This is Chris Drew for KSMU news. I'm joined by KSMU news reporter Gregory Holman. Gregory has a little news to share, as you often do.
Gregory Holman: Chris I do. The big news is, I am actually going to be joining the Springfield Business Journal later this week. We're recording this on Monday, and I'm going to be going over to the Springfield Business Journal to be their deputy editor. And so, this was a big decision, folks. I’ve really truly treasured the time being in public media here with KSMU, Ozarks Public Radio and Ozarks Public Television. And I took some time and made a tough decision. It's no secret there's some instability with the funding mechanisms for public media right now. And we're hoping that that turns out really well. And I kind of made a simple individual career decision. So, I'm excited about my new adventure. A little sad, you know, about leaving this adventure. But that's the news, Chris.
Yeah, and we're excited and sad. Also, I think many of our listeners are too, for the last three years we've been hearing you on air, bringing us the news. Especially regular Springfield City coverage, which is so valuable. Something you've kind of been an advocate for, I think probably just in your life in general is local journalism. And here I've heard you say so many wonderful things about public radio. Is there anything you want to leave as a farewell to our listeners?
Holman: Oh my gosh. Well, anybody who's had to listen to me during pledge week has heard me tell the story of how I grew up in Branson, Missouri. I love public media. You know, my parents bought a television so they could have Sesame Street. I was one of those people. I was like that nerdy kid at age nine, listening to Terry Gross on Fresh Air on NPR. So, I've had, a really lifelong, relationship with it.
I just want to thank everybody here at the station. It's been fantastic. I want to thanks to my partner, Carter Bryant, for supporting me in being a news person. That's the whole thing in a relationship, you know. I want to thank my family. I want to thank especially this community. And Chris, just to underscore, you know, it's no secret right now, there's being decisions taken in Congress about what kind of funding is going to go forward with public media. I would just really encourage everybody to follow KSMU’s lead and educate yourself. The website is Protectmypublicmedia.org If people want to learn about that whole situation, that's the place to go.
So, this is an opportunity for people to reflect on what kind of services do they really want. And I think it's an opportunity, if you have the prosperity, the wonderful thing about public media is you can give according to your capacity to do so. And so be thinking about that. And I'm sure there's going to be messaging. I'm speaking for Greg here, not for KSMU or the Business Journal or anybody else, but that's my urge to everybody.
This whole project is listeners like you and me, right. And so that's something I really want to leave people with.
But I just want to say, it's been so great telling your stories from city council meetings to like Green County agriculture tour, to the politics, the election cycle. It's been very meaningful for me personally to try to keep a baseline of news that's available for everybody. So, you know, I just want to leave everybody with that kind of thought. And please support KSMU. I hope that those of you who read the business journal will come along with me for that adventure as well. But yeah, it's been a wonderful three years.
Is there any project in the last three years or more or more recently, that you would want to point people towards that you've done here or that you're particularly proud of?
Holman: I was thinking about that before we went into this interview. And, you know, sometimes it's just the simple things. I am proud that we brought some of the watchdog reporting, having to do with homelessness (and) with some of the child abuse situations that have gone on in the state of Missouri. I'm very proud sometimes, you know, we did we did the historic old mill out in rural Greene County last summer. And I think those stories are also incredibly meaningful, just to give life to the memory of our region and the culture and the history that we have here. You know, I've reported on the experience of transgender individuals. There's a wide, wide variety that I've been able to do. And it's because, again, listeners like you empowering the community to be able to do that. So, it's been wonderful.
Well, thanks again for being a part of KSMU. Thanks for sharing all the great reporting that you shared with us the last few years. And best of luck to you on your next journey. I know we'll all be paying attention. I'm sure many of our listeners will be paying attention and seeing what you get up to over there.
Holman: You're so kind and I want to say everybody love on this news team. You know, Chris Drew. Michelle, when you hear their voices, they calm me down. Jimmy Rea In the afternoon, when I hear his voice, he cheers me up. So, I want everybody to kind of, you know, think about that. Support this news team because they're great.
Editor’s note: this transcription was edited for clarity.