DEI Update from KCUR & Classical KC
We reached out to Sarah Morris, General Manager, for an update on how the DEI work at KCUR & Classical KC has been progressing since joining Public Media for All. She offered the following.
What’s one DEI success you’ve had at your organization recently?
We have a lot more progress to make, but 4 of our last 5 hires/or promotions have been BIPOC. One helpful thing we do now is take a look at any candidates of color for any position and think creatively about other opportunities within the organization. So, if they are not ultimately selected for the job they applied, we keep them in our pipeline for future opportunities. That way we can reach out directly in recruiting when we have something that is a possibility.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned about DEI work at your organization?
Some of the well-intentioned systems that were set up through the university and the state can actually create barriers to hiring people of color. Ironically, the systems were set up to protect and ensure fair hiring practices by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race. But that prevents us from “taking race into consideration” as we evaluate candidates, even if we want to provide opportunities for a broader range of diverse candidates. One thing we can do is be more mindful when writing job descriptions and when determining the key metrics we evaluate in candidates. (For example, if we place highest priority on “public media experience” we risk missing potential BIPOC folks from adjacent industries.)
What resources and support does you need to improve DEI at your organization?
I raised this issue in the cohort meeting, but I think there should be ways we can pool some resources to hire consultants for some of the projects we all need help with. Much of that work is already being contracted across the country, and maybe there are a few firms we could engage to do multiple station studies, for instance.
Public Media for All will be working with the leaders of organizations that have joined us to model successes, share lessons learned, and get the support and resources they need to do this vital DEI work to ensure that public media serves everyone.
