Read more in this memo from WNYC’s Editor in Chief Audrey Cooper:
Dear colleagues,
Please join me in raising a virtual toast to Jami Floyd, who is stepping away from her role as host of All Things Considered to become Senior Editor of WNYC’s new Race & Justice Unit. Her last day as ATC host is tomorrow, Sept. 4.
Jami is an extraordinary talent, and I could not be more thrilled that she is taking on this critical assignment. Institutional racism is America’s original sin, and we stand poised in 2020 to tackle it head-on. The Race & Justice Unit will enable us to bring greater rigor, focus and urgency to the work of exposing the persistent inequities in our government, businesses, and culture. If you believe, as I do, that smart journalism can provoke civil discourse and impact our communities in meaningful ways, you know the work of this unit can’t begin soon enough. And Jami’s dedication to justice and equity make her the right person to lead this initiative.
In the short time I have known Jami, I’ve quickly come to appreciate what a deeply thoughtful journalist she is, with high standards and profound curiosity. Jami is a New York City native and attorney who has not only taught law, but has worked as a public defender and in the White House. She came to journalism specifically to recalibrate the ways in which Black people are misrepresented in the media, particularly in stories about crime or violence. Throughout her 25 year broadcast career, Jami’s work has remained at the nexus of law and journalism.
As the local WNYC host of All Things Considered, she has trained her eye on race and justice issues, interviewing all three NYPD Commissioners who have held the post during her tenure, as well as sitting down with those seeking justice for people killed by NYPD officers. She brought to air exclusive interviews with women who said they were sexually assaulted by President Trump and Russell Simmons, and has spoken with everyone from incarcerated people calling from behind bars to the new head of New York City’s Public Housing Authority (NYCHA). All this she did while working closely with her colleagues to amplify voices throughout our listening community.
In addition to her on-air work, Jami produced and curated the Other Box Project, a series of public conversations on Love, Race & Identity across New York and New Jersey, and she has served as the Co-Host of WNYC’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event since 2012.
In the coming weeks, Jami will focus on building her team, which will include audio and text reporters, and we’ll work together to refine its mission. In addition to reporting stories, the team will also play a role in WNYC’s editorial policies, helping to guide our content in a way that speaks with New York’s diverse citizenry. Meanwhile, we are conducting a nationwide search for our next host of All Things Considered.
Please join me in wishing Jami the best as she embarks on a new chapter at New York Public Radio.
Audrey
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