An interview with Nick Miller, managing editor of news and information
Q&A by Sena Christian
Solving Sacramento, a journalism collaborative, launched in early 2022 with the goal of covering the region’s most pressing issues. Up first: the lack of affordable housing. The collaboration includes seven local media outlets, including CapRadio, and one civic-engagement organization. It is currently funded by the Solutions Journalism Network and fiscally sponsored by the Local Media Foundation.
CapRadio is the NPR member for the greater Sacramento region, including Tahoe/Reno, Stockton/Modesto and Quincy. The public radio station airs news, music and entertainment programming.
CapRadio Managing Editor of News and Information Nick Miller tells us about his organization’s involvement in the collaborative.
Why is CapRadio involved in the Solving Sacramento collaborative?
At CapRadio, our mission is to report the facts and to provide communities with news, information, perspective and context that help people navigate their lives. A critical part of this work is focusing on solutions. This is a key reason why we are participating in the Solving Sacramento collaborative.
Why does coverage of affordable housing in Sacramento matter?
When CapRadio surveys its audiences and communities, housing affordability is often the top issue. From exploring solutions for our unhoused communities to understanding the journey to home-ownership, we are committed to serving audiences in this space.
Why is a solutions journalism approach important to your work?
We believe the work people are doing to solve problems in our communities is news, and that news is more than highlighting problems or holding power to account. Solutions-forward journalism and storytelling is essential.
What other innovative projects or collaborations is CapRadio involved in?
We are involved in numerous collaborations, but one particular project we are proud of is our connection with The Sacramento Observer, which is the region’s historic Black-owned news organization. The Observer and CapRadio both collaborate with Srishti Prabha, our education reporter, focusing on K-12 learning issues in Black communities. Srishti is a Report for America fellow, and we believe their work is an important part of growing our public service.
Tell us about your role with CapRadio.
As managing editor of news and information, I oversee our reporting and storytelling strategy, especially for news and news-adjacent content. This includes working with journalists on digital articles and podcasts, in addition to daily news and special projects such as Solving Sacramento.
Tell us an interesting tidbit about your organization
CapRadio is preparing to launch a new events venue, CapRadio Live, at 1010 8th St. in downtown Sacramento in 2023, and we are excited to share this new space with the community.