Deborah Pardes

Deborah Pardes has thrived as a host, writer, facilitator and audio producer for over three decades. Her expertise in audience engagement is her key differentiator. Her current position at Swell as Chief Story Officer celebrates her skills as an interviewer, producer, and content strategist. She is the founder of Artists for Literacy, an educational non-profit that empowers low-level readers with access to complex texts through art. Her Songs Inspired by Literature (SIBL) project has secured the support and participation of renown artists, including Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Tom Waits, and Suzanne Vega. Media coverage has included NPR, BBC, New York Times, and RollingStone. Her Arresting Knowledge news literacy project teaches basic media literacy skills, along with bias training. She has facilitated these workshops in eight states, in a variety of community-based organizations, public libraries, and schools including Stanford University and the Columbia School of Journalism.