Mission and Vision

The WKMS Mission:

Inspire and empower the people of our region, as a freely accessible, trusted and essential resource for news, culture, and community. An embodiment of the educational mission of Murray State University – the station helps students and our regional communities learn, grow, and thrive.

The Three Pillars: News, Culture, Community

As part of the educational mission of Murray State University, WKMS focuses on the cornerstone of public radio – a mission to serve and inform all people: an audience of inquisitive listeners of all socioeconomic backgrounds, generations, political persuasions, ethnicities, genders, ability levels, interests, and tastes.

Being in a predominantly rural region, WKMS is uniquely positioned to reflect the lived experiences of America’s rural populations. And to provide an outlet for global, national, and cultural news that is freely accessible to all, with no paywalls.

How do we do that?

News:

Reflect the voices of our region in our sources, stories, and non-partisan coverage. Tell stories that address important issues that impact our communities and human stories – with an eye to agriculture, economics, health, infrastructure, education, politics, the environment and more.

We can be a space for open conversations, while shining a light on injustice and providing a lens for solutions and understanding to emerge. Ethical, inclusive, thoughtful, and transparent journalism is a must.

Importantly, WKMS has also served as a hub for real-world experiential student learning since its inception – training hundreds in the next generation of journalists and helping to share their work regionally, statewide, and even nationally.

Culture:

WKMS offers cultural experiences that enhance the music landscape in our region, and introduces students, staff, and community members to new horizons that enrich their lives. By serving as a source of music discovery in genres not easily accessible elsewhere on the radio – from classical to bluegrass to jazz to alternative to world music and beyond – WKMS expands the cultural knowledge and understanding of our communities.

We also work to be a home to showcase the incredible talents of local musicians, and seek out bands from a variety of backgrounds and genres to highlight on our main and All-Music channels.

Finally, it’s also a place to share the other talents and voices of our region and begin thoughtful conversations – with artists, entrepreneurs, change-makers, professors, non-profit leaders and more.

Community:

WKMS is a community gathering place on-air and online; a place where all people are welcome. Our goal is for everyone to hear their voices reflected in the content on the air, whether it’s in the form of Poetry Minutes, essay recordings, Mental Health Awareness pieces, or even song choices. And to build relationships across our region to make listeners, the University community, and the community at large, feel more connected to each other.

Part of that is partnering with local organizations across the region to meet listeners where they are, gain knowledge of the issues that impact them, and give back to the communities we serve.

It is our goal for everyone on the team and everyone who listens to feel that their voice has value.

Your voice matters!