In 2021, Radio Fayetteville launched with a simple goal: create a platform where Fayetteville could hear itself. What began as a city-driven digital media initiative has steadily evolved into a growing collection of podcasts highlighting public safety, youth leadership, local government and community storytelling. Now, several years later, the platform is expanding its voice, and according to city officials, there is even more on the horizon.
Under the leadership of the City of Fayetteville’s Marketing and Communications Department, Radio Fayetteville has become less about traditional government messaging and more about creating conversations that feel accessible, local and personal.
“We wanted to meet residents where they are,” said Sherri Kropp, Communications Manager for the City of Fayetteville. “Podcasts gave us an opportunity to pull back the curtain a little bit and allow people to hear directly from the individuals serving this community every day.”
Since its launch, Radio Fayetteville has expanded into multiple podcasts, each with its own audience and personality while still maintaining a shared mission of civic engagement and community connection.
Among the most recognizable is The FayPD Beat Podcast, produced in partnership with the Fayetteville Police Department. The show focuses on policing, community partnerships and public safety conversations that residents might not normally hear outside official press conferences or social media updates. The podcast allows officers and department leaders to speak in a more conversational setting, helping humanize law enforcement while also providing transparency on issues affecting the city.
Another standout is the Fayetteville Fire Podcast, created alongside the Fayetteville Fire Department. Featuring firefighters, emergency personnel and department leadership, the podcast explores everything from fire safety education to behind-the-scenes stories about emergency response and community service.
Kropp said those public safety podcasts have become especially important because they create space for conversations that cannot always fit into short-form social media posts or traditional news releases.
“People want authenticity,” Kropp said. “They want to hear the personalities behind the uniforms and understand the work happening in the city from a human perspective.”
The platform has also broadened beyond emergency services. Mic’d Up with FCYC shines a spotlight on the Fayetteville-Cumberland Youth Council, giving young leaders a platform to discuss issues affecting their generation and community. The podcast reflects a growing emphasis on youth voice and civic participation in Fayetteville.
Rather than adults speaking for young people, the show allows youth leaders to shape conversations themselves, an approach Kropp said has helped diversify both the content and audience of Radio Fayetteville. Meanwhile, the broader Radio Fayetteville Podcast serves as an umbrella platform for citywide storytelling, public information and interviews tied to community initiatives, development projects and local events.
Visually, the podcasts carry distinct identities while still feeling connected to the city’s larger branding strategy. Bold microphones, headphones, emergency-service imagery and bright city-centered graphics reinforce the idea that Fayetteville’s story is being told directly by the people living and working within it. But the evolution of the platform has not simply been aesthetic. According to Kropp, the city quickly realized podcasts created a different level of engagement than traditional communication channels.
“In a podcast setting, people hear tone, emotion and personality,” she said. “It becomes less formal and more relatable, and that helps build trust with the community.”
That shift mirrors broader national trends as municipalities increasingly embrace podcasting and digital storytelling to connect with younger audiences and residents who consume information differently than previous generations. For Fayetteville, however, the podcasts also serve another purpose: documenting the city in real time. Episodes capture conversations surrounding public safety, local leadership, youth advocacy and civic development in ways that feel immediate and conversational rather than institutional.
Kropp said one of the most rewarding parts of the platform’s growth has been watching departments and community organizations become excited about participating.
“What started as an idea in 2021 has grown into something collaborative,” Kropp said. “Now people come to us with ideas and want to be involved.”
That momentum appears to be continuing. While Kropp remained careful not to reveal every future development currently in the works, she hinted that additional programming, expanded storytelling opportunities and new creative directions are already being discussed behind the scenes.
“There are definitely exciting things ahead,” she said. “We’re continuing to look at ways to evolve the platform and tell more stories that matter to Fayetteville.”
As podcasting continues to reshape how communities share information, Fayetteville’s approach reflects something larger than digital media trends alone. At its core, Radio Fayetteville has become an audio snapshot of the city itself, its voices, challenges, personalities and ambitions. And if the platform’s evolution over the last several years is any indication, Fayetteville may just be getting started.
Listeners can find Radio Fayetteville on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Listen Notes, IHeart Radio and TuneIn. For more information, visit https://www.fayettevillenc.gov/City-Departments/Marketing-Communications/FayTV