WKNO

I started listening to WKNO-fm, NPR for the MidSouth, a couple of years ago. I realized that I didn’t get the newspaper, I don’t like watching TV news, and I wasn’t reading about current events online. Basically, I was unaware of what was going on in the U.S. and the wider world. And, for a citizen in a democracy, that is frankly unacceptable. I started listening to be more informed, but I quickly found that there were human interest stories that I enjoyed. Recently, podcasts have become my “adult conversation” during afternoons with the baby when I need a break from narrating my every move to fill the silence. Pop Culture Happy Hour and Planet Money are two of my favorites. I downloaded the NPR One app a few months ago and have been using it to listen to Ask Me Another and This American Life. NPR entertains me, and WKNO brings them to me daily.

The fact that I started listening roughly two years ago means that I’ve listened to multiple on-air pledge drives. Despite hearing the pleas of the WKNO staff and volunteers, this week was my first time to pledge. It was easy, and it was the right thing to do. I support public radio because it adds value to my daily life. I also got a NPR pint glass out of the deal, which is pretty freaking sweet.