How One Public-Radio Station Talked to Donors About Sexual Harassment

After a sexual-harassment scandal rocked NPR’s newsroom, public-radio station WAMU felt it needed to be proactive and let donors know what it does to prevent sexual misbehavior in the workplace. While there had been no reports of similar issues at WAMU, people had called the Washington, D.C., broadcaster with questions about NPR’s problems.

Some WAMU supporters conflate the station, the main Washington-area outlet for NPR programming, with NPR itself, says Audrey Johnson, the local affiliate’s senior director of development.

In December, WAMU sent all its donors and members (those who give at least $12 each month) an email noting that it was reviewing its “norms and protocols to ensure a healthy work environment.”

The message noted that WAMU and its parent organization, American University, were requiring that all station employees attend training on sexual harassment and unconscious bias in the workplace. Among additional steps, the station said it was conducting small-group sessions “to facilitate further conversations” on harassment and planning an anonymous “climate survey” for early 2018to draw staff feedback about the office environment.

“We wanted to make sure that we maintain the confidence of our donors and this message was a way to help do that,” Johnson said.

The organization received a few responses after sending the note, all positive, and calls with questions about the NPR controversy ceased, she says.

Her message to other nonprofits considering sending similar missives? “I would encourage others to not be afraid and to face some of those hard issues head on.”

You can read and download WAMU’s message below.