About
I’m Michael Sarno, an audio and video producer, journalist, and media creator based in the Portland area. With a background in storytelling, research, and media production, I create work across audio, video, writing, and digital journalism. I graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in History, which helped shape my approach to research, context, and clear communication.
In the first decade of my professional career, I spent most of my time in project management roles in the corporate sector. My background also includes work in external affairs, including government relations, partnership development, marketing, and communications. Alongside that work, I continued building experience in radio, journalism, and video production. Over time, those paths came together in the work I do today as a producer, reporter, and storyteller focused on making complex topics accessible and engaging.
Audio
My audio work spans radio hosting, audio production, storytelling, interviewing, and community reporting through KXRW and XRAY in the Portland area. I host two original radio shows: Ever Present Past, a storytelling-driven music history program focused on overlooked classic artists and albums, and Two Rooms at the End of the World, a music discovery show built around deep cuts, B-sides, demos, live recordings, and under-appreciated songs that traditional radio often leaves behind. Through these shows, I’ve interviewed a wide range of guests, from writers and New York Times bestselling authors to musicians ranging from emerging artists to members of The Zombies. I’ve also taken on producer and mentor roles across other station programming, while more recently expanding into reporting and event coverage in the Portland-area community.
Video
Video production is the newest chapter in my media career, bringing together my background in storytelling, journalism, audio production, and digital content creation. Much of my recent video work has grown out of podcast production, where I create content designed to extend the reach of interviews, conversations, and original programming across platforms. That includes promotional videos, social media content, short-form reels, and TikToks, along with promotional materials and content schedules that help support a consistent digital presence. This side of storytelling has become an important part of how I approach promotion, audience engagement, and bringing stories to life visually.
Writing
My writing career began in 2017, when I started contributing journalism to publications based in Los Angeles and New York. That work helped me develop my voice as a writer and journalist, and sharpened my ability to turn research, interviews, and observation into clear, engaging stories. Since then, writing has remained a core part of my work across critical analysis, rankings, feature writing, and commentary, with a strong focus on music journalism while also extending beyond it. Whether I’m writing criticism, reported pieces, or longform features, I’m most interested in work that combines perspective, clarity, and strong storytelling.