Lori Townsend named chief editor and SVP of journalism with Alaska Public Media

Alaska Public Media (AKPM) has promoted Lori Townsend to chief editor and senior vice president of journalism.

Townsend has been an essential fixture at Alaska Public Media, with 21 years at the organization. She began at AKPM as a reporter/host of “Alaska News Nightly,” a statewide coalition of 27 independent public radio stations. As a senior leader in news, she now manages that operation, the local Anchorage newsroom, and hosts two statewide news and public affairs programs, “Talk of Alaska” for radio and “Alaska Insight” for television.

Townsend has helped broaden AKPM’s capacity through national partnerships including the recent multi-year grant to launch The Alaska Desk, aimed at enhancing the public radio network’s statewide coverage by addressing news deserts and increasing collaboration across more than a dozen stations. Townsend also shepherds the multi-year, rural health news coverage under a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant.

Townsend serves as chair on the advisory board for the Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism. She has worked in print and broadcast journalism for more than 30 years.

In her position as chief editor and senior vice president of journalism, Townsend will continue to facilitate collaboration between the public radio statewide news network as well as partnering with other news organizations to broaden and enhance the reach of AKPM’s reporting. These robust partnerships are all aimed at serving Alaskans with clear, contextualized news and information so they can make the best decisions for themselves and their families. AKPM’s reporting is also featured on national programs and helps educate all Americans about ongoing changes within Alaskan culture, climate, energy, military and so many other unique stories in the nation’s only arctic state.

“Lori Townsend is a strategic voice and leader here at Alaska Public Media and for public media’s statewide newsroom,” Ed Ulman, AKPM president and CEO, said. During the last eight years, Townsend continued to meet the challenges of growing and sustaining the largest news operation in Alaska. This new title acknowledges her work and commitment to ensuring every Alaskan has access to news and information they can trust.”

About Alaska Public Media:

Alaska Public Media (AKPM) is a shared Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) member and a 501(c)(3) organization. Committed to meeting the needs of our community and state, AKPM produces and presents news and content that provides lifelong learning opportunities in public affairs, health and leisure, science and nature, economic and social development, civic engagement and world events. The company is located in Southcentral Alaska and is comprised of KSKA radio, KAKM-TV, Create TV, PBS KIDS, PBS KIDS 24/7 and alaskapublic.org. Alaska Public Media also operates the Statewide News network and a shared television service with KTOO in Juneau and KYUK in Bethel.