Rachel Rood
Supervising Producer “Sound of Ideas”Expertise: Public affairs topics, community engagement
Education: Chagrin Falls High School
Rochester Institute of Technology - Bachelor of Fine Arts, film
American University - Master of Arts, broadcast journalism
Favorite spot in Northeast Ohio: Dance party on the Goodtime III
Experience:
Rachel Rood is the supervising producer for Ideastream Public Media’s morning public affairs show, the “Sound of Ideas.” She has been part of the team since 2015, where she is best known for creating the award-winning community engagement series, the “Sound of Ideas Community Tour.” The tour has traveled all across Northeast Ohio, from Ashtabula to Sandusky, even aboard the Goodtime III, covering topics including the future of NASA Glenn, immigration, politics and racial division. She also produced the One Small Step series in partnership with StoryCorps which asked Ohioans from different political backgrounds to talk to each other civilly in the heat of the 2020 election. Rachel came to Ideastream from National Public Radio, where she was a producer for the flagship afternoon program, “All Things Considered.” Rachel grew up in South Russell and now lives in University Heights. She is also an adjunct journalism professor at Baldwin Wallace University.
Highlights:
- 2020 12 Under 36 Award recognizing Jewish professionals influencing the future of Northeast Ohio through professional and personal achievements, Cleveland Jewish News
- 2019 Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, Best Producer - Radio - “The Sound of Ideas Community Tour: Opioid Crisis in Lake Country”
- 2018 Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, Best Minority Issues Reporting - Radio: “The Sound of Ideas Community Tour: Race in Akron,” Ohio Society for Professional Journalists
- 2017 Press Club of Cleveland, Best Producer - Radio: “The Sound of Ideas: Sexual Assault in Northeast Ohio”
- 2018 Press Club of Cleveland, Best Radio Show: “The Sound of Ideas Community Tour: Race in Akron”
- 2017 Press Club of Cleveland, Best Radio Show: “The Sound of Ideas: Sexual Assault in Northeast Ohio”
Why trust Ideastream Public Media?
The mission of Ideastream Public Media is to be a trustworthy and dynamic multimedia source for illuminating the world around us. Our highest priority is providing news and information that is reliable and accurate, that is gathered with integrity and professional care and that is presented with precision and respect for the intelligence of our audiences. We are transparent about how we discover and verify the facts we present and strive to make our decision-making process clear to the public. We disclose relationships, such as with partners or funders, that might appear, but will never, influence our coverage.
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Haney, a Canton native, worked for the past six years as a digital anchor and legal analyst for WKYC before joining Ideastream Public Media. -
Colleges and universities are facing financial headwinds and that's led some to close their doors. We'll talk about what happens to a community when a college or university shuts down. -
The "Solar for All" program was designed to help low-income households by lowering pollution and utility costs in underserved communities. It funded initiatives across the country to expand access to rooftop solar panels, community solar farms and battery storage systems. -
Four fair housing agencies, including the Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research in Cleveland, have filed a class action lawsuit against DOGE and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, hoping to restore funding that it says helps keep residents in their homes. -
Christopher Hardesty is the inaugural executive director of the Downtown Akron CDC, which aims to redevelop vacant spaces and help struggling businesses stay in place. -
Free clinics, a key safety net provider for people who are uninsured and underinsured, are likely to see a demand for their services increase in the coming years. We’ll talk to free clinics in Northeast Ohio about the plan to meet that demand. -
Bibb said this week he is looking for ideas to develop the Downtown lakefront — without the Browns. Is the fight all but over? -
This month, the U.S. ended federal protections from deportation for thousands of migrants from Nicaragua and Honduras. This week, temporary protections were set to end for Afghani immigrants, but an appeals court temporarily blocked the effort. -
Policy changes are coming to Medicaid, the federally and state-funded health insurance program, including additional work requirements, and new eligibility checks every six months, instead of once a year. -
Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost to the ever-evolving opioid overdose epidemic. We will discuss where Cleveland and Cuyahoga County stand with regards handling the crisis.
