YR Media

What YR Media does

YR Media, formerly Youth Radio, is a non-profit youth media organization founded in 1993 in Berkeley, California and currently headquartered in Oakland. The organization trains young people ages 14-24 as journalists, audio storytellers, and digital content creators, pairing participants with professional editors and mentors while preserving youth ownership of the editorial voice. Core programming covers journalism, audio storytelling, digital content production, and workforce development, with mental health and wellness services added as a layered offering. Content is produced and distributed through a digital-first newsroom, with national public radio and major media outlets serving as established distribution partners.

The organization operates a single core program that functions simultaneously as a training vehicle and a media outlet, reaching national audiences through its broadcast and digital footprint. Its core technology is a digital-first newsroom platform supporting audio storytelling and journalism production; no proprietary AI tooling or patents are disclosed. YR Media's business model is grant- and donation-funded: primary revenue streams include foundation grants (notably from Pivotal Ventures and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) and individual donations processed via a Square.link portal, with no pricing model applied to end consumers since content is free.

YR Media's three physical locations — Oakland (headquarters), Berkeley (founding site), and Chicago (mental health and wellness programming) — anchor a footprint the organization has signaled intent to expand into additional underserved geographies. The organization paused operations in 2024 after decades of impact and resumed under the YR Media brand in 2026.

Name

YR Media

Legal name

Youth Radio

Website

https://yr.media

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YR Media is a non-profit youth media organization that trains young people ages 14-24 as journalists and content creators, producing award-winning digital and audio journalism distributed through national public radio and digital platforms. It operates on foundation grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Media Training

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Nonprofit Children’s Educational Broadcasters (MPABAKAF), Teen/Youth-Oriented Channels (Ages 12–17) (MPABAKAC)

Keywords

• Youth media training
• Journalism education
• Audio storytelling
• Workforce development
• Digital content creation

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue from grants provided by foundations such as Pivotal Ventures to support youth media programs, workforce development, mental health services, and infrastructure expansion.
2. Donations: Individual donations and support from the public to sustain youth voices and create space for the next generation of media creators.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

YR Media is a non-profit youth media organization that trains young people ages 14-24 as journalists, creators, and media professionals through journalism, audio storytelling, and digital content production programs. Editors and mentors support the creative process while youth voices remain central to storytelling. The organization distributes youth-produced content via digital platforms, national public radio, and major media outlets while offering workforce development and mental health support services.

Product overview

YR Media (formerly Youth Radio) is a single, unified youth media organization that provides training and content creation programs for young people ages 14-24. The organization offers journalism, audio storytelling, and digital media training, operating as a digital-first newsroom where young creators produce and publish content with editorial and mentorship support. The core program serves as both a training vehicle and a media outlet, enabling youth voices to reach audiences through broadcast, digital, and text-based platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Radio / YR Media Core Program A youth media training and content creation program that trains young people ages 14-24 as journalists, creators, and media professionals through journalism, audio storytelling, digital content creation, and workforce development. Editors and mentors support the creative process while youth voices remain central to storytelling. The program serves as both a training vehicle and a media outlet, enabling youth-produced content to reach audiences through broadcast, digital, and social media platforms.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• StoryCorps: Non-profit oral history and storytelling organization that records and distributes first-person stories from everyday people, with similar mission of amplifying underrepresented voices through audio media and a comparable non-profit, grant-funded model.
• The Moth: Non-profit storytelling platform producing live and broadcast true-story events, with a similar mission-driven, non-profit structure and emphasis on authentic voices. While the storyteller base skews broader, the storytelling-production and distribution format closely mirrors YR Media's audio journalism approach.
• PRX (Public Radio Exchange): Public radio distribution and production non-profit that distributes independent and diverse programming, including youth-produced content, through public radio stations and digital platforms — overlapping directly with YR Media's NPR syndication channel.
• PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs: Youth journalism training program connecting middle and high school students to professional newsrooms; competes for the same pool of aspiring young journalists and education partners as YR Media.

Regional players

• KQED: Bay Area public broadcaster producing journalism, audio, and educational content with a strong youth and community focus. Geographically co-located in the Bay Area and operates a similar non-profit, foundation-supported public media model.
• Pacifica Radio / KPFA: Independent, listener-supported community radio network with a long history of training and platforming young and community journalists, especially in the Bay Area — directly overlapping YR Media's original Berkeley/Oakland base.

Broad incumbents

• WNYC Studios: Major public radio station and podcast producer that commissions diverse storytelling and journalism, including youth-relevant content. A larger incumbent in the public audio space with overlapping audience and distribution dynamics.
• Reveal (Center for Investigative Reporting): Investigative journalism non-profit that produces award-winning radio and digital reporting distributed via PRX, with a similar non-profit, grant-funded model and focus on underrepresented community stories.
• Voice of America: Large publicly funded broadcaster producing multimedia journalism with youth-oriented programming and training pipelines; comparable in scale of broadcast and training infrastructure, though internationally focused.

Emerging players

• BRIC Arts Media: Non-profit community media organization producing journalism, video, and live programming with a youth and underrepresented-creator focus, sharing YR Media's mission of using media creation as workforce development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/yr.media?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
• Xx.com/itsYRmedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yr-media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about YR Media