Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado photo via KVPR

KVPR FM 89.3 has announced Cresencio Rodriguez-Delgado as the public radio station’s next news director. Rodriguez-Delgado comes to KVPR from PBS NewsHour, where he covered the region from Merced to Bakersfield for the nationwide public television show and website.

While at NewsHour, Rodriguez-Delgado was the only reporter from this region directly employed by a nationwide public media organization, according to a KVPR news release. In addition to his time with NewsHour, he’s also worked for the Fresno Bee and was part of California Divide, a reporting project from Cal Matters.

Rodriguez-Delgado grew up in the Tulare County community of Woodville, between Porterville and Tipton. He attended Fresno City College and Fresno State, where he became the editor of both The Rampage and The Collegian newspapers, respectively.

“Cresencio is a talented journalist. He has an expansive knowledge of our region, local issues and a commitment to the craft of journalism. Even rarer, he is someone who thrives on working with others to help make their work better,” said KVPR’s General Manager Joe Moore. “He has a passion for editing and finding new ways to tell stories. I’ve been impressed with his thoughtfulness and perspectives on important media and journalism issues, our valley communities, and how public media can best serve local audiences.”

Rodriguez-Delgado expressed he’s excited to work with KVPR’s talented staff to bring creative stories to the San Joaquin Valley.

“From our rural communities to our bigger cities, everywhere in the valley is deserving of a spotlight at a time of great change in our society, both locally and nationally. My mission at KVPR will be to bring people closer together through stories and maintain the trust in the information listeners and readers consume — as well as aim for a richer understanding of each other. I have been fortunate to be in different reporting spaces and see the great work happening behind the scenes to improve the journalism of the valley, and I am hopeful my role at KVPR can add to that,” said Rodriguez-Delgado.

Rodriguez-Delgado said one key area he wants to see the station devote additional attention to is community engagement. “Journalism, and especially public media, is not a spectator sport, so I will rely on the help of all readers and listeners to inform the newsroom so they can rely on our reporting,” said Rodriguez-Delgado.