Sanden Totten's secret formula for turning nerdy science into radio fun

How LAist's Mary Plummer manages to find the audience

It used to be a public radio managing editor only had to get today's news on the air fast. At LAist 89.3 in Southern California, managing editor Mary Plummer still does that while she also gets the news online, on social media and into a podcast - wherever the audience might be. Mary talks about how to decide what goes where while making sure the heavier workload doesn't crush the LAist reporters.

Public radio star Erika Aguilar sparkles everywhere!

In the Disney movie "Inside Out" - the main character Joy is a whirlwind of happiness. That's Erika Aguilar. She brightened up big public radio stations in Texas and California - and did the same when she was the executive producer at NPR's "Morning Edition." Erika talks about the joy of making up audio stories when she was a little kid - and what she loves now about sharing that joy with young reporters at Next Generation Journalism.

Newspaper editor Dana Littlefield got the message: Time to switch to public radio!

Dana Littlefield loved her 23 years as a reporter and editor at the "San Diego Union-Tribune." But after years of cutbacks and ownership changes, it was time to leave her hometown newspaper and head up the 5 Freeway to join LAist 89.3 in Los Angeles. Dana talks about the work of a public radio editor - and what she's learned from covering too many Southern California wildfires.

Jed Kim travels around the world of public radio

Public radio veteran Jed Kim isn't one to get too comfortable. After a short time as a news producer in New York, he headed to LA to be a reporter. Jed then jumped at the chance to be one of the first hosts of "Million Bazillion" - the "Marketplace" podcast that teaches kids about money. His latest public radio challenge is editing the daily interview program "Soundside" at KUOW/Seattle - a job Jed does from his Connecticut home. We'll talk with Jed Kim about his travels across public radio - and how life might have been different had he aced his chem final in college.

Priska Neely meets America's crying need for better local news

This week, we meet former public radio reporter Priska Neely - the training manager for Report for America. Each year, she helps prep dozens of young journalists to fill the nation's crying need for more in-depth local news. And with crying in mind, Priska looks back at the long and tearful days she spent building the Gulf States Newsroom from an NPR idea into a public radio news powerhouse in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.