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Playlist: News Station picks for May '10

Credit: <a href=http://www.flickr.com/people/tooley/">Oliver Frank</a>

Image by: Oliver Frank

Curated Playlist

Here are May picks for news stations from PRX News Format Curator Naomi Starobin.

What Naomi listens for in news programming.

[everyone sing!] Take me out to the.....mixed marial arts match...geocaching....rock climbing wall....retired race horse farm....

This month, features on sports. But none of them are just a day at the ball park. Each looks at the role of sports in individuals' lives. There's a science teacher using sports to teach physics, a woman who is passionate about comforting retired race horses, another woman who says rock climbing saved her life, and a man who says we were made to run barefoot. Take a listen!

Hide notes

Barefoot Running and the Boston Marathon

From Emily Corwin | 00:05:57

Right in time for running season, jostle your listeners to think about running without sneakers. A scientist/runner explains why nature likes it that way. Others say it's asking for trouble. Let your listeners decide.

This piece was created after the 2010 Boston Marathon in April, so will hold a bit.

It's by Emily Corwin, who produces and hosts The Neighborhood, a radio program at MIT's WMBR. She also works at PRX and moonlights as a private cello teacher. It would work in an ME D segment or an ATC E segment.

Fighting the Ban on Mixed Martial Arts

From WRVO | 00:07:51

Your listeners may have heard about mixed martial arts and the controversies surrounding it. But have they heard the action on Native American land, where meets are held because it's illegal to hold them in the U.S.? Have they heard about the injury rate associated with mixed martial arts (it's low)? Have a listen.

This comes from WRVO's Jasmine Belcher. WRVO is in central New York.

Hide and Seek

From Salt Institute for Documentary Studies | 00:06:06

A fascinating sport that's not exactly universal...geocaching. The reporter tags along with these geocachers, and we learn why people are fascinated with searching for small items hidden by others, using their GPS units. A charming look at a little world....

This piece was done at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, in Portland Maine, by Amanda Thieroff.

The Future and Fate of Retired Race Horses

From WRVO | 00:07:21

This one is also by Jasmyn Belcher at WRVO in New York. It's a sweet look at a program for retired racehorses. Turns out they have to be trained and encouraged to just relax into their golden years. Lots of "in the field" sound here...you can almost smell the barn.

This I Believe - Kij Johnson

From This I Believe | Part of the This I Believe series | 00:03:48

A thoughtful essay on the role of one sport -- climbing -- in this woman's life. She is Kij Johnson, and she used rock climbing to make her way out of depression...a poignant metaphor. Like other This I Believe essays, it rings true and personal. It would pair nicely with straight-up sports story.

This I Believe is independently produced by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman with John Gregory and Viki Merrick for This I Believe, Inc. and Atlantic Public Media.

Sisters in Science: Can a Hook Shot Hook the Scientific Mind? Teaching Science Through Sports

From WAMC | Part of the The Sounds of Progress: The Changing Role of Girls and Women in Science and Engineering series | 00:14:56

A clear, sound-rich look at using sports to teach science. We are taken right onto the gym floor, and hear how teachers become coaches, and talk force and speed as they throw balls with students. The reporter also looks into the inspiration behind the program, "Sisters in Science." It's inspiring and interesting for anyone interested in innovative education or sports.

This comes from WAMC out of Albany, NY and it's by reporter Nancy Cohen.