“A sharp and smart digest of local, national and international news”
–The Nation‘s “2018 Progressive Honor Roll”
UpFront delivers a mix of local, state, and international coverage through challenging interviews, civil debates, breaking updates, and in-depth discussions with authors.
About Us:
Brian Edwards-Tiekert [@bedwardstiek] is the founder and host of UpFront. He started his work in media helping to set up the Independent Media Center in Chiapas, Mexico, where he also did human rights work. For two years, he ran a nationwide support program for progressive publications at colleges and universities. He started in radio as a beat reporter covering environmental justice issues for KPFA, where he also served as a network correspondent for international climate talks, produced an award-winning climate documentary series, established a long-form journalism training program, then adapted that curriculum for groups ranging from high school students in Los Altos to inmates in San Quentin Prison. In 2016, he was awarded a John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University.
Kimia Akbari [@akbarikimia_] is UpFront’s producer. She started working in audio as a host/producer of the podcast Del beh Del while a Graduate Fellow at SF State’s Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies. She’s also worked on KQED’s Forum as an intern, and trained through NPR’s Next Generation Radio apprenticeship.
Aileen Alfandary [@KPFANews] is UpFront’s News Editor. She’s been co-directing KPFA’s award-winning news department since 1978, when she cut her teeth producing all-night coverage of the nuclear disaster at Three Mile Island. She gets to work at 4:30 AM every morning . . . by bicycle.
Kirsten Thomas is UpFront’s board operator, line producer, call-screener, and pre-dawn ray of sunshine.