Next City

Which episode should someone start with?

We are a nonprofit news organization, and if you’re not sure why that matters, then start by listening to “Taking the Corporate Profits Out of Your News.” https://goodpods.app.link/4WOqbDUrHwb

Which have been your favourite episodes so far?

My favorite episodes shine a light on proven solutions. Homelessness is not intractable. In fact, our very first episode was titled — and I wish I could shout this — “These Cities Have Ended Chronic Homelessness.” Every episode will share a solution that just works. Poverty is not intractable either. In fact, we’ve interviewed the founder of the longest-running pilot in the U.S. of a guaranteed income program. Check out, “Is Giving Away Cash the Best Way to Cut Poverty?”

Which episode are you most proud of?

Next City is a different kind of media outlet. We center marginalized voices in the subjects we choose to cover, the staff who do the reporting, and the sources we quote. And it’s our journalists who make us special. In 2022, 65% of our stories were authored by journalists of color. Listeners meet a Next City journalist at the start of each show. So I’m proud of all their work, and all the shows.

What is your vision for your show?

We’re successful whenever someone shares an episode on social media as proof that change is not merely possible, it’s already happening. So that’s our dream, that people share these episodes with their neighbors, colleagues and anyone who they think might join the movement for liberated cities.

What is your favourite other podcast that isn't yours?

Does “Only Murders in the Building Count?” Because I do love that show! For people like me who need to know how to keep your nonprofit newsroom thriving, The Pivot Fund Pod is full of valuable insight. If you just want to commiserate about the insanity of our cultural moment, I love overhearing the conversation with Zach Stafford and his friends on Vibe Check. Zach is a fellow alum of The Advocate magazine, where we were both editors-in-chief, once upon a time. So I have to give him a shout-out.

How did you come up with the name for your podcast?

Next City has been reporting on solutions for 20 years, if you can believe it. We’re a granddaddy of nonprofit news. We began as a print magazine called “The Next American City” and evolved into a website. Over a million people visit nextcity.org each year. Roughly 35,000 subscribe to our newsletters. So you know, we felt like the name holds up!

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m host of the podcast and executive director for Next City. So I spend lots of time finding supporters for our reporting on solutions. Before joining Next City, I was editor in chief of The Advocate, the longest running LGBTQ magazine. I led coverage through big highs like Supreme Court decisions on marriage equality, and lows like the Pulse tragedy in Orlando. I’m proud and honored to say that, in both 2016 and 2018, NLGJA named me as “LGBTQ Journalist of the Year."