89.3 WFPL News Louisville has hired Michelle Tyrene Johnson as Associate Producer. In this role, Johnson will produce WFPL’s local weekly talk show, “In Conversation with Rick Howlett.” She will also work with the news team on special audio projects and podcast productions.
Johnson comes to Louisville Public Media from KCUR 89.3, Kansas City, Missouri’s NPR member station, where as a reporter she covered race, culture and identity as part of Sharing America, a national collaborative reporting project. She was also an associate producer and fill-in host for KCUR’s two talk shows: “Central Standard” and “Up To Date.”
A native of Kansas City, Kansas, Michelle has been a newspaper reporter, including at the Louisville Courier Journal, an employment attorney, a diversity and inclusion speaker, a columnist and is an award-winning playwright. She is an author of three books about diversity and one book about her grandmother.
As a 2019 Pulitzer Center grantee, Michelle traveled to Dakar, Senegal, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Memphis, Tennessee to cover how cities around the world have honored the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Michelle is a dedicated journalist who’s bringing a ton of ideas and enthusiasm to ‘In Conversation,’ as well as other WFPL projects,” said WFPL Director of News and Programming Erica Peterson. “We’re so excited to add her to the team.”
Johnson's first day of work is Tuesday, June 16.