Public radio broadcasters Baltimore Public Media and Delmarva Public Media have struck a strategic partnership to expand local news coverage throughout Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula.
The arrangement creates a formal framework for sharing content, reporting and other resources while maintaining the distinct identity and local focus of each outlet, the pubcasters said.
“Public media has always been strongest when it works together,” Baltimore Public Media President and CEO Craig Swagler said in the announcement. “This partnership is how we turn that belief into action. By combining our strengths, we can provide the kind of coverage this region needs and build something that serves our audiences and the Chesapeake Bay region for years to come.”
The initiative will kick off with the establishment of a shared agriculture and environmental reporter covering such topics as agriculture, conservation, water quality, economic development and the future of the Chesapeake Bay.
“Communities across the Chesapeake Bay region are connected by the same waterways, the same industries and many of the same challenges, said Danyell Irby, chief of content at Baltimore Public Media. “This position gives us the ability to cover those connections with the depth and consistency they deserve.”
Baltimore Public Media is the nonprofit parent of WYPR(FM), Baltimore’s National Public Radio news affiliate, and WTMD(FM), a noncommercial adult album alternative music-formatted station. Delmarva Public Radio is a public radio collaboration of WSCL(FM) Salisbury, Md., and WSDL(FM) Ocean City, Md., both owned by Salisbury University, and WESM(FM) Princess Anne, Md., owned by the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore.
The shared reporter position is intended as the first step in a broader partnership. The organizations said they are exploring ongoing newsroom collaboration, content sharing, audience engagement initiatives and additional resource opportunities.
Delmarva Public Media General Manager Judy Diaz saidthe organizations are “building a stronger regional public media ecosystem that ensures our communities have access to more local content, ideas and perspectives.”
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