Curiosity and Storytelling: MSNBC Audio Executive Producer Aisha Turner

Dr. Diane's Adventures in Learning

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Does the world have you baffled? Looking to spark your curiosity and make sense of what's going on? Join Dr. Diane for a very special year-end edition of the Adventures in Learning podcast with award-winning producer and writer Aisha Turner.

Aisha is a producer and writer from the Baltimore area. She is currently the Executive Producer on the NBC News/MSNBC podcast Into America.

Previously, Aisha was a producer with StoryCorps. She was also the first Race and Ethnicity Reporter for WUWM – Milwaukee Public Radio and had worked in the city as a radio producer on Precious Lives – an award-winning series about gun violence in Milwaukee.

Her work seeks to encourage empathy, create connection, and put events into context so that this world can seem a little less baffling.
[00:01] Introduction
[01:13]The Steve Spangler Connection

[02:51] Impact of Travel and Experiences
[06:46] Aisha's Journey in Media
- Highlights: Fellowship at PBS NewsHour, international experiences, and transition to audio storytelling.
[08:05] Role as Executive Producer at MSNBC Audio
- Overseeing podcasts, staffing, and editorial approaches.
- Main show: Into America with host Tremaine Lee.
[10:06] Qualities of Engaging Storytelling
- High-quality production, intimate storytelling, and challenging assumptions.
- Emphasizes the importance of empathy, connection, and putting events into context.
[11:01] Encouraging Empathy and Creating Connection
- Making world events less baffling.
- Acknowledging the impact of media on perceptions and policies.
[14:45] Uncovering Underreported Stories
- The need for more in-depth coverage of climate change's impact on marginalized communities.
- Focus on ongoing issues like food security and homelessness.
[18:20] Challenges in Media Today
- Speed, defining the audience, and resource constraints
- Balancing nuance and thoroughness with quick turnaround times.
[19:53] Stories Aisha Would Like to See
- More in-depth coverage of climate change's impact on marginalized communities.
- Creative storytelling around ongoing issues like food security and homelessness.
[24:10] Notable Project: "Reconstructed"
- Explores historical events and connects them to contemporary issues.
[26:03] Influential Figures: Oprah and Nikole Hannah-Jones
- Aisha admires Oprah's openness, curiosity, and ability to cover a range of topics.
- Nikole Hannah-Jones is Aisha's current journalism crush for her masterful storytelling.
[27:46] Current Curiosities
- Learning about other cultures through travel.
- Exploring international contexts and political systems.
[30:16] Sources of Joy
- Connecting with new people, reflecting, an

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*Disclosure: I am a Bookshop.org. affiliate.