Aspen Public Radio has announced the hiring of Dominic Anthony Walsh as the station's newest broadcast journalist who will serve as the next Edlis Neeson Arts & Culture reporter. Walsh began his tenure with the organization on Jan. 12.
Walsh was most recently with Texas Public Radio (TPR) in San Antonio, Texas, where he covered energy, the environment, and public health. He co-produced TPR's popular "Petrie Dish" podcast, and also co-hosted the "Fire Triangle" investigative series from TPR and Houston Public Media, examining how deregulation and lack of public information contributed to deadly chemical disasters across the state. He brings a fresh perspective to the Aspen Public Radio team and boasts reporting experience as a former Report for America fellow; his work has been heard nationally on the BBC, WNYC, Marketplace Morning Report, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. Walsh holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Trinity University, and began his public radio career covering arts and culture.
"I can’t wait to get back to my arts roots," says Walsh. "I grew up playing jazz, indie, and classical music, and I got my start at Texas Public Radio as a summer arts intern. That’s my foundation. I’m also excited to tackle an expansive definition of ‘culture,’ including the work of the community’s many non-profits. This beat has a lot of room for enterprise reporting, in addition to exploring the daily joy of creative communities."
"We're so excited to have an emerging reporter as talented as Dominic join our team," says executive director Breeze Richardson. “Particularly as our community continues to struggle with the impact of this COVID-19 pandemic, I strongly believe that sharing our Valley's robust arts and cultural offerings by featuring the stories of local artists, musicians, performers, and non-profit organizations remains truly critical. We're also very grateful for the extraordinary vision of Gael Neeson, and the enduring legacy of her late husband, Stefan Edlis, for their role in making this reporting a priority for our community.”
Walsh is joining an award-winning news team, which includes Eleanor Bennett, who will continue to anchor Morning Edition as “the voice” of Aspen Public Radio, broadcasting the station’s daily local newscasts, ski report, and outdoor report Monday through Friday, along with contributing weekly feature reporting; general assignment reporter Halle Zander, who joined the team full-time in September 2021, and currently covers Pitkin County, education, and environmental issues; and veteran local journalist Brent Gardner-Smith, who returned to Aspen Public Radio in August 2021 to provide expertise and leadership as the station’s news director.
You can hear the work of Aspen Public Radio’s news team every day between 7:00-9:00 a.m. during Morning Edition, and 4:00-6:00 p.m. during All Things Considered.