About Us

Our mission is to elevate the quality of public media journalism wherever it reaches people. We train public media journalists of all levels — from interns to international correspondents — in the values and best practices that guide NPR’s journalism.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Or send us a note at trainingteam@npr.org. The Training team also runs the Diverse Sources Database.


Argin Hutchins (he/him) is the team’s Audio Production Specialist. His career in radio spans nearly two decades and includes infrastructure projects that improved the production of public radio. NPR recruited Argin in 2004 to its audio engineering team, where he developed his “ear.” He helped launch Tell Me More with Michel Martin; along with serving as the program’s director, he produced and reported personal finance pieces. Argin founded an audio production company and managed the production of the nationally syndicated Truth, Politics & Power.

Email: ahutchins@npr.org
Twitter: @ProducerArgin


Cheryl Thompson (she/her) is the team’s Audience and Digital Content Specialist. She comes to NPR from NBC Washington, where she managed the station’s social media accounts across major platforms; trained colleagues throughout the organization on use of social media; and created feature content for the website. Prior to NBC Washington, she was an editor at AOL and Time Inc. Cheryl is a graduate of the University of Maryland and a D.C.-area native.

Email: cthompson1@npr.org
Twitter: @cheryl_lisa


Doug Mitchell (he/him) is the founder and project director for Next Generation Radio, leading digital training for college students and early career professionals, especially rising journalists of color. Since 2014, "Next Gen" has trained 300+ participants with several dozen now working in public media and other areas of journalism. Doug is a 1997 ICFJ Fellow and a 2003 Fulbright Senior Specialist; has been an instructor at Georgetown and CUNY's Newmark School of Journalism; is on the Board of Trustees for the American Press Institute; and is Chair of the Board for the Center for Collaborative Journalism at Mercer University.

Email: nextgenerationradio@npr.org
Twitter: @nextgenradio


Holly J. Morris (she/her) is the team’s Digital Journalism Trainer. In her 20-plus years as a journalist, she’s been an editor and reporter at U.S. News & World Report; a science editor for National Geographic’s website; and a founding editor of The Washington Post Express. Prior to joining NPR, Holly taught college in her home state of Georgia. She got her start teaching as an organizer for the nonprofit Knowledge Commons DC. Holly holds degrees from Emory University and Columbia University.

Email: hmorris@npr.org


Jerome Socolovsky (he/him/él) is NPR’s Audio Journalism Trainer. During a career of three decades in print, radio and television, he's been a foreign and international justice correspondent for the Associated Press, religion reporter for the Voice of America and editor-in-chief of Religion News Service. Jerome has been an editor on NPR’s National, International and Culture Desks, and spent eight years as the network’s correspondent in Spain, where he recorded people shouting “Gooooool!!!!!” far too many times and went to great lengths to avoid running with the bulls. Jerome is a second-generation argentino americano polyglot who loves a siesta and has gone for hours without looking at social media.

Email: jsocolovsky@npr.org
Twitter: @jeromesoco


Keith Woods (he/him) is NPR's Chief Diversity Officer. Since 2010, he has led the network’s diversity efforts and has worked with more than 30 member stations. Keith trained journalists in writing, editing, diversity and leadership at the Poynter Institute, where he spent 15 years. He was a sportswriter, news reporter, city editor and editorial writer for 16 years at the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Keith is a graduate of Dillard University and holds a master’s from Tulane. He has chaired two Pulitzer Prize juries and is co-editor of The Authentic Voice: The Best Reporting on Race & Ethnicity.

Email: kwoods@npr.org
Twitter: @keithwoods


Sara Richards (she/her) is the team’s Senior Project Manager. She designs editorial training programs for interns and new employees, manages NPR’s mentorship program, and coordinates leadership and culture workshops. Sara began her career at NPR in 2007 as an Arts Desk intern and worked at daily news shows before becoming the founding producer of NPR Berlin. She’s also done producing stints at KUOW Public Radio in Seattle and C-SPAN. Originally from Tennessee, Sara studied at Mount Holyoke College and the University of Bonn.

Email: srichards@npr.org
Twitter: @sarasararich


Our interns

Des LaFave (he/him) is the Training Team’s video intern and is based in Massachusetts. He has a background in creating instructional videos and material, as well as training journalists in the basics of video editing. He has great interest in documentary filmmaking and creating accessibility in video (captions, audio description and translation).

Email: dlafave@npr.org

Emma Hall (she/her) runs the Diverse Source Database and writes the Source of the Week newsletter. Emma is a journalist specializing in higher education and diversity, equity and inclusion. She is currently based in Sacramento and is a proud community college graduate.

Email: ehall@npr.org


This site was designed Rene Sanchez and Holly J. Morris of the NPR Training team. Team portraits by Halisia Hubbard.