From WGTE PUBLIC MEDIA
WGTE Public Media is seeking four new podcasts to be part of the award-winning “Voices Around Us” series. Through this initiative, WGTE brings attention to diverse perspectives and focus on issues relevant to people throughout the region and beyond. Topics covered have included mental health and disabilities, local history and business, sports and the arts, and more. For its new season, WGTE hopes to introduce new voices and new ideas to the existing slate of podcasts, enabling the organization to tell a more complete story of this region and its people.
“Everyone has a story to tell,” said Chris Peiffer, podcast and streaming services manager at WGTE Public Media, “and ‘Voices Around Us’ is designed to give people a platform through which to tell them. It’s park of WGTE’s commitment to not only telling the stories of this region but also enabling people to tell their own stories in ways that are authentic to their experiences. We are excited to hear from people who want to add to the conversation.”
People with podcast ideas are encouraged to present their concepts online at www.wgte.org/VAUpodcasts. Previous podcasting experience is not required, as WGTE staff will work with each content creator to develop podcast episodes that will be hosted by WGTE on its website, app, and across all major podcast platforms.
The “Voices Around Us” project launched in 2023, and it has received acclaim as a source for diverse voices speaking for themselves and their communities. “Lake Effect,” a podcast chronicling life around Lake Erie, received a Touchstone Award in 2025. “Telling It Our Way,” which shares the stories of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, has won two awards: a Touchstone Award in 2024 and an AAIDD Media Award in 2025.
