Title
Honoring journalist, host, and co-executive producer Terry Gross and the Fresh Air team on their 2022 Peabody Institutional Award.
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WHEREAS, Terry Gross began her journalism career in Buffalo, New York, largely working on radio shows that discussed issues regarding women’s rights and issues of public interest; and
WHEREAS, In 1975, Terry Gross moved to Philadelphia to work at WHYY, hosting and producing Fresh Air, a local interview show. At the onset of the show, Terry Gross conducted well-researched interviews that came alive because of her style of empathy, sincerity, and encouragement. In 1985, National Public Radio (“NPR”) started nationally broadcasting the weekly episodes of Fresh Air; and
WHEREAS, Thirty-five years ago, in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross became a daily national program broadcasted by NPR, including stories about and interviews with inspirational and influential people in every sphere of public life; and
WHEREAS, Terry Gross has skillfully and personably interviewed some of the most renowned and talented creative artists from Ray Charles to Zadie Smith, to Lin Manuel Miranda to Stephen Colbert. In these interviews, Terry Gross illuminated the humanity in these cultural icons and told their stories in relatable, intimate, and moving ways; and
WHEREAS, Terry Gross also told the stories of lesser-known individuals with deeply impactful stories, like Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in a major Christian religion, and Jessica Goodell, a Marine Corps Mortuary Affairs officer. In these interviews, Terry Gross gave these individuals a public platform to share their voices and stories because she recognized their ability to impact and inspire the world; and
WHEREAS, Fresh Air with Terry Gross won its first Peabody Award in 1993 and was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2012; and
WHEREAS, Terry Gross received the National Humanities Medal from United States President Barack Obama in 2016, recognizing her work as a journalist who emphasizes the humanity of the professional titans we hear about in the media; and
WHEREAS, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been awarded this year’s Peabody Institutional Award, which recognizes and praises “their enduring body of work and their iconic impact on both the media landscape and the public imagination”; and
WHEREAS, The more than 13,000 interviews Terry Gross has conducted are collectively recognized as one body of work by this Award for their capacity to inform, inspire, and influence a vast listening public; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, that the Council of the City of Philadelphia, Honors journalist, host, and co-executive producer Terry Gross and the Fresh Air team on their 2022 Peabody Institutional Award.
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