Our History

YR Media has been handing the mic to young people since 1993. Formerly known as Youth Radio, we were founded by visionary journalist Ellin O’Leary who worked with an incredible team to uplift the voices of youth of color  from  underrepresented communities.  To fulfill our mission, we  provide training, access to national outlets and eventually,  a platform to share their experiences, creativity and critical skills across media, music, podcasting, design, interactive and more.

Now almost 30 years later, YR Media’s emerging content creators have taken the platform to new heights, winning some of the industry’s highest honors such as Alfred I. duPont-Columbia , the George Foster Peabody, and the Edward R. Murrow awards.