NextGenRadio

Finding, coaching and training public media's next generation.

Next Gen Radio is a 5-day, audio-focused, digital journalism project. Our hybrid (some people in-person, some not) program is designed to give competitively selected participants the opportunity to learn how to report and produce a non-narrated audio piece and a companion multimedia story. Those chosen for the program are paired with a professional journalist, who serves as their mentor for the week, and the chosen participant is paid a stipend for their work.

Want to learn more?

NPR’s Next Gen Radio projects are hybrid (remote and in-person). Our selected cohort will report from where they are. Staffing varies with each project, but mentors fit into these general categories.

This Next Gen behind-the-scenes explainer video uses as a backdrop, our March 2023 project at the Wallis Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism at the University of Southern California.

You can also read our Frequently Asked Questions.

Get Project Details

IMPORTANT: You must live within the sponsors’ city/state/region. Generally, that means within a one-hour drive.

Here is our 2024 schedule:    

  • Next Gen Radio: Kansas City, MO (March 31-April 5 )
  • Next Gen Radio: Gulf States Newsroom, (May 6-10).             (DEADLINE APRIL 7, MIDNIGHT CT)
  • Next Gen Radio: Iowa, (July 8-12)
  • Next Gen Radio: Texas Newsroom (Sept 2-6)                       

PROGRAMMING NOTE:  Next Generation Radio is considering the meaning of “home.” We are looking beyond the physical space and more at the feeling of home that changes as we move, work from home and make other significant life changes. What is home to you?

Apply to a Project 

“The best thing about the Next Generation Radio project is that even though it’s only one week, packed with real-world reporting and audio production experiences, the skills you gain and the connections you make are designed to last a lifetime. Once you’ve proven yourself, you become a part of the NextGen family, having that support and mentorship throughout your journalism career.”

Michelle Baker, University of Nevada, Reno 2019