Interlochen Public Radio Diversity Statement

Interlochen Public Radio’s programming is designed to appeal to a broad range of listeners and provide a complete picture of the people and issues in northern Michigan and the world of classical music.

Contact IPR at (800) 441-9422 or ipr@interlochen.org with questions or feedback.

Interlochen Public Radio finds the following elements of diversity important to our public media work:

Accessibility

• Interlochen Public Radio is freely and continuously available to FM radio and online listeners  
• The stations provide free access for promotion and publicity to non-profit organizations to reach out to the community with their messages through the Almanac
• IPR’s website is freely accessible with no paywalled content
  

  

  
  Programming
  
  • Interlochen Public Radio presents programming designed to appeal to a broad range of listeners.  
  • Classical IPR as a service emphasizes classical music’s accessibility and diversity 
    
    • Local programming regularly includes music composed, conducted, and performed by people from diverse backgrounds
    • Classical IPR takes a broad and inclusive definition of classical music in terms of genre and style
    • Regular interviews feature musicians from northern Michigan and visiting artists from around the world

• IPR News Radio serves as the public radio news service for northern Michigan, always striving to deliver stories that paint a complete picture of the people and issues in our region. 
  
  • We aim for stories that include voices from historically underrepresented communities, and that include a wide variety of viewpoints and worldviews. 
    
  • We believe that our job is to elevate the conversations that can illuminate the issues facing our community in ways that are respectful to all involved, and we are committed to national and syndicated programming that connects our listeners to new ideas, different experiences, and varying viewpoints. 
    
  • As a newsroom: We believe that our staff should be made up of people from various walks of life. Therefore, in hiring, we strive to actively invite applications with diversity in gender, race, sexual orientation, economic background, education level, and personal backgrounds. 

Peter Payette

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Interlochen Public Radio

Community Engagement

• IPR regularly reaches out to the community for guidance and review of its service through a Community Advisory Council.  
  
  • Its members are from across the northern Michigan community and include online listeners outside of this region.  
    
  • The Community Advisory Council meets at least three times per year to review programming and advise station management toward better engagement with and service to the community.  
    
  • IPR also seeks review and support of its efforts through three or more week-long fundraising drives each year
    
  • Listeners are invited and encouraged to provide feedback by phone, email, or a voice memo 

Max Copeland

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Interlochen Public Radio

Goals

• IPR seeks:
  
  • Geographical diversity, with representation of communities within our listening area, as well as areas that have varying degrees of community wealth and poverty. We seek broad representation on our Community Advisory Council to ensure programming appeals to the entire region.
  • Racial, ethnic, religious, and gender diversity, to both reflect the makeup of our community and to elevate underrepresented groups. 
    
    • We seek broad representation on our Community Advisory Council and an active interest in programming that reflects a wide spectrum of voices, with an eye toward issues of specific interest to local American Indian tribes and other area minority populations, including people who are migrants. 
    • In addition, the station hires using strong EEO employment policies and is committed to interviewing a diverse group of qualified candidates for every position. 
• To bring diverse voices to the airwaves, or to otherwise help the community to tell and to hear or read the stories of those often underrepresented in mass media. These can include, but are not limited to, women, people of color, people experiencing poverty or homelessness, children and youth, gender variant and non-conforming people, and people with disabilities. 
• To provide programming and educational opportunities that reach out to a new and younger audience for classical music.

Interlochen Center for the Arts

Interlochen Public Radio's staff and governance reflect such diversity as follows (as of January 2023):

• Of non-leadership roles at IPR, 55% of FTE employees are male and 45% are female. Employees of color are 12.5% of the current FTE staff.
• In 2022, 100% of IPR’s interns were female. 
• As of January 2023, IPR’s leadership is 50% female, with women making up 66% of mid-level management. 
• Interlochen Public Radio’s Community Advisory Council’s membership is currently 59% female, and 14% of the members are people of color.

Michael Livingston

Interlochen Public Radio has made the following progress to increase its diversity in the last two to three years:

• Classical IPR job and internship postings and applications have been shared with diverse online communities such as the Sphinx Organization and Women in Public Media 
• IPR News posted a job opening to several diverse groups, including journalism affinity associations such as the Native American Journalists Association and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
• IPR News collaborated with the Traverse City Record-Eagle’s Indigenous affairs reporter on at least two occasions, including an episode of our flagship podcast Points North.

Interlochen Public Radio has the following diversity plans for 2023:

• Classical IPR’s local programming playlists will include at least 20% music composed or conducted by women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented groups
• IPR News will actively seek job applicants who are women, people of color, and members of other historically underrepresented groups as we hire for new and existing positions.
• Increase training on cultural competency for journalists at IPR News.

Contact IPR at (800) 441-9422 or ipr@interlochen.org with questions or feedback.