Mission & Vision
WAMU 88.5 is the leading public radio station for NPR news and information in the greater Washington D.C. area.
WAMU is member-supported, professionally-staffed, and licensed to American University. Since 1961, WAMU 88.5 has provided programming to an audience of listeners that now totals almost 1 million listeners on-air, online, and on demand.
Deeply committed to the D.C. metro area, WAMU 88.5 produces regular and special programming that reflects the unique environment of our region.
OUR MISSION
WAMU connects Washingtonians with each other and the world.
OUR VISION
To be the most respected and trusted voice in the world of traditional and emerging media, recognized for our commitment to serving Community, neighborhood and global, with balanced, enlightening, inspiring and entertaining programs of the highest possible quality.
Ethics and Integrity
JOURNALISM ETHICS AND STANDARDS
WAMU is dedicated to producing journalism that reflects the highest standards of fairness and accuracy. Therefore, we follow the ethical guidelines created by NPR. (https://www.npr.org/ethics)
SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINES
WAMU staff engage with the public through social media. We listen to regional voices and share our own journalism and experiences. These are our guidelines for how we approach this way of connecting with the community. (https://wamu.org/mission-vision/wamu-social-media-guidance/)
WAMU’S EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE AND TRANSPARENCY
To clarify the editorial relationship between WAMU and American University — the station’s Journalism Task Force has composed a statement setting forth WAMU’s policies when covering itself and American University. (https://wamu.org/mission-vision/editorial-independence-transparency/)
PUBLIC MEDIA CODE OF INTEGRITY
WAMU has adopted the Public Media Code of Integrity, a shared set of principles to strengthen the trust and integrity that communities expect of valued public service institutions.
FUNDRAISING ETHICS
WAMU adheres to the Code of Ethics and Standards established by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Our supporters are vital to our work, and through their philanthropic support, have rights as outlined in the Donor Bill of Rights. (http://www.codeofintegrity.org/ and https://afpglobal.org/donor-bill-rights)
AWARDS
https://wamu.org/awards
ANNUAL REPORTS AND FCC PUBLIC FILES
https://wamu.org/reports/
OUR HISTORY
On October 23, 1961 WAMU signed on from the campus of American University at 4 p.m., using a 4,000-watt transmitter purchased from WGBH Boston. As the sixth member of the Educational Radio Network — the predecessor to National Public Radio — WAMU’s founding vision is: “WAMU-FM will provide attractive, challenging programming that involves our listeners as completely as possible in the learning experience…”.
