It’s really hard to know what to say in this moment, but please know that KOSU is here for you. If you are feeling isolated, we’re here to keep you company. If you’re normally a car listener, try streaming us or asking your smart speaker to play KOSU while you’re working from home or cleaning out that pantry.
We also want you to know about what we’re doing to keep you informed and sane during this really uncertain time. In everything, we are considering you and trying to practice the policy of facts, not fear.
- We are updating KOSU.org daily with the latest information we can verify. There is rampant misinformation fueled by social media. We live here too and want you to have information you can trust.
- On Wednesday (3/18) and Thursday (3/19) of this week, KOSU will air two live call-in shows in collaboration with Minnesota Public Radio. This will allow you to ask questions of experts from the Mayo Clinic and the Centers for Disease Control. The one hour shows will air in place of The Takeaway at 1 p.m. each day. The phone number is 800.242.2828. You can follow all KOSU schedule changes here.
- We are updating a post on our website to answer your questions for local health officials, too. If you have a question you want answered, text KOSU to 405-351-6059, and Kateleigh Mills will chase the answer down for you and report back. This is a community effort, and we are looking for your tips.
- KOSU's Public Radio Music Day has been postponed until a further date. And because of other area cancellations, we have temporarily suspended the concert calendar and event-based public service announcements. It has made us even more aware of how tied we are to you. We too are members of this community and want to see everyone succeed. To that end, the Oklahoma Music Minute will continue to highlight local musicians and give info about how to support local talent.
- You may hear things that sound unusual on KOSU. We are trying to stagger the shifts for our on-air employees so that the critical information service is never disrupted. This may mean you hear more phone interviews or fewer newscasts. We are trying to make sure there is at least one healthy person here to get you the news.
- Do not be afraid to turn off the news. It is difficult to turn away because the situation is so rapidly developing, but sometimes you need to. KOSU and NPR have several podcasts that you should check out for that mental health break, like StoryCorps Oklahoma. You can also listen to the 24/7 music stream of The Spy.
Thank you for listening and for trusting us. We take the responsibility you give us seriously, and KOSU is here to partner with you as we navigate this. If you have questions, please let us know. We may not know all the answers, but we’re certainly here to listen.
- Rachel Hubbard, KOSU Executive Director
P.S. Please continue to support us. This is a critical time for fact-based news. KOSU staff is working around the clock to bring you up-to-date and trustworthy information about Oklahoma. In some cases, our staff is taking risk to be on the frontline for you. In the last few days, we have been quickly investigating gear to keep them protected from microphone surfaces and to practice social distancing in recording spaces that are shared. I don’t know any other way to say this, but we need your financial help to do this job. If you can spare even $5, it makes a big difference right now.
Donate to KOSU here.
