Building Stronger Communities
Paola Villegas, who left Puerto Rico during the pandemic, moved to New Hampshire and started her own business. Photo by Report for America Corps Member Gabriela Lozada.
Filling a Gap: NH News in Spanish
In response to a dangerous information gap exposed by the pandemic — the lack of any local New Hampshire journalism in Spanish — NHPR launched a project to deliver vital information on COVID-19 to the 26,000 primary Spanish speakers living in our state. This effort began with a Spanish newscast, “Que Hay de Nuevo, New Hampshire?,” delivered via WhatsApp, and the build out of a Noticias (News) section on our website in Spanish.
In FY21, NHPR was accepted into Report for America, a program which places emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. This is allowing NHPR to serve Spanish-speakers and also bring Latino community issues to broader audiences, addressing a gap in the state’s news and information.
NHPR’s live videocast of the in-studio debate between Gov. Chris Sununu and his Democratic challenger, Dan Feltes. Because of COVID-19 precautions, each candidate was placed in a separate studio, as were Exchange host Laura Knoy and NHPR political reporter Josh Rogers.
2020 Election: The Exchange Candidate Debates
In the lead-up to Election Day on November 3, 2020, NHPR held a series of live debates on-air and online with the candidates for major public offices in New Hampshire. Candidates for the U.S. Senate, the House seats in the 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts, and Governor were invited to participate. The debates were held in collaboration with New Hampshire PBS, which later aired them on television.
Broadcasting from NHPR’s studios in Concord, the candidates and NHPR staff remained socially distanced with COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Laura Knoy, host of The Exchange, was joined by a co-host from NHPR’s news team for each of the debates.
The questions posed were informed by the voices of potential voters across the state who responded to online surveys. NHPR also reached out to communities of color, working with members of our Latino advisory board and the local chapter of the NAACP to solicit questions for the candidates.
Laura Knoy was the host of The Exchange for its entire 25 year run on NHPR. Photo by Dan Tuohy.
Celebrating 25 years of The Exchange
In October 2020, NHPR celebrated 25 years of The Exchange, its live, call-in news show hosted by Laura Knoy. After more than 30 years in the news business, Knoy decided to leave NHPR in June to start a new chapter in her professional life and pursue longtime interests in writing, speaking and community service.
The Exchange story began in 1995, when Knoy accepted an offer from NHPR to move back to New Hampshire and become the founding host of the program. She became one of the state’s most respected journalists, with an experienced team of producers who kept the show fresh, informative and always focused on listeners.
She was particularly known for the calm, balanced and respectful way in which she approached the issues of our times and the topics on listeners’ minds. While The Exchange has ended, NHPR continues to grow its audience engagement in a variety of ways to enhance our journalism and build community connections.
Banner photo: An anti-racism rally at Greeley Park in Nashua was one of dozens held across the state in the spring of 2020. Photo by Gaby Lozada.