Thursday, March 28

Veralyn Williams and Jessica Placzek Join NPR


In a note to newsroom staff, Yolanda Sangweni, Senior Director of Programming shared the following announcement:


Veralyn Williams / Jessica Placzek

Jorge Gomez/Jessica Placzek


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Jorge Gomez/Jessica Placzek


Veralyn Williams / Jessica Placzek

Jorge Gomez/Jessica Placzek

Dear all,

I have some exciting additions to the It’s Been a Minute and The Limits teams to announce.

Veralyn Williams (she/her) joined NPR this week as an Executive Producer overseeing It’s Been a Minute and The Limits, helping guide the direction and growth of both shows. She will also be working with the Content Development Team on piloting efforts to bring more voices to NPR. In this role, Veralyn will collaborate closely with people across NPR – and externally – to cultivate new audiences across radio, podcasts, and digital channels.

Veralyn is a Peabody and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist who has been asking hard questions about our world, since she picked up her first microphone in 2004. Now she brings her skills (and ears!) to her role as executive producer of programming at National Public Radio. Previously, Veralyn was the senior editor at LWC Studios, where she developed and launched The Oprah Winfrey Network original podcast, Trials To Triumphs. She was also Executive Producer for WNYC’s United States of Anxiety. Through all of her endeavors, Veralyn aims to amplify perspectives—as complicated and multifaceted as hers.

I asked Veralyn to write a few words about joining NPR and here’s what she said:

If it wasn’t for @Michel Martin and Farai Chideya, I don’t know if I would have been able to see myself as a leader in public radio. So of course I jumped at the chance to join the organization that first gave me access to these women– journalists that showed me it’s possible to bring my full self into my work. I am extremely excited to be in a role that will allow me to guide the direction and growth of future programming at NPR.

Welcome, Veralyn!

I’m also excited to announce that Jessica Placzek will join It’s Been a Minute as Supervising Editor beginning July 18. In this role, Jessica will design and drive the editorial vision for the next chapter of IBAM while seeking opportunities to expand the show’s footprint.

Most recently, Jessica was the senior editor of podcasts at KQED where she served as the editorial lead of her department working with shows like Mindshift, Rightnowish, Consider This, Sold Out, Bay Curious and The Bay. She’s also been a reporter and audio producer at KQED, KPFA, and KALW. She taught audio production to men incarcerated at California State Prison Solano and edited pieces they produced for the Uncuffed podcast through KALW. In 2018 she co-hosted and produced the third season of Raw Material for SFMOMA. In New Orleans she wrote for the Nola Defender. Her work has also appeared on Marketplace, All Things Considered, The California Report, and Vice.

Welcome Jessica!

Both Jessica and Veralyn have been fully immersed in our search for a new host of IBAM. I hope you’ll give a warm NPR welcome to these two dynamic leaders.

(To say I’m excited would be an understatement. If you could only hear my fangirl screams!!)

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