Cherri Gregg: Journalism’s ‘Good Soul’

Cherri Gregg headshot | Credit: Kirsten White Photography

When Cherri Gregg takes the mic, she is sparking conversations that connect people across communities, identities, and lived experiences. From her role as co-host of WHYY’s Studio 2 to her Emmy-winning “Good Souls Project,” Gregg has built her career around one guiding principle: journalism should lift voices, challenge narratives, and help communities find solutions.

Cherri Gregg during her days at KYW Newsradio hosting a Flashpoint LIVE event. Cherri was the creator and host of Flashpoint.

Back in 2018, FunTimes profiled Gregg as a rising star in Philadelphia media. At the time, she juggled her work as a community affairs reporter for the commercial radio giant, KYW Newsradio, hosting weekly the public affairs show “Flashpoint,” and regularly appearing on CBS3’s Eyewitness News. Much of her reporting focused on civil rights, racial justice, and community issues. But in 2021, she made a bold leap of faith by moving on to WHYY and into public media, seeking space for deeper, more meaningful dialogue.

“I wanted to work in a space where we could have in-depth, thoughtful conversations,” Gregg explains. “That is what Studio 2 is all about– community conversations, with thought leaders, reporters, and everyday people exploring the issues that impact our region.” WHYY ultimately gave her the forum for more in-depth reporting.

Studio 2: A New Kind of Talk Show

Cherri Gregg w/ Studio 2 Co-Host Avi Wolfman-Arent at live event at WHYY

Launched two and a half years ago, Studio 2 airs live four days a week on WHYY Radio (90.9FM in Greater Philadelphia). Gregg co-hosts the show alongside Avi Wolfman-Arent. The program blends timely news discussions with deeper dives into policy, culture, and community concerns. Listeners call in, experts weigh in, and hosts engage in real and substantial dialogue.

“It is really about creating a platform for solutions and live conversation,” Gregg says. “The goal is to have one of the best live conversations every single day in Philadelphia.”

Studio 2 has grown steadily, with rising ratings, live tapings across the region –many times sold out– and an expanding digital audience through podcasts and streaming. For Gregg, it is proof that people still crave authentic, civil, and informed public dialogue.

‘Good Souls Project’: Celebrating Everyday Heroes

In addition to Studio 2, Gregg continues to pour her energy into WHYY’s “Good Souls Project,” which she created three years ago to highlight individuals making extraordinary contributions in their communities. The series has profiled more than two dozen changemakers and organizations across the Delaware Valley, from doctors and teachers to farmers and security guards.

Good Souls are not celebrities, they are unsung neighbors who quietly make a difference. A family from Liberia who started a farm in New Jersey to preserve cultural crops. A grocery store security guard who quietly paid for customers’ groceries when they couldn’t. A neurosurgeon saving children’s lives. A police officer who risked her life to rescue others from a burning building.

“These are not people waiting for a Superman,” Gregg says. “They are stepping up to be the heroes themselves.”

Cherri Gregg co-moderating Philadelphia DA forum with Carmen Russell Sluchansky. Credit Kimberly Payner.

The project has touched lives far beyond the screen. Some honorees who have nonprofits, have seen donations pour in after being featured. In 2024, the series won a local journalism Emmy Award – a testament to its meaningful impact and storytelling power. A sixth season is now in production, with new stories slated to air this fall, culminating in a December television special.

Beyond the Studio

Gregg’s impact does not stop at WHYY. She is a community changemaker herself.  She co-founded the Law and Justice Journalism Project (LJJP), which mentors journalists and works to reframe reporting on crime and public safety, a pressing issue in Philadelphia and across big cities nationwide. 

“We do not have a disease beat, we have health reporters,” says Gregg. “So why do we have a crime beat, instead of a public safety beat?”

Cherri Gregg moderated a fireside chat with then Mayor Elect Cherelle Parker and Pa House Speaker Joanna McClinton in December 2023 at Women of Destiny Event.

Through LJJP, cohorts of early and mid-career reporters receive training on covering courts, policing, and community issues with more nuance. The goal is to move beyond sensationalism and more towards journalism that effectively spawns solutions and accountability.

Gregg also runs her own company, Create Genius Media, in which she is developing a podcast series on justice-impacted women. She has taught journalism law and ethics at Temple University, and she frequently moderates civic forums, including judicial and district attorney debates, so voters can make informed decisions.

A Life Fully Lived

Cherri Gregg w. husband Jamie Byrd at wedding reception at Southside. Credit Brandon Captures

Despite her full schedule, Gregg makes time for joy. Recently married, she and her husband spent their honeymoon backpacking across Japan. 

“I work really hard, but I also make sure I am living fully,” she says with a smile.

It’s a life-work balance she is proud to have found at this stage of her career: “I used to be at two or three events a day as a reporter. Now, as a host and convener, my impact is more intentional, more in-depth. And I feel blessed to do work I truly love.”

Looking Back, Moving Forward

If she had to do it all over again, Gregg says that she would not change a thing. 

“There were moments I wondered if leaving my job at KYW was the right decision,” she says, “but everything has worked out better than I expected. I feel blessed to have the freedom and security to grow, shift, and still make an impact.”

As she approaches her 15th year on the air, Gregg continues to inspire audiences, nurture young journalists, and highlight the good souls among us. In her words, “It is about creating space for solutions, lifting voices, and reminding people that change starts with us.”

In Philadelphia and beyond, Cherri Gregg remains more than a journalist. She’s a ‘Good Soul.’