Mission Statement:
KBOO News is committed to serving our community in Oregon and Southwest Washington through independent, volunteer-driven reporting that upholds our values of equity, ethical reporting and rich community conversation. We focus on essential knowledge for our local community and stories that you won’t hear anywhere else. We are committed to uplifting the voices of oppressed and underserved communities, and we strive to hold those with power accountable, wherever they exist.
About Us:
We are an independent, volunteer-powered news team working to produce the KBOO Evening News, airing weekdays on KBOO at 5 p.m. Our newscast is nearly as old as the station itself, which was started over 50 years ago in 1968. Over the years we’ve won awards for our reporting on local and national issues, and are proud to offer opportunities for volunteer reporters to make their voices heard.
Aside from underwriting and grant funding, the KBOO News is entirely funded by our listeners, meaning we have real independence from corporate interests and advertisers. One paid staff person and a rotating crew of around 20 volunteers collaborate to make our newscast come together. Our volunteers learn journalism skills through free training classes offered in the News Department and use those abilities to serve our community by giving voice to those not often heard in other media sources. Newsroom contributors come from all walks of life and bring with them valued perspectives that are often lacking in news coverage as a whole.
Journalism Values:
We value fair reporting that is essential to keeping our listeners informed. As a part of a non-profit community radio station, we are independent from advertisers since our coverage is majority funded by our listeners.
Our approach to election coverage:
In the KBOO newsroom we are working to keep you informed so you can understand the issues and candidates you will be voting for in November. Our focus is on local races and issues. We want to cover how the issues will impact Oregonians. While we will be covering the national political races, our goal is to limit the political name-calling and mudslinging stories and focus on stories that highlight how you and your family and friends are feeling, thinking and impacted. Federal Communication Commission regulations require that we stay politically independent. If a candidate for public office is interviewed on our program, equal time is offered to their competitors. This keeps us from being biased towards any particular candidate, but also ensures that our audience gets the full picture before heading to the ballot box.
As journalists we are committed to serving this community. Our goal is to provide you with verified information that shows you how different ballot issues impact your life. We strive to hold elected officials and those running for office accountable, no matter their party affiliation. During our election coverage we will be focusing on stories that provide you the facts and context you need to make informed decisions. We promise to focus on information that is helpful and not exaggerated, sensationalized or politicized. We also want to hear what questions you have. If you have questions for candidates or want to know more about a particular issue, contact us. Let us know what’s on your mind by contacting us at 971-801-1378 or by emailing newsdirector@kboo.org.
KBOO is YOUR community radio station, and you can participate
What can I do in the news department?:
KBOO provides free trainings for volunteers.
- Train as a radio news reporter/producer/researcher. Learn writing for radio, reporting, digital audio editing, interviewing techniques, voicing technique, producing radio news & features (including in-house and field recording techniques, audio selection).
- Be part of the news team, and learn all parts of the news production process.
- Prepare reports and projects for broadcast on the KBOO News
KBOO has 14 paid employees and over 400 volunteers. News volunteers work with many other volunteers and staff members. Our schedule is somewhat flexible (morning or afternoon hours), but please note that the main production timeline for Evening News is from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. each weekday.
Qualifications:
Prior experience is not required, but a passion for news and current events is a plus.
Email: newsdirector@kboo.fm or call 971-801-1378 to get involved today.