NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO TO LAUNCH NEW LIVE EVENT SERIES, DEMOCRACY DIALOGUES
September 14 Premiere at The Greene Space Will Feature Adela Raz of Princeton’s Afghanistan Policy Lab and Rebecca Blumenstein of NBC News
New York, NY – August 18, 2026 – New York Public Radio (NYPR), New York City’s audio and multiplatform center of excellence with local heart and global impact, today announced the launch of Democracy Dialogues, a new live event series examining the state of democracy and the essential role journalism, free expression and an informed public play in sustaining it.
The series will debut September 14 with conversations featuring Adela Raz, Director of Princeton University’s Afghanistan Policy Lab, the last ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States and the first woman to serve as Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations; and Rebecca Blumenstein, President of Editorial, NBC News, and co-author of The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America.
The first event is co-presented with URL Media, NYPR’s collaborator and an award-winning network of more than 50 independent publishers and content creators serving diverse communities across the United States. It will be held at The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space (“The Greene Space”), NYPR’s street-level event space and broadcast studio in Lower Manhattan, live-streamed on YouTube and available as video on demand.
“Democracy Dialogues will examine what democracy demands of us at a moment when journalism, trust and freedom of expression are being tested globally,” said Christy Tanner, President and CEO of NYPR. “In our first program, we’ll hear from two accomplished leaders whose experiences offer distinct perspectives on democratic institutions – and what can happen when those institutions are lost. NYPR creates spaces where facts unite us, where challenging questions can be discussed constructively and where democracy can be experienced as the act of listening. That is precisely what this series is designed to do.”
Tanner will lead a conversation with Raz, whose career has spanned diplomacy, international affairs and the study of Afghanistan’s political future. S. Mitra Kalita, co-founder of URL Media, will interview Blumenstein about what America owes those who seek freedom in our democracy and how they will remake what it means to be American.
Democracy Dialogues will bring together civic and cultural leaders, journalists, policymakers, students, and members of the public for conversations examining democracy from U.S. and global perspectives. Additional conversations in the series will be announced at a later date.
ABOUT NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO:
With an urban vibrancy and a global perspective, New York Public Radio (NYPR) produces innovative, critically acclaimed programming for local and national broadcast, on-demand and live-streaming audiences. NYPR’s brands include WNYC, WQXR, WNYC Studios, Gothamist, New Jersey Public Radio and The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space. The WNYC newsroom and Gothamist produce award-winning local journalism for New York City, New Jersey and the surrounding region. WQXR, the city’s only all-classical radio station, broadcasts new and archival classical recordings and makes live performances from New York City’s esteemed performance venues available to all. WNYC Studios is a premier producer of on-demand and national broadcast audio and home to some of the industry’s most impactful award-winning podcasts and national radio shows, including “Radiolab,” “On the Media” and “The New Yorker Radio Hour,” among others. The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space is NYPR’s intimate street-level broadcast studio and live event space. Further information about programs, podcasts and stations may be found at www.nypublicradio.org.
ABOUT URL MEDIA:
URL Media is transforming the media landscape by building a scalable, sustainable ecosystem that empowers trusted publishers and creators serving Black and Brown communities, strengthens their capacity, and directs investment and opportunity to these voices central to shaping our culture and democracy. Founded in 2021 by media trailblazers Sara Lomax and S. Mitra Kalita, URL Media delivers authentic reach and lasting impact for brands, institutions, and audiences ready to engage meaningfully with diverse communities. For more information, visit url-media.com.