January 17, 2018—Charlottesville, Va. – BackStory, an American history podcast produced by Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH), is pleased to welcome BBC Development Executive Dr. David Stenhouse as BackStory senior producer. Dr. Stenhouse assumed his new role on January 16.

Stenhouse comes to VFH and BackStory with more than two decades of public radio production experience in the UK and US. Beyond his impressive body of work for the BBC, Stenhouse has considerable experience in U.S. public radio, including time spent as a visiting reporter/producer for WBUR Boston, an NPR news station and home of nationally syndicated programs including “On Point,” “Here & Now,” and “Only A Game,” and as senior producer of BBC Radio 4’s “Americana” based in the BBC’s Bureau in Washington DC.

Stenhouse said, “BackStory does a wonderful job of exploring American history. I’m looking forward to working with its amazing production team and hosts on a new set of stories that will make American history come alive for listeners across the US.”

“We’re thrilled that David has joined Virginia Foundation for the Humanities to lead BackStory, one of our most wide-reaching programs,” said VFH executive director Matthew Gibson. “His expertise as both a historian and an accomplished storyteller for broad public audiences makes him an ideal fit for this important leadership role.”

Stenhouse holds a Ph.D. in Southern Literature of the 1930s, was visiting professor of English Studies at the University of Strathclyde 2006-2009, and has received multiple awards, including for his work on a production commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King’s iconic speech, “I Have a Dream,” which won the 2014 Stanford St Martin Award for Radio Program of the Year, and as executive producer of BBC Radio 4’s The Digital Human.

He is married to the writer Claire Prentice and the couple have two sons.

BackStory celebrates ten years on the air in 2018. With Stenhouse at the helm, the staff and hosts look forward to another decade of making American history engaging, accessible and fun for listeners old and new.

About BackStory: BackStory brings historical perspective to the America of today. Each week, U.S. historians Ed Ayers, Brian Balogh, Joanne Freeman and Nathan Connolly look at current issues and trace them back to their roots in American history. From the days of the Early Republic to the 21st century, BackStory reveals the connections (and disconnections) between the past and the present. BackStory makes history accessible for listeners – not only in the United States, but around the globe.

BackStory is freely available on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher or other favorite podcast apps. To learn more, visit BackStoryRadio.org.

About Virginia Foundation for the Humanities: The mission of Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH) is to connect people and ideas to explore the human experience and inspire cultural engagement. VFH reaches an estimated annual audience of 23 million through community programs, digital initiatives, grants and fellowships, radio programs, and the Virginia Center for the Book. To learn more, visit VirginiaHumanities.org

Maggie Guggenheimer
Director of External Relations, VFH
434-882-5040
[email protected]