Award-winning public radio journalist Sarah Ashworth will return to 开云体育 Radio in March as director of news. She will lead the station鈥檚 15-person news team.
Ashworth brings a variety of experiences to VPR, which has significantly increased its public service journalism over the last 17 years as a result of audience demand. She will lead VPR鈥檚 initiatives in broadcast and digital news gathering as the organization develops new ways to provide news, enterprise and investigative reporting while engaging the community in the process.
Ashworth will replace John Dillon, to produce in-depth regional reporting for VPR and seven other public radio stations in New England.
John Van Hoesen, VPR鈥檚 senior vice president and chief content officer, says, 鈥淚n the face of big changes in media and how we get our news, there is so much opportunity for public radio and for VPR. With Sarah's leadership and experience, we will develop new and better ways to serve our audience. We are excited to welcome her back to Vermont."
Ashworth previously worked at VPR as a producer for , the station鈥檚 weekday news magazine, from 2007-2010. Since then, Ashworth has held a number of positions in public radio, including as producer of the Diane Rehm Show, news director at , and currently as an editor at . She also served as an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she helped launch the school鈥檚 public radio program.
During Ashworth鈥檚 tenure at NHPR, for News Series in 2016 and 2017, and Overall Excellence in 2015 and 2017. Ashworth also led the highly regarded coverage of New Hampshire鈥檚 first-in-the-nation presidential primary in 2016.
鈥淰ermont is a great place to practice journalism, with its engaged population of listeners and readers and people who care deeply about their communities,鈥� Ashworth said. 鈥淲e're in a time when public radio journalism has renewed its commitment to storytelling, and I鈥檓 looking forward to producing memorable stories and essential news to Vermonters on demand, online and on the radio.鈥�
Ashworth starts in her new position at VPR on March 12.
