PRI to Launch Its Engagement Lab

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- PRI today announced the February 2017 launch of the PRI Engagement Lab, a strategic effort to break new ground in digital engagement to benefit people's lives and the world.  The goal of the Lab is to pursue initiatives, innovations and partnerships that will help foster a more informed, empathetic and connected world. The Lab will build inclusive communities and help people to connect with each other and lend their talents to build understanding of our world, combat misinformation, celebrate our shared humanity, and amplify unheard stories and experiences.

To lead the Lab, PRI has named Jodi Gersh as its Senior Director, Engagement. Gersh comes to PRI from Gannett/USA TODAY where she served in top Social Media and Engagement leadership roles using social platforms to connect audiences on a national scale by forming partnerships with leading national organizations, working closely with local newsrooms across the country and developing social media and associated products that inspired people to do more.

On joining PRI, Jodi said, "Engagement is a concept that's thrown around quite a bit these days, and can sometimes be a complex subject, but what it means to me is simple: to connect people to each other, to PRI, our partners and to the world to help build a more informed and empathetic society. It couldn't be a more important time for this work, and I'm eager to join PRI and help build the PRI Engagement Lab to serve the public in new ways."

Gersh will have the opportunity to work with PRI's wide array of trusted journalism and storytelling offerings. Activities will be showcased on PRI.org and be based on content from programs such as The World®, The Takeaway from PRI and WNYC, and Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen; initiatives including Global Nation, Across Women's Lives, and GlobalPost Investigations; and PRI's podcasts including Otherhood and The World in Words.  She will also identify opportunities to work with PRI's affiliate stations to foster meaningful local-national dialogue about our world, our differences and our similarities.

Alisa Miller, President and CEO of PRI, said "For years, millions of people have trusted PRI for in-depth, consequential and inspiring stories. Under Jodi's leadership, the PRI Engagement Lab will grow and connect this community, empowering millions more people to interact, share their stories, and offer their ideas to do more. Jodi's background in sociology, and her experience in connecting people and building relationships, makes her the perfect person to develop our engagement efforts. We are thrilled to attract such a talented leader as a member of the PRI team."

PRI's Engagement Lab will officially begin operations on February 1, 2017, and will serve the world from PRI's headquarters in Minneapolis.

About PRI:  PRI is building a more informed, empathetic, and connected world by creating multi-platform content that empowers people to benefit their lives and the world. PRI's award winning content reaches more than 18 million people each month, through over 900 public radio stations in the U.S. and PRI.org, and millions more through podcasts and social media. An affiliated company of WGBH, PRI produces PRI's The World®, The Takeaway (a co-production with WNYC), and Studio 360® from PRI and WNYC. It produces in-depth reporting on topics including gender equity (Across Women's Lives), conflict reporting (GlobalPost Investigations), international security, and American identity and immigrant life (Global Nation). It represents public radio programs including Science Friday, q from the CBC and The Tavis Smiley Show.  Major philanthropic supporters include The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Ford Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Annenberg Foundation.

CONTACT: Julia Yager, PRI, 612.330.9231, [email protected]

SOURCE Public Radio International

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