Illinois Public Media welcomes 1A to WILL-AM 580 airwaves
NPR’s 1A host Joshua Johnson
NPR’s 1A, hosted by Joshua Johnson, will be joining the WILL-AM 580 lineup on May 1, airing from 9-11 am Monday-Friday. Local listeners might have recently heard 1A’s special coverage of President Trump's executive order on immigration and/or their special program “We Got Hacked — Russia’s Role In The U.S. Presidential Election,” both of which were carried live on WILL-AM 580.
With a name inspired by the First Amendment, 1A explores important issues such as policy, politics, technology, and what connects us across the fissures that divide the country. The program delves into pop culture, sports, and humor, as well.
Before hosting 1A, Joshua Johnson was the co-creator and host of the provocative nationwide public radio series, Truth Be Told, which explored race in America. Johnson is the son of a public schoolteacher and a Vietnam veteran, and he says his parents and mentors ingrained in him the values of love, learning, and service.
“My professional passions have always centered on creativity, exploration and service,” said Johnson. “This moment in history demands these attributes of us. It’s a chance to tell stories more creatively, to explore ideas beyond our own, and to refocus on serving others.”
1A is produced at WAMU 88.5 and distributed by NPR.
1A’s goal is to act as a national mirror—taking time to help America look at itself and to ask what it wants to be. The show encourages listeners to speak freely about topics on the air as well as within their digital conversations. 1A regularly post questions and requests for feedback on their website. You can also share your thoughts and connect with their discussions on Twitter, Facebook, or by texting 1A to 63735.
“Joshua is very gifted at convening in-depth, intelligent conversations around very topical and important issues that are often quite divisive,” said Lisa Bralts, director of content and strategic communications at Illinois Public Media. “It’s clear that now, more than ever, we need to be having these conversations, so the addition of 1A to the AM580 schedule is incredibly timely.”
Join the 1A conversation—framed in ways to make you think, share, and engage—from 9-11 am on WILL-AM 580 starting on May 1. 1A is produced at WAMU 88.5 and distributed by NPR.
Programming note: With the addition of 1A to the WILL-AM 580 daily schedule, we say farewell to NPR’s On-Point with Tom Ashbrook. Even though this program will no longer be available during our live broadcast, it will still be available online. You can search iTunes for on-demand access to the daily episodes.