Listeners of "All Things Considered" learned this week that one of the show hosts, the charismatic Ari Shapiro, has decided to step away from news coverage at NPR.
In an interview with WXXI on Thursday, Shapiro talked about his decision and what's next for him.
He said NPR was "always on" in his parents' home and in the car, and when he was in high school, he volunteered to answer phones for his local public radio station’s membership drives.
After college, he was hired as an intern by NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenburg. Shapiro said he has spent the last 25 years at NPR because of the importance of independent journalism.
"There are so few places left where community is created across perceptions of difference," he said. "And in public radio, you have this network covering things that you might not otherwise hear about."
Shapiro said that it’s important for people to understand that there are vital steps to creating accurate journalism. Among them are talking to sources and subjects, asking tough questions, checking the facts and telling the story from many perspectives.
He said he intends to keep telling stories through writing and through music.
"After I host 'All Things Considered' for the last time on Sept. 26," he said, "I’m going to hit the road with this band Pink Martini, which I adore. I am not leaving journalism, and I intend to keep doing that."
