Sparking Connections

Examining the Environment and Climate Change

NHPR’s investment in environmental and climate change reporting — thanks to our donors — meant more in-depth stories for our audience. Six months after disastrous flooding in New Hampshire’s North Country, By Degrees Reporter Mara Hoplamazian returned to look at the long-term effects through the eyes of three residents grappling with recovery. In the summer of 2023 we added a By Degrees environmental reporting intern to expand our reporting and grow the pipeline of talented reporters. Underscoring the impact of severe weather on our day-to-day lives, our second annual By Degrees Summit was postponed from March to May. Despite the sudden date change, the event was well attended. The panel discussions were available live on NHPBS, on-demand on our YouTube channel and as an on-air rebroadcast. They were also picked up by multiple public radio stations, including Maine Public, Vermont Public, Connecticut Public and WCAI in coastal Massachusetts.

The Outside/In team has been expanding their audience reach while sharing their curiosity of the natural world. The team traveled to New Mexico for an episode on the environmental impact of the first atomic bomb test and Oregon to explore the disappearing coastal dunes. They also worked with the Civics 101 podcast team for crossover episodes on how the National Weather Service works and the National Zoo in Washington, DC. These efforts have led to an 11% increase in downloads and a 24% increase in unique listeners.

Coverage Serving Diverse Communities

NHPR is committed to telling the stories of all our communities to all our residents. This is why in 2020 we launched our Spanish reporting initiative. Initially focused on ensuring pandemic information was available to Spanish speakers in New Hampshire, the work continues to grow. In fiscal year 2023-24, we translated more than 200 articles into Spanish, including information on the NH Primary, stories on the Youth Development Center scandal and details on the total solar eclipse. Our investment in Spanish-language reporting led to Visibles, a signature video series. Visibles inspired our first video partnership, Conexión, with the New England News Collaborative. Conexión showcases first-person stories of Latinos across the region finding inspiration, connection and meaning in the outdoors. 

In the fall of 2023, Reporter Olivia Richardson began covering a debate in Littleton, NH, over LGBTQ+ visibility and public art. Over the next few months there were community backlash, incidents of harassment and a change in town leadership. Throughout, NHPR continued to report the story, providing a look into a community wrestling with issues of inclusion and belonging. Likewise, our coverage of proposed legislation targeting the rights of trans youth focused on the impact on students and their families. NHPR followed the bills through the statehouse while centering the voices of people who would be affected by that legislation. 

Publishing our first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report

In 2020, the nation’s racial reckoning prompted NHPR’s deep reflection on our organizational culture and practices. This led to a set of public commitments aimed at driving meaningful change within NHPR. These commitments included:

• Increasing the diversity of our staff and our sources.

• Working to be an anti-racist organization.

• Training ourselves in the principles and practices of diversity, equity and inclusion.

• Establishing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) goals for every individual, team and for the organization as a whole.

• Establishing a working group to help drive our progress.

Recognizing that transformative change is a gradual process, we have continued our efforts over the past three-and-a-half years, some of it steadily, some of it in bursts and pauses. This year we released our first annual Report to the Community on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Publishing an annual DEI report is a key component of NHPR’s DEI Strategic Plan. This report, along with our regular publication of diversity data and the ongoing efforts of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Council, ensures accountability both to the public and ourselves as we advance NHPR’s DEI initiatives. We invite your questions, feedback, and ideas as we continue this vital work.

Banner Image: The second annual By Degrees Climate Summit was held in May 2024 at the University of New Hampshire. Pictured left to right: NHPR’s News Director Dan Barrick, Outside/In Producer and Reporter Justine Paradis with panelists Briana O’Brien of the Town of Hampton, Claudia Diezmartinez Peregrina of the City of Boston and Kari White of Northern Counties Health Care in Vermont. (Jessica Arnold/Arnold Imaging)