WBUR CEO Margaret Low receives Lifetime Achievement Pinnacle Award
BOSTON - To be able to say, honestly, that there is nothing about your job that you don't love is an extraordinary gift and one that is not lost on Margaret Low. "It's wonderful to be able to say that," Low said smiling. "It's really lucky."
As Chief Executive Officer at WBUR, Margaret leads a team of journalists who provide news that listeners rely on nationwide. Even on her most challenging days, she says she loves the work. "There is something so deep and so satisfying and it feels so relevant to me," she explains. "I love stories about people's lives. I love what we make. I love listening and reading and seeing what we do."
Margaret is quick to point out that her smart, creative colleagues share her enthusiasm for journalism. "I have an incredibly ambitious and imaginative and talented team. And they inspire me every day," she said.
Facing seemingly constant change in the news business, challenges include how to manage AI, how to engage listeners in new ways, and the economic challenges of running a newsroom with a smaller budget. In that volatility, Margaret finds opportunities for growth. "The stories and the world that we're covering and living in change every day. So, you're constantly in a state of not knowing and finding out and exploring."
It is both daunting and exciting. In the face of those challenges, Margaret cites her of comfort and support: her team at WBUR, her husband ("To have somebody you trust that much is really wonderful."), and swimming. Margaret swims several mornings each week. Weighing decisions and problem-solving, stroke after strike, provides clarity. "Sometimes I get out of the water and I'm like, 'I know what I'm going to do.'"
Memorable lessons
She praises the extraordinary people, throughout her career, who've taught her memorable lessons. Margaret recalls her boss at The Atlantic magazine--a "brilliant man" whose leadership she admired. In her first days on the job, she immediately began to think about things she needed to do and changes she needed to make.
She felt compelled to tell coworkers, who didn't know her yet, that changes were coming. Her boss was watching. One day, she says, he pulled her aside. His advice echoes to this day. "You don't have to do anything yet," he told her. "You need to make sure people like you. Trust you. Respect you. And want to work with you. Just get to that place and you're golden." Observing, listening, and getting to know people are hallmarks of Margaret's leadership.
She credits another former colleague with giving her advice she still follows. In those early days at "Morning Edition" an executive producer (who is still a close friend) described the work in the simplest terms. When Margaret asked him about the best storytelling approach, he rattled off three questions. "What's going to make me sit up and listen? Why should I care? Why am I hearing this today? Those are the basic principles and journalism and storytelling that you have to ask yourself every day."
In a journalism career that has fueled her for a lifetime, she says she never ceases to be inspired by the work, her colleagues, and the listeners who rely on WBUR. "Generally, I have relentless energy and appetite for life. And the job. And the people I work with," Low said. "So, I draw inspiration from all of it."
The Women's Network of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce presented Margaret with the 2025 Pinnacle Award for Lifetime Achievement on January 31, 2025.
