The nonprofit Oklahoma Media Center is giving KOSU a seed fund grant to start a newsroom advisory board.

KOSU is one of a dozen media outlets to be awarded a portion of the $100,000 engagement fund, given to media outlets across the state “to implement data-driven projects designed to bolster the trust and sustainability of local news,” according to a news release from OMC.

To be successful, public radio stations can’t simply broadcast information and hope it reaches the public. KOSU will leverage this advisory board to improve the organization’s ability to listen to the community it serves and tailor coverage to meet the information needs of Oklahomans.

The board will feature members from diverse backgrounds to serve as a bridge between the communities KOSU serves and the newsroom. It will help KOSU identify ways to continually communicate the importance of civic engagement.

“As KOSU continues its rapid growth, it is incredibly important we stay connected to the communities we serve,” KOSU Executive Director Rachel Hubbard said. “Our new advisory board will be that critical link to keep us accountable to our audiences.”

One of the board’s first duties will be to identify, target and set up community listening sessions in underserved areas of the state.

Staff — along with the entire OMC cohort — will work with Trusting News led by Director Joy Mayer to develop the new board.

“The newsrooms’ projects are ambitious and important, and they have the potential to make a real difference in the relationships these journalists have with the communities they aim to serve,” she said.

For more information or questions about this project, email KOSU News Director Robby Korth at robby@kosu.org.