Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Tardif.
Amy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been a journalist for 30 years. I started in public radio in college, worked in commercial television, as a public information officer for a police department and returned to public radio in the early 1990’s. I grew from reporter/host to News Director and Station Manager. I also served on state and national boards of directors representing the Public Radio News Directors, Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) and Foundation and others.
I was the first woman in radio and only the fourth woman to serve as the chair of RTDNA since its inception in 1946. I also won many awards including a Peabody for an audio documentary on human trafficking. In the winter of 2016 StoryCorps’ mobile booth visited the public radio station I managed in Florida. Though I was familiar with its programming on NPR, I became even more familiar with inside operations and the production side while serving as station liaison during that visit. When the position of manager of the Chicago StoryBooth opened I jumped at the chance to work for the organization.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are few woman News Directors and even fewer women Station Managers in media. I also found it interesting being one of usually two or three women on the boards I served.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about StoryCorps (Chicago StoryBooth) – what should we know?
We collect, share and preserve people’s stories through recording booths in a few places around the country including here in Chicago and through a mobile booth that travels. Each pair gets 40 minutes to converse and their recording can be saved at the American Folklife Center a the Library of Congress. A small fraction of those recorded get selected for production and airing on NPR and here in Chicago on WBEZ.
StoryCorps’ mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.
We do this to remind one another of our shared humanity, to strengthen and build the connections between people, to teach the value of listening, and to weave into the fabric of our culture the understanding that everyone’s story matters. At the same time, we are creating an invaluable archive for future generations.
Since 2003, StoryCorps has given a quarter of a million Americans the chance to record interviews about their lives, to pass wisdom from one generation to the next, and to leave a legacy for the future. It is the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered. These powerful stories illustrate our shared humanity and show how much more we share in common than divides us.
At the Chicago StoryBooth we partner with local organizations that serve diverse populations to remind people that everyone’s story matters especially those not often heard in the media.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We treat interview participants with the utmost respect, care, and dignity. StoryCorps maintains a relentless focus on serving a wide diversity of participants. It is a public service.
Contact Info:
- Address: 78 E. Washington Street Chicago, IL 60602
- Website: https://storycorps.org/chicago/
- Phone: 312-265-0557
- Email: chicago@storycorps.org
- Instagram: StoryCorps
- Facebook: StoryCorps in Chicago
- Twitter: @StoryCorps
Image Credit:
Marlon Ogburn
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