TOLEDO- In January of this year, WGTE Public Media launched a series called The Local Thread, a project that details the work of various organizations in the Toledo area. The project is formatted as a podcast/radio show that empowers local people and local media — including La Prensa, The Sojourner’s Truth, and the Toledo Free Press — to tell their stories. The shows affiliated with The Local Thread were airing on weeknights from 7 – 8 p.m, and they have been successful in their mission to unite the voices of Toledo.
Marcus Harrison — the director of communications and marketing at WGTE Public Media — said that The Local Thread has caught the attention of a significant number of people over the past few months.
“All of the programs have engaged a good number of people within their respective content. This was the goal of the entire project. The good thing is, each program offers something different from equally important pockets of the community.”
While the diversity of conversation has been pivotal for The Local Thread’s success, Harrison emphasized that the way the project has been marketed to consumers cannot go unmentioned.
“By utilizing YouTube shorts and social media clips, we offer snippets of each podcast recording for potential listeners to consume, with the hope that they go on to listen to the full podcast. Since The Local Thread began, we have definitely seen growth in overall listenership and engagement of this series.”
WGTE Public Media has helped local papers expand their reach. Fletcher Word — the owner and publisher of The Sojourner’s Truth newspaper — explained that The Local Thread’s decision to talk with his team has improved audience engagement. Word’s paper highlights the Black community in Toledo, focusing on topics including government, health, education, and social events. The paper is available in both print and online.
“We believe that this has been a successful experience for the paper, for the staff and for the guests we have had the chance to interview on air. We have received much feedback from listeners who have also enjoyed the show.”
The Local Thread has connected Toledoans and others in northwest Ohio, but Harrison noted that WGTE has plans for expanding the program to broader audiences in the future.
“We would love to expand The Local Thread to feature other organizations that reach a wide range of people… We are open to discussing further partnerships with other entities as long as it makes sense. We all have a story to tell, and it is our job to engage the public with timely information and topics.”
Harrison added that without listening to what Toledoans desire out of their media, The Local Thread would not have prospered.
“WGTE’s plan for improving The Local Thread involves listening to the public as well as our partners. We believe listening is the most important aspect to any type of improvement. We will continue to work with like-minded organizations that are willing to utilize our platform for getting their message out there to the local community.”
Listeners can find all of the Local Thread programs, including Toledo Works (the show produced by the Toledo Free Press) here.
