Illinois Public Media recently welcomed a new show to its airwaves: The 21st, a talk show that focuses on the news, culture, and stories of Illinois.
The show’s host and executive producer is Niala Boodhoo, former host of “The Afternoon Shift” on WBEZ in Chicago. I chatted with Boodhoo about her background and The 21st’s local focus.
Smile Politely: Describe your background in journalism.
Niala Boodhoo: I’ve been a journalist for about 15 years. I got my start in Miami, my hometown, at The Miami Herald. I spent the bulk of my career with Reuters, and eventually I moved into radio. Up until I started hosting shows, I had been primarily focused on business and the economy in my reporting, so when I took a job with WBEZ, it was as a business reporter. Then in 2013, I took over “The Afternoon Shift,” which was a local, two-hour afternoon show at WBEZ. That show was cancelled last June, and I ended up here last November.
SP: What is the concept of The 21st?
Boodhoo: The basic idea of The 21st is to provide a space where people from all over Illinois can gather, both when we’re on the on the air or virtually when we’re off the air. The show is a space where people can talk to each other about what’s going on in the state. We want to present stories with a Midwestern and specifically an Illinois perspective.
In Illinois, the media landscape is so focused on Chicago that we don’t have a lot of information about other parts of the state. Chicago covers itself really well. It’s the third biggest media market in the country. We also hear about what’s going on in Springfield, but there are lots of other things going on in the state — for instance, there is research happening here in C-U that’s changing the world. And agriculture is a huge part of state’s economy. There’s a lot going on in Illinois, and we don’t spend enough time thinking about that. We are hoping to provide a different view of Illinois with The 21st. We want to offer people a bigger lens to look at where we live.
SP: Given the local focus of The 21st, have you noticed particular ways Midwesterners communicate or tell stories?
Boodhoo: I think people from the Midwest tend to be very friendly, genuine, and warm, but also not always very direct. I did my undergraduate in Grand Rapids, Michigan; I lived in Chicago for a long time, and now here, so I’ve had experiences with different parts of the Midwest. Those places have all been very different. The Midwest is more diverse in its different regions than people tend to think.
SP: As a journalist you’ve worked in many different media. How is radio distinct from other journalistic platforms? What kinds of journalism is radio particularly good for?
Boodhoo: What I love about radio is that it’s the best medium for storytelling. When you’re listening to the radio, you’re focusing on other people’s voices. So much gets conveyed in the human voice. You can hear emotions; you can hear when people are lying. When we listen like that, it engages our imaginations. When you just hear a voice, you’re thinking about what the speaker looks like — you use your creativity. I think that’s why people have so much attachment to public media. There’s a level of trust when you invite people into a conversation, and people listen to public media because they know we have the reputation for being both smart and respectful. That’s very much needed, not just in Illinois but everywhere.
SP: Tell me about the process of putting The 21st together.
Boodhoo: It’s a fun challenge. Our audience isn’t only here in Champaign-Urbana, but also all over the state. The goal of the show is to find out things from all parts of the state. Most media organizations don’t cover all of Illinois. Our goal is to present both serious stories and lighter stories. For example, we covered the discussion about the statute of limitations for sexual assault in Illinois, but we also talked with poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, who recently visited the U of I, about his poetry, activism, and what he thinks of the American Dream.
SP: Who is involved in planning the show?
Boodhoo: A team of producers work on the show. Three people do editorial producing; there’s also an editor, a tech engineer, a news director, and myself. So a lot of people work on the hour that goes on the air every day. We all spend a lot of time reading, talking, and figuring out what’s going on by exploring social media. The producers come up with ideas, though sometimes ideas come from other people in the newsroom or in the station, or from our listeners. We try to get conversations started in digital spaces, go on the air, and then continue our discussion digitally. We really want people to engage with us in digital spaces. Listeners can email me anytime and follow me on Twitter. We are totally open to suggestions from our audience.
SP: What is it like working with Illinois Public Media?
Boodhoo: It’s been a great environment to be in. Everyone has been fantastic to work with. The people here have a vision for what they want WILL to be, which is great. A big part of the reason why I took this job is because of the University and its resources. I love being here; I’ve noticed that this is a very intellectual place, and people get excited about ideas.
SP: You recently moved to Urbana. How are you liking it so far?
Boodhoo: Well, when I first got here, I thought that since this community isn’t very big, I was going to get to know it quickly. But that hasn’t been the case at all. The people are very interesting, and they’re interested in a lot of things. There’s a lot to discover here.