Podcast Journalism
The Document team spent the year telling stories that helped New Hampshire residents better understand the people and systems shaping their lives. The team reported on the case featured in Bear Brook Season Two: A True Crime Story, following new DNA analysis that opened the door to potential answers in a decades-old conviction. In The Final Days of Sgt. Tibbs, Document showed how a neighborhood dispute escalated into a citywide controversy, raising questions about what we owe our pets and our neighbors. With Emelia’s Thing, the audience met a former Capitol Police officer rebuilding her life in northern New Hampshire while living with the long-term effects of what she experienced during the January 6th Capitol riot.
Civics 101 brought civic learning directly to the public through reporting, events and partnerships across the country. A live episode on preserving democracy at the first Civics 101 Summit in Hooksett invited audiences to reflect on what participating in civic life looks like today. The team traveled for events that connected teachers, students and community members. From their 2024 Election Toolkit to conversations about the rule of law, Civics 101 focused on making civic knowledge accessible and relevant.
Outside/In helped listeners and readers make sense of the natural world and the decisions communities make about it. The team expanded its reporting with What Remains, a series on how museums and institutions are reckoning with human remains collected unethically over the past two centuries. The show reached national audiences when its reporting on a New England coyote encounter was featured on Planet Money. This year also brought a memorable reminder of the connections the show builds with its audience: one listener wrote in with questions about the ethics and sustainability of diamonds as he prepared to propose. After the episode A Righteous Gemstone aired, his partner reached out to share that the proposal had happened — and that Outside/In had become part of their story. “He proposed just off the summit of Mount Chocorua last weekend,” she wrote, adding that being featured on the show “was really fun for both of us.” By grounding environmental topics in the experiences of residents, scientists and local leaders, the show encouraged informed conversations and strengthened environmental understanding across the region.
Photo credits, top to bottom: Rose Garcia featured in The Final Days of Sgt. Tibbs (John Tully/for NHPR); Senior News Editor Christina Phillips talks with an attendee of the Civics 101 Summit (Allegra Boverman/for NHPR); Ben Heney and Faith Eherts featured in A Righteous Gemstone (Courtesy of Faith Eherts).
Locally produced, locally powered
Behind the headlines you read on our website, there’s a dedicated team of journalists working hard to bring you local news you can trust. On any given day, that can look like:
Reporters hustling to track down sources, get the facts and hold powerful officials accountable
Producers coordinating interviews with people who offer perspectives that go beyond soundbites
Editors carefully vetting our stories to make sure they’re accurate, fair and easy to follow
I believe that journalists, when we do our jobs well, can play a crucial role in connecting people and making communities stronger. But we can’t do this work without you.
Your donations, in any amount, can help keep independent journalism vibrant in New Hampshire — and accessible to everyone, no paywall required.
Sincerely,
Dan Barrick
News Director
