“Dialed in with Duchesne” is a series of posts from Minnesota Public Radio’s President Duchesne Drew sharing his vision and commitments as MPR creates the future of public media by amplifying voices to inform, include, and inspire. The series will consider the complexities of our state—the great things we do together and the challenges before us—as we shape our services for you, our listeners and members.
About Duchesne Drew
Duchesne Drew is Senior Vice President of American Public Media Group and President of Minnesota Public Radio. In this role, he leads the teams that produce MPR News, The Current, APM Reports and Marketplace. Additionally, he oversees YourClassical MPR as a part of Minnesota Public Radio.
As 2024 winds toward its close, and we consider our place on Dakota and Lakota lands, I share my gratitude and aspirations. I am grateful for all the people willing to do hard things and I strive for our organization to lead the work to reweave the fabric of our divided country.
As I reflect on our recent Fall Member Drive, I'm excited to share two examples of what MPR members can do when we work together.
Last spring, our son, a college junior at the time, became an MPR member. Living in Atlanta, he said he wanted to keep in touch with news and music from home by streaming and downloading MPR content. Plus, he’d decided it was important to support the service he relied on. So, he became a sustainer, just like his mom and dad. He wanted me to know he’d put his own money behind his listening.
This month I’m reflecting on the remarkable growth in the scope of our work at MPR. We’re here today, a leading public media company because of you—our members and advocates.
One of the things MPR is best known for is its deep and comprehensive political reporting. As the work of legislatures, congress, and a presidential election rise to the top of our attention, we also face deep divisions that make all kinds of relationships more difficult. Historians agree. Our country is experiencing more polarization than at any time since the 1850s, the Civil War era.
Much is written about March as a signal of seasonal transition—strong winds, longer daylight, and spring flowers. At MPR it’s also when we examine the state of our budget: how we’ve deployed the funds we have on hand and what plans we want to bring forward for a new fiscal year that begins in July. We assess the ways we’ve applied the generosity of our members and donors to produce the programs you count on every day.