Mary Dixon likes to say I ran off and joined the circus.That’s her way of contextualizing my decision a few months ago to leave my dream job, and the incredibly fulfilling job path I had been on for a decade, to become her co-host on WBEZ’s new daily talk show, "Say More with Mary Dixon and Patr ick Smith" (live every weekday at 10 a.m. on 91.5FM and at wbez.org).I can see her point.Before joining the talk shows team at Chicago Public Media, I was editing the public safety coverage of the Sun-Times and WBEZ. It was a job I had been building toward my whole career. I had spent a decade covering the justice system as a reporter. Now, as an editor, I was helping guide how the city understood some of the biggest stories and events in the world.I was also working with some of the best reporters in the world. The last couple of years editing gave me the chance to help shape the incredible storytelling of Lisa Kurian Philip, the narrative depth and investigations of Chip Mitchell, the creativity and experimentation of Anna Savchenko, the dogged reporting and keen ear of Mariah Woelfel and the quick writing and penetrating interview skills of Mike Puente.The position also put me in the middle of the merger the Sun-Times and WBEZ newsrooms. It’s an exciting experiment with huge stakes for the city and for the future of journalism. I could feel the energy in the newsroom and the possibilities in my conversations with other journalists. And the combining of our efforts meant I got to work with a whole new menu of fantastic reporters. I quickly learned Tom Schuba is basically a self-propelling scoops machine, but I tried to contribute to his successes in whatever way I could. Same for editing the conscientious and committed crime and courts reporting of Sophie Sherry and the beautiful writing and beat mastery of Jon Seidel.The merger has been exciting and urgent but also costly, as we lost some incredible journalists.What’s more important than any one of us is the dedication we all share to informing the public, connecting with our community and trying everything we can to best serve the people of Chicago. It’s that commitment that led to the creation of "Say More." And it is why I ultimately decided to stray from the path I had been on since I started as an intern at WBEZ more than a decade ago, to try to make something both old-fashioned and brand new with the talk shows team.With "Say More," I am now doing my small part to help create and foster a public square. Each day, we try to find new ways to bring the great reporting being done in the newsroom to the public. To explain it to them, to turn the reporting over, and pull it apart, and then ask our listeners to call in — engaging with the news and with each other.We want "Say More" to feel like neighbors just talking. That means diving into serious topics when the news demands, talking about the Bears and the snow, and finding moments of joy to share. In just a couple of months I can already feel the community we are building. And it’s because we aren’t just delivering the news to folks, we are creating it alongside them.That’s led to some truly magical moments on the air, like when an American woman of Mexican descent, whose family has been in the country for generations, wept while talking about how she feels she now has to travel with her passport because of the race-based stops being conducted by federal agents. Or when an outraged caller described being turned away from getting vaccinated in the midst of confusing federal guidance.It’s also provided clear insights into the sentiments of our audience that we could not get any other way. I remember opening the phone lines to talk about the aggressive deportation campaign dubbed "Operation Midway Blitz" and doing everything I could to invite callers who supported the actions of federal agents, but the Chicagoans who called in spoke with almost one voice in condemning the blitz. Similarly, after the longest federal shutdown in history ended in November, listeners called in unprompted to blast U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin for compromising with Republicans — foretelling what would become a major political issue for the retiring Democrat.OK, one more list of names. The talk team I was lucky enough to join a few months ago — Mary Dixon, Sasha-Ann Simons, Meha Ahmad, Lynnea Domienik, Cianna Greaves, Andrea Guthmann, Kady Roberts, Ethan Schwabe, Dan Tucker and Micah Yason — are an incredible group. One thing we all have in common, besides our dedication to the public and our audience, is that we believe in the power of radio. There’s something magical about it.I hope you’ll listen. ...read more read less