Kenya Young

As Senior Vice President of WNYC Studios, Kenya Young sets and oversees the strategic direction of WNYC Studios’ portfolio of award-winning podcasts. Young is an experienced public media and newsroom leader who has produced and led teams responsible for telling stories in new, innovative and impactful ways.

Prior to joining New York Public Radio, she spent 15 years at NPR, staying committed to her many roles to elevate NPR’s public service journalism. As the Managing Editor for Collaborative Journalism, she grew and supported NPR’s network by fostering Member station relationships and building news partnerships. As a senior leader in the NPR newsroom, she also helped run NPR’s day-to-day news operations. Young was the executive producer of Morning Edition and Up First, the first Black journalist to hold those roles.

As a producer and editor, Young has contributed to many reports and series that were awarded with the industry’s top honors, including two Society of Professional Journalist awards, two Gracie awards, one Edward R. Murrow award and one National Association of Black Journalists award. She also was honored with two NPR awards, the Success Award for her efforts in prioritizing diverse sources and the President and CEO Award. Young received a B.A. in American Studies with a concentration in Journalism from The University of Notre Dame.