The American University School of Communication announced Friday that Julie Drizin will be the first executive director of Current, the news organization devoted to covering non-profit media in America.
Drizin is the director of the Journalism Center on Children and Families at the University of Maryland, which announced earlier this year it would close due to lack of financial support.
Current is seeking to expand its coverage, according to a release from American University. It currently has a team of five editors and reporters, along with “a corps of freelance contributors.”
Here’s the release:
The American University School of Communication has hired public media journalist, producer, and critic Julie Drizin for the new position of Executive Director of Current, as the newspaper and website seeks to expand its coverage and impact in U.S. public and nonprofit media spaces.
“I am thrilled to be coming home to public media as the Executive Director of Current,” says Drizin.
She comes to Current from the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, where she directed the Journalism Center on Children and Families, taught undergraduate journalism majors, and convened a December 2014 Aspen Institute Forum on Race, Journalism and Society. Drizin has been an award-winning producer of news, public affairs and talk programming at WXPN-FM in Philadelphia, Democracy Now!, NPR’s Justice Talking and WETA-FM in Washington, D.C.
Drizin adds, “Current has always been my favorite source for what’s going on in the public media world and I’m eager to work with the dedicated staff, American University, the Wyncote Foundation and new partners to ensure that Current thrives in this ever-changing digital landscape.”
Drizin has served as an editor, trainer, strategist, grant evaluator, awards judge and advisor on engagement, citizen journalism and innovation for a variety of public media organizations, including the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR), National Center on Media Engagement (NCME), National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), World Channel, American Film Institute (AFI) SilverDocs, Public Radio Exchange (PRX), and J-Lab.
“We are excited to have such an experienced, skilled and passionate public media leader and innovator taking Current to the next level,” says SOC Dean Jeff Rutenbeck.
Current is an editorially independent service of American University’s School of Communication, supported in part by a grant from the Wyncote Foundation.
About Current
Current, a nonprofit news service reporting on the evolving field of public media and nonprofit news, publishes digital-first and biweekly print coverage. Under SOC’s stewardship, its newsroom has expanded to include five editors and reporters and a corps of freelance contributors. Current’s coverage continues to expand beyond traditional public broadcasting to include non-profit news organizations, podcasting, and innovations in digital news, media distribution strategies and more.About the American University School of Communication
The School of Communication at AU is among the nation’s top communication schools, with researchers, students and programs focusing on the intersection of media, technology and society. Located in the nation’s capital, American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and 140 countries.
