WORLD has announced the promotion of Chris Hastings to the dual role of Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer.
Since 2011, Hastings has been at the forefront of content curation and editorial strategy at WORLD, playing a pivotal role in its ascent as the leading platform for multicultural voices and storytelling that mirrors the rich tapestry of human experiences.
Stepping into this enhanced position, Hastings is poised to introduce groundbreaking innovations in storytelling, aiming to forge deeper connections with audiences across new and emerging platforms, transcending the confines of traditional broadcasting.
WORLD is produced at GBH in Boston and reaches audiences via 194 member stations nationwide and extensive digital platforms. This strategic shift to digital platforms under Hastings’ guidance underscores WORLD’s commitment to reshaping public media storytelling.
“Under Chris’ leadership, WORLD has become the leading platform for nonfiction content that opens viewers to the rich and varied stories of global communities,” said GBH President and CEO Susan Goldberg. “This role expansion signifies a strategic refocusing on amplifying a wider array of multicultural narratives and ensuring they resonate more profoundly with public media consumers.”
As editor-in-chief and executive producer, Hastings will lead across several key areas: editorial and creative leadership; management of content acquisition and journalism; cultivation of new and existing content partnerships; financial stewardship and fundraising; audience engagement and growth; digital media innovation; impact and broad inclusion of marginalized voices.
“From WORLD’s earliest days, Chris helped forge its mission to discover and share unique stories and compelling issues from communities with little access to a national audience,” said GBH and WORLD General Manager of TV and Streaming Liz Cheng. “We are thrilled to recognize that his work has expanded beyond content creation to include significant efforts to sustain and grow the WORLD service now and in the future.”
Since 2012, WORLD has developed three original documentary series: America ReFramed for U.S. long-form documentaries in partnership with American Documentary; Doc World for international feature-length documentaries; and Local, USA for short-story themed reporting on local issues of national importance. Shared on television and radio, as a podcast, and via social media, WORLD’s Stories from the Stage series features multicultural storytellers sharing real stories in front of an in-studio audience.
WORLD also showcases films and programs from filmmakers, public media stations and partners that celebrate diverse cultures and highlight critical issues like racial injustice, financial insecurity, safe affordable housing, education, healthcare, climate change and democracy. WORLD premieres new episodes of AfroPop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, a co-production with Black Public Media, and Pacific Heartbeat, a presentation of Pacific Islanders in Communication and PBS Hawai’i, among other series and specials.
Hastings has led WORLD through the launch of a rebrand and the premieres of several co-presentations with PBS including Fannie Lou Hamer’s America: An America ReFramed Special, Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts – A Local, USA Special, and The Cost of Inheritance: An America ReFramed Special. Currently, Hastings is developing a series of 30 short films that will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 and is actively fundraising for WORLD’s content accelerator fund.
“Impactful storytelling sits at the heart of WORLD’s and public media’s mission, and I look forward to continuing to guide our content in a way that connects important but under-the-radar stories at home and around the world from emerging and diverse filmmakers, for multicultural audiences across broadcast and digital platforms,” said Hastings. “With the media landscape continuing to transform, I hope to ensure that WORLD is a nimble and sustainable player that elevates marginalized voices.”
Under Hastings’ leadership, WORLD productions have won many honors, including a Peabody Award, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award and a News and Documentary Emmy® Award. In 2016, Hastings became a Rockwood JustFilms Fellow and was awarded GBH’s Margaret and Hans Rey Curious George producer fellowship. He is a proud alumnus of The Partnership Inc., a Boston-based leadership incubator for executives of color from across the country. He also sits on the boards of the Community Art Center in Cambridge, MA and is the board chair of Los Angeles-based youth media organization Justice For My Sister.
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