STORYCORPS INC

IN 2024, STORYCORPS PARTNERED WITH HUNDREDS OF ORGANIZATIONS TO CONDUCT OVER 20,670 INTERVIEWS WITH PARTICIPANTS IN TOWNS AND CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. IN ADDITION TO COLLECTING OVER 2,000 "SIGNATURE" INTERVIEWS--INTERVIEWS COLLECTED DIRECTLY BY STORYCORPS FACILITATORS, WHO GUIDE PARTICIPANTS THROUGH THE PROCESS, SUPPORT THE INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE, AND ARCHIVE THESE CONVERSATIONS--PARTICIPANTS UPLOADED 18,610 CONVERSATIONS USING OUR FREE ONLINE PLATFORMS, THE STORYCORPS APP AND OSS CONNECT. MILLIONS MORE PEOPLE EXPERIENCED STORYCORPS' MULTIMEDIA CONTENT THROUGH OUR WEEKLY NPR BROADCASTS, ANIMATIONS, PODCASTS, AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS, AND OUR COMMUNICATION EFFORTS AND DISTRIBUTION PARTNERSHIPS HELPED INCREASE STORYCORPS' EXPOSURE WITH NEW AUDIENCES. BELOW IS A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF STORYCORPS' WORK TO: (1) COLLECT AND PRESERVE AUTHENTIC STORIES FROM ACROSS THE NATION; (2) SHARE AND AMPLIFY VOICES THAT OFTEN GO UNHEARD; (3) SERVE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES WITH STORYCORPS CONTENT, TOOLS, AND TRAININGS; AND (4) BUILD A CULTURE OF LISTENING TO FOSTER GREATER AWARENESS, EMPATHY, AND INCLUSION.(1) COLLECT AND PRESERVE AUTHENTIC STORIES FROM ACROSS THE NATIONGUIDED BY STORYCORPS-TRAINED FACILITATORS, PARTICIPANTS ARE INVITED TO RECORD A 40-MINUTE CONVERSATION WITH A FRIEND OR LOVED ONE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST TO THEM. PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE A DIGITAL COPY OF THEIR INTERVIEW; WITH THEIR PERMISSION, RECORDINGS ARE ADDED TO STORYCORPS' ONLINE ARCHIVE AND COLLECTION AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. STORYCORPS HAS VISITED OVER 200 CITIES AND TOWNS ACROSS 49 STATES THROUGH OUR FLAGSHIP MOBILE TOUR--AN ANNUAL PROGRAM THAT VISITS 10 CITIES PER YEAR WITH THE "MOBILEBOOTH," OUR BRANDED AIRSTREAM TRAILER-TURNED-RECORDING STUDIO. SINCE OUR FOUNDING, WE HAVE PROVIDED MORE THAN 60,000 PARTICIPANTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO DOCUMENT AND SHARE THEIR STORIES AS A VITAL PART OF OUR NATION'S HISTORY. ALL STORIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR ARE PRESERVED FOR POSTERITY IN THE AMERICAN FOLKLIFE CENTER AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, AND MADE FREELY AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS, EDUCATORS, AND THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. IN 2024, WE RECORDED 742 TOTAL INTERVIEWS WITH PARTICIPANTS IN MEMPHIS, TN; FORT MYERS, FL; COLUMBIA, SC; CHARLOTTE, NC; PITTSBURGH, PA; BRATTLEBORO, VT; PHILADELPHIA, PA; HUNTINGTON, WV; KNOXVILLE, TN; AND NEW ORLEANS, LA. (2) SHARE AND AMPLIFY VOICES THAT OFTEN GO UNHEARDIN 2024, STORYCORPS PRODUCED 48 AUDIO SEGMENTS FOR NATIONAL BROADCAST ON NPR'S MORNING EDITION (11 MILLION ESTIMATED WEEKLY LISTENERS) AND WEEKEND EDITION (3 MILLION ESTIMATED WEEKLY LISTENERS). OUR PRODUCED STORIES AMPLIFY STORIES THAT REVEAL THE DEPTH AND COMPLEXITY OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE, PROVIDING LISTENERS WITH PERSPECTIVES INTO LIVES THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THEIR OWN AND ENRICHING OUR COLLECTIVE HISTORY. WE STRIVE TO ENSURE THAT OUR STORYTELLERS REPRESENT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR NATION, AND CHAMPION VOICES LESS FREQUENTLY HEARD ON PUBLIC MEDIA. STORYCORPS' ANIMATIONS TRANSFORM OUR CATALOG OF STORIES INTO AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA SHARED ON SCREENS BIG AND SMALL. IN 2024, WE PRODUCED 6 NEW ANIMATIONS THAT WERE BROADCAST TO AN AUDIENCE OF 47 MILLION ANNUAL VIEWERS. STORYCORPS ALSO CONTINUES TO RELEASE NEW BI-WEEKLY PODCAST EPISODES THAT INCLUDE ADDITIONAL INTERVIEWS AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES CONTENT. THE STORYCORPS PODCAST FREQUENTLY RANKS IN THE TOP 50 IN APPLE PODCASTS' CULTURE AND SOCIETY CATEGORY, WITH EPISODES DOWNLOADED OVER ONE MILLION TIMES IN 2025 TO DATE. (3) SERVE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES WITH STORYCORPS CONTENT, TOOLS, AND TRAININGSSTORYCORPS' WORK IS DEPENDENT UPON STRONG COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS--FROM COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CITIES WHERE IT TOURS AND RECORDS, TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT LEVERAGE STORYCORPS' METHODS AND BEST PRACTICES FOR THEIR OWN INTERVIEW COLLECTION PROJECTS. WE ALSO PROVIDE AN INNOVATIVE WAY FOR STUDENTS TO UTILIZE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TO STRENGTHEN SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS, DEEPEN SELF- AND SOCIAL- AWARENESS, AND ENCOURAGE INTERGENERATIONAL CONVERSATIONS THROUGH THE GREAT THANKSGIVING LISTEN (TGTL)--AN ANNUAL CAMPAIGN THAT INVITES STUDENTS AND PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO INTERVIEW AN ELDER OR LOVED ONE DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, FROM THANKSGIVING THROUGH THE END OF DECEMBER.(4) BUILD A CULTURE OF LISTENING TO FOSTER GREATER AWARENESS, EMPATHY, AND INCLUSIONIN ADDITION TO ITS CORE PROGRAMMING, STORYCORPS DEVELOPS SPECIAL INITIATIVES THAT ELEVATE THE VOICES OF PARTICULAR POPULATIONS, OR THAT ENGENDER CONVERSATION AROUND THE KEY SOCIAL ISSUES OF OUR TIME:ONE SMALL STEP (OSS) IS A NON-PARTISAN INITIATIVE THAT BRINGS PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS TOGETHER TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND REDISCOVER THEIR SHARED HUMANITY. OSS' MISSION IS TO REDUCE AFFECTIVE POLARIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES THROUGH NARRATIVE CHANGE. WE CREATE SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO PRACTICE DIALOGUE ACROSS DIFFERENCES, AND RECORD AND SHARE THE STORIES BEHIND THEIR BELIEFS. AS A RESULT, WE ESTABLISH POSITIVE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PARTICIPANTS AND CREATE COMPELLING CONTENT THAT RESONATES BROADLY WITH AUDIENCES.MILITARY VOICES INITIATIVE (MVI) SUPPORTS OUR VETERANS, HONORS THEIR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE, AND AMPLIFIES THEIR EXPERIENCES. RESEARCH ON VETERAN-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS SHOWS THAT VETERANS WHO FEEL CONNECTED TO FAMILY, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, OTHER VETERANS, AND THEIR COMMUNITIES, HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY BETTER MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OUTCOMES THAN THOSE WHO DO NOT. MVI INTERVIEWS FOSTER SOCIAL CONNECTION, WITH 94% OF SURVEYED PARTICIPANTS CONNECTING EMOTIONALLY WITH THEIR PARTNER DURING THE INTERVIEW, AND 80% OF SURVEYED LISTENERS INDICATING THAT STORYCORPS' CONTENT INCREASED THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES FACED BY MILITARY PERSONNEL AND VETERANS.