Description
PRX is a non–profit media company specializing in audio journalism and storytelling. In 2018, PRX merged with Public Radio International (PRI), a leading producer of journalism, to create a new entity reaching over 28.5 million people monthly, across broadcast and web, along with more than 70 million monthly podcast downloads.
In 2014 and 2011, PRI received HRLI grants to support international religion reporting on The World, public radio’s daily global news program. PRX now requests Luce support for extended coverage of the intersections between religion and the rise of nationalism. Over two years, The World will produce six multi–part series, accompanying digital web and newsletter content, eight podcast series, four radio specials, and ongoing coverage of this topic within its daily reporting.
Reporters will work with scholars and experts to help frame questions and provide historical background, cultural context, and analysis. Among the stories under consideration are President Putin’s relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church; Hindu nationalism in India; and militant Buddhist nationalism in Myanmar. Other stories might focus on Austria, Iraq and Turkey.
At The World, executive producer Andrea Crossan will lead the project, working with John Barth, the chief content officer at PRX, and reporters Matthew Bell, Shirin Jaafari, and Patrick Winn. The team will meet twice a year with a panel of academic advisors who have been key participants in HRLI–supported work; the advisors will also provide feedback on stories throughout the grant period as they are developed. The World is unusual in that it can devote five hours a week on broadcast (and even more, digitally) to global coverage, and to in depth–stories (up to 20 minutes). PRX anticipates a broadcast reach of up to 600,000 listeners per segment, and 400,000 downloads for the podcast series.
Funds from the Luce Foundation will be used to support salaries for reporters, producers and editors, travel, and related broadcast and digital production costs.
Recommendation: That the Directors of the Henry Luce Foundation approve a two–year grant of $300,000 to PRX/The World for the project, Religion and Nationalism.