I’m confident that my background in media as an investigative reporter who has broken several major news stories—including some that have been mentioned on CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Brills Content Magazine, and NY Press—and as the founder and publisher of Black Star News https://blackstarnews.com/about-us-html/ , makes me an ideal candidate as a WBAI Board Member. I have more than three decades of experience in journalism as a reporter and 27 years as an entrepreneur.

If elected as a Board Member I will focus on four priorities: quality journalism and promotion that elevates the stature and name recognition of WBAI and attract more supporters; grassroots credibility that helps WBAI maintain organic connection with its local supporters; innovative ideas on how to make WBAI more user-friendly and attractive to a younger generation of listeners while increasing revenue streams; and creative ideas for fund-raising.

Quality Journalism: At the end of the day what distinguishes media outlets is quality journalism. My ability to recognize potential news scoops has allowed me to establish a reputation as a serious investigative journalist.

Grassroots Credibility: Black Star News has focused on marginalized people who have great stories to tell, including many of whom are victims of injustice but who are unable to access corporate media outlets. As a result I have strong grassroots support that could be more effectively monetized to get them to support the station financially.

Making WBAI User-friendly: One of the first things I would urge other Board Members to push for is upgrading WBAI’s website. When people come to www.wbai.org they form an immediate first-impression. The quality of our programs and other content won’t matter if people don’t stay long enough on the website to find out. WBAI also needs to use other platforms such as Patreon, Podcasts and a YouTube channel.

More Fund-raising ideas: No matter how much support we get from our listeners or organizations and non-profit organizations we also need more contributions from wealthy individuals. I would encourage every producer to identify at least one new wealthy potential donor—whether through research or personal connections.

Finally, I will insist that WBAI maintain its independence. It’s no secret that there are those who want to either swap or sell the station’s license. This would be the beginning of the march on a slippery slope whose final destination is very predictable—the death of WBAI.