WHQR Strategic Plan 2025

WHQR Strategic Plan 2025-2028

Mission, Vision and Core Values

Mission: Provide news, music, and entertainment that encourage artistic appreciation, engage our community, and promote civil discourse.

Vision: Be the primary and most trusted source of news and information in the Cape Fear region, where residents turn, on-air or online, for the real story behind issues that affect their lives.

Core Values: Integrity; Community Service; Independent Journalism; Respect; Inclusivity; Innovation.

Strategic Priorities

1) Strengthening Local Journalism and Storytelling
-Maintain newsroom capacity; invest in training and mentorship to position WHQR as a high-quality training ground.
-Leverage partnerships (e.g., WECT, Port City Daily, NC NPR stations).
-Expand the Fourth Estate Fund to support cultural coverage and deep-dive investigations.

2) Growing Audience and Community Engagement
-Increase visibility through community events and signature programs (Ask a Reporter, Soup to Nuts Live, A Little Lunch Music).
-Expand outreach to younger and more diverse audiences; empower the Community Advisory Board to represent WHQR at events.

3) Financial Sustainability and Growth
-Short-term focus on replacing lost federal support via membership/underwriting; mid-term growth via major gifts and endowment development.

4) Digital Transformation and Innovation
-Redesign website and app to foreground news and on-demand audio; develop a coordinated social strategy (Instagram, TikTok, short-form video). -
Launch a third stream featuring archival/local programs to expand listening and underwriting.

5) Organizational Excellence and Diversity
-Recruit staff and board that reflect the region's diversity; enhance professional development and cross-training.
- Improve internal operations and data systems; implement a formal succession plan for key roles.

Conclusion and Call To Action
By approving this plan, the Board affirms WHQR's shared vision and commits to the culture of philanthropy and innovation needed to sustain independent local media in the Cape Fear region. Staff commit to executing this roadmap with accountability and continuous improvement, ensuring WHQR remains a trusted, essential public service