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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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. -
AAA predicts that a record 72.2 million Americans will travel during the week of July 4, crowding the roads with extra traffic. Meanwhile, it's the so-called 100 deadliest days of summer -- the time from Memorial Day to Labor Day when the most traffic crashes occur. -
On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that lower federal judges had overstepped their authority by imposing nationwide injunctions that blocked President Trump's executive order curbing birthright citizenship. -
We'll discuss the latest strikes in Iran, and the greater role the U.S. is playing in the Middle East. -
The center is celebrating this milestone and Pride Month amidst a slew of changing laws and orders on the state and federal levels, from banning gender-affirming care to prohibiting DEI programs at public universities. -
We’ll talk to the president of the Knight Foundation, which continues to support democracy and independent local news in 26 communities, including Akron. -
Millions of people rely on the Great Lakes every day for clean water, but recent federal budget cuts may imperil the water's health and the ability of scientists to monitor water quality. -
A new Mother Jones investigation looked at the role Wall Street played in Steward Health Care's recent bankruptcy, which led to the closures of two hospitals in Trumbull County. -
Supervising Producer Rachel Rood shares what keeps her hopeful about bringing a new child into the world at an uncertain moment in time. -
We will talk about the work being done at University Hospitals to help reduce amputations.
