Daily newsmagazine carried by nearly 500 NPR stations nationwide continues to grow its team and audience
Boston, MA (June 23, 2021) - Scott Tong will be the new co-host of NPR and WBUR's Here & Now, the live midday news program distributed on 477 NPR stations nationwide. He starts on July 12th, and will be based out of Washington D.C.
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"I am thrilled and excited that Scott is joining our host lineup," said Carline Watson, executive producer of Here & Now. "The depth of his journalism, his extensive reporting experience and his willingness to be a guide for the listener will complete our already outstanding team comprised of Tonya Mosley and Robin Young."
Tong makes his on-air debut on Monday, August 9th. Senior Editor Peter O'Dowd continues to play an important role at Here & Now, and will be a fill-in host.
Tong joins Here & Now after 16 years at Marketplace. He was the China bureau chief in Shanghai from 2006 until 2010. Since then, he's been a senior correspondent and has reported from more than a dozen countries — from refugee camps in East Africa to shoe factories in eastern China. As part of Marketplace's Sustainability desk he has covered the global economy, energy and the environment — and done stories on everything from hacking and fracking, to climate and water, Hollywood in China, Huawe driverless cars and tech spying.
"As I child, I learned a Chinese fable about a frog in a well: deep underground, this critter only sees a tiny patch of blue above and assumes that's the whole sky. Until of course the frog comes to the surface. Marketplace gave me the opportunity to explore the great skies of the world — in Nairobi, Caracas, Shanghai, Manila — and tell stories about them; for that I will always be thankful," said Tong. "Now, I'm excited to join Robin, Tonya and the WBUR/NPR team at Here & Now to tell timely stories with the program's signature context and thoughtfulness."
A highly-regarded public speaker and author, Tong has appeared on the PBS NewsHour, at the Aspen Ideas Festival and at TEDxFoggyBottom. He's been a guest host of the Make Me Smart podcast and KQED's Forum. In 2017, he published A Village with My Name: A Family History of China's Opening to the World — a critically-acclaimed narrative nonfiction account of China's economic opening, told through the lives of five people across five generations in his own family.
"The pandemic made crystal clear how essential it is to have a robust news magazine in the middle of the day, and Here & Now delivers," said WBUR CEO Margaret Low. "We had an impressive roster of co-host candidates. Scott stood out for the range and depth of his editorial experience and for his original thinking, boundless curiosity and creative spark. He will add a new dimension of thought-provoking stories and incisive reporting for our audience."
A live production of NPR and WBUR, in collaboration with public radio stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, smart, and in-depth news, interviews and conversation. The show's daily lineup includes interviews with newsmakers, NPR reporters, editors and bloggers, innovators and artists from across the U.S. and around the globe. Here & Now began at WBUR in 1997, and expanded to two hours in partnership with NPR in 2013. Today, the show reaches 5.31 million weekly listeners on 477 stations, representing 89 percent of the DMAs across the country (Act 1, Nielsen Audio Nationwide, Fall 2020, 12+). Here & Now airs weekdays 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. ET with live updates until 4 p.m. ET.
About WBUR
WBUR, Boston's NPR news station, is a public media organization committed to exceptional journalism and deep civic engagement providing news, analysis and entertainment on air, online at wbur.org, on demand and on stage. WBUR is the home of national programs On Point and Here & Now – reaching millions of listeners each week on more than 500 NPR stations nationwide. Ranked as one of Podtrac's top publishers, the WBUR iLab, produces popular podcasts including Circle Round and Endless Thread among others. WBUR continues to deepen its engagement with the local community through CitySpace, a dynamic venue for civic discourse and cultural exchange.
About NPR
NPR, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is widely known for its rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling that connects with millions of Americans every day — on the air, online, and in-person. NPR strives to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 17 international bureaus, NPR and its Member Stations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners can find NPR by tuning in to their local Member stations (npr.org/stations), and now it's easy to listen to our stories on smart speaker devices. Ask your smart speaker to, "Play NPR," and you'll be tuned into your local Member station's live stream. Your speaker can also access NPR podcasts, NPR One, NPR News Now, and the Visual Newscast is available for screened speakers. Get more information at npr.org/about and by following NPR Extra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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