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Joni Deutsch

Joni Deutsch was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, and graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in public relations and advertising. After learning the radio ropes atWLUR91.5 FM in Lexington, Virginia, Joni returned to the Mountain State and joined the West Virginia Public Broadcasting family as the creator and host of the weekly indie/alternative music program A Change of Tune and the critically-acclaimed 30 Days of #WVmusic interview series. 

In June 2015, Joni became assistant producer for NPR Music’s live performance radio program Mountain Stage with Larry Groce and host of its #MS2Go podcast and 24-hour music stream. One year later, she became the program’s youngest (and first female) guest host, making her the youngest host of a nationally syndicated public radio program at the age of 24.

In addition to her radio production work, Joni also acted as lead coordinator for West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s NPR Generation Listen initiative, successfully connecting young listeners to public radio through engaging events throughout West Virginia. She also acted as digital producer and event lead for West Virginia Public Broadcasting and PRX’s Us & Them podcast.

Joni Deutsch’s strong communication skills and creative marketing style has led to features on NPR's Morning Edition & Weekend Edition, NPR Music, Current, Poynter, Nieman Lab, and more, as well as speaking engagements at major public media conferences across the nation. In 2015, the Charleston Gazette-Mail named Joni one of the people “making Charleston [West Virginia] even better." In 2016, she was named an Emerging Voice Scholar by the Alliance for Women in Media. And in 2017, she was named to the West Virginia State Journal’s “40 under 40” as a young professional working to make West Virginia a better place.

When she’s not making radio or pursuing her master’s in strategic communication from American University, she can usually be found at home with a good podcast, a hot cup of tea, and a shaggy Polish Lowland sheepdog by her side. 

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