHPR)