Part of the power imbalance in public radio comes from job insecurity. I've never seen an industry that used so many temp workers and interns. During my entire career at @NPR, they never hired me. I was a temp contractor the entire time, walking on eggshells.

When I was at @WNYC, they allowed my contract to expire and I was at-will for at least six months. They never renewed my contract, of course. They ushered me out the door so they could keep John Hockenberry.

I love public radio with all of my heart, and all the dedicated journalists who make it essential and crucial to our democracy. But public radio didn't love me. The executives never made me feel welcomed or appreciated. Not once in 20 years.

I was offered a job at another network, but they wanted me to move from DC to LA and only gave me a 12-month contract. Plus, they said I asked for too much money. A friend told them, "She's asking for the same money the men are making."

Please, please, please, support your public radio station. The staff is not making much, but they depend on you for their salaries. But also, please find out if the station management is ethical and supportive or toxic. Please demand resignations, demand reform. Demand better.

When I launched a crowdfunding campaign for a podcast, after years of hosting NPR shows, I was told by management that I was not allowed to refer to myself as "working for NPR." It was humiliating and demeaning.

I'm not saying all this to garner sympathy, I promise. I'm saying it because I guarantee others are in the same situation right now and they can't speak up because they're afraid for their jobs.

Public radio management can & must do better. There should be salary transparency and accountability for executives who make these kind of mistakes. Instead, managers who get caught abusing staff leave one station and immediately get hired elsewhere so they can do it all again.

I really want to emphasize this point: I was hosting natl shows for NPR--Tell Me More, Talk of the Nation, Weekend Edition--and they wouldn't give me a job. Every time they forgot to renew my contract, Imy son and I lost health insurance. Imagine how scared that makes you feel.

When you hear that abuse and harassment has continued for years at WNYC, NPR, WAMU, etc., remember how terrified the staff is about speaking up, while management seems to be teflon. Like Laura Walker, bad managers just keep failing forward.

Public radio journalists (and staff) deserve your support. But they also deserve real oversight, job security, and accountability for the executives in power.

And to my journalist colleagues at other outlets, how is the pattern of abuse and lack of accountability in public radio not a major story? Why is no one interested in speaking truth to power? NPR has 3 of the top radio shows in the US, and the only news shows in the top ten.

And while you're here: there are dozens of us working on how to reform/overhaul pub radio, to increase diversity and hold managers accountable. If you're in public radio and want to do the work with us, register for the next meeting here: https://forms.gle/DBbkXEdZVFE8T786A